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`Trail Riding

Partridge Horse Hill has access to thousands and thousands of acres of trails in the nearby Pontypool Forest, Fleetwood Conservation Area, Durham East Cross Forest, and more! We are even lucky enough to have access to the ponds in Pontypool where there is safe access for you to go swimming and splashing with your horse!

Partridge Horse Hill clients have the opportunity to take horses out on trail rides either as a lesson, or joining the trail riding club.

Please note that if you are new to PHH, you cannot book a trail ride. You need to start with at least one lesson first - you may need more lessons before you are deemed safe and able to participate in trails.

 

What is the trail riding club?

The trail riding club is a group of riders that Partridge Horse Hill has assessed as being safe and capable to go on trail rides. This means that clients have taken enough lessons that they can safely control a horse out on a trail ride. Once you are assessed as being capable to be out on a trail ride, you can opt to join different trail rides that are at your level or you can ask to set up your own private trail ride. To assess riders we use a checklist of skills. The checklist determines what colour you are assessed for. For example Orange level is walk/trot trail rides, and Yellow is walk, trot, canter trail rides.

 

Who can join the trail riding club?

Anyone can join the trail riding club as long as you are physically and mentally capable of riding a horse. We have a mix of youth, adults, and retirees that join us on our trail rides.

You need to start with at least one lesson so we can teach you how to get your horse ready for a trail ride, and so we can assess your ability to safely take part in a trail ride.

Depending on your previous experience, how confident you are, your ability, and how quickly you learn will determine how many lessons you need before you can trail ride.

 

What is required?

You are required to read, understand, and sign a liability waiver. You are required to wear a helmet while riding.

You also need to wear safe footwear.

You need to be approved for the trail ride level that you sign up for - to do this you need to schedule a lesson where we can teach you what you need to know for trail riding and determine if you can be approved for a level of trail riding. See the skills/levels checklist here.

 

How does it work?

  • Contact us to set up an appointment for a lesson. Depending on your fitness, ability to learn, and previous horse experience will depend on how many lessons you need to be able to come on a trail. Check out our skills/levels checklist to see what you need to learn for each level.
  • You will need to complete Trail Club Member Agreement, a Waiver (this is the form if you are 19 and older, and this is the form if you are 18 or younger), and a Participant Code of Conduct
  • Once you are assessed in your lesson and approved at a level for trail rides you are able to sign up for trail rides according to your level or book trail rides with a staff member. Most of our trail rides are at the orange or yellow riding level. There is always a coach that takes the ride out.
  • If you want to upgrade your riding level, simply take another lesson or participate in a clinic to be assessed for the higher level and to learn the extra skills needed to keep you safe on the trails. Sometimes you can be assessed out on a trail ride too. Contact us if you want to be upgraded to a higher level. Please note that we also group our horses into different levels of difficulty. You might be a yellow level on the 'easy horse group', but an orange level on a horse from the 'novice' group. To ride more groups horses, you can ask a coach about trying a different horse in a lesson. Take a look at the groups of horses and who you can ride.
  • Joining trail rides is easy - either contact us to find out when the next planned trail is, ask us about setting up a trail ride time that works for you, or look for booked trail rides using our online calendar.
  • You can request the same horse every trail, or you can try different horses. You will always be given a horse suited to your riding level. Depending on your level, your selection may be limited.
  • Trail rides are on a first come first serve basis, and rsvp early if you want to ensure your favourite horse is available. Trail ride schedules will be posted online, but you can also book a private trail ride by contacting us.

How long are trail rides?

  • Trail rides usually last 2hrs, and sometimes we book longer or shorter rides. You prepare and untack your own horse, so you still have the opportunity to bond and connect with your horse on the ground.
  • Many of our clients will come 30min - 1hr early to groom and spend time preparing their horse for the ride. Many clients will also stay 30min - 1hr after the ride to untack, groom, and spend time grazing their horse for extra bonding time.

What is are the different trail riding levels?

See the skills checklist for the levels here. and who you can ride

  • Orange Trail Rides: walk and trot rides, no really steep hills, and limited to a max of 4 clients per staff with up to 2 tag alongs. *
  • Yellow riders: walk, trot, and canter rides that may have some steep hills. Max of 5 clients per staff and up to 1 tag alongs. *
  • Green riders: walk, trot, canter and gallop rides that may have very steep hills. Max of 6 clients per staff. *
  • Adventure trails: exploring new trails and paths which could be steep hills, tight spaces, fallen logs, or navigating through a forest with defined path. The goal of these trails is to discover new paths and new spaces. This is how we found the pond that we take the horse's swimming in! Maximum numbers are determined for each trail when they are posted as the difficulty level varies.
  • * more tag alongs might be allowed if the full number of spots for clients have not been claimed. However we give clients first chance to sign up for these spots so extra tag alongs may not be confirmed until the day of the trail. Learn more about being a tag along if you have your own horse or part board.

