Rookin House Equestrian & Activity Centre Ltd — Local services in Matterdale

NOT FOR BEGINNERS!!!!!!!!!! BEWARE Went for the horse riding activity as I had viewed the reviews online that were positive and stated how it was a great place for beginners. Filled out the forms etc stating that I was feeling generally okay about the ride, but I am a beginner and not confident on the horse so I would require extra support. Was quickly whipped up on a horse with a helmet and boots (the body wear that was mentioned on the form was not provided-which I thought was odd) All of the horses in the paddock were relaxed and calm apart from mine- who started trotting up and down immediately when I got on (I was told we would be working up to this). I stated to the staff that this was making me nervous and they explained that this was because the horse was simply excited to get out for the walk. I became more confident as the horse was moving around, but then she started biting the other horses and rearing up and down. The other horses didn’t even react to this, but mine continued to head butt and nudge the other horses and be very boisterous. The staff member helping again explained this away as ‘she’s just bored and likes to assert her dominance to the other horses as she sees herself as the leader of the pack’.I said that it was making me very nervous as all of the other horses are being perfectly still and relaxed. Being the most nervous rider, it didn’t seem like the best match and the horse would be better with someone who was more confident. I thought to myself…why have I (the most nervous of the riders) been given this horse who was the most domineering. The horse continued to kick and charge at the other horses. I asked for help- but I was fully ignored this time. No tips were given on how to control the horse(since this was a lesson) and I was expected to know what I was doing already. One of the riders suggested swapping with me as she was a confident rider and her horse was extremely chilled- but this was brushed off by the employee leading the session. My horse continued to bash around the tiny paddock- at one point boshing me into the wall and brushing me a long it- massively giving me the feeling it didn’t want to be ridden. The horse then trotted over to get a drink, had one and then reared up. At this point, I felt far too unsafe and just stated that I wanted to get off and stop because I didn’t feel like the staff were doing anything to help and by this point my nerves had turned to me being very teary and upset. There was no rush to do this even though I was in clear distress. I have always been around horses and they don’t usually make me nervous when being around them on ground level at all - and although I haven’t ridden for a very long time- I was excited to get back into it on my holiday in the Lake District. I am very upset that I felt so unsafe that I felt I needed to get off and not do the horse trekking. I also feel like the staff could have done a lot more to help me to feel comfortable. I could not have been more clear about needed additional support and was met with none. Just the attitude of- you’ll be alright it’s fine but you can’t get off once we’ve started the trek- so basically figure it out. I have not been given a refund for the trek that i didn’t even do- because I signed the form and got on the horse- but this is incredibly unfair due to the fact that my safety was what made me not want to do it…I heard from other riders who did go on the trek that it was far too advanced for a beginner- so I am glad I didn’t go. The instructors were suddenly running alongside, startling the horses. They also trekked up an area that was very vertical and over rocks. When one of the riders tried to take the horse over grass, they were called out and told to go over the rocks- even though the horses were slipping on them!!...

I visited Rookin House for a weekend stag do, staying on site in their large barn conversion and enjoying activities such as paintballing, clay pigeon shooting and karting.

If you read no further than this, then the message you should take away is that this place is extremely well set up, the family who run Rookin House clearly work extremely hard to make it a success and the 15 of us on the stag had an absolutely fantastic weekend.

The on-site accommodation is very well set up - ample seating in terms of sofas and dining space, the sleeping accommodation is split into multiple rooms upstairs and although the beds are basic they're v comfortable. You'll need to bring a single duvet cover, pillowcase (and extra pillow if you sleep with two) and undersheet, or let them know you need linen before hand and pay a supplement.

The kitchen is well appointed for cooking and we made brunch and cooked breakfast for 15 people with no trouble. It could perhaps do with some pint glasses though as we were drinking beer!

The pool table is also a nice touch but could be even better if there was a decent cue - if I'd have known I'd have brought my own... A tiny detail though.

The activities we did were very well organised and James who was in charge of them looked after us very well indeed. The paintball arena up in the woods which overlook Rookin House, is very nicely set out - plenty of hiding places and opportunities for ambush and having the safe zone in the middle of the arena makes it interesting for those who are out of the game. I'd recommend you bring some grippy shoes as my shoes were not up to the job - should have taken my hiking boots!

The highlight of the activities for me was the karting, which took place in the barn where the ponies are kept. There's a fair amount of horse droppings on the track and it ain't a Grand Prix circuit, neither are the karts what you might call equally matched or top notch, however none of these things mattered because with the addition of a bit of water to the floor it became a very entertaining drive with plenty of drifting and tail-out cornering. Exactly what we needed to finish off our stay and again James took charge of proceedings and really added to the experience. Good work that man!

Finally if you're after a pub meal and a few pints off site then about one and a half miles away there's a very good pub/hotel where we all met up and enjoyed a Sunday lunch before heading our separate ways.

Well done Rookin House, you really made...

We had a very disappointing experience at Rookin House. Due to a genuine mistake in our booking dates, we still showed up on the day which we mistakenly booked, albeit late, and fully accepted that we wouldn’t receive a refund after asking for it. However, we politely asked if we could do a different activity instead, for the value of what we originally paid or just pay the difference. This request was immediately shut down, with staff stating it was against their terms and conditions, despite no flexibility whatsoever, even though we were on site and willing to participate in something else. To make things worse, the woman at the reception was extremely rude and dismissive, which made the situation feel even more uncomfortable and unwelcoming. Rather than showing any understanding, she repeatedly pointed out that it was our mistake and that we should’ve “read the email again” which she brought up more than once, in a very condescending tone. We understand policies are in place for a reason, but a bit of compassion and customer care would’ve gone a long way. This was very disappointing for us as we came all the way from the Isle of Wight. If you’re thinking about doing a horse trek, go to Park Foot Pony Trekking Centre instead, they are incredibly friendly, welcoming, and far more professional compared to these people. I should’ve checked their reviews before booking with them. This review also confirms the 1-star ratings that many...