About Us
Windsor Horse Rangers is a volunteer led charity which was set up in 1972 with the mission to give young people the hands-on skills to care for, handle, ride and connect with horses in a supportive, nurturing and fun environment
We have 24 horses and ponies who are cared for by 180 children aged 8-18 who spend 3-7 hours each Saturday or Sunday at our farm. Around 10% of the children who attend have autism, ADHD or anxiety. The children are taught from a syllabus which gets more in depth as they progress through Rangers. They learn how to get the horses ready to ride, how to ride and muck out stables, plus every aspect of how to look after a horse.
Through building relationships with horses and each other, Rangers develop as individuals, build self confidence and resilience, learn communication and team-building skills, have fun and make new friends. Being a Horse Ranger promotes lifelong love and respect for horses and contributes to the world-wide aim of every horse being treated with respect and compassion.
What do the Rangers think?
“Horse riding has helped me mentally and emotionally. My time with horses has helped me relieve stress and connect with other people and animals”
“I love the fun, peace and skills that Ranger’s brings me. At school I find some things difficult but Rangers is different – it’s finally something that makes me feel good and feeling good make me try harder and want to succeed”
What do the parents think?
“It is incredible seeing how the children have to manage responsibilities and each other. I can’t thank you enough for the incredible work that you are doing here”
“Windsor Horse Rangers has been our saviour, it’s the highlight of my daughters week and really brings her out of her shell. It’s so positive for her to be around horses and outside in the fresh air. It’s a wonderful organization and brings immense joy to so many children. I cannot rate the work they do highly enough”
“My daughter lacks confidence and struggles in new situations. Her involvement with horses at Rangers and her horse-riding has helped her mental health problem, and being active has improved her mood, stress and anxiety significantly. Her confidence, interpersonal skills and socialisations skills are improving constantly as a direct result of attending Horse Rangers”
Each Ranger pays a monthly donation to pay for the upkeep of the horses. The cost of this payment will be communicated to you in our quarterly newsletter which is sent to everyone on the waiting list and when your child is offered a place.
WHR animal activity license 2024-27
You can donate to help us continue to provide this service via JustGiving Windsor Horse Rangers Just Giving
Volunteering with us
We are run by a team of enthusiastic volunteers and we are always happy to have new adult (over 18s) volunteers join us. We come from a variety of backgrounds and during the week we hold down regular jobs.
Member’s Area
In these pages you will find all the course materials for Rangers, links to all the recent newsletters and other useful information.
Support us
Windsor Horse Rangers is a registered charity, a non-profit making organisation and as such we rely totally on monthly donations to make sure we can pay for our horses feed bills, vet bills, farrier costs and the correct tack.
Join the waiting list
Please note that we are primarily a charity for children who have no access to a horse or pony of their own, so if your child already owns or loans a pony then please do not place their name on the waiting list.
Follow us on social media
Please follow our public Facebook page Windsor Horse Rangers Ltd
You can also follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/windsor_horse_rangers/
Follow us on X/Twitter at Windsor Horse Rangers
IMPORTANT NOTE: We currently have a waiting list of around 3-4 years.
If you do not hear from us by the time your child reaches 13 years old then they will not be offered a place.
Becoming a Horse Ranger
Windsor Horse Rangers runs on a Saturday and Sunday for 51 weeks of the year.
We have a morning session for seniors (10-18yrs) which runs from 8:30am to 1pm and an afternoon session for juniors (8-10yrs) which runs from 1:30-4:30pm. Your child will attend either every Saturday or every Sunday.
The cost for the first 4 weeks is £26.25 per week, payable as £105 due before the first session at Rangers. This month period is to assess whether the potential new ranger would like to join. During the first 4 weeks, weather permitting, the child will ride every week and also be shown around the farm and the horses to get familiar with the setup and all the activities. They will be put into a company (A, B, C, D) and will have a buddy to look after them. After the initial period, if they decide to stay, they will pay a £30 one off enrolment fee and be enrolled as a member of Windsor Horse Rangers. If the child is enrolled mid-month the balance for the month is also payable on enrolment.
Once enrolled, fees are £1260 per year split into £105 monthly payment in advance due by the 5th of each calendar month for every month of the year whether your child attends for the full month or not and are paid by standing order. This is because our horses need feed and vet care all year round and we need all the monthly fees from all our members to pay our basic bills.
Due to rising prices for weekly paid staff, hay, feed etc, we expect that our fees will need to rise every two years to keep pace with our costs.
After They Join
At this stage the children ride every other week and every week will learn theory and be taught practical skills regarding the care and maintenance of horse and equipment. They will require an A4 ring binder to keep all the sheets they are given for their theory work. Rangers need to bring this file each week.
Windsor Horse Rangers is NOT a riding school, but rather a horse education centre. The teaching eventually leads to badges and certification to indicate successful passing of all exams. The badges include Junior Tenderfoot, Senior Tenderfoot, Bronze Spur, Silver Spur and Gold Spur.
We also reward rangers for hard work and dedication by giving ranks. Rangers wear a black hat band with insurance badge. We have leader rangers and they wear green brands. Acting NCO’s wear red bands and NCO’s wear white bands. Troop NCO’s wear purple bands and finally officers (adults) wear dark blue bands.
We have a number of very valuable Adult Helpers who help with the running of Rangers. All Adult Helpers and Officers are required to be DBS checked.
As with all organisations – please make sure everything is clearly named with your child’s name– as we have 180 members and everything looks very much the same, boots, hats, wax jackets are all costly to replace if lost.
Please feel free to visit us on a Saturday or Sunday morning between 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning or 14:00 and 15:00 in the afternoon to see the farm, horses and meet some of the volunteers.
Please note that if your child decides to leave us once they have been enrolled then we require four weeks notice of four weeks subs in lieu of notice.
Visit our Contact Information page for more information regarding phone number and address.
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The Horse Rangers Code
This is the code quoted on all Horse Ranger Warrant cards, and when taking the oath and becoming a Horse Ranger, these are the basic rules that all new Rangers agree to abide by.
- Integrity and Loyalty
- Love for all Animals
- To help those in need at all times
- To learn the art of Self Discipline
- A Ranger must be honourable and trustworthy
- A Ranger must show loyalty and respect for the King and his Governing Bodies, for their parents and for their elders.
- A Ranger is a friend to all animals, and must at all times be prepared to protect and help them.
- A Ranger must be prepared to work on his/her own initiative and be methodical in all undertakings.
Where do we get our horses and ponies from?
Some of our horses have come to semi-retire at Rangers, some of them can now only do light work or have weight restrictions. We have found through many years of experience that older horses tend to settle in best with us. This is due to the fact that they do very little during the week then are used for a few rides over the weekend. It is not enough work for younger horses but perfect for those who have ‘been there and done that’ and are looking for a quieter life.
Getting older…
As they get older some are very good at allowing the Rangers to groom them and practice all their newly learned skills – tacking up etc. Some of the horses we have bought and some are on loan from their generous owners. There is only one requirement that we stipulate for any horse joining us, they must be rock solid and have an excellent temperament.
New horses
We are always on the lookout for new horses to join our herd. If you have a horse or pony which you think would enjoy being a part of Windsor Horse Rangers then please contact us. We are happy to take horses on full loan or buy them (preferably after a trial period to check they are suitable for us). They must be suitable for novices and like children
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