How much does it cost?

  • To start with you need to book a lesson. There are different prices for lessons depending on if you want group, private, or a package of lessons. Check out our lessons page for more information and pricing on lessons. You will not be permitted to ride on the trail unless you have been assessed at that level first.
  • You will need to complete Trail Club Member Agreement, a Waiver (this is the form if you are 19 and older, and this is the form if you are 18 or younger), and a Participant Code of Conduct
  • Once you are approved for trail riding you can choose from the following options:
  • Trail Ride Cost Details
    Single Ride $30 Join any trail ride that is within your level, and pay as you go
    Monthly Pass $120 Join us for as many trail rides as you like, within your level, for an entire month!
    Seasons Pass $500 Join us for as many trail rides as you like, within your level, for an entire riding season (May - November)
  • Note that if you own your own horse you can join us on the trail rides as a tag along provided you ride at that level, and that the coach taking the ride is comfortable with tag alongs joining. Click here to learn more about Tag Alongs.
  • Part boarders can join a trail as a tag alog using a practice ride.
  • There needs to be at least one paying customer for a trail ride to run.
  • Please note that Monthly and Season's pass are subject to availability and weather.

How do I get started?

Tag Alongs: (new, under review and looking for feedback, this section may change)

When someone with their own horse wants to come on a trail they have two options: 
1) They pay to be on the trail: then they are treated like a normal customer, must adhere to our levels, they will be monitored and helped by staff, they will be counted as one of the sign ups (so if there are max of 4 people on the trail they will take one of those spots), and in the event their horse is lame or unable to go on the trail they can switch and use one of our horses. 

2) They can be a tag along: this is where they are simply an individual on their own horse and are tagging along with a group. They are not paying, they are not counted in the numbers going out, and the staff is NOT responsible for them. This means tag alongs should be confident and independent. It doesn't mean that they will be ignored, but it means that the staff has customers that will take their coaching attention, and tag alongs can't be a distraction. For example if on a trail, a dogs starts running at the horses, and the horses are getting upset - the staff will tend to the customers on the trail (help them dismount, hold their horse, etc if needed). The tag along is expected to be able to take care of themself.

It simply wouldn't be fair or safe to customers if someone who is tagging a long keeps needing help with their horse, their stirrups, tightening their girth, etc because it slows down the whole trail and adds a distraction to the staff supervision on the trail. 


Every trail needs at least 1 paying customer (either with hours, cash, or as part of a package) to have a trail go ahead. If only tag alongs are signed up then we cannot run the trail.

We have a maximum number of tag alongs set for each trail level, however, staff can use their discretion if they feel comfortable have tag alongs. For example if it's windy and the horses are more alert, the staff might not want a tag along coming if their horse's energy is too 'high' - even if the rider has a good handle on the horse, a horse that is feeling alert/spooky/quick can be distracting and cause other horses to become jumpy on a trail. OR for example if the tag along isn't fitting nicely into the line up of horses going on the trail the staff can ask the tag along not to come if they feel there is a potential safety concern.

 

If someone starts the trail as a tag along, but during the trail something happens that needs the staff to intervene (such as the staff dismounting to help the tag along with their girth, stirrups, picking up something they dropped, etc or needing to be led or hold their horse, or stopping while they sort out anxiety, etc) then they are requiring the staff’s attention and will need to pay for the trail. This might seem a bit strict, but this is simply because we base numbers on how many riders a staff can safely supervise and care for. If a tag along needs help on the trail then they are changing our supervision ratios and impacting our service to customers. If this becomes a recurring pattern then we’ll ask them to simply sign up as a paying customer until they become more independent.

Please keep in mind that horse owners can organize their own group and go trail riding by themselves or with other horse owners at no cost. It is when they want to go with a coach and impact PHH supervision, client services, and insurance that it impacts PHH and we need to be safe.


Part boarders have the option to sign up for trails using a group lesson (which is the same price as a trail ride and then are counted as a customer), or as a tag along using a practice ride (then the same rules apply regarding tag alongs).