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Sparhanger invites you to join us riding in the unspoilt natural beauty of Exmoor National Park. Sparhanger Farm is located close to the North Devon coastal villages of Lynton and Lynmouth. We are situated on the edge of the common land of Exmoor, sometimes referred to as the “riding playground of England”, so we are ideally placed to offer rides through some of the most spectacularly scenic countryside in Britain. 
The landscape of Exmoor provides almost infinite variety through the changing seasons. We are able to ride through tranquil valleys, alongside streams sparkling with sunlight filtered through the trees or roam freely across the breathtaking high moorland, which offers dramatic panoramic views over miles of countryside and coastline and, on a clear day, across the channel to the Welsh mountains. Our rides follow bridleways, ancient drover paths and woodland tracks or range over open grasslands and heathland carpeted with heather, which changes from lush green to a vivid purple from late summer. Here the ground underfoot is safe for the horses to stretch into a canter or gallop if the rider is confident – and the open space goes on for mile after mile.
Exmoor abounds with wildlife, which makes riding there an even more captivating experience. You will almost certainly see herds of wild Exmoor ponies, Britain’s oldest breed of native pony with origins dating back to the ice age. There is often a good chance of catching site of the deer which roam the moor and, overhead, the birds of prey. Sheep and, sometimes, cattle, also graze freely on the common land. Qualified and experienced instruction Sparhanger is owned and run by Chris Sanders and Michelle Vodden. Michelle is a fully qualified instructor and has been riding for 18 years, since the age of 10. She has been instructing for 10 years. She has also competed successfully at county events and British Horse Trials. Chris has been riding for 23 years. He previously ran Sparhanger with his father as a dairy farm, before turning it over entirely to horses.
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