Does anyone know any good stables in Bristol,UK???

[Emma_H]

Hi

Does anyone know any good stables that offer riding lessons on their own ponies?

it cant be too far from South Glos/Downend as i need to get a taxi and taxis here are expensive.

I would also like to hack instead of having a lesson in a schooling ring, and they must have ponies as well.

If anyone can help me i'd be very grateful, I don't know anybody here in bristol!

thanks..

[Wally]

Is White Cat any where near you?

[RachelEvent]

I learnt to ride at a stables near Thornbury, by Oldbury by power station, they it was called 'Sheperdine Ridining School.' I loved it there and think they have a fantastic way of instilling confidence in everyone who learns there. There are plenty of ponies and they do hack out in the countryside if you request.

It isn't BHS approved, but the instructors are BHS qualified and the riding school is properly licensed with the county etc. It's probably about 10 miles from downend.

There is also the riding for the disabled stables, which also do lessons for able bodied riders. This is ten miles in the other direction, out towards henbury and kingsweston. You can read about them here: http://beehive.thisisbristol.com/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=6858&PageID=36519

[Emma_H]

Thanks for getting back to me both of you.

I have heard of White Cat Wally, do you know if it is any good.

Rachael, do you know what Sheperdine Riding School is called now? or do you know the road address, i cant find anything online for it.

thanks again

Em

[MuddyCob]

White Cat has recently closed - it is now a livery yard. However you could try Laddenbrook, which is just outside Yate. It's in the Yellow Pages.

[Emma_H]

thanks MuddyCob

I think Yate is going to be too far for me to go as i am not driving

thanks for your help

Em

[RachelEvent]

You should be able to find Sheperdine in the local yellow pages. The propeteir is Jean Ward if that helps.

Could definitely be worth looking at the RDA stables, they have plenty of ponies and they certainly do some hacking. You should be able to catch a bus from downend to henbury which will save money on taxi fares.

[Emma_H]

Thanks Rachael

Does anyone know if Clack Mill in Keynsham is any good?

According to the AA Route planner it is only 18 minutes drive from my house.

Em

[Emma_H]

I rang them up and they didnt want the business!

Also rang most of the riding schools on the clee website and yell.com that were 20 mins drive away and none of them wanted to know!

They were either rude, didnt answer their phones, were conveniently fully booked all the time or despite being listed as a riding school everywhere didnt actually do lessons.

i dont know whats going on, surely these people would be glad of the business? i'm a nice person i've owned/loaned horses and just wanted to get back into it. Not fussed what they put me on as long as its no bigger than 14.2, i'll help out. I havent got ideas of grandeur, perfectly honest about my abilities, i'm not snobby or stuck up.

GRRR WHATS GOING ON PEOPLE?

:confused:

sorry needed to get that out.

just had a thought, could it be because i'm not 'local'? i could disguise my london accent :(

[lottie22]

I know exactly what you mean! Me and my partner decided to have private lessons and phoned up urchinwood manor, they were lovely on the phone and we went one evening n had a really good lesson. Afterwards trying to book another for the following week proved to be too much trouble!! Apparently we were lucky to get the lesson we'd just had and it was only due to a group cancelling. The lady was quite rude and unfriendly. She told us we were far too inexperienced for any of the groups having not even asked us what riding experience we have and just basically told us we'd have to arrange childcare for our little boy so we could come at the beginning of the week or in the daytime. Its like as if they don't care for your business at all!

Anyway if u can get there and are free when they have available slots, the tutor was lovely and very good. :)
Think we're going to try somewhere else if anyone knows of anywhere good, we do drive so can go anywhere really but we work in the centre of bristol so the nearer the better.

[fairlady]

Hello to all in Bristol. Emma you are not far from me I am in Mangotsfield. Had the same sort of problems when trying to phone round to book a lesson for my 4 year old Grandaughter. White Cat is definately closed and only liveries now.

There are some stables just down thro Longwell Green on the road into Keynsham, which I cannot for the life of me remember the name of and cannot find the Yellow Pages at the moment (my son on a cleaning binge, hides everything in cupboards so that you cannot SEE it or ever find it again!!) I am pretty certain there is a bus that goes thro that way from Downend or Mangotsfield as well. I will now do some searching for you and come back on the board with more details.

I have to however tell you that I did not book any lessons with them as they insisted it had to be an hours lesson which I felt was too much for a 4 year old for the first time:)

[fairlady]

Hey just saw your post about it:o CLACK MILL thats the one:)

Emma if you have no luck pm me.

Understand you want lessons etc, BUT, if you just wanna be back around horses and are up to it, I have a young 2 year old monster Sect D that I could do with a hand with down in Hambrook but would obviously need to speak to you regarding experience etc cos he is quite strong.

However, ramblin on there, CLACK MILL, have heard good things about it but were not any use to me as they insisted my Grandaughter had hour lessons, and would not let me book an initial 30 mins lesson to see if she liked it, I was willing to pay for the hour but they said they didn't have the staff etc if she wanted to get off half way thro':confused: so did not do anything about it.

[fairlady]

Um sorry:o me again, I made that sound as though he could be ridden, obviously at 2 not, just playing with him and trying to instill some manners at this time. He is gonna be bigger that 14.2 though, he is about that now. PM me if you fancy coming to meet him for a play:)

[fairlady]

Hey Emma,

nice to have met you today, I apologise for my boy, he is totally in your face, but hopefully will get there:rolleyes:

Anytime, just give me a ring:)

[Emma_H]

Hey Emma,

nice to have met you today, I apologise for my boy, he is totally in your face, but hopefully will get there:rolleyes:

Anytime, just give me a ring:)

Sent you a pm :D

cheers