Here's where to go horse riding in London

By Jen Barton Packer on 13/5/2019

Contact with animals is good for the soul, for kids and adults alike, and horses in particular are wonderful companions for kids that encourage them to get in tune with nature, learn to look after an animal and build confidence and empathy.
The good news is, you don't need to be on a multi-thousand acre estate or farm in the countryside to learn to ride - or to have a horse-related adventure for a day. From riding schools to city farms, there are venues across London that let you get up close and personal with London's horses, whether you want to feed them, befriend them or ride them on the regular. Giddy up.

Kentish Town City Farm

Kentish Town City Farm offers riding opportunities for younger kids: children four and up can enjoy their first pony ride (£2), while two-year-olds can get a donkey ride. Horse-mad Camden-based school kids can apply to the local Pony Club to learn about horse care and ride Kentish Town City Farm's gorgeous horses, Champion, Jester and Murphy, every week. A riding therapy programme is also available for young people with disabilities.

WHEN

Saturdays-Sundays, 1:30pm

WHERE

1 Cressfield Close, off Grafton Road, London, NW5 4BN

Wimbledon Village Stables

If trotting a horse through glorious Richmond Park or Wimbledon Common is your idea of bliss, then you'll love the award-winning Wimbledon Village Stables, which caters to equestrians of all skill levels and ages. There's a horse-riding simulator on site to practice on so you can gain confidence before mounting an actual horse, as well as lessons for kids seven and up (for children of members). Membership isn't required, but Silver/Gold members do get a range of perks included, like weekly one-hour rides, members-only competitions, strolls around the Common with The Fantastic Mr. Fudge, a Shetland miniature pony, and workshops on topics like stable management.

WHERE

Wimbledon Village Stables, 24 a/b High Street, Wimbledon, SW19 5DX

Mudchute Park & Farm, East London

This Isle of Dogs city farm also houses a British Horse Society approved riding school on site, with 25 ponies and horses and show jumps and cross-country fences for experienced riders to enjoy. Lessons are available for adults and kids aged seven and up, and there's even a camp for kids during the school holidays, where they can spend a day learning about stable management - mucking out, grooming, feeding - as well as enjoying riding sessions (boots are included in the £70 per child charge; hat hire is £1.50).

WHERE

Mudchute Park & Farm, Pier Street, Isle of Dogs, London, E14 3HP

Riding Club London

For riders who want their equestrian life at the centre of their social calendars - and who are passionate about horses - Riding Club London is a membership club that has it all: weekend and evening hacks (with pub stops), beach rides, riding holidays to exciting destinations like Argentina, as well as racing and polo days out (in fact, you can opt for a social-only membership just to access the fun opportunities). As for the riding, it doesn't get any better than this: flatwork sessions with the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery at Woolwich Barracks or on the Queen's steeds with The Household Cavalry at Knightsbridge Barracks, as well as jumping lessons at Chessington Equestrian Centre. Membership is £240 a year, with a £50 joining fee.

WHERE

Wimbledon Tech Wimbledon Library 35A Wimbledon Hill Road, London, SW19 7NB

Ross Nye Stables

These Hyde Park stables offer hacking and lessons for riders of all ages and stages, along Hyde Park's sand tracks like Rotten Row - where you might bump into the Household Cavalry horses doing their morning drills - and the park's outdoor arenas. Equine-loving kids should consider joining the Hyde Park branch of the London Pony Club to spend their weekends mucking out stables and riding ponies - membership also entitles you to purchase lessons at discounted prices.

WHERE

8 Bathurst Mews, London, W2 2SB

Vauxhall City Farm

Vauxhall City Farm offers kids plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with their horses and Shetland ponies. You can adopt one of the animals to visit every time you pop in, and the farm also hosts Own A Pony days (£80) during half-terms and holidays: kids can spend the day learning about horse care, grooming, mucking out, tacking up and preparing feed, as well as riding, of course.

WHERE

165 Tyers Street, SE11 5HS