The Equine centre is a British Horse Society (BHS) approved examination centre endorsed by the ‘where to train’ guide. Horses are carefully selected by either purchase or loan to provide students with the opportunity to develop a range of riding skills and provide a diverse research population for projects.
The Equine Centre is also a key resource for research and dissertation projects on-site for our higher education students studying Equine Science and Performance Management at University Centre Sparsholt. Find out more about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses here.


Explore our Equine facilities below:

  • With a 60m x 23m indoor arena, and three outdoor arenas (70m x 50m with Olympic standard surface, 60m x 30m, 60m x 30m), our students are able to learn, ride and perform in world-class facilities. The arenas compliment the cross-country and grass rides, and the covered horse-walker that our students utilise during their studies.

    A range of affiliated and unaffiliated show jumping and dressage events are hosted at the Equine centre throughout the year. In 2012 the Olympic-standard facilities were even chosen by the Australian Paralympic Equestrian Team as their base for their pre-London Olympic Games training!

  • Horses are carefully selected by either purchase or loan to provide students with the opportunity to develop a range of riding skills and provide a diverse research population for projects and dissertations.

    With stabling for up to 66 horses, students get hands-on experience with a variety of different horses to practise and learn tailored care and husbandry. Students have access to a range of equipment such as hay bars, a covered horse-walker, weightbridge, hot shower and solarium with infra-red heat lamps, grass rides and cross-country schooling.

    Students learn how to monitor their horses health with state-of-the art apparatus, including Heart rate monitors, a full size horse skeleton and ETB Pegasus Limb Phasing Analysis Systems. University Centre Sparsholt is also the only demonstration and training centre in the South of England for Avansce Ltd’s Synchronicity rein analysis system.

    Stabling and Livery Services

    Students can apply for Sparsholt Equine Centre’s DIY and Assisted livery availabilities, which include stabling, exercising and riding of the horses. For more information, head to our Equine Centre Pages here.

  • Sparsholt is the second college in the UK to have a Racewood Eventing Simulator housed in our Rider Performance Studio.

    The state-of-the-art simulator uses motion control technology and will enable Sparsholt students to further expand their research in the growing field of rider performance. From Grand Prix dressage to show jumping and cross country, the simulator will bring all equestrian disciplines to life in a controlled, safe environment providing the ideal conditions for rider performance research and analysis.

    With the capability to provide feedback on rein contact, balance in the saddle and leg contact the Racewood Eventing Simulator will play an important role in equine welfare through the improvement of rider skills, an area of particular expertise at University Centre Sparsholt. This exciting new capability is further intensified through the addition of a 3D analysis system for biomechanics research.