DORSET people!

[Abserd]

Wondered if anyone out there in NR land can help....i've a friend (yes i do have one!!) who is moving away from 'here' to Bournemouth and won't have internet access for a while, or anyone down there who is remotely horsey to help her so here goes...

anyone know of any decent riding schools in the Verwood, Ringwood, Ferndown areas?

She would prefer decent hacking too!!

Thanks in advance to you kind souls

Abs x

[KW23]

Hi - Don't post too often, but thought that I would try to help.

I've heard that Stocks Farm, which is in Parley (very near to Ferndown) is good. Not too sure about the hacking their though.

For good hacking, I would be tempted to go further afield, as the new forest is not that far!! I've been to Burley Villas for a lesson - which I really enjoyed. I think that with the hacking (which is on the open forest) you need to go along quite a busy road to get out, but that's not gospel as I have not had a hack here.

One of my friends was also having lessons at Fir Tree Farm (I think it's called that, but someone may correct me!) - that's only about 20 mins from Ferndown. Right on the forest, so the hacking is great!

I've also ridden at Arniss Equestrian Farm - it's just past Fordingbridge, again only about 20 ish mins from the Ferndown area. Hacking here is really good!

I'm not too sure of any others, but I'm sure some other people have suggestions.

If you want to PM me, I can give you a local website to this area, where your friend will be able to ask this question to more people who live in this area. It's also great to talk to very local people if you are new to the area!! All very horsey minded!

I only moved down to Bournemouth about 2 years ago, so my knowledge is not too great!

Hope that you friend enjoys living in this area! I'm glad that I moved here!!

x

[Mehitabel]

my yard is green cottage, we are in three legged cross so very near verwood. we do hacking (with no roadwork, mostly, although past a farm so sometimes tractors) and schooling. when we're full or can't accommodate someone we send them to arniss, have heard nothing but good about them.

[annareeves0]

Hey welcome Abserd's friend to lovely Bournemouth. There are several riding schools in the area - i learnt at Stocks Farm (close to the airport) and one of the closest to Bournemouth itself - there are a couple more towards Christchurch (closer than Ferndown etc) and hear lots of good stuff about Green Cottage in Verwood :-) Cant comment on the others but there is quite a few. Some of it will ofcourse depend on your friends preferences etc. I
went hacking with Burley Villa - lovely place, they do lots of western (and english) but dont do the beginners trail ride - the horses refused to do anything but ride nose to tail all the way and I was bored to tears - they do lots of other stuff too though It is quite a way though - needed the sat nav to find it! Stocks do hacking but expect you to be a pretty good rider to go out on their horses.
For horsey stuff locally, shows, shares and loans, sales etc http://www.nfed.co.uk/ is excellent - I feel sorry for people who dont have a website this good for their area!
Any specific questions feel free to pm me - not sure if I can help but may be able to find someone who can

[LokiSofi]

i'm from the other sdie of Dorset so don't know any schools over Bournemouth way other than Stocks Farm and Green Cottage. Both of which I have heard excellent things about.

[LindaAd]

Originally Posted by annareeves0

Hey welcome Abserd's friend to lovely Bournemouth. There are several riding schools in the area - i learnt at Stocks Farm (close to the airport) and one of the closest to Bournemouth itself - there are a couple more towards Christchurch (closer than Ferndown etc) and hear lots of good stuff about Green Cottage in Verwood :-) Cant comment on the others but there is quite a few. Some of it will ofcourse depend on your friends preferences etc. I
went hacking with Burley Villa - lovely place, they do lots of western (and english) but dont do the beginners trail ride - the horses refused to do anything but ride nose to tail all the way and I was bored to tears - they do lots of other stuff too though It is quite a way though - needed the sat nav to find it! Stocks do hacking but expect you to be a pretty good rider to go out on their horses.
For horsey stuff locally, shows, shares and loans, sales etc http://www.nfed.co.uk/ is excellent - I feel sorry for people who dont have a website this good for their area!
Any specific questions feel free to pm me - not sure if I can help but may be able to find someone who can

Just to add that I've been to Burley Villa too - on a couple of Western rides, and the horse they gave me was a delight, although the ride was only walk and jog, so very relaxing and lovely countryside: good for the people looking to gain confidence, but not for the ambitious.

I've also heard good things about Mehitabel's Green Cottage, but never ridden there because they have a fairly tight weight limit. Otherwise the places I know are further West, in Dorset rather than Hampshire - Corfe Mullen and Milton Abbas. i think I've ridden at the Fir Tree place, though, and I wasn't impressed. But that was a few years ago, so maybe it's different now.

I agree with Anna, though - the NFED website is a brilliant place to start looking.

There are lots of possibilities; I'm sure your friend will enjoy it.

[Mehitabel]

Originally Posted by LindaAd

I've also heard good things about Mehitabel's Green Cottage, but never ridden there because they have a fairly tight weight limit.

yes, we had to decrease it a few years back as our bigger horses all got old! we haven't managed to replace them with a younger set of biggies yet so we've not got the big horses these days. going back to when i was a kid (i've been there 21 years) we had a couple of big welsh Ds, one partbred shire and 3 big solid cobs - now they have all either retired or been sold to their loaners so we are mostly new forests, and with the amount of work they do the weight limit is lower than it would be for a privately owned horse. it's 12 stone now, abserd, if that would be an issue for your friend.

[annareeves0]

The weight thing was the reason i ended up at Stocks - their limit is 14. Lots of the schools in the area have a 12 st limit Damn those jaffa cakes!

[Abserd]

Aw thanks everyone, sooo much! You've given me so much info. to pass onto her. I'm pretty sure she'll be living IN Verwood so Mehitabel's Green Cottage sounds good! Oh, and the 12st weight limit won't be a problem either

Will send her this thread so she can browse through it before she goes. You guys have been so helpful, i really appreciate it...knew i could rely on you lot xx

[jaydevon]

Originally Posted by Mehitabel

my yard is green cottage, we are in three legged cross so very near verwood. we do hacking (with no roadwork, mostly, although past a farm so sometimes tractors) and schooling. when we're full or can't accommodate someone we send them to arniss, have heard nothing but good about them.

arg i camped there.... and got beaten up by a load of gypsies! (sorry ot)

[Abserd]

hmm, don't think i'll be telling my friend that part!!

[jaydevon]

lol, sorry a bit radom.... oh and i manged to get the oh cars stuck in ditch, and had to go and find a tractor the next day to pull it out.... it wasnt a good trip!

[Abserd]

sounds traumatic! better warn friend to stay away from ditches with her OH's car!!