Lessons, instruction and schooling — find a yard to learn the ropes or bring a horse on.
Rachel Levy is a BHS qualified freelance riding coach covering Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex. She coaches riders in eventing, dressage and jumping for competition, BHS exams and leisure. She also offers horse schooling, dressage judging and stable management training.
Silverstone Riding School is a Pony Club linked riding school set in 130 acres of Northamptonshire countryside, established over 50 years ago by the Wesley family. It has about 30 ponies and horses and specialises in riding for children and teens, with some adult riders. Facilities include two floodlit outdoor arenas, a small indoor area, a cross country course and off-road hacking.
Confident & Connected is run by Hanna Walton and Matt Feerick. They take horses for training stays with full livery, start groups of young horses three times a year and help with problem horses. They also offer lessons, clinics and an online foundation training programme.
Witney Pony Partners is a licensed equitation centre in Witney run by Liz James. It gives one-to-one lessons combining groundwork and riding in a rope hackamore, following equitation science principles. It also offers bridle-less riding, liberty and trick training, and summer pony days, with 13 horses and ponies.
Turpins Lodge Riding School near Hook Norton offers riding lessons and hacks for all abilities, from first-time riders to experienced riders who jump. It has a showjumping paddock and two cross-country courses within hacking distance. It is council licensed and approved by the Association of British Riding Schools.
Pony Pursuits is a riding centre just outside Oxford with sites at Huckleberry Farm in Heathfield and Sandy Lane in Horspath. It offers woodland rides, hacks, ride-and-groom sessions and pony therapy for adults and children. It also hosts pony parties at Huckleberry Farm.
Whitford Horses is a riding school, livery and competition yard in Worcestershire, founded in 1964 and run by Sarah Hedges. It gives group, private and lead rein lessons to children and adults. Sarah competes nationally in show jumping.
The Knights of Middle England is a family business at the Warwick International School of Riding near Warwick. It stages jousting, stunt and equestrian displays for events, Warwick Castle and film and TV. It also teaches jousting, horse archery, stunt and trick riding and side saddle on schoolmaster horses.
Apples Equestrian is a family business at Leigh Sinton near Malvern in Worcestershire focused on holistic horsemanship. It offers lessons both on and off the horse, tailored to each person's needs. Owner Rachel is a qualified riding instructor and has run the business from her home for over 30 years. Many of its ponies and horses are rescues.
Arrow Equestrian at Weston House Farm near Pembridge, Herefordshire, offers tuition in classical riding and rider biomechanics with owner Sue Nevill-Parker. She is an experienced rider and trainer who also draws on the Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and Pilates. Accommodation is available in a restored farm building on site.
Tumpy Green Equestrian Centre is a family-run riding centre near Dursley established in 2003. It is BHS and ABRS approved and a Pony Club Centre. It offers group, private and semi-private lessons for adults and children from beginner to advanced, with indoor and outdoor arenas. Visiting trainers hold dressage, show jumping and cross-country clinics.
Severnvale Equestrian Centre is a family-run riding school owned by Lizzel and Eric Winter. It is a Pony Club approved centre and works with the RDA. It runs beginner groups, home-education groups, after-school and after-work clubs with riding and BHS stable management. Gift vouchers are available.
Newbrook Farm Equestrian near Uley in Gloucestershire specialises in retirement livery for horses retired through age or injury. It also runs a family livery yard and a licensed riding establishment with horses from Shetlands to Shires. Activities include woodland hacks, bluebell rides, pub rides and team-building sessions. Recuperation livery is also offered.
May Hill Farm is a family-run farm in rural Gloucestershire offering equestrian services and countryside accommodation. It has a livery yard and offers riding lessons, camps and equestrian experiences for experienced and novice riders. Horse holidays are available for visitors who bring their own horses, with a school and access to hacking. Holiday cottages and glamping accommodation are also offered.
Redbrook Equestrian is a riding school and livery yard in Upper Redbrook near Monmouth in the Wye Valley. It has horses and ponies for riders from beginners to experienced, with courses run by qualified instructors. Livery options include full, schooling and working livery, with 24/7 herd turnout available. It also runs TTEAM-Connect clinics combining Tellington Touch and Connected Riding.
Emile Faurie is an international dressage rider and trainer who has represented Great Britain at World, European and Olympic level. He and his team run Heath Farm, a centre for classical dressage teaching and training. The site also lists horse sales and the Emile Faurie Foundation, which introduces children to equine sport and careers.
EquiSynergy offers rider biomechanics coaching to horse riders across Oxfordshire. It is run by Lindsey and Molly Parkinson, who are UKCC-qualified freelance coaches. Since 2022 their coaching has included an Equisimulator, a rider-powered mechanical horse that gives instant feedback on balance and position. Sessions last 45 minutes and are booked by phone or online form.
Pioneer Equestrian Coaching is a licensed riding school at a private yard in Charlbury, West Oxfordshire. Founder Olivia Pollard teaches private lessons using the Ride With Your Mind and biomechanics-based approach. It also offers liveries and horse shares.
Mursley Hall Farm is a family-run riding school and livery yard in Mursley, Buckinghamshire, with over 30 years of teaching experience. It has 20 licensed riding school horses and offers group and private lessons from beginner to advanced. Livery clients can use an indoor school, a floodlit outdoor school and year-round turnout.
Cotswold Polo Academy teaches polo at Edgeworth Polo Club in the Cotswolds from April to September, and abroad in winter. It offers group and private lessons with or without pony hire, instructional chukkas and games. It also provides high-goal team management and tournament logistics.
Cotswold Dressage Academy near Cirencester is run by Anne Marie, who competes up to international Grand Prix. It offers dressage coaching, schooling, clinics in the UK and abroad, and training livery for horse and rider. A progress package combines weekly lessons, help at shows and a training diary.
Passive Horsemanship at Noverton Farm near Prestbury, Cheltenham, is a Western riding school run by horseman Brian Sinnett. It offers Western and English riding lessons, trail rides over 200 acres, horse training and starting, and team-building days. The farm breeds Quarter Horses and Appaloosas and offers DIY livery.
Mill Farm Stables is a family-run, BHS approved yard on the northern edge of Winchcombe in the Cotswolds. It offers livery, schooling and riding lessons for all ages and abilities, from nervous adults to competition riders. Facilities include a cross-country course, a showjump paddock and two outdoor menages. The yard is run by Pam Pearce-May and her husband Steve.
Cotswolds Riding is run by Jill Carenza in the village of Stanton near Broadway and has offered riding since 1975. It provides lessons and hacks for riders of all levels, with over 50 schooled horses and ponies for children. The business also runs a bed and breakfast and an equestrian clothing and equipment shop.
