Approved Riding Centre

Eden Valley Riding Centre
Street Farm
Ravenstonedale
Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria
CA17 4LL

Tel: 015396 23444
Email: Get In Touch

North West Regional Development Agency

This project is being delivered through the Northwest Development Agency, with Defra as the managing authority

Leader

This project is part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areasThis project is part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas

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About Our Rides

Getting Here

Please follow the directions on our website which explain that you should ignore your Sat Nav in the last half a mile as it will take you to the wrong property !

 

Arrival Time 

Please arrive at the time stated on your booking email. 

 

Parking

We have ample parking. Please park your car outside the main gates to the left of the property in the area marked "Visitors Car Park".

 

On Arrival

Please go through the main gates into the main courtyard and meet us in the "Map Room". ( Head for the glass entrance doors in the left hand corner of the courtyard )

 

Payment

Payment is required on arrival and before your ride. We welcome payment by cash or cheque. The amount due will be confirmed on your booking confirmation.

 

Personal Belongings

You are welcome to leave any personal belongings in our Riders Lounge during your stay but please note this is not locked.

 

Dogs

We do not allow dogs onto the premises or to accompany us on rides. We advise that you leave your dog at home as he will need to stay in your car.

 

Smoking

We do not allow smoking on the premises of Street Farm or while on rides, this is for Health and Saftey reasons and the welfare of staff, other riders and horses.

 

Facilities and refreshments

We have a "Riders Lounge" which is available for your use both before and after your ride. There is a WC and you are welcome to use our facilities to get changed should you wish to do so. We all meet in the riders lounge after the ride for complimentary tea and coffee and this is always a pleasant end to the day. You are welcome to bring snacks and drinks of your own as well.  

 

What to Wear

Horse Riding is an outdoor sport and you should wear clothing suitable for outdoor activities. Please expect the temperature when we are out riding on the fells to be colder that what you feel when you arrive and overdress rather than underdress. Essentially you should wear proper riding footwear or a boot with a small heel and a flat sole. Please bring a pair of gloves and a waterproof coat. Jodhpur type trousers are best and several layers that you can take off if too hot.

 

Hats and Fluorescents

A CE certified riding hat must be worn at all times while on the yard and mounted. If for any reason you need to adjust your hat at any point during the ride it is important that you ask first. We have a selection of hats for riders that do not have their own. You will also be required to wear a fluorescent vest or jacket during the ride, if you have your own please bring it with you, we can also supply them. Eden Valley Riding Centre reserves the right to refuse any rider the use of their own equipment if we feel it is unsuitable, if this is the case we will provide alternatives.

 

What to carry on your Ride

For rides lasting up to half a day we ask that you carry as little as possible. On full day rides your horse will be fitted with a saddle bag to carry your lunch and a drink ( if we plan to picnic ) and spare layers of clothes. We do not allow you to carry a rucksack on your ride but a small bumbag is acceptable. If you wish to take a mobile phone and/or camera we ask that these are turned off. They should not be stored in chest pockets. We are more than happy to take a picture of you on your horse and have you take pictures along the way. However we do ask that you check with us beforehand.  Our ride leaders always carry a first aid kit and a mobile phone.

 

Full Day and Pub Rides

For rides that we are out over lunch we will either carry lunch with us or have a pub lunch, this will be specified at the time of booking. We cannot leave the horses alone over lunch, therefore staff members will stay with them. As a result of this unfortunately  we are unable to join you in the pub.

 

The Ride Leader and Ride Escort

The Ride Leader will be in charge of your ride and will normally be assisted by a Ride Escort. All our Ride staff are very experienced at leading rides and are there to make sure you have a fun, relaxed and safe riding experience. We are all very friendly and will provide as much help as you wish during your ride.

