Sidcot co-educational day & boarding school is proud to offer a packed roster of activities designed to engage all students, allowing them to live life to the full and be themselves. This includes a very successful riding school offering and an on-site equestrian centre that makes horse riding accessible for both novice and experienced riders.
Thanks to our beautiful Somerset location, students looking for independent schools with horses consider Sidcot’s equestrian centre one of the highlights of school life. Our equestrian school is available for all students, whether day students, boarders or junior pupils. We have a full service livery yard for students wishing to bring their own horse to school with them, or a full package of horse riding lessons for new riders who want to pursue this passion. Read on to discover more about our equestrian centre provision.
Sidcot Equestrian School Team
Keen riders who own their own horse are encouraged to join the Sidcot Equestrian Team. Here, students will participate in horse riding lessons, clinics and team training, and have opportunities to compete regionally and nationally. Sidcot Equestrian is affiliated to both the National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA) and British Showjumping Just for Schools (BS JFS), with our team consistently excelling in competitions.
Riders joining Sidcot Equestrian Team will advance in a variety of disciplines according to their individual interests, including dressage, showjumping and arena eventing. This is a great opportunity for all Sidcot students to indulge their love of horse riding.
The Livery Yard
The Sidcot School livery yard has been highly commended by the British Horse Society (BHS). We offer excellent on-site facilities in the heart of our School campus. Equestrian enthusiasts who want to stable their horse with us can therefore take advantage of our livery package and give their horse a comfortable home whilst they study at Sidcot.
Our livery yard comes with all of these great features:
- A 30 x 40m floodlit arena
- Full set of British Showjumping jumps
- Horse walker
- Solarium
- Hot shower
- Off road hacking in the stunning Somerset countryside
What Is Included In Our Livery Package?
Our livery package costs £185 per week, subject to a £2,000 deposit and includes:
- Bedding
- Adlib haylage
- Stable and field usage (depending on individual requirements)
- Basic feed (feed supplements not included)
- All year round turnout
- Mucking out
- Grooming
- Tack cleaning
- Supervised free riding sessions
- Exercise in horse walker
As well as providing a comfortable and clean stable, our professional staff will speak with you to ensure (within reason) your horse’s needs are catered for to avoid boredom and the development of bad habits or stress related behaviours. This will be achieved by providing a good yard routine, adequate care, exercise, plenty of variety and human contact. We can also help to arrange travel for your horse, whether that be to competitions or transporting your horse abroad for our boarding students.pionships.
Horse Riding Lessons
At Sidcot’s Equestrian School, we pride ourselves on our friendly atmosphere, catering to both beginners and experienced riders alike, and accessible for all students. We have two options for those wishing to take horse riding lessons:
1. Students With Their Own Horse
We are able to provide 1:1 or group riding lessons by our highly qualified riding instructors, for newcomers to advanced riders. These lessons provide a great opportunity for students to advance their current skills or explore new ones, and will be tailored towards the student and their horse. Our floodlit arena means there is a choice of lesson times to work around the school day.
Lessons are arranged with our Equestrian Centre Manager at the start of term. The cost for the Spring and Summer terms 2025 can be found below.
2. Students Without Their Own Horse
For students that do not own their own horse, there are two potential routes for riders:
1. Lessons on our School horses
We have a choice of horses at our Equestrian Centre, to suit a range of abilities and experience. So whether you simply want to try horse riding for a bit of fun, or aim to take riding more seriously, we can support your ambitions. Our School horses are a new addition to our equestrian offer and have been very popular. Find out more about the riding programme and read student reviews here:
View our Equestrian brochure here.
2. Lessons at Urchinwood Riding Stables
Urchinwood is located five miles from Sidcot and is a BHS-approved livery and riding establishment with British Eventing accreditation. Urchinwood Manor provides a range of facilities including an indoor and outdoor arena, cross country course consisting of jumps from 1’0” to 3’3” and show jumping courses. Lessons here are timetabled by our Equestrian Centre Manager, subject to demand and on a rota system between those on-site, and off-site.
Price list (Spring and Summer Terms 2025)
Livery
Full livery to include bedding, basic feed, forage, turn out, bring in, mucking out and tack cleaning: £195 per week, £2,000 deposit. Also includes use of hot shower, solarium and morning walker use when mucking out. BHS exam tuition and equine tutorials are also included.
£21 – Day livery (per day)
£26 – Overnight stays (per night)
Exercising and Lessons
£21 – Sidcot staff exercising horses (per horse, per hour)
£53 – Instructor Schooling student horse (per hour)
£53 – Private lesson (per hour) on own horse
£60 – Private lesson (per hour) on Sidcot horse
£26 - Group lesson (per hour) on own horse
£39 – Group lesson (per hour) on Sidcot horse
£3 – Additional use of walker (per ten-minute session)
Clipping
£53 – Full clip
£47 – Hunter clip
£26 – Neck and belly clip
£10.50 – Show preparation including plaiting
£5 – Mane pulling (per time)
£5 – Tail pulling (per time)
£32 – Clipper hire (per horse)
Farrier Charges
£116 – Full set of shoes (8x stud holes)
£110 – Full set of shoes
£76 – Pair of shoes and trim
£42 – Trim bare foot
Veterinary Charges
£63 – Standard call out charge. Bill as per vet charges
Master Saddler Charges QSF SMS
£38 – Standard call out charge
£50 – Reflock on site
£63 – Adjusting back at workshop
£57 – Correction half pad