Donegal Equestrian Centre

Bookings can be made ONLINE by email or phone. If you are not sure which would be the best type of ride to book or you cannot find the day/time you would like please email or phone.

By email to bookings@donegalequestriancentre.com

By Phone: 00 353 (0)71 9841977

You are advised to book at least 48 hours in advance.

Our price list can be viewed at Price List 2026

We take children from 4 years of age for half hour riding lessons. They may also ride in the 1 hour beginner lesson as part of a family group.

Children from 7 years can take part in 1 hour riding lessons.

Beginner beach rides have a minimum age of 8 years 

Intermediate and advanced beach rides have a minimum age of 10 years.

Yes. We welcome all levels of rider. We specialise in providing safe and suitable horses to make your first riding experience a fun and positive one.

All our rides are graded to ability so you will be able to take one of our beginner/novice rides. Or you could take a lesson in the arena with one of our instructors.

No. Our beach and sand dune rides are private to your booking, so you won’t be joined by riders from other bookings.

Choose the ride that matches your ability and experience. We assess all riders in the arena before heading out, and the pace is based on the least experienced rider in your party. If everyone meets the required standard, our experienced beach rides include opportunities to canter on the beach.

Yes but the ride will be at the pace of the beginner rider. 

Yes. Our maximum rider weight is 102kg (approximately 16 stone or 225lb). Each horse has its own weight limit, so suitability also depends on the horses available for your chosen ride.

For your safety and our horses’ wellbeing, please provide an accurate, up-to-date weight when booking. We may ask riders to use our scales before riding.

If the weight provided is incorrect and we cannot safely accommodate you, we may be unable to offer your ride, and no refund will be given. If you’re unsure or close to the limit, please contact us before booking—we’re happy to discuss suitability discreetly.

No. Our track to the beach is very narrow and hilly and is often muddy so is not suitable for walkers.

If you would like to meet the ride on the beach to take photos etc. that is no problem but you need to drive to the car park at Tullan Strand and walk onto the beach from there.

You don’t need to buy equipment to get started—we have riding helmets and boots available for clients to use.

Body protectors are not included, but we have a selection of BETA Level 3 (2018) body protectors available to hire for €2, subject to availability and a suitable fit. We cannot guarantee that we will have the correct size for every rider.

Body protectors are compulsory for all jumping lessons. Please bring your own if you have one, or contact us before your lesson if you need to hire one.

If you decide to ride regularly, we recommend investing first in a correctly fitted riding helmet that meets the required safety standards. Please see our What to Wear guide for further information.

Yes. It would be very rare for us to cancel rides due to the weather conditions. 

We choose suitable horses/ponies for riders based on the information provided at the time of booking and on the registration form.  We also take into consideration a personal preference (i.e a quiet pony, or something more forward going). A short assessment may take place in the outdoor arena before going to the beach. If a particular partnership doesn't work out then we will try a different horse/pony until the rider is 100% happy with their new mount.

Riding is a sport that combines balance, fitness, mental strength and bonding with a horse. Different people have different learning curves so it’s really difficult to give a number. Still, on average, a beginner needs roughly 7 to 12 lessons to learn how to control a horse in a trot and an additional 15 to 20 lessons to learn to canter.

Our cancellation policy can be viewed at HERE