Riding Holidays At Drakes Farm

Holidays

We have been running the residential riding holidays at Drakes Farm for over 25years. The centre is now on the ABRS and BHS approved Riding School Lists with a diverse range of facilities and teaching animals.

We offer residential riding holidays for children from 6 to 18 years of age (on an unaccompanied basis). Children coming on riding holidays live in the farmhouse as members of the family and are supervised on the yard.

We cater for all abilities at Drakes Farm from complete beginners to those with their own animals wanting to develop new skills. Where possible all beginners or inexperienced riders can be, or are led, until they are ready to be let free.

As from 2009 we can now cater for adults (typically parents riding or non-riding) during the peak season (school holidays). The sleeping facilities consist of a dormitory room with 6 beds and a double room in which we can accommodate parents or young lads who wish to attend the residential riding holidays.

Facilities

The Riding Centre has developed and expanded in the last 20 years and now comprises the following facilities:

The Horses

• The School comprises 30 horses & ponies ranging from 11hands to 16.3 hands all well schooled with excellent manners. These horses & ponies are suitable for all standards of riding ability including from beginners up to experienced.
• Many of the horses and ponies are competed on at dressage and ‘Novice’ cross-country and horse shows in the local area.
• There are also an additional 20 ‘Drakes Farm’ bred, un-broken, privately owned livery and retired horses & ponies.

Accommodation

Accommodation is provided on a full board basis in a large, comfortable, centrally heated, traditional, early 16th century thatched farmhouse (Pic). Meals are home-cooked utilising locally sourced meat and vegetables. Below is a guide to the typical meals provided during the week

Meals
Breakfast – Toast & various spreads, selection of cereals, fresh fruit, milk/tea/juice
Lunch – Home cooked, Roast meal, Salad, Fish Day, Sheppard’s Pie, Meat Pie – all with
selection of vegetables and potatoes. Daily Desert (Crumbles, Ice cream, fruit salad)
Dinner – Cheese on toast, Baked Beans/Spaghetti, Pasta, Pizza and Cakes/fresh fruit
Drinks – Selection of juice and water available all day

Vegetarians and people with special dietary requirements can be catered for if advised in advance.

Activities

Typically you will be able to ride up to 4 hours a day occasionally more with a mixture of group lessons and tuition. Depending on ability there is the opportunity of hacking on quiet country lanes.
The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity of riding. Depending on the season riding will take place in the Indoor School or outside in the ménage.
From the late spring through to the early autumn, weather permitting, lessons can be taken in the fields, with activities in the schooling paddock and show jumping or on the X-country course.

Depending on the class ability, and requirements, typical lessons will include work on seat & position, dressage to improve flat work, jumping, horse & stable management and, for a bit of fun, some Gymkhana games. There is also the option of joining in the farm activities for example feeding, grooming and looking after all the animals.

Prices & Booking

Drakes Farm is open all year and early booking is advised. If you should require further information please telephone for a chat (after 9 p.m.).

2010 Weekly Tariff which is inclusive of all Tuition and Full Board

If you would like to bring your own horse there is an additional charge of £65 per week

Please contact us for details of other Tariffs and Short Breaks

Please telephone or write when you wish to make a firm booking, a 20% deposit is payable and cheques should be made payable to 'Drakes Farm Riding Centre'.

Please Note Customers wishing to cancel their holidays - monies paid in respect of bookings made during the annual school holidays, will not be refunded unless an alternative booking can be arranged.

Availability 2010

We cater for 6 children each week, with the weeks running from saturday pm to saturday am. Saturday is change over and settle in day, so the riding takes place sunday - friday.

Summer 2010

Week Times Experience Spaces (Total 6/7 per week)
Week 1: 10th - 17th July Various Novice 5 Spaces
Week 2: 17th - 24th July Various Intermediate 6/7 Spaces
Week 3: 24th July - 31st July Various Beg / Novice 4 Spaces
Week 4: 31st July - 7th August 12yrs + Intermediate 1 Space
Week 5: 7th - 14th August Various Novice 4 Spaces
Week 6: 14th - 21st August 12yrs + Intermediate 4 Spaces
Week 7: 21st - 28th August 12yrs + Intermediate FULL
Week 8: 28th Aug - 4th Sept Various Novice 6/7 Spaces

For weeks out side of this range please call or email for further in info.

Where possible we try to match ages & abilities each week so that the group is of a similar riding standard and age. We are flexible on this but find that similar groups tend to get the most out of their week.

The grading below is very rough as it depends very much on the person and the regularity of riding, daily weekly monthly etc.

