Ealing Riding School

[dragonfly]

Hi just read the replies re:where to ride in London but am looking for info on one particular school. I'm a competent rider but haven't had any lesons for about a year, and need a school in west london or reachable via public transport. The closest to me is Ealing Riding school which is significantly cheaper than other schools in the area, but I don't want to choose it for being cheap and convenient if the standard of teaching or horse care is poor. Does anyone know if it's any good?

[Scootster]

I tried Ealing and didn't like it. Like you (and many others) I have to find places to ride that are near to a tube.

It's quite a small place and the people seem nice enough but I went on a horse that tried to buck me off four times and was on the whole not a very happy chap.

The instructor said it was because he was scared of being in an enclosed area being a big horse of 17hh. Considering I had never been there before I thought it was a bit of a silly thing to do - stick me on a horse that had a few problems.

But maybe it was a blip?

[dragonfly]

No that doesn't sound like the smartest thing to do. Do you know what the horse's name was? I might go along and try just one lesson with them to see what it's like and I don't want to end up on a horse that bucks! Maybe I'll just watch a lesson first.

[NVA]

I also used to go to Ealing and wasn't that impressed but maybe not for reasons that would concern you if you're a competent rider. Weekend lessons are all in groups and the format was very much "walk round for a bit, trot round for a bit, then all stop and have a go one by one at canter for about 3 paces before you run out of space". I found that we did the same thing week after wek (eg trot diagonals) and didn't get time to practice much other stuff, so they were a bit boring. I also wasn't that confident about the horses; one of them tanked off with me when I tried to trot and I couldn't stop her, another one in the same lesson starting bucking all over the place and I had a couple of others that scared me stiff!
Sorry if that isn't much help! The instructors are nice enough and the more advanced lessons might be more fun / instructive.
N

[Scootster]

It is very very small and the horses don't hack out either so perhaps they get really frustrated. I know I would. Horses have off days but the one I rode seemed totally fed up. I'm not that tall so to be bucked from a horse over 17HH would hurt. Plus it did scare me as well. It's a very small space to be on a horse that starts to kick off.

I've just managed to get a lesson at Suzanne's (yayyyyy). I've tried four stables so far in London:
Green Lanes: Good but too far
Wimbledon V: Good but too far (also don't like roads)
Lee Valley: Good, very sweet horses
and
Ealing: didn't like

I want to try out a few as they are all different. I'd also like to horse share one day :D :D

[dragonfly]

Well I went to look around and watch a lesson. It is a very small place which I don't mind but I do agree that the horses probably get fed up being cooped up there. The horse in the lesson I saw didn't bolt or buck but was actually very reluctant to move. She did perk up towards the end but I don't think she enjoyed herself very much.

I also looked at their website and they don't have a horse called Stanley so maybe they didn't keep him for very long. It seems strange to me that they would use a horse who doesn't like small spaces; Doesn't exactly sound ideal for a small school that doesn't go on hacks.

I'm probably going to try a stable in the Kingston area as it's reasonably easy for me to get to and I'd really like to go on hacks in Richmond Park.