 

When You Arrive

 

When you arrive, the Ride Leader or the Ride Escort will:

  • Chat to you about your riding experience and in particular how much and what sort of riding you have been doing recently. We will already know these details from when you made your booking but we like to ask to see if there have been any changes since.
  • Ask you if you have any injuries or medical conditions which may affect your riding ability. We will also ask you to let us know the details of any medication you intend to carry with you on your ride.
  • Introduce you to the horse we have chosen for you to ride.
Before Your Ride we will:
  • Hold your horse when you mount and always use a mounting block.
  • Assist you to adjust your strirrups and make sure you are comfortable before we set off.
  • Advise you the order in which we intend to ride ( some horses prefer to be at the front and some do not  ) and who to follow.
  • What to do when we cross or ride along a public road.
  • What to do when we ride through a gateway or through water ( not included on every ride ).
  • What to do if you need to stop .

  • What we will do if we change the pace ( we always let you know before we canter or trot ).

After Your Ride we will:

  • Ride back into the collecting area and ask you to stay mounted on your horse.
  • We will assist you to dismount one at a time and ensure that the horses are safely tied up.
  • Ask you to return any equipment you borrowed ( Hats, crops and fluorescents ) to the tack room
  • Direct you back to the riders lounge for tea and biscuits. You can chat with the other riders and ourselves about your experience.
  • After a ride there are a lot of things to do quickly, for example untacking, feeding, watering and cooling off. We have a routine that we follow and that the horses are used to. Therefore we cannot accept any offers of help from riders. We understand that you may be very experienced and capable but we need to ensure things are done correctly and safely.
  • We do not feed the horses tit-bits, as it can make them demanding and pushy.
Our Safety Plan

The Eden Valley Trail Riding Centre has an excellent safety record and we know this is because whilst we like to have fun when we ride we are also very careful to ensure the safety of you and our horses. A lot of what we do to make you safe we will do without you noticing but we also need your co-operation to ensure our safety plan works. Horse riding, like most sports, carries a degree of risk and horses by nature can be unpredictable.

Our General Safety Rules - Please:

  • Listen carefully to the instructions and advice given by your ride staff.
  • Let us know if you cannot hear us or do not understand what we say.
  • Let us know if you feel anxious, unwell or need to stop.
  • Let us know if you do not wish to go any faster ( we will always check first anyway ) .
  • Let us know if you see or hear anything whilst riding which you think may put anyone at risk.   
  • Do not alter your tack in any way unless we ask you to.
  • Ride in a quiet manner and be considerate to members of the public we may pass along the way.
  • Do not ride on grass verges unless we advise you to 
  • Keep  a safe distance between your horse and the one in front.
  • Stay in the order we put you in when asked ( usually when we are riding on a public road or when we canter ).
  • Follow the route taken by the Ride Leader.
  • Do not dismount until advised.
  • Do not let your horse graze during the ride ( they may eat something they should not ).
Our Safety Plan

There are a number of important actions we do to create a safe working environment for both horses and people:

  • Our centre is fully licenced with Eden District Council. This requires we have suitable public liability insurance and our horses undergo a routine annual inspection to ensure they are fit, healthy and suitable to ride. 
  • Everything we do on our yard is done in a routine way on a daily basis. Our horses feel confident with this and know what happens at what time and in what order. This allows us to make regular checks and comparisons on standards more easily.
  • All Ride Leaders are trained in first aid and are qualified by examination by the British Horse Society.
  • Our horses are carefully trained by us and used exclusively for trekking and trail riding. We own all the horses we use. This ensures we have complete control of their daily routine. Our horses are checked for signs of good health on a daily basis.
  • All the routes we use have been carefully checked and assessed for risk before we ride them. We do not ride anywhere unless we are confident the route poses no apparent dangers. 
  • All our ride staff are well trained in the routes they follow. 
  • All our ride staff have been trained how to deal with an emergency situation should one occur.  
  • Each new rider is assessed carefully before they book their first ride with us to ensure a good match with the horse we select and the type of ride.
  • Everyone is encouraged to look for ways to maintain or improve safety standards.