Get out of your urban ennui by signing up for horse-riding classes or engage in some hacking at these these great equestrian centres in Singapore
Believe it or not, you can hop on a magnificent stallion and ride away into the sunset in Singapore, thanks to a handful of places to ride horses on our island. Here, we round up the city’s best stables that offer riding trails, horse riding lessons for both competitive equestrian and beginners, hacking, plus pony rides for kids. Trot along!
Bukit Timah Saddle Club
An approved British Horse Society, Riding School and Livery Centre, Bukit Timah Saddle Club (BTSC) caters to both serious equestrians (with a strong focus on show jumping and dressage) and leisure riders. Small group (4-6) lessons are available, and there are also pony rides ($10) for kids every weekend from 10.30am to 1pm. BTSC is also the only cross country course in Singapore and includes a variety of obstacles including steps, drops, ditches, trakheners, logs, tyre jumps and ski jumps.
Bukit Timah Saddle Club, 51 Fairways Drive, Singapore 286965, p. 6466 2782.
Singapore Polo Club
Get a dose of Singapore’s colonial history at the Singapore Polo Club, founded in 1886. While you need a membership to ride here, it’s worth money – especially if you’re a serious horse rider. Classes are held every Tuesday to Sunday from 7am to 7.45pm, and there are horse-and-stable management sessions where students learn how to groom, feed, and care for the horses.
Singapore Polo Club, 80 Mount Pleasant Road, Singapore 298334, p. 6854 3999.
Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre
Only a bus stop away from Kranji MRT, STCRC offers a beginners programme that teaches the fundamentals of riding as well as stable management for first-timers. The 45-minute programme that’s conducted every Saturdays and/or Sundays starts from $85 per lesson.
Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre, 1 Equestrian Walk (off Woodlands Ave 3), Singapore 737863, p. 6879 3600.
National Equestrian Centre
Honeys with little munchkins will love the National Equestrian Centre, which has an amazing Pony Playgroup programme for kids aged 3-5 years old. This 1.5-hour session begins with an art activity to introduce them to horses before a riding session, and ends with a cooking class to prepare healthy meals for their ponies. Older kids (6 and up) with different levels of experience can also sign up for riding packages of various difficulties.
National Equestrian Centre, 100 Jalan Mashhor, Singapore 299177, p. 9753 8739.