Richmond Valley Riding School

Welcome to Richmond Valley Riding School, located in historic Richmond, Tasmania. Established in 1992, we are the only riding school in the area. Our speciality is teaching beginners of all ages to ride, care for, and later train horses and ponies using evidence-based learning procedures.

At Richmond Valley Riding School, we prioritise the welfare and safety of our horses and riders. For this reason, we have a maximum rider weight limit of approximately 80 kg. Our lessons are available from Wednesday through Sunday, by appointment only, in order to comply with work, health, and safety regulations. To inquire or book a lesson, please call 0418 602 672 between 10:30 am and 7:30 pm, seven days a week.

If we are unable to answer, we will call you back.

Trail rides are reserved for our regular riders who have reached a benchmark level of competence as part of their lesson plans. We also offer introductory lessons for new riders who are interested in preparing for a trail ride elsewhere as horse riding is considered a high-risk sport.

At Richmond Valley Riding School, our motto is “Safety while enjoying equine fun-friends-fitness, sharing a common interest. ” We have been an established and insured riding school for over 30 years, with qualified, certified, and experienced instructors. All our adult assistants hold current “Working with Vulnerable People, child-related activity” registration cards.

We cater to a wide range of riders, including first-time riders from 3 years of age to adults, nervous riders, N. D. I. S.

self-managed child riders (non-ridden assessment required first), students enrolled in equine courses, and the young or young-hearted. We have qualified and certified instructors to help you reach your horse-related goals.

For the safety of our riders and the welfare of our horses, we have a maximum weight limit of 80 kg. We offer various lesson options, including gift vouchers, one-off, casual, weekly, fortnightly, or four-weekly lessons. We also provide Pony Pat, Play & Lead-ride introductory experiences ranging from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on age and experience levels. Bookings can only be made by phone, so please call 0418 602 672 between 10:30 am and 7:30 pm, seven days a week.

If we are unable to answer, we will call you back.

At Richmond Valley Riding School, we emphasise practical hands-on and theoretical training to ensure that our dedicated students become highly skilled and proficient in horse care, riding, and training. We can assist with training in nationally certified equine courses or our own “In House” early learning programmes in horse care studies and riding skills.

We are home to only 10 much-loved, trained, and experienced school horses and ponies. This allows us to provide regular care, including hoof trimming, worming, dental requirements, and tune-ups by qualified coaches, while avoiding overstocking our 30-acre/12-hectare property for the welfare of our animals and the safety of our riders.

Each of our ponies and horses has its own grooming kit, child and/or adult-sized saddle with toe stoppers, saddle blanket, bridle, neck strap (for added security), halter and rope, a variety of horse rugs, and their own purpose-built yard or stable. This enables appropriate interaction while ensuring safety when walking behind horses.

Our horses vary in size, breed, and temperament to cater to the differing ages and experience levels of our riders. We do not use off-the-track (OTT) thoroughbred/standardbred racehorses to teach children or beginners to ride. Dressage is another discipline we engage in at our riding school.

Join us at Richmond Valley Riding School, where safety, welfare, and enjoyment go hand in hand.