Beginners - Can walk and trot off lead rein (typically 6months riding exp, upto 12 months)

Novice - Can walk and trot off the lead rein and canter. Jump over small poles ( typically 12 to 24months riding experience)

Intermediate - Can walk, trot, canter and jump a small course of 18" fences (typically 24months +)

If you would like to know more or check availability please call or email email@drakesfarm.co.uk

Testimonials

I have included feedback about our riding weeks from some of our recent riders. I hope these snipets give a good relection of what people think. We aim to maintain a high standard and tailor our holidays to our customer requirements where possible. As you will see from the feedback below most of the comments are positive but there is always room for improvement!

"We really enjoyed our holiday. We thought the horses were very well trained and the food was delicious and the facilities comfortable. We did not think there were any real faults"

Kelly & Lucy

"Accomodation - the bedroom was nice and the bed comfortable, I felt at ease almost straight away.

Food - very good, I enjoyed all of my meals

Horses - all the horses were lovely but Poppy 2 and Torre were my favourites. I learnt a lot about riding and caring for horses.

I really enjoyed my stay at DFRC it was much different and better than I expected and I would like to visit you again in the near future.

We felt that the cost was very reasonable and while we were apprehensive at letting K visit at first she thoroughly enjoyed her stay and came back much more confident in herself and around horses" - Mr & Mrs B

"I thought the Riding Holiday at Drakes Farm was immense. The horses were great, the lessons were really good fun especially the cross country. The food was cool and the bedroom and the cinema TV in the evening. Mum thought it was value for money and I would like to come every year!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH" .........Mey

"Thank you very much for having me I enjoyed my stay greatly and I would always want to come back every summer!
I loved the riding everyday expecially riding nehremiah, Goosberry and Blackberry! Coming to this riding holiday has boosted my confidence and my learning about how to ride.... e.g tacking up and cross country.

I have also made new friends coming here and I loved spending the evening chatting and chilling out with them as I would normally do at home. The meals where very nice and I enjoyed all of them particually the sunday roast!

Thanks again for making my stay a very happy one and I hope I will be able to come again before too long and learn more!
My mum thinks the whole holiday is excellent value for money... She thanks you all for helping me through the week with so much fun and I absolutely loved your horses! "

Best Wishes
Miranda

"As a parent I feel that R was well looked after at Drakes Farm she was made to feel welcome and felt safe and comfortable. I like the fact that they stay in the farm house with you and that you limit the number of children staying and any one time. I also like that fact that the children can only go to the shop together in a group and that they have to save the sweets until after lunch. R had fun and worked hard doing the things she loves best horses. As parents who are not “horsey” A holiday at Drakes farm is wonderful for R and us!!!

R said she had great fun once again and managed to get in lots of riding, she likes the fact that she gets to do jumping. I made lots of friends at Drakes Farm and I keep in touch with them I hope to see then again next year because I definately want to go back for my 4th time!! If only the sun had been shinning and they could have hacked out more!! Never mind we cannot control the weather!! R said she liked it because she got to ride a different horse everyday and it was good practice for her.

R is not very adventurous with food and would have liked it if there had been a choice.

Value for money YES it was R enjoyed her self so that what counts for us. R has said she want to come back next year so that is a positive for us!"

Julie

"Hayley here just to say i had a great time this year and i hope i can come back again and ride. I meet some really good friends and i am getting in touch with them. Thank you for letting me stay and i will see you another time"

"Dear Drakes Farm
I really enjoyed my stay with you.
I enjoyed staying in the house and being in a room with the other children we were all made to feel part of the family.
I thought the home cooked food was loveley.
I enjoyed the riding, grooming, tack cleaning and even mucking out!
Being there for eight days bilt my confidence with people and horses.
My Mum and Dad thought that the price was good. I look forward to coming to stay with you next year"


Sophie

"I had a great time on the riding holiday, and I thought the food was great the only problem was on most days we had to eat quite fast to finish our puddings then go start out and tack up our ponies so maybe for next year to have lunch earlier or to have longer after we eaten! I liked the way that we were in charge of getting our pony or horse ready for the lesson! Out of all the ponies and horse I have four favourites there are Poppy2,Polkadot,Gremlin and Svetlana! The lessons were really good but I must admit I would have like some days with just a hack and enjoying the great countryside. Maybe in the evenings we could have more to do rather than just dvds?

Mum says that overall that it was good value for money"

Best wishes
Amy

"i really enjoyed my stay at drakes farm.
i loved the homely aspect of it and enjoyed everything we did.
i love all the horses and ponies and would love to come again next year :)
i liked the room we stayed and i think everyone who has stayed at the farm would agree that the foood is the BEST you have ever tasted in your life. :D
i learnt so much at drakes farm so much more than i would ever learn at my stables and me and my friend worked out it was definetly cheaper for the number of hours we rode aat drakes farm compared to the rates at our stables.

thankyou so much for the great stay i had at drakes farm i really hope i can come again"

:) louise :)