My daughter, a Pony Club D3 rider in the US was really looking forward to the Wellington camp, and we arranged for her to fly to the UK for this. She's 13, an avid rider, who virtually lives at her barn doing everything but drive. Her Wellington experience was unwelcoming and insincere greeting. Next to familiarization with the team or other campers. They used young girls for 'instruction' (not 'teachers'), terse dictatorial style, and then when they could have left an opening for discussion, were largely preoccupied with their mobile devices. My daughter was assigned an unathletic cobb, and when she asked if another might be available (she hoped to be jumping and competing at the end of the week..), got a displeased reaction. She had one other hostile reaction to something else, and called us after Day 1 saying she was unhappy. By Day 3 she wanted out and her grandparents came for. 2 other girls left the following day. Wellington's later response was defensive and that she should have advocated for herself more (and if I had to read more into it, perhaps escalated). I'll just say at 13, my daughter was in survival mode, far away from home and parents, and is also a polite and respectful girl.

My Daughter was taught riding in Canada at the age of 4. She has a natural talent and quickly excelled. We moved to the UK and I enrolled her at Wellington Riding. It is shocking to me how terrible the instruction was. She lost form, posture and the ability to focus. She was pushed to jump in a group class setting with no proper instruction on jumping and subsequently fell of the horse so many times that she is now fearful of riding. I had her reassessed by the same instructor that assessed her when we started out and her honest opinion was that her riding has deteriorated. Complaining to the school regarding the terrible state of the group lessons doesn't achieve anything as they do not respond to any negative feedback. Do not take your child here if you want them properly instructed.

We chose Wellington 2 years ago for it's great facilities, space and care for it's animals. The horses are really well housed. Communication has always been poor, but that was always tolerable since instructors were pleasant and helpful. Unfortunately this summer there has been a great turnover in staff ; my daughter had 6 different instructors in 6 consecutive lessons. She's never been moved up a group unless at my own request and I started this practice as I noticed that was what other parents did. Last session someone was moved and after the session another parent asked if her daughter could be moved up to remain with her friend and was granted her request. Not very professional and highly demotivating to young riders, working hard to make real progress. Staff in the office are helpful when you can get through, but I have never had a call returned and no-one really has much information beyond how to take money for bookings. It's a big establishment, making plenty of money, that doesn't care about the individual. I really hope they improve their management and begin to communicate with the people who pay them for lessons week in week out. As my daughter did used to love riding here in the past....

Just picked up our daughter from 1 weeks of camp - sadly and completely my omission, I did not first check the place in person. Had I done so, especially when a camp was in progress, would not have sent my daughter. Unsafe, unclean 'shacks' where the girls sleep. She lots so much weight due to the so called 'food' being (not) served. We arrived to see as parents (as we were advised at 2pm) no organisation, none of the instructors knew what was going on where and just generally incredibly badly run. Sadly we have had such great experiences riding in Wimbledon - clearly no one has inspected these premises in very long time. Grumpy, sad and slow to the bone horses, lack luster instructors. My daughters first words when we arrived was - I never want to come back here and if this is riding I will do something else!! When I made my feelings know at the end I was to told to give my details (I just checked out my daughter so clearly they had no clue????) So this is my review.

expensive but great!! best ponies are : 1. bold 2. bridgy 3. bella

My Daughter recently returned from a week's riding holiday at Wellington Riding school, she went with a group of Friends. The week was enjoyable for the children BUT there were many things that as a parent I feel should be improved upon. Firstly, communication between the holiday administrator and the parents, after being advised to arrive at 2pm for the show day, no staff in the office knew what the programme of events were or where the parents should go to watch, as it turned out we had missed the show jumping as they decided to run that activity in the morning! Secondly, there seemed to be alot of horses lame, so when a horse proved unsuitable for some of the riders in a group it was just passed around the other riders rather than being removed. When it came to meal times the children were only allowed one small plastic cup of squash with their meal, if they wanted a second drink it could only be water or they could pay for a drink from the Cafe, surely with 28 plus children paying around £700.00 Wellington could stretch to an extra bottle of squash!

