Friars Hill Riding Stables

Friars Hill Riding Stables sits in the village of Sinnington on the southern edge of the North York Moors, a few miles from Pickering and within reach of some of the finest riding countryside in England. BHS-approved and licensed by North Yorkshire Council, the stables offer a full programme of lessons and guided hacks across the Moors, catering for children from age four and adults of all levels.

Lessons run across group, shared-private and private formats, with different pricing before and after 4pm and at weekends. Beginners are very welcome, and complete novices can work up through the grades at their own pace. Hacks are escorted by qualified staff at all times, there is a one-hour option for less experienced riders and a two-hour route for those who can walk, trot and canter independently. Riders must be at least eight years old to hack, and the pace is always set by the least able rider in the group.

Children get their own dedicated sessions too: Little Own a Pony Days are two-and-a-half-hour sessions covering grooming, tacking up and a short ride, a proper hands-on first experience for children who want more than a standard lesson. Pony Club also runs from the yard. Livery is available for horse owners in the area, and gift vouchers can be bought online. Friars Hill also runs its own RDA group, catering for disabled riders, and holds the official RDA/Hoof Accessibility Mark accreditation. A strict weight limit of 14 stone (89kg) applies, and a half-and-half option (30 minutes' lesson plus a 30-minute walk out) is available alongside the standard formats.