Horse riding at Island Centre

Date of inspection

24 October 2024

Overall rating - 3 stars

Fun and enjoyment - 3 stars

The Inspectors were warmly greeted upon arrival and given a tour of the stables and surrounding area. There was a range of activities on offer, and they were encouraged to choose what they wanted to do and supported with this from grooming, feeding and riding the horses to cleaning the stables, racing on the hobby horses and also spending time with the other animals on site.

There were several members of staff in the session supporting the young people on and around the horses. All the inspectors came with a varied experience of horse riding from complete beginner to someone already accessing these sessions and they all enjoyed it. One of the young inspectors said they would have liked to learn more other riding skills on the horse other than walking and felt that the session would have been more fun if they tailored the session a little more around their abilities. One of the inspectors who chose not to ride the horse enjoyed the session so much he wants to go again and build up his confidence. The session and said that the activities were fun.

Accessibility – 3 stars

The venue is on ground level but the surface is fairly uneven and would be muddy in the wet weather making it more difficult for a wheelchair user to access.

The time of the session in the afternoon after school was good and they really appreciated that the session was also running in the school holidays. All the inspectors felt that the price was good value for the length of the session.

The venue is easy to find and has adequate parking. Travelling by bus was more difficult as it is on a busy road with limited paths and there is a lengthy walk down the track to the stables. There is a path leading from the road but this would be quite dark in the winter months at the end of the session.

They all agreed that the cost of the session at £10 was good value.

Safety and surroundings – 3 stars

All the young inspectors were given a riding hat to wear in the session or they could bring their own if they had one. There was a brief safety talk and adequate staff supervising the children. The staff got involved with the children in the various activities and the children said they felt safe in the session.

Feedback from the young inspectors

One of the young inspectors who had never been before said he had a great time and would like to do the activity again.

Another young inspector said that it would have been nice to have individual riding for different abilities.

Feedback from parents

“I have previously tried to call to cancel a session but have had difficulty speaking to a member of staff. It would be helpful if the reception had someone available for these calls especially if a parent is leaving a child and wanted to check they are ok.”

Another parent was very impressed by the facilities and how the session was adapted to cater for her son who was initially anxious and unsure.

Actions required

To explore the possibility of having a safety sheet sent out in advance highlighting the need to wear a helmet in the session and providing a map of the pathway to use if you are coming by bus. I also wonder if having a member of staff allocated to each young person on arrival may be useful in terms of providing an individual learning experience for each child/young person.

Provider feedback

Our bus route info is on our website.

Once parents’ book, they get a reply info email regarding helmets and boots. It is standard that ALL children around horses including riding, wear helmets always around the horses for insurance reasons.

The app for booking is client friendly and clients can book and cancel on the app at any time with no need to call the office for cancelling as we are unable to take calls during the session. The office is open 9 am to 3pm daily.

We love running the sessions and always try to vary the sessions and of course be as inclusive as we can.