Old Town Riding School & Old Town Support Service

Old Town Riding School & Old Town Support Service Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Old Town Riding School & Old Town Support Service, Horse Riding School, Old Town Riding School, Fletcher Way, Hemel Hempstead.

🐴 Old Town Riding School is a small, friendly, family run riding school.

⭐️ Old Town Support Service provides alternative provision for children and young people, with additional needs, helping them build confidence, life skills, and well-being.

💙 Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there today. And to everyone whose Dad is in heaven, thinking of you too 💙Today...
21/06/2026

💙 Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there today. And to everyone whose Dad is in heaven, thinking of you too 💙

Today was my first Father’s Day without my Dad. In fact, it’s only been three days. Three days since we lost him. If I’m honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with today.

There was nowhere to take a card. Nowhere to take a present. No place to visit yet. No funeral has happened. Just an empty space where Dad should be.

This morning I told myself I wasn’t going to spend the day being sad. Dad would have absolutely told us off for that. In fact, he’d probably have told us to stop sitting around crying, get on with it, and “grow up” 😂💙

So instead, I’ve tried to remember the Dad before the hospital. The Dad before dementia. The Dad who took me to Hickstead year after year as a child. So today I sat and watched the Hickstead Derby on TV, thinking about those memories and all the times we shared there. And because I couldn’t buy him a Father’s Day present, I ordered something for the stables instead.

The grief is still there. The tears are still there. The sadness is still there. But so are the memories. And today I’m choosing to hold onto those 💙

Happy Father’s Day Dad.

You’ve finally got the peace and quiet you’ve earned 💙✨

☀️ Hot Weather Riding Policy ☀️With temperatures forecast to reach and exceed 30°C this coming week, we’d like to remind...
21/06/2026

☀️ Hot Weather Riding Policy ☀️

With temperatures forecast to reach and exceed 30°C this coming week, we’d like to remind everyone that there will be no riding sessions when temperatures are over 30°C.

The welfare of our horses and riders is always our top priority, and riding in extreme heat can be unsafe and uncomfortable for both.

If your lesson is affected by the hot weather, we can offer:

🐴 Stable management activities as an alternative

📅 The option to reschedule your lesson

We will contact you before your lesson to discuss the options and see what works best for you.

💙 Our Alternative Provision and Support Service sessions will be as normal.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work to keep our horses, riders and staff safe and comfortable during the hot weather. ☀️🐎

09/06/2026

🩵A gentle reminder…

We all have a limited amount of energy each day.

Some days we use it to learn, grow, achieve goals and make progress.

Other days, we use every bit of that energy simply getting through the day.

Both are okay.

Not every day needs to be productive.
Not every day needs to be busy.
Not every day needs to look the same.

Give yourself permission to rest when you need to.
Give yourself credit for the things nobody else sees.

🩵 Some days are for thriving, some days are for simply getting through — both are enough.

Be kind to yourself 🩵

08/06/2026

🐾🖤 Sometimes the hardest workers need a nap too! 😴

After a busy day of supervising the yard, checking on the horses, greeting everyone who arrives, constant barking at absolutely nothing, and generally being very important members of the team… these three decided it was time for a well-earned rest 🐶✨

There’s something lovely about watching dogs completely relax. No worries about tomorrow, no endless to-do lists, just finding a comfy spot and enjoying the moment 🌿

Maybe we could all learn a little something from them today 💭🤍

Although knowing these three, they’ll be fully recharged and back to barking at feathers, shadows, and imaginary intruders within the hour! 😂🐾

🐾💛🐶✨🌿

07/06/2026

💭💛 I haven’t posted much over the last couple of weeks because life took an unexpected turn.

Two weeks ago, everything changed. Since then there have been hospital visits, uncertainty, exhaustion, endless Googling, an ADHD brain in complete overdrive, and a lot of emotions that are hard to put into words.

Yet life carries on around me. People go to work. The sun still rises. The world keeps turning.

And so do I. I keep showing up. I keep working. I keep caring for others. I keep ticking things off the list.

Running on autopilot. Until my body quietly says, “Enough.” Because sometimes exhaustion isn’t just physical. It’s emotional. It’s mental. It’s the weight of carrying so much for so long while trying to keep everything moving.

What makes it even harder is trying to stay present whilst my mind keeps wandering to the future. Trying to appreciate the moments I still have whilst quietly worrying about what may come next. It’s an exhausting place to be.

There have been tears. Sadness for today. Sadness for tomorrow. Anger at how unfair life can sometimes be. But alongside all of that, there is also gratitude.

Gratitude for a life well lived. Gratitude for the memories. Gratitude for the lessons learned. Gratitude for the strength, resilience and values passed on along the way.

Over the last two weeks I’ve really been putting my own wellbeing to the test. Lots of mindfulness. Lots of trying to stay present. Lots of reminding myself not to get too far ahead of myself.

I may be behind on emails, answerphone messages, and a few other things right now but that’s okay. The emails will wait. The messages will wait. Some things are more important.

Because today was a good day 💛

Tomorrow may be different. The day after that may be different too.

But today was a good day, and sometimes that’s enough 🌿✨

One day at a time 💛

31/05/2026

🌅🧡 Let’s talk about burnout…

Not the dramatic collapse.

The quiet exhaustion.

The kind where you’re still functioning.
Still showing up.
Still caring.
Still getting things done.

But everything feels heavier than it should.

Burnout often creeps in slowly.

When you’ve been strong for too long.
When you’ve been the reliable one.
When you’ve put everyone else’s needs before your own.

Burnout isn’t failure.
It’s not weakness.
It’s often a sign you’ve been carrying too much for too long.

This is something I’m not very good at 💭

This week I’ve had to listen to my body.
I’ve felt exhausted, emotionally drained, and if I’m honest, guilty for slowing down.

But I knew I had to.

Because if I don’t look after myself, I’m no good to anyone else 🧡

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stop, rest, and accept that we can’t do it all.

So here’s your reminder 💭

🧡 Rest is productive.
🧡 Boundaries are healthy.
🧡 Looking after yourself matters too.

You don’t have to earn your rest.

You are allowed it 🌿✨

30/05/2026

💛🌿 A couple of weeks ago I did a wellbeing session on gratitude.

And today, despite feeling completely exhausted, it’s what I’ve been thinking about 💭

This week has been a hot and busy half-term week ☀️🥵🐴

I’m grateful for my hardworking staff who have worked tirelessly through the heat 🫶

Today I’ve done very little. I’ve moved from the bed to the sofa, put some washing on, tackled a few household jobs, started a task, sat down for an hour, started again, then sat back down again 😅

My body aches. My mind feels emotionally drained. Anxiety has been a little louder than usual.

But even on days like this, there is still so much to be grateful for 💛

So if you’ve messaged, emailed, called or are waiting for a reply, I promise I’ll get back to you 💛

But today I needed to just be me. To just rest.

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is listen when our body tells us to slow down 🌿✨

Tomorrow is another day 💛

27/05/2026

Funny how our young people call this place their “safe place”… but truthfully, it’s not just them — we as staff call it that too ❤️

This morning I woke up and just felt like I needed to be here. Now, at 8am, here I am, sat in the field watching the horses before the heat of the day takes hold. I’ve been here for half an hour already, just listening to the birds and the world slowly waking up around me.

It’s peaceful, grounding, a little bit magical🐴☀️🌿

23/05/2026

🌅💛 Sometimes the best sessions happen without even realising… 💭🐴

Sometimes our children, young people, and staff will simply sit in the field together watching the horses graze, play, interact, and just be horses 🌿✨

No pressure.
No expectations.
Just quiet moments, fresh air, and space to breathe 🫶

And often… those are where the best conversations happen 💚

Watching the horses can help children and young people talk about their own feelings and emotions.

A nervous horse.
A playful horse.
A horse wanting space.
A horse looking for comfort from another horse 🐴💭

By observing the horses, we can often relate their behaviours back to ourselves and our own lives.

Sometimes it feels easier to talk about feelings through the horses first ✨

Nature, animals, connection, and calm spaces can make such a powerful difference 🌿💛

🐴✨ SPECIAL OFFER ✨🐴10% OFF all Private & Semi-Private Lessons 💛Perfect for:🐴 Beginners wanting to build confidence✨ Ride...
23/05/2026

🐴✨ SPECIAL OFFER ✨🐴

10% OFF all Private & Semi-Private Lessons 💛

Perfect for:
🐴 Beginners wanting to build confidence
✨ Riders wanting more one-to-one support
💛 Nervous riders
🌟 Riders wanting to progress their skills

📅 Tuesday 19th May – Tuesday 26th May
⏰ One week only!

Spaces are limited so don’t miss out 🫶

📲 Book now via our booking link:
https://book.heygoldie.com/OldTownRidingSchool

Address

Old Town Riding School, Fletcher Way
Hemel Hempstead
HP25RR

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+447470829815

Website

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