Alton Riding School Derbyshire

I started riding at Alton in May this year, the lessons with the person I dealt with are fantastic and have really built my confidence, I am now jumping over small jumps which is something I wanted to achieve but I didn't think was possible being 40. All staff are friendly and hard working, the horses are great and well cared for, I love my weekly lessons and look forward to going on a Saturday morning, I would highly recommend it for young children or someone wanting to go back after a long break x

Alton on a whole is a lovely place, the manager is lovely what let's the place down is the stable girls, I find them unfriendly, unhelpful and if you make a mistake, they can be really nasty, I can take it but for a young girl it would be really upsetting. It's suppose to be a riding centre, a place of learning, you there to learn so mistakes are bound to be made. If these staff haven't got the patience they shouldn't be working there. I've also seen bitching and laughing at others, and it's a real shame. I think managers need to give staff a good talking too. As for the place it's self it's lovely and so are the horse's, it's a shame there us just that few that let the place down. If you go for lessons and you feel intimidated, complain to management maybe something will be done.

I went to Alton as a stable girl for a while, I was very young at the time but have memories of being bullied, left on my own all day and being laughed at on my lessons because I had a lack of confidence. Reading a lot of these reviews brings back memories I'd prefer to forget. I remember lots of mud in the fields and the instructors being impatient.

I used to get dropped off in the morning and picked up late afternoon and spent the majority of my time walking around on my own because the stable girls didn't like me!

Not the fondest memories, sounds like it hasn't changed!

The winter field where the riding school horses are is out of order! It is knee deep in mud. I have witnessed a fare few people get stuck in that field. Some of them got that stuck their riding boot came off. I dread to think of how the horses feel being in there. The field is also over run by horses. The rugs for these horses are awful. Ripped all over the place, (so much that some of them may as well not have a rug on!) And some of the rugs are being held together by some bailing twine.

The summer fields are not much better. I have gone past a few times and noticed that there is hardly any water in the baths. There is rag wort in fields that has not been bothered to have been pulled out. Barbed wire around fencing etc. The horses, bless them, work long hours no matter how hot the weather is and to go back to a field that has hardly any water in is frankly upsetting!

Alton has turned into a horrid place. Where staff, including the yard manager swear and shout, (even in front of the children). I have witnessed the horses being hit by the helpers AND even the YARD MANAGER!! They obviously have no shame if they hit these beautiful animals in front of paying customers, like myself. I have never been to a yard and felt so judged like I have at Alton, its ridiculous!

I am so glad to be off of that horrendous yard and be with people who actually care for these animals. I just hope that this review really knocks some sense into people and make them realise that Alton Riding School only want the money and do NOT care about anyone else!!

Been going for lessons for a while now and couldn't be happier, lovely horses and staff who are helpful and pleasant. Good choice of lesson times and if you want a private they're very obliging at fitting you in

Excellent instructors! Excellent staff. Horses amazingly cared for!!! Would recommend anyone who wants to ride to come here! Such a genuine lovely yard with such a great atmosphere!:-)

When I was about 8 I went to Alton after passed experiences in other riding schools when I was 5, after 4 years of riding there i began to help out for about 3-4 months it was great at first but then all the older girls would make me do all the hard work and I led in almost every lesson ! The field were also over grazed and knee high in mud I once got stuck and had to be pulled out by the other girls. I finally quit at Alton because me and my friend were booked in for a lesson but was not told it was cancelled and being young we didn't know what to do we didn't have phones and did not want to go to the house so we waited in the freezing cold for a hour and a half till our parents came ! Also when you book in for a horse and you expect to see it to ride it on that day you often cant get the horse you want and get put on a different horse which can get a bit annoying and my friend who was about 5 foot 5 at that time got put on one of the smallest ponies ! I still love to ride and help out on farms around my village and look after there horses.

My granddaughter age 7 started riding lessons in September 2012, we were so impressed with the quality of the teaching it inspired me to get on a horse and learn to ride at the age of 63. We started out in group lessons but have since moved on to private lessons with Rosie. We have always found all the staff involved to be very friendly,and have never heard any bad language at any time. We both look forward to our weekly lesson with Rosie and would recommend Alton to anyone thinking of taking up riding.

I used to love Alton!! It was so fun and exciting and nobody cared about falling off, it was easy going. Until I got my own horse from there I kept it there for a couple of months until dreaded winter came. So we moved him to a rented field. We left as the mud is dreadful and I hear about Alton through friends and it is going down hill apparently. The ponies are not cared for, not enough staff, so mostly liverys have to fetch in the ponies and they should be looking after theirs instead. The ponies are amazing but they need looking after and lots of TLC and I can't see that at Alton. More and more people are leaving Alton- riders and liveries but every time the prices for lessons go up and livery and that just makes more and more leave.

Excellant freelance instructors, sadly the best one left in February and the school has suffered. Good horses for all abilities. Sadly, the fields are of poor quality, over grazed and deep in mud this time of year meaning the animals are dirty and poorly presented. A nice yard if only it had some tlc as was run much better in previous years. Would recomend for people who want to ride and arent too concerned about bad language, no respect for clients and mud lots of mud all year round.