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Tuesday 8am - 8pm Thursday 8am - 8pm Saturday 8am - 8pm Sunday 8am - 8pm

Laigh Hapton Horse Riding

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United Kingdom
Darvel, Scotland
Laigh Hapton Horse Riding

Newly established fully licensed horse and pony riding centre. Specialising in private 1-2-1 lessons, building confidence and achieving goals.

All lessons given by Accredited Professional Coach

12/09/2026

Pop us a message.

We are looking for staff

11/09/2026

One of my adult clients thanked me yesterday for what she called the “tough love” I had shown her.

She called it a much needed reality check!!

What did I call it?

The truth…

Just the truth….

Just factual information…

And that truth is that horses are hard work. There I said it. And yes it’s that simple.

Horse riding is hard work. Horse ownership is hard work.

Now don’t get me wrong it is also the most rewarding thing on the planet but let’s not deny that it is also hard work.

So in these days of instant gratification, where we get what we want immediately or delivered the next day, horses and horse riding is a bit of an anomaly.

Yes you can turn up one day and sit on a horse and get great photos for your socials feed. But that is not really riding. It’s not learning, it’s not improving.

Children see others on TikTok and think “Oh that looks good I want to do that!” (Not realising the months and years of work that have gone in before the reel was filmed)

Becoming a good rider is about putting in the hours, practicing, getting it wrong and trying again, learning, trying more, doing it again and again until we get it better and then get it right, and as soon as you’ve got that bit right moving on to another thing and starting all over again.

It doesn’t come easy but it does come.

Everyone has a different journey. Some find it easier than others and some achieve things more quickly.

Most people get there in the end but nobody, and I mean nobody gets there without trying.

The more you try, the better you get. The more you put in the more you get back out. It’s that simple.

We try to make the learning fun, we try to ensure you are making progress, we encourage, cajole, support and our aim is to help you develop and improve…

BUT WE CAN’T DO IT FOR YOU!!!

You have you do the hard miles, whether that means getting leaner, getting stronger, improving your cardiovascular fitness, trying harder or simply doing your best over and over again until it falls into place.

Because the end result is sooooo amazing it makes every effort worthwhile.
I can promise you that ❤️

06/09/2026

Sometimes Ryan and I manage to get time off the yard at weekends - only thanks to Maddie taking the reins of course (pardon the pun!)

This morning we enjoyed a beautiful ride around Drumlanrig Castle and Estate courtesy of BHS Scotland and Ride Out UK

It was was pretty wet and windy to start with but didn’t dampen our spirits. What a stunning location with hills, paths, forest tracks and some decent canters over the park land.

The staff and volunteers were so helpful and cheery - what a lot of organising goes into making these events happen.

Casino and Roulette certainly seemed to enjoy racing up the hills and snacking on the foliage in the forest trails

31/08/2026

A different kind of horse power this time as young Quinten made his debut at the beach.

Made the most of the tide times and a dry spell and had an amazing ride along Irvine beach.

Just love how this young horse takes everything in his stride. Loads and travels like a pro, through the car park, up and over the sand dunes and along the beach.

He went into the sea without fuss, over the rivulets, alongside the waves, had a bit of a look at the sea gulls - never seen them before - and behaved like a proper grown up!

His only issue was with a naughty yappy spaniel as we got over the other side of the dunes. The owner did insist the dog was completely under control as it ran circles around us all, barking and refusing to return to its rather red faced owner.

I did expect a bit of an apology from the embarrassed dog owner but instead he called us “bampots” 🤷‍♀️

Not sure why but at least he finally managed to get his excited spaniel on a lead 🙄

26/08/2026

Horses are mucky animals, they produce a lot of poo 💩 and it needs to be dealt with.

With the obligatory mud in the field it is difficult to keep the place clean and despite my requests the boys refuse to wash down the tractor every time they take it in and out of the field…. 🚿 😂

So how do we do essential maintenance on the yard and keep the place clean at the same time?

Simple 🪄 ✨

Put down the magic carpet!!

It seems to be working so far….

25/08/2026

Our online booking system is now up and running and we are now live on Hopoti

To all my regular riding school clients, please log in to Hopoti, create your account, sign the registration form and book away!!

I have done my best to save regular lesson slots going forward but am still sorting this with Hopoti staff.

You can now find us on our website at

https://laighhaptonhorseriding.co.uk

Or through the Hopoti site

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if there are any questions or issues.

22/08/2026

So here’s a welcome break from all the Hopoti online system chat

When we got Jura his feet weren’t in the best condition.

His hoof wall was quite chipped and crumbling. He quickly got foot sore and I feared he had a bruised sole.

He was, I’m afraid to say, a bit fat, and the extra weight was adding to the pressure on his feet.

I thought we might need to get him shod for his own sake but I wasn’t keen to nail shoes on if we didn’t need to. He had never been shod in his life….

He is now the proud owner of a funky new pair of Scoot Boots - they are the largest size known to man and have beautiful emerald green straps

Jura certainly seems to like them. He was fair strutting his stuff in his new footwear

21/08/2026

🤯 😤 🤯 😤 🤯 😤 🤯 😤 🤯 😤🤯

Ok. So if technology was my thing I wouldn’t be working out doors with animals every day now would I?

So as you are aware we are in the process of setting up an online booking system which will hopefully make things easier for everyone in the future….

But it is causing a few problems in the short term. 😬

I am trying to book out all my regular clients slots so that you all keep your regular spaces and no one else can book them up.

It’s all with the best of intentions but I understand that some of you have received numerous emails asking for payment.

Sorry about this. I was told that as we were not yet live then nothing would be generated.

So please don’t worry. Regular weekly and fortnightly lessons will all be kept - it might just take a wee while to get everything sorted - and we will migrate over to the Hopoti system over the next few weeks.

If you haven’t already done so, please create an account for you or your child on Hopoti and if you have any questions or issues please let me know.

Fingers crossed it will all be fine and dandy in a few weeks 😮‍💨

Thank you for your patience

17/08/2026

‼️‼️Volunteers Wanted ‼️‼️

Would you like to learn more about horses but don’t know where to start?

Are you considering an equestrian career and are looking for the first step on the ladder?

Are you looking for volunteer opportunities with animals?

We can help you at Laigh Hapton Farm in Darvel.

We are looking for volunteers to help out with our animals, learn new skills, and enjoy working as part of a team.

Whether you have tons of time every day or just a few hours a week we can help you grow in confidence, learn new skills and enjoy being part of a successful team working in a beautiful setting in the Ayrshire countryside.

If you want to join us or just need a bit more information pop us a message.

We would be delighted to hear from you

16/08/2026

‼️‼️‼️Attention Please ‼️‼️‼️

A New Way to Book Your Riding Lessons 🐴

We’re excited to introduce Hopoti, our new online booking system at Laigh Hapton Horse Riding! 🎉

From now on, you’ll be able to book your riding lessons online, see available times and manage your bookings all in one place — whenever it suits you.

No more waiting for a reply to check what spaces are available — simply log in, choose your lesson and book your preferred time.

👉 Please take a few minutes to create your Hopoti account as per the instructions below:

We’ll be moving all lesson bookings over to Hopoti, so please make sure you register before booking your next lesson.

We hope you’ll find the new system much easier and more convenient — and, of course, we’ll still be here if you need any help. 😊

Thank you for your continued support of Laigh Hapton Horse Riding. We’re really looking forward to making booking your lessons easier! 🐎❤️

Address

Laigh Hapton Farm
Darvel
KA170NG

Opening Hours

Tuesday	8am - 8pm
Thursday	8am - 8pm
Saturday	8am - 8pm
Sunday	8am - 8pm

Telephone

+447720252515

Website

http://laighhaptonfarmholidays.co.uk/

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