No idea what the bad comments are for !!! I ride there and have the time of my life! Ponies are great and NOT overworked! ***** recommend it!!

I am somewhat surprised at many of these reviews , the manager Does a great job and has implemented many changes and improvements since his employ. It is impossible to keep everyone happy all of the time and there will always be people who want more or who are impossible to please. The horses are well looked after , most of the staff are helpful and friendly and supportive of running a tight ship. Pass comments onto the establishment constructivley. It's always hard to run a perfect business when the purse strings are held by someone else !!!!

Took my daughter their for lessons, there were 4 lessons in 1 indoor school at the same time! Very dangerous. Badly organized the manager was never there and the ponies looked fed up and over worked, stood on a concrete yard tied up all day, kicking each other. Very sad for the ponies I have reported them to RSPCA. The teachers seemed bored and were not up to a very good standard. Much, much better places to ride around do not go.

I went on a wellington riding holiday in the summer and it was great. I went alone but soon made lots of friends. A few of the little kids where a bit upset when there mums left but the staff where there to put a smile on there faces. There horese are extremely affectionate and love and good groom.
It was a great holiday and will be returning.
( the food could of been a little bit better though )
I would of liked to know before the purchase what horse i was having because when you get there and say a name of a horse you may not like then you want to change it whereas if they told you before and you knew you didnt like that horse then you could ask to change before you got there.

i was rather surprised to read some of these bad reviews. my two girls (aged7 and 9) went on a residential weeks holiday at Wellington and had an absolute ball. we were rather apprehensive, mainly because of their age but they were well looked after, their riding improved enormously and will certainly go again.

Agree that Wellington Riding in Hampshire is bordering on a shambles. Definitely a case of trading on the fact that there is no real competition in the area. Their facilities are good but that's pretty much the only positive. No continuity when it comes to feedback and patchy lesson quality. Kids' progress here can be incredibly slow. More established staff are also reluctant to engage with parents. The younger instructors - or temporary staff - are far better and their lessons to the standard you should be able to expect of an establishment like Wellington. I have given them 18 months but have now run out of goodwill. I'll be looking for an alternative where they understand the concept of running a customer-facing establishment.

Wellington Riding is dreadful these days. The ponies are overworked the lessons are not stretching and very expensive and the management are unprofessional with the staff bad tempered and over worked.

Thereare many nicer riding estab;ish,emts. Avoid!!

I have been to Wellington and found that is was not as good as these reviews say, the same ponies seem to be in lessons all day, no sign of any managment and no assesment of the lessons which from what i saw were not a very good standard. Would not recommend.

I ride at Wellington and I love it lots. I go to riding holidays there and its great fun ! You really experince the riding.The Instrutors are very kind but try to push you lots. Horses are lovely and well looked after.It has lots of faclitys like a woods and cross contry courses.It has 7 riding schools and is great. Everyone is friendly and the cafe is lovely and serves hot and cold food.Overall its a really lovely place :D

Wellington riding is a great school I have been riding there for two years now and I am falling in love with it. Even though it is a bit posh its great fun and all the ponies there are cute and sweet and they keep track of ponies you might be worried about. The assistants are really chatty and you get to no the instructors
I started riding there and know im ready to jump higher than i have ever done before but i still have those nervous times its a great place and there week childrens holidays are awsome for experienced people.

I ride at Wellington Riding School, Hampshire, every week and can thoroughly recommend it, my riding has improved a lot just by weekly group lessons and we do a very varied number of activities. There are horses for every size and ability. Excellent facilities; 3 X-country courses, 2 indoor arenas, lots of outdoors. Lovely well schooled ponies, although the bigger horses can be quite difficult, there is a cafe on sight which is useful. The lessons are very good, as well as excellent instructors. The holidays are great too. Some of the larger horses are difficult to ride, although very well schooled. It can be difficult to book a private lesson at the weekends, they are very busy.