The Horse Trust at Speen is also known as the Home of Rest for Horses. It is a working rescue stables with 140 horses. When we did this review they had 20 / 30 horses and ponies in the visitor area that you can walk around and have a look at up close. They all have an information board about the life and work of each horse. There really are some fascinating stories!
It’s worth pointing out / reminding you that horses are quite big! And some of the horses they have at Speen are MASSIVE. For the smallest children this can be quite intimidating when suddenly a huge horse’s head pops out of the stable door! I remember the first time we took Middle Child he was less than impressed with these huge beasts!
The stables area
As well as seeing the horses, there’s also the opportunity to groom them some times. The last time we went both boys did this and loved it. There’s a small additional charge for this, but I cannot remember what it is. Not very helpful, sorry!
In the stables area there is a little museum, but this is basically just a room with the history of the Trust. There is also the wider estate that you can walk around to make the most of your visit. The stables themselves don’t take that long to look around. We were in there for about an hour then decided to do go for a bit of a walk.
As well as horses they’ve got donkeys and ponies.
The visiting hours are quite restricted but TBH you’ll only be there for a couple of hours anyway. The Horse Trust are open 13:00 – 16:00 Thursday – Sunday plus Bank Holidays. During the school holidays they also open on Wednesdays. The reason the hours are so restricted is that they are a rescue stables first, visitor attraction second, which is as it should be. They might get more visitors if the hours were from 10:00 – 12:00 or something similar so you could do it in the school run, but that’s just my thoughts.
Tip – At about 16:10 they bring all of the horses through the car park and out to the field if you happen to be in the car park at the time you get to have a good up-close look at them.
The woodland walk
We went on the Woodland walk. There is a sign that says it’s not suitable for wheelchairs and it really isn’t, or pushchairs. It’s a steep walk downhill and it’s quite uneven. We went all the way into the woods but decided to turn back as it was too muddy for the trainers we were in (despite the exceptionally dry weather we have had) and I had Smallest Child in the carrier and didn’t want to slip. Walking back up was quite tough!
Admission cost
There’s a charge of £8 per car. According to the Horse Trust website cars with over 7 people are “at their discretion”
How to get there / Parking
Address – Slad Lane, Speen, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire HP27 0PP
If you’re visiting The Horse Trust it can be a bit tricky to find as it isn’t actually in Speen! If you’re coming from Aylesbury we come off the A4010 towards Lacey Green. Go through the village. Shortly after you come out the other side there is a cross roads. Turn left towards Speen and the Horse Trust is a short way up on your right BEFORE THE BEND.
Parking – Free, on-site
Toilets
On-site including baby change
Food
Cafe on site. Because of the opening hours you’re unlikely to be there for lunch, more just a quick snack.
Our The Horse Trust at Speen review
It’s a nice place, and a great way for kids to get up close to the horses. Because it’s quite limited on size it’s not somewhere you’ll visit that regularly. That said, we’ve visited multiple times over the years. For the latest updates on the residents at The Horse Trust at Speen visit their website.
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
Hi, we visited today and the opening hours have changed – you might want to update the blog article.