Dulwich Park horse riding?

[chamberwood]

Hi everyone - I'm looking for a decent update on riding in dulwich park.

Does anyone horsey know whether it's a great place to ride in London? Am assuming if you ride out in the park that would be lovely? Do they have nice horses which are treated well?

Thanks!

[Fly]

I would like to know if it is good for young children. Also the dogs are very scary. Can anything be done to stop them barking eg take them indoors. My daughter is scared of dogs.

[steveo]

Those geese are terrifying

[KidKruger]

Horses are huge and intimidating to dogs

[stevie23b]

shoot all the dogs and geese so 'precious' can 'horseride' through Dulwich Park.?

[first mate]

Fly, I do agree that if dog owners can see a horse approaching they should have the courtesy to put it in a lead unless they know for sure the dog will not bark at or chase the horse. This can unsettle the horse and that, of course, might affect the rider.

Some puppy owners do have the foresight to arrange a visit to a stable when the pup is young, so they get the opportunity to learn a bit about horses. However, for others, the very first time they see a horse is in the park with inevitable results.

That said, Fly, I am sure you do not expect and did not mean to imply all dogs should be banned from the park.

[Mustard]

Fly Wrote:

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> I would like to know if it is good for young

> children. Also the dogs are very scary. Can

> anything be done to stop them barking eg take them

> indoors. My daughter is scared of dogs.

Take them indoors in a park?

The horses seem to use only the sandy path in the park. I think the horses are used to dogs being around, but making sure your dog doesn't chase them is a good idea, as the dog would come off worse if they were kicked. My dog was slightly freaked out when she first saw them, but is fine now. The riders usually give you an acknowledgment of thanks for holding onto your dog.

[kristymac1]

first mate Wrote:

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> That said, Fly, I am sure you do not expect and

> did not mean to imply all dogs should be banned

> from the park.

I read it that Fly was referring to the dogs at the Stables not in the park....

[Take Note]

Me too :)

[Cam123]

I gave the stables a go for a couple of refresher lessons. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it - I'd rather get the train out of town a little way in order to have some decent hacking. Dulwich park is too small and too busy to really have any freedom and I'd say the horses come across as bored in the indoor school, which isn't that surprising when they have no real turn out. That said, I'd happily have my children go when they're a bit older to get to grabs with the basics.

[first mate]

Ah yes, apologies, my mistake. I remember visiting the stables years ago and there were some terriers whizzing around- obviously fine with the horses but I am sure the stable owners would oblige if the situation was explained.

[apbremer]

The "sandy path" is called a "gallop". I suppose though that the Health and Safety zealots would not allow that so it should be called a "walk".

[Giuli]

I would sort of recommend the Dulwich Riding School if going further out of Dulwich is not an option for you. My daughter has had individual lessons there for a couple of years, and, although the tuition was a bit hit and miss, she mostly had good instructors and she has learned quite a lot. The best option is to ask for a semi-private lesson, either with a friend, or with somebody else. Very often it has happened that they did not have another person to go along, and she ended up having a private lesson, but at less cost. The management of the stables are a bit gruff, but when you get to know them they are OK. They only tend to ride out in the park at quiet times, and it is true that they rarely allow the horses to canter, although it does happen. Another option would be the stables at Mottingham, which we also have used. The riding there is a bit more satisfying because they have some land, and the teaching is usually good.

[Earl Aelfheah]

The dogs run long the perimeter barking and jumping up at the fence if you are passing the stables at night. I actually changed my running route because I got fed up with it.

[Pickle]

The dogs are quite scary if you're not expecting them. Many a time I've run past the stables and almost jumped out onto the South Circular when the big Alsatian barks and jumps up against the fence. There's one or two little ones too, also very noisy.

[Fly]

I used to run past the dogs and also jumped into South circular

[Take Note]

I've only ever seen the horses plod around Dulwich Park. I 2nd the stables at Mottingham.

[Lu]

I tried Dulwich Riding School and wasn't impressed with the quality of the teaching or the general set-up. As others here have said, the horses didn't seem to get turned out so are mostly in the school or stables. That said, it was a few years ago when I went so things may have changed.

I've tried several riding schools over the years and if you're serious about riding I also suggest getting out of London if you can. There are several schools in Bexley. I can thoroughly recommend Mount Mascal where I've been riding for many years now. They have a great selection of horses and instructors and there are woods right next door when you can hack out, as well as two arenas for lessons.

I haven't tried it myself but I have also heard that Mottingham is good.