Bowdens at Balham

Half Term Activities

Tuesday
Pony Club Camp Day
Inc Riding 10am - 3pm
£50

Wednesday
Mini Pony Club
10am - 11.15am
2yrs - 5yrs
£10

Pony Club
12.30 - 3.30
£20 no riding

Extra lessons with Bonnie
4.15pm and 5pm

Thursday
Lead Rein Hack, bring your own leader
10am - 12.30
Groom,Tack up and Ride
£40

Friday
Hack 11am Off leadrein
£45
Collection 1.15pm

Please message the phone number on Saturdays, 9am - 3pm while it’s manned to book in for holiday activities or pop into the yard. Thank you

Book in via the office -

Has anyone lost a bracelet, if you can get in touch and describe it, it’s been found and cleaned …

Please message or book in person limited availability for 16th/ 18th and 19th, So be quick !!

Our ‘Loan Scheme’ for Children -

If you are interested for your child in the scheme, it means you will have to be involved as a parent as full supervision during visits in the week will be required or we also have packages for adults :

You get to help yourself to the specified pony 1 time per week riding for up to an hour with parent supervision, join Saturday PC inc lesson and a lesson after school during the week or on Sunday, plus the grooming and loving your pony/horse time. The days available for after school lessons during the week Tuesday/Wednesday and riding independently on a Monday or Thursday after school, (during the days during the holidays) or Sunday afternoon between 1 and 3pm. . The only additional cost to the scheme is your own insurance, (dual Pony Club membership), all other costs are included, feed, farrier, vets etc. Commitment is all year round.

£70 pw

Or £50 a week including riding on your own 1x and Saturday Pc inc lesson.

Only available to regular clients.

Lost your dearest freind, but don’t want to buy another, used to have your own horse but life took over, look at out Adult Rider Loan Scheme -

We have a few options for Adults -

You get to help yourself to the specified horse 3 times per week riding for up to an hour and 20mins per ride if out hacking, or 45 mins in school, with the only additional cost to the scheme is your own insurance. This is a year round commitment. You can spend as much time as you like loving your horse and pampering.

£90pw

£70 pw if only riding twice

£40 pw - once per week.

Own riding insurance required.

Christmas activities 🎄🎄🎄🎄

Please message

07944 986963

To book

Pony Club Camp 2025

Pony Club Camp Monday 4th - Friday 8th August - arrival anytime from 8.30am, activities start at 10am and finish at 3pm, with latest leave time 4pm. £250. First come first served basis, limited availability.

Our ‘Loan Scheme’ starts for the Easter holidays

If you are interested for your child in the scheme, it means you will have to be involved as a parent as full supervision during visits in the week will be required or we also have packages for adults :

You get to help yourself to the specified pony 1 time per week riding for up to an hour with parent supervision, join Saturday PC inc lesson and a lesson after school during the week or on Sunday, plus the grooming and loving your pony/horse time. The days available for after school lessons during the week Tuesday/Wednesday and riding independently on a Monday or Thursday after school, (during the days during the holidays) or Sunday afternoon between 1 and 3pm. . The only additional cost to the scheme is your own insurance, (dual Pony Club membership), all other costs are included, feed, farrier, vets etc. Commitment is all year round.

£70 pw

Or £50 a week including riding on your own 1x and Saturday Pc inc lesson.

Only available to regular clients.

One of my biggest frustrations in this industry is the lack of understanding and consideration for the role that Riding School horses play. So often, I see riders complaining about Riding School horses for a huge variety of reasons: for their perceived lack of quality or value, for having to ride one they don’t like, for not getting to ride the one they do like, for their establishment not having enough Riding School horses, or for the Riding School horses not being available at their convenience. Riding school horses not being good enough for them. I’ve dealt with all of the above and I know I’ll continue to do so, but I think it’s important that people understand the reality of Riding School horses, and that’s that they aren’t here for you/your kid to ride forever and climb the levels with your one lesson a week fortnightly commitment.

They’re here to get you started, safely and productively, while you decide just how far you want to take this.

Riding School horses are incredibly special creatures. They have to be easily caught by beginners who don’t know how to properly approach a prey animal.

They have to stand like statues on the crossties while tiny kids take the better part of an hour to get them clean.

They have to hold their head still while beginners jam the bit into their teeth for the fiftieth time in a row to put the bridle on.

They have to stand still at the mounting block while someone stands for too long with all their weight in the left stirrup and then slams down on their back with no consideration for their comfort.

They tolerantly teach riders who are unbalanced, uncoordinated, and unclear, who catch their mouths and bounce on their backs and kick at their sides, and every single time, they are expected to just come again without so much as a swish of their tail or pinning of their ears.

And any time one of these horses has a moment where they act like a regular horse or force the rider to really ride, they’re labeled annoying or rude or bad or lazy or whatever.

Riding School horses are not intended to take you up the levels and jump big jumps and win all the classes. If these horses were this beginner-friendly and this tolerant AND the hack winner with an auto lead change, you couldn’t afford them!

That’s not to say these horses can’t be winners if you ride them well and pull your weight, but their ability to win in the show ring is not where their real value lies.

Riding School horses exist to bring new riders into the sport. To teach them the ropes and get them started, lay a foundation and prepare them to make a bigger commitment to the sport by leasing or purchasing the next step horse.

Riding School horses are not responsible for chasing your Olympic dreams for you.

They’re responsible for getting them started in the first place.

For riders to act like a Riding School horse isn’t valuable because he isn’t the winner in any company or harder to ride is ignorant and unfair.

Every horse you ride has something to teach you. Whether it’s the crotchety old school pony who likes to root when you’re not paying attention, or the younger lesson horse who will only pick up the right lead if you ask *just right*, or the ultra reliable skip-change king, they all will add to your toolkit that you can one day apply to the fancier model you get to take you to the next level after yout Riding Scool Journey.

Don’t forget about all the lessons you learn along the way and remember that without Riding School horses, you wouldn’t be riding at all!

Riding School owners are trying their best to provide the best services they can and keep the Riding School horses in the good condition. Horses are extremely expensive not just to buy but to keep aswell. Utilities, Mortgage/Rent, Vets bills, Feed, Haylage, Bedding, Vaccinations, Farrier, Wormers, Staff Wages, Physio, Saddler and so much more the list is endless no one sees how much it all costs to keep a yard running, no one sees full behind the scenes.

They are trying the best they can, it's not just a job to them it's their world their passion and the Riding School horses are their babies they are their family.