The state of UK riding schools, 2026
Updated 15 July 2026 · Compiled from live directory data by Will Bales, founder of Saddl.
Saddl maintains one of the most complete public directories of UK equestrian venues — riding schools, livery yards, trekking centres and specialist yards across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The figures below are drawn from the 758 venues currently published on Saddl and are refreshed daily from the live directory. Where a metric depends on yards self-reporting a detail, we say so and give the sample size.
You are welcome to cite these figures. Please attribute them to Saddl with a link to this page.
Accreditation & licensing
Just under half of published riding schools hold a British Horse Society Approved Centre badge, and roughly one in seven is ABRS-approved. Accreditation is not universal, which is exactly why riders value being able to filter for it.
| Credential | Venues | Share |
|---|---|---|
| BHS Approved CentresBritish Horse Society approval | 359 | 47% |
| ABRS ApprovedAssociation of British Riding Schools | 114 | 15% |
| Pony Club CentresAffiliated Pony Club centres | 186 | 25% |
| RDA CentresRiding for the Disabled Association | 92 | 12% |
| Council-licensedLicensed under the Riding Establishments Acts | 159 | 21% |
Share is of all 758 published venues. See our guide to BHS vs ABRS approval for what each badge means.
Reviews & reputation
Across the 310 venues with a public Google rating, the mean score is 4.63 out of 5, drawn from 19,413 individual reviews. UK riding schools are, on the whole, well regarded by the riders who use them — the distribution sits firmly at the top of the scale.
What venues offer, by discipline
Hacking is the single most widely offered activity, available at the majority of yards, followed by flatwork and jumping. Most venues list several disciplines, so shares sum to more than 100%.
| Discipline | Venues | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hacking & trails | 591 | 78% |
| Flatwork | 519 | 68% |
| Show jumping | 342 | 45% |
| Riding school lessons | 324 | 43% |
| Dressage | 318 | 42% |
| General lessons | 207 | 27% |
| Pony Club | 190 | 25% |
| Trekking | 86 | 11% |
| Cross country | 81 | 11% |
| Livery | 80 | 11% |
| Polo | 63 | 8% |
| Equine therapy | 37 | 5% |
Families, access & specialisms
Regional coverage
Venues are spread across 61 counties and regions. The largest concentrations sit around London and the Home Counties, with strong representation in Scotland and the South West.
| County / region | Venues |
|---|---|
| Greater London | 42 |
| Surrey | 31 |
| Hertfordshire | 26 |
| Highlands & North East Scotland | 25 |
| Greater Manchester | 23 |
| Gloucestershire | 22 |
| Somerset | 21 |
| Kent | 21 |
| Hampshire | 20 |
| South Wales | 19 |
Browse the full county directory for every region.
Pricing
Among the 104 venues that publish a starting price, the median entry price is £33. Advertised prices cover a range of session types, so this is a broad indicator rather than a like-for-like lesson rate. For a like-for-like breakdown of lesson costs, see our county-by-county lesson pricing.
Methodology & citation
Figures are computed from Saddl's published venue records and refreshed daily. Accreditation flags (BHS, ABRS, RDA, Pony Club) are recorded from each yard's own listings and public register status. Review counts and scores are sourced from Google. Discipline and offering shares are calculated against all 758 published venues; a venue can appear under several disciplines.
To cite: Saddl, “The State of UK Riding Schools (2026)”, saddl.co.uk/statistics, accessed 15 July 2026.
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