PONY DAYS

We run full and half day pony days during the school holidays:

HALF-DAYS ~ include 1 ride

10 am to 1 pm

£75/day or £70/day when 2 or more days OR siblings are booked

FULL-DAYS ~ include 2 rides (usually 1 lesson & 1 hack, weather/rider skill dependent)

10 am to 4 pm

£105/day or £100/day when 2 or more days OR siblings are booked

OCTOBER HALF-TERM 2024

Tuesday 29th

Wednesday 30th

Thursday 31st ~ FULLY BOOKED

DECEMBER/JANUARY BREAK 2024

Monday 30th

Tuesday 31st

Thursday 2nd

Friday 3rd

FEBRUARY HALF-TERM 2025

Tuesday 18th

Wednesday 19th

Thursday 20th

APRIL BREAK 2025

Tuesday 8th

Wednesday 9th

Thursday 10th

Tuesday 15th

Wednesday 16th

Thursday 17th

MAY HALF-TERM 2025

Tuesday 27th

Wednesday 28th

Thursday 29th

SUMMER BREAK 2025

Dates to be confirmed

  Weekend Riding Club Membership

Our weekend riding club operates on Saturdays and Sundays. It offers a unique opportunity for young horse enthusiasts to be immersed in not just learning to ride, but in horsemanship, stable management and horse care.

Our clubs run Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 1pm and 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Our morning clubs are for riders between the ages of 4 and 12 who are new to or less experienced with horses. Our afternoon clubs are reserved for riders (minimum 10 years old) that are capable of grooming and tacking-up their horse independently or with very minimal support.

DROP OFF TIMES: between 9:45 am and 10:00 am (to ensure a prompt start at 10am)

SCHEDULE

Mornings (rough schedule, subject to change)
9:45 - 10:00 ~  Collecting equipment for horses and humans
10:00 - 10:30 ~ Grooming and tacking up for riding - working with a partner
10:30 - 11:30 ~ Group 1 Riding Lesson* / Group 2 Stable Management Lesson
11:30 - 11:40 ~ Change over/Break
11:40 - 12:40 ~ Group 2 Riding Lesson* / Group 1 Stable Management Lesson
12:40 - 1:00 ~ Tidying up yard - both groups

*Please note the 1-hour time frame includes mounting, adjusting stirrups, a warm-up and cool-down, and dismounting. During the nicer weather, riders will be walking their horses to the riding arena, doing an in-hand warm-up, before preparing to mount. They will then bring their horse to the mounting block. This is to build more independence and ground handling skills.

Afternoons (rough schedule, subject to change)
1:30-2:00 ~ Group 1 Getting Ready to Ride / Group 2 Stable Management
2:00-3:00 ~ Group 1 Riding / Group 2 Getting Ready to Ride
3:15-4:15 ~ Group 2 Riding/ Group 1 Stable Management
4:15-4:30 ~ Tidying up yard -  both groups

The stable management lessons include activities using the Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS) rosette categories: points of the horse, grooming, saddlery, tack cleaning, native breeds, feeds & feeding, poisonous plants, the foot & shoeing, leading, pony health, health & safety. Since we are a centre that specialises in nervous and anxious riders, at the same time we focus on social and communication skills.

FEES

We offer weekly or fortnightly sessions. The monthly fee for weekly sessions is £260, which includes a free session if there are 5 Saturdays or Sundays in the month. Over the year, our weekly club riders receive 4 or 5 free sessions, the equivalent of a free month of riding!

The monthly fee for fortnightly sessions is £130.  For our fortnightly riders, there are months in which there may be 3 sessions rather than the normal 2. There will be an additional fee of £65 for this extra session.

Monthly fees are payable by standing order on the first of the month.

We offer pay-as-you-go lessons, if space permits, at £70 per session.

CANCELLATIONS

Regrettably, there are no refunds or make-up sessions for the monthly riding membership fee regardless of whether lessons are missed due to sudden illness, or emergency. Please understand this is the horses' and humans' livelihood. We thank you for your willingness to support us with this request. However, if the session falls on a holiday and we are closed, we will offer a make-up session during one of our pony days during the school holidays (e.g. closed Christmas, a make-up will be offered during the Christmas break pony days). We will allow 2 sessions to be missed for special events and a make-up can be taken on a pony day, as long as we are given advanced notice (10 days) that the rider will be away for a weekend session.

SUMMER HOLIDAYS

As we are all able to travel now for holidays, we will offer a make-up session for up to 2 weekend sessions that are taken off for holidays. If you take 2 sessions off, we will offer you a full-day on one of our summer pony days. If you take 1 session off, we will offer you a half-day on one of our summer pony days. 

ABSENCES

Please let us know if a rider will be absent. A lot of thought goes into preparing the rider groups and assigning horses to riders. We need to think of the horses’ workload and rider and horse pairing to ensure all 2 and 4-legged beings are happy.

WEATHER

We operate year round and ride rain or shine. It is important for participants to come prepared to spend time outdoors in all types of weather. We do have indoor spaces for participants to learn about horses and horse care, however not all spaces are heated. We do ride outdoors.

We may offer non-riding sessions during extreme weather [e.g. rain storm with thunder] when it is not safe to ride or for the well-being of the horses and humans [e.g. severe heat]. Please see more details about our non-riding sessions below.

TERMINATION of MEMBERSHIP

We require one calendar month’s notice when ending your membership in our monthly riding club (e.g. Notice would need to be given by the end of October, for a December termination, meaning November is the last month of lessons). 

NON-RIDING SESSIONS

While we usually emphasize riding skills and horse care in our programs, we recognize the importance of nurturing the horse-human bond through alternative activities, there will be occasions when we will host non-riding sessions that will focus on groundwork and pampering our beloved horses and ponies.

We may offer non-riding sessions during extreme weather [e.g. rain storm with thunder] or for the well-being of the horses [e.g. severe heat, rest break]

WHAT TO EXPECT
These sessions will be dedicated to activities such as more in depth grooming, bonding, and pampering our ponies. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in groundwork exercises that strengthen the connection between horse and rider. Our aim is to highlight the significance of the horse-human bond when participating in non-ridden activities.

BENEFITS OF NON-RIDING ACTIVITIES
1. Deepening Connection: Engaging in activities like grooming and groundwork fosters a deeper connection between riders and their equine partners.

2. Trust Building: Non-ridden sessions contribute to building trust and understanding, creating a positive and harmonious environment.

3. Wellbeing for Both: Pampering our ponies is not only enjoyable for them but also contributes to their overall wellbeing, promoting a healthy and happy atmosphere.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
At The Holistic Horse and Pony Centre, we believe in offering a comprehensive program that goes beyond riding skills. The horse-human bond is a fundamental aspect of our philosophy, and we recognize that activities off the saddle are equally valuable in strengthening this connection. This special weekend allows us to explore and celebrate the unique relationship between our riders and their four-legged companions.