Stables at Calvert Devon
(This page is dedicated to the stables sessions as part of a residential break. If you’d like to learn about private horse riding and lessons for the public, visit the Equestrian Centre page.)
What is a stables session?
At Calvert Devon’s fully accessible Equestrian Centre, we have on-site stables and an indoor arena with a viewing gallery. Horses and ponies (and, as of 2025, two donkeys) live onsite together, ready and rearing to be groomed, provide riding lessons, pull a wheelchair carriage, and show off their personalities.
An activity session in the stables offers everyone involved the whole equestrian experience. Horse riding is a small part of it, along with carriage riding and horse care and grooming.
Horse riding involves sitting on a horse or pony whilst being led by a rope. Driving the horse-drawn carriage involves sitting behind the horse in the driver’s seat. Where you end up depends on any disabilities; to be on a horse, you must sit upright and have core strength to stay on. The goal for horse riding or carriage driving is the same; learn basic control of the animal and have fun!
Time on a horse improves balance, coordination, and posture and can strengthen core and leg muscles. However, the main benefits are mental and emotional: riding promotes relaxation and stress relief, builds confidence and self-esteem, and encourages responsibility through the care and respect of the horse.
You may be surprised about how beneficial and heartfelt it is to connect with the horses through touch and grooming techniques. Many guests connect with the animals and enjoy simply being with them.
What you need to know
Our stables sessions focus on individuals enjoying horse riding OR carriage driving.
Sessions take place during the week but not on Saturdays or Sundays. Therefore, they can be part of a midweek or full-week break but not a weekend break.
Our specialised equipment and the accreditations we have gained over many years of experience can give you confidence that we will ensure your stables session is tailored to your needs and that everyone can access it in some way or another.
As you can imagine, these sessions are quite versatile. Your session may look very different to someone else, even if it’s on the same day, at the same time. Depending on your needs and your goals, your schedule during this session will differ. This is so our expert staff can ensure you’re benefitting fully from the activity.
Important…
- There is a 13.7 stone limit for riding a horse
- Anyone over this weight (13.8 stone upwards) will sadly not be able to ride a horse but could partake in carriage driving instead
- Anyone wishing to ride a horse will be weighed confidentially, in private, to confirm they are not over 13.7 stone
- Guests with epilepsy (Drop/Tonic-Clonic) will not be able to ride but could participate in carriage riding where appropriate, and guests riding with epilepsy (absences) will have to stay inside the arena
RIDERS session
Click on each step for more information on what you can expect from the session as a rider…
1: Get ready
- You will meet your instructor at your allocated meeting point
- Your instructor will take you to the Equestrian Centre to meet the stables staff
- The stables staff will:
- Find out what you aim to achieve from the session
- Get you weighed (in private) to assess which horse or pony will be best for you
- Take you to the tack room, where you’ll be fitted with a riding hat
- Give you a briefing on how the session will run and what you can expect
- Everyone planning to ride must wear a helmet, so you’ll put this on before going any further
2: Learn how
- You’ll be taken into the indoor arena, where you’ll meet your ride and, one by one, mount your horse with full help from the equestrian team (this could be done using our ceiling track hoist)
- Before moving along and waiting for everyone else to mount their horses, you’ll have a check-in to see how you’re feeling and then be told the basics of how to control your horse
- You’ll also have a volunteer or staff member leading your horse
3: Have a go
- As a group, you’ll follow the instructions the instructor gives you
- You’ll ride around the indoor arena with help from the instructors and the person leading your horse
- You’ll learn how to walk on, come to a stop, change direction, and then speed up
- Depending on the weather and the group’s ability, you may be able to do part of your ride outside on a specified route
- It then may be time to dismount and let another member of the group have a go, depending on group size
4: Finish up
- Depending on time, you may then help with some stable management tasks such as grooming, mucking out or feeding
- At the end of your session, your instructors will ask you to return your hats and any other kit before heading back to the centre
CARRIAGE DRIVING session
Click on each step for more information on what you can expect from the session as a rider…
1: Get ready
- You will meet your instructor at your allocated meeting point
- Your instructor will take you to the equestrian centre to meet the stables staff, who will:
- find out what you aim to achieve from the session
- get you weighed (in private)
- take you to the tack room, where you’ll be fitted with a riding hat
- give you a briefing on how the session will run and what you can expect
2: Learn how
- Your stables instructors will help you onto the carriage, and once you’re ready, they’ll start the ride!
3: Have a go
- The carriage ride will take you around the grounds of Calvert Devon
- A small team of people sticks with the horse and carriage throughout
- The instructor driving the carriage will be in control at all times but can hand over the reins to the guest if appropriate
- The ride will end where it began outside the stables
4: Finish up
- After your carriage ride has finished, the stables instructors will help you down from the carriage
- You may then have some time to watch others ride or drive, help with some stables management tasks, or simply spend time with the horses
- At the end of the session, your instructors will ask you to return your hats and any other kit before heading back to the centre
Non riders
Non-riders can still spend time with the horses. The instructors can teach you how to groom horses, feed them or clean out the stables.
You can watch your group members ride in the indoor arena from the viewing gallery or walk alongside the carriage while they complete their route around the centre.
Stable session equipment
Get an idea of what our kit looks like, and see some of our specialised gear that helps make our sessions more accessible.
Click on each item for a description…
Ceiling track hoist
- This hoist allows guests who may need extra help mounting a horse to do so with a smooth transition
- When you arrive at the equestrian centre, if you and the staff decide to mount a horse using this equipment, they’ll help you into a specialised sling. When you get to the mounting platform, the sling is attached to the metal bar of the hoist to be lifted to the correct height
- Please note: there is a 12-stone weight limit when using this hoist
Tack and riding hats
- We have an array of tack (saddles, harnesses, mouth bites) for all our horses and ponies, which you can see hanging on the walls in the tack room
- This room also houses the riding hats, which you’ll need to wear if you’re riding during your session
Funbug carriage
- This carriage is an option for guests who are wheelchair users, or do not have the sufficient core strength to ride a horse safely, or are above the weight allowance for riding a horse, or are not confident enough to ride a horse alone
- The carriage can be used by sitting in the seat provided or rolling into it in a wheelchair
- The back of the carriage can be turned into a ramp for easy access
- This carriage has a variety of modifications that make it comfortable, smooth and enjoyable for all
- Please note: this carriage has a 17-stone weight limit
Horesemanship tools
- These could consist of a variety of tools:
- Brooms for sweeping
- Shovels and wheelbarrows for poo picking
- Brushes for grooming
Yes, but at various levels. We leave no one out, and no matter what, we do everything we can to ensure that you can enjoy the experience of stable sessions in a way that suits you.
PLEASE NOTE: Guests over 13.7 stone, unfortunately, will not be able to ride horses, but they can still participate in related stable activities. Guests are encouraged to weigh themselves and give an accurate reading to staff during your booking process.
The Calvert Devon instructors use the term ‘challenge by choice’, ensuring that while you’re taking part and given challenges along the way, you always have control over your limitations.
Our staff are there to keep you safe and build your confidence, and sometimes, that means changing how you participate depending on the moment.
Our stable sessions take place in our onsite Equestrian Centre.
This is only a 2-minute walk across the car park from the main building.
Our experienced instructors hold qualifications from esteemed bodies such as the British Horse Society (BHS), Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), and are members of the Pony Club.
These qualifications include passing assessments around horse care, people care, and teaching riding.
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