Oakwood Stables Children’s Riding Holidays- A Parent’s Review
A mom shares her experience of sending her children to ride at Oakwood Stables during their own Ireland vacation. Located one-hour from Dublin Airport, Oakwood Stables offers adult and children's residential riding holidays with a focus on show jumping, cross country and pony club riding.
by Norina von Weiler
After having found and bought the best pony ever for our daughters at Oakwood stables in Co. Wicklow in Ireland in 2012, we, the Weiler family from Germany, returned to Ireland this year for our summer holiday. The plan was to send our two daughters, aged 10 and 8, for a few days to Oakwood stables so they could improve their riding.
The von Weiler's youngest daugther taking on the cross rails at Oakwood Stables, where mounts range from beginner ponies to top class show jumping ponies and horses.
Our older daughter, especially, was quite apprehensive. The year before she had spent a week at a riding holiday camp in Germany but vowed that she would never again do that since she had been quite homesick there. She also was a bit afraid of jumping and was worried that all the other children at Oakwood stables were confident riders. However, we finally convinced her that she would love Oakwood stables!
My husband and I visited our daughters on the first evening. We found two beaming girls. They had made friends with children and teens form all over the world and fallen in love with the ponies they had ridden that day. Wonderful Amanda Dunne had promised our older daughter that she did not have to do anything that she did not feel up to which reassured her so much that she was happily jumping small fences after the very first day.
The von Weiler's older daugther having fun in the saddle. Kids may ride in the arena, trail ride in the forest, enjoy pony club games and learn about horse care.
The atmosphere at Oakwood stables is wonderful. Girls and boys of all ages and languages are busy helping in the yard, getting their horses and ponies ready for their lessons, riding, playing and plainly enjoying themselves at whatever they are doing.
I very much enjoyed watching Amanda teach lessons: she has such a good way of bringing her knowledge across, is always warm, positive, reassuring and fun. She manages to give even the most cautious of riders confidence. I wish I could have had a teacher like her when I was the age of my daughters!
Gaining confidence in jumping. Owner Amanda Dunne is a BHS qualified instructor, Horse Sport Ireland Level 2 Competition Coach and a Showjumping Ireland approved coach.
The pupils do not only ride in the school, but are also taken around the adjacent fields with cross country fences. They learn to ride on different grounds and up and down hills. The ponies and horses are all very well behaved and good schoolmasters and whoever feels up to it can pop over the cross country fences and ride through water.
Oakwood Stables welcomes overseas students and can cater lessons and holidays to fit their schedule and needs.
The farm and fields are set amidst the breathtakingly beautiful scenery of the Wicklow mountains and my daughters loved cantering around the fields in this beautiful landscape.
After the morning session, Amanda’s sister cooks up a delicious lunch. After eating lunch, the children have some time to play or have a rest. More riding follows in the afternoon. This can yet again be a lesson in the school, a hack or some pony club games or cross country schooling.
Hacking out! Kids take trail rides during their time at Oakwood Stables, which welcomes children from 8 years of age.
The bedrooms the children share are super cozy and after meals they love to chill out on big sofas in a lounge.
Our daughters loved every minute at Oakwood stables and begged me to book them in again for next summer. They not only improved their riding, but gained a lot in confidence. Our older daughter now happily jumps over big fences–– I even have to stop her from jumping too much.
Amanda Dunne and her family do a truly wonderful job at running Oakwood stables and look very well after the children which are entrusted to them.
We will be back!
Learn more about Oakwood Stables in the Equitrekking Horse Camps Guide and check out Oakwood Stables website.
A Special Note from Louisa von Weiler:
Hello my name is Louisa von Weiler, I am ten years old and I live in Germany. Two and a half years ago my parents bought me the best pony in the world. His name is Sweet Caramello and we found him at Oakwood stables in Ireland. This summer we spent our holidays in Ireland. Me and my sister went to Oakwood stables to improve our riding. We rode two times a day and did fun stuff including hacking in the beautiful Wicklow mountains, cross country schooling, pony games and show jumping. Sometimes they organise trips and when I was there we went kayaking.
In my opinion Oakwood stables is the best place for riding holidays especially because you get to meet the most awesome riding teacher you can possibly meet: Amanda Dunne! I really improved my show jumping skills and gained a lot of confidence. I hope I will go there again next summer!!!
