If you’ve ever travelled to see Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham Festival, you’ll already have a taste for the world of horse racing and riding. London is a surprisingly great place to enjoy riding or watching horses in a variety of ways. Whether you live here or you’re just visiting, the following are some of the top equine ideas to bear in mind.
The Appeal of Horse Activities
Riding horses or watching others doing it gives us a relaxing way to pass a few hours. It also brings us closer to nature even when we’re in the middle of one of the planet’s biggest and most crowded cities. There are a lot of fantastic fashion choices and accessories you can use for your equine activities and it’s a smart way to meet new contacts and enter the most exclusive social circles in the capital.
If you don’t want to own a physical horse you now do so online, with NFTs used to represent horses as digital assets on sites like ZedRun and DarleyGo where breeding, trading and training are among the key aspects. You’ll discover another approach when you play the Ruby Walsh Slot at Paddy Power. It’s based on the classic slot machine mechanism of spinning a set of reels to try and get matching combinations. However, the images are based on the world of horse racing and the game is set on race day inside a stadium.
Top Places to Go Riding
If you thought you had to head to the countryside to saddle up, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you discover the number of places you can go riding in the city. This list by London Hut of ten riding spots in London starts with Hyde Park. King Henry VII once used this park as a place to go hunting but now you can simply choose one of the two designated riding routes and enjoy the great location.
Richmond Park is the biggest Royal Park in London and an important location in the fight to conserve the city’s wildlife. With hundreds of deer roaming freely over 2,500 acres, it’s a fantastic natural setting for making the most of your free time and if you want to celebrate a sustainable lifestyle on Earth Day. Riders of all abilities can use the four stables here and there are many different sizes of horses and ponies.
Get Some Riding Classes
Let’s take a step back for a moment and see what to do if you’re new to this sport and decide that you want to try horse riding in London for the first time. The good news is that you can get classes at virtually any of the city’s major riding spots. Richmond Park has stables like Barnfield Riding School, where you can get lessons in one of the flood-lit arenas or use a horse simulator to get started confidently. They’ll then take you out for a ride in the beautiful park once you’re ready.
Hyde Park Stables offers arena lessons with a private instructor looking after three of four new riders. They also offer private and semi-private rides, with all their horses listed on the website so you can see in advance which ones might suit you best. Ealing Riding School has 28 horses of differing sizes, which they consider very safe to ride.
Horse Shows and Events
London is also a great city for getting out to see the top competitive riders taking part in shows. Previously known as the Olympia London International Horse Show, the London International Horse Show will be held at the ExCeL between December 18 and 22 this year. They’ll be using two arenas to provide entertainment such as dressage, show jumping and masterclasses. Private hospitality boxes are available, with the Phoenix Club offering a restaurant and bar as well as director-style chairs.
It’s well worth making the short trip to Windsor to enjoy the historic Royal Windsor Horse that’s held at the castle there. Held annually since the 1940s, it regularly attracts over 50,000 spectators and includes events like carriage driving and endurance riding as well as show jumping and dressage. It’s a chance to rub shoulders with royalty and enjoy the spectacular performances by some of the best national and international riders.
All of these fascinating ways of enjoying horses in London are ideal for helping you to make the most of your love of these animals without having to travel far.
