Suitable for children aged 3-7 years.
Everyone has to start somewhere and there is no better introduction for children than to enjoy a walk out through the woods on a well behaved pony led by an experienced escort.
The whole experience is designed to put a smile on each riders face and give children a gentle introduction to ponies and riding at an early age.
Walkies last for half an hour. Please arrive 20 minutes early to complete a rider registration form and get a hat. Parents may walk out with the rider but will need footwear suitable for mud in wet weather.
Paddock hacks are great if you have little or no experience but you would like to ride out in the forest and see if it is a sport you might like. The horses you will be riding are quiet and reliable and come with a leader who will show you what to do. When all the riders on a paddock hack are mounted, the ride escort will make sure that everyone is happy and can stop, start and turn their pony before going out for a quiet walk round the forest. On returning to the paddock riders can have a go at trotting if they would like too.
Paddock hacks are a great way to get accustomed to the feeling of riding a horse before taking lessons.
Confident riders do not have to have a leader unless the escort deems it necessary. We can take up to 6 riders in a group.
Hayfield has some of the finest off road hacking to be found anywhere in Scotland. Rides are taken around Hazlehead Park which was given to the people of Aberdeen by King Robert the Bruce. Every ride out in the park weaves around the golf fairways and through a mixture of wooded trails and sometimes open fields.
The word “Hacking” originates from the days when the gentry would ride out with their hawks to hunt small prey but since then the word has changed from hawking to hacking Our hacks are enjoyable opportunities to get out in the open air and ride in the forest which is traffic free.
On a good day the wildlife you may see includes buzzards, hawks, rabbits, squirrels, lots of deer, woodpeckers and even the odd fox. Hazlehead Park is linked to larger riding areas such as Blacktop and Countesswells woods where we take picnic rides, two hour forest rides and day rides.
Birthday parties are always great fun! For groups for groups of 4-6 children we provide a one hour riding session which includes 20 minutes of basic instruction in the sand paddock followed by a 40 minute walk in the woods and a go at trotting. For larger groups of 7-12 children we can provide 30 minutes riding and 30 minutes grooming. Birthday parties are suitable for children aged 5 and over. For more experienced riders we can tailor the activity to suit.
1 Hour riding
4-6 children
£26 per child (includes hat hire and Honeymoon membership)
30 minutes riding and 30 minutes grooming
7-12 children
£24 per child (includes hat hire and Honeymoon membership)
For riders who have some experience and are looking to get back in the saddle we recommend they come along for a half hour assessment lesson. At the end of the lesson riders will be given options of group lessons and hacks that are suitable for them to join.
£25 ( includes Honeymoon membership.)