The Ultimate Guide for Horse and Pony Lovers in Melbourne
For horse lovers we've take off our blinkers and searched far and wide to find a huge variety of horse related activities and sights in Melbourne for people of all ages. This includes a guide to horse & pony clubs, a guide to horse riding lessons, horse and pony birthday parties, places to get up close and personal to horses, horse and pony rides, carousel horses, horse related playground equipment and horse related street art and statues.
Pony Clubs generally cater to riders up to 25 and offer instruction to improve your knowledge of caring for a horse and riding in various disciplines while adult riding clubs offer a combination of competition, instruction and social riding. Check out our guide to horse and pony riding clubs in Melbourne.
Guide to Horse & Pony Riding Clubs in Melbourne
Check out our guide to Equestrian Centres which provide horse riding lessons on well behaved school horses or enable you to bring your own horse.
Guide to Horse Riding Lessons in Melbourne
Check out our guide to companies providing horse trail rides.
Guide to Horse Trail Rides in Melbourne and Victoria
Meet Horses
The following locations also give you the opportunity to get up close and personal to horses.
Living Legends (Greenvale)
Living Legends is the international home of rest for champion horses and has been established to bring retired champion racehorses back to the public. Living Legends provide the perfect setting for people of every age to mix and mingle, get up close and personal, and really come to know these former champions. Through guided tours, photo opportunities, options to feed and pat, visitors are treated to one on one interactions with equine royalty.
Cost: One hour public guided tours are $25 (adults), $20 (concession/senior), $10 (children aged 5 to 13 years) and Free (children under 5 years old).
Private guided tours are $50 (adults), $40 (concession/senior), $25 (children aged 5 to 13 years) and Free (children under 5 years old).
Self guided tours are $20 (adults), $15 (concession/senior), $10 (children aged 5 to 13 years) and Free (children under 5 years old).
The Funky Farm (Hastings)
Over time the farm has grown into a specialised facility for special needs adults and children to come and interact with all kinds of animals including Hamish, a Clydesdale horse.
Cost: $28 (adults), $22 (children 16 & under), $90 (family of 2 adults and 2 kids), $110 (family of 2 adults and 3 kids)
Churchill Island Heritage Farm (Phillip Island)
Meet the farm animals including Clydesdale horses, highland cattle, sheep, ducks, chickens and peacocks.
Cost: $13.50 (adults), $6.75 (children 4-15 years), $33.75 (family of 2 adults and 2 kids), $9.40 (pensioner)
Horse & Pony Rides
Collingwood Childrens Farm (Abbotsford)
The 1st Sunday of the month (February - November) are a great time to come and visit the Farm. With normal weekend activities running, there are also pony rides (but not in August and September when the horses are having a break), tractor rides and a feed walk during the day.
Cost: Entrance to the farm including a ride is $15 (adults), $7 (children), free (under 2 years), $5 (concession), $12 (senior)
Rain, Hayne & Shine Farmyard (Balnarring)
The farm has a wide range of animals and birds which are spread between paddocks, aviaries, petting areas and wandering free range throughout the farmyard. An example of the free range type is a goat which is adept at jumping up onto tables, especially when there is a hint of food. Pony are available at all times and horse rides are available on weekends, school holidays and public holidays.
Cost: Entrance to the farmyard is $13 (adults), $13 (children), free (under 2 years), $45 (family of 4), $10 (senior). Pony rides are $5 and horse rides are $10.
Birthday Parties
The following businesses offer parties based around ponies or horses.
Melbournes Pony Parties (Ponies come to your party)
My Little Party Ponies (Ponies come to your party or you come to our venue in Gruyere)
Pony Parties by Horsing Around (Ponies come to your party)
Little Ryders Pony Rides (Ponies come to your party)
Blossoms Pony Parties (Ponies including a unicorn pony come to your party)
Melbourne Unicorn and Pony Hire (Pony unicorns come to your party)
Jolong Park Riding School (Located at Bangholme. Children's pony parties)
Tranquil Park Stables (Located at Cranbourne South. Children's pony parties)
Highfield Equestrian Centre (Located at Greenvale. Kids parties)
Woodlands (Located at Greenvale. Kids parties)
Broadway Park Equestrian Centre (Located at Gruyere. Kids parties)
Unicorn Valley Equestrian Centre Located at Panton Hill. Riding birthday parties)
Valley Park Riding School (Located at Templestowe. Kids riding birthday parties)
Tandivale Equestrian Centre (Located at Warrandyte. Kids riding birthday parties)
School Holiday Programs
RSPCA School Holiday Program (Burwood East)
The RSPCA runs a wide range of holiday programs with friendly farm animals and playful pets, some of which involve horses.
Carousel Horses
Melbourne Zoo (Parkville)
On the right side of the main drive is Carousel Park where you can ride a lovely carousel with horse seats or elephants for small kids.
Cost: $3.50 per ride in addition to zoo entrance cost.
Luna Park (St Kilda)
The heritage listed and visually stunning carousel has 68 horses and 2 chariots which are individually hand painted and intricately decorated. Each horse is unique and has a name. You must be taller than 110cm to ride on your own but if you are under 110cm you may ride with a mature teenager or adult.
Cost: A single ride cost is $15 but it is much more cost effective with an unlimited rides ticket which is $51.50 (adults), $41.50 (4-12 years) and $18 (0-3 years).
The Carousel (Geelong Waterfront)
The 1892 Armitage-Herschell antique carousel is fully restored and sits in a custom made glass and steel pavilion on the Geelong waterfront.
Cost: $5 (adults), $5 (children), $5 (concession), $45 (multi-ride tickets)