Riding at Valley Farm

Jumping in outdoor arena

Close up girl on pony smiling  Child riding pony

Riding Lesson in Indoor School

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riding at Valley Farm

Lessons at Valley Farm are either for one hour or half an hour, this includes mounting and dismounting time. We offer lessons for all standards of rider across a wide range of equestrian disciplines.  We have a team of dedicated enthusiastic teaching staff, all with slightly different teaching styles, so you are sure to find a lesson to suit your needs.
 
Tiny Tots
Young children, aged from two up to about six, can join our special half hour fun classes led by mum or dad on Saturday and Sunday mornings. For those who have never ridden, a 20 minute one to one lead rein lesson can be arranged to help get into the swing of things. The under 3's can ride on one of our miniature ponies. We also have a tots club on Wednesday mornings during termtime. (For more info see our TOTS PONY CLUB page)
Class/Group Lessons
Small 1 hour class lessons take place most days, after school, evenings and weekends for both children and adults, in our Indoor School or outside in good weather. At weekends the class lessons usually start off gently in the morning, and progress in difficulty throughout the day.

Private Lessons
Private lessons can be arranged as you wish for any level of ability, and covering any topics that you would like.   There is usually more time for private lessons during the week, but they can be fitted in at weekends provided sufficient notice is given.  These can be for half an hour or 1 hour.
 
Shared Private Lessons 
This can be a helpful option if a family, or group of friends would like to have lessons or hack out together.  You can book for half an hour or one hour.   
 
Hacks
Organised hacks along our farm tracks and woodland trails can be booked privately or by joining a class, providing the standards of the riders are known and the riders safety can be assured.
 
Stable Management and Horse Care
For those wanting to learn about caring for horses we have several options. Anybody under 25 can join the Pony Club, and then join in with our regular pony club stable management lessons. See our Pony Club page for more details. This way as your knowledge increases, you can take tests if you wish to. Adults can join our fun horse care sessions or if you are wishing to gain qualifications you can enrol on one of our BHS or NVQ courses. See our Training Page for more details.
 
Riding Courses 
From September 2012 we are offering progressive riding courses for adults during the week.  These are at a discounted price and offer a variety of options aimed at helping those who have not ridden for a while to get back into riding. (please see our TAKE BACK THE REINS page for more details)
 
Riding for Boys
The Pony Club is for boys and girls. In fact most of the top male riders in the country started in the Pony Club.  We offer a number of activities which appeal to boys. See our boys page for more details.
Other Lessons
For riders wishing to try something a little different, lessons can be arranged in a number of other equestrian disciplines:
  • Vaulting or lunge lessons are excellent for riders wanting to gain confidence in canter. Good fun, and a great way of keeping fit. See our VAULTING page for more details.
  • Western lessons are ideal for those who like a slightly slower pace, or who want to brush up on their skills before going on a ranch holiday. Please see our WESTERN RIDING page.
  • Side saddle lessons are available for those who would like to try their hand at something a little different.
  • Horseball is a fast and exciting sport, for the more adventurous rider. Lessons in the basics are available.
  • Polocrosse Lessons in the basics are available, to start you off, or give you the chance to have a go at this skilled game.
  • Heavy Horse We have a number of agricultural draught horses. They are used for agricultural experiences, but also for western riding, side saddle, vaulting and ordinary riding lessons. So if you fancy riding one of these gentle giants for the novelty factor, or if you are a larger person, we're sure to be able to accommodate you. (weight limit currently 15 stone) See our Heavy Horse page for more details.
  • Carriage Driving, and Agricultural Horse driving See our Carriage Driving page.

 

Childcare Vouchers

We are OFSTED registered VC374742 and childcare vouchers are accepted for most lessons, activity days and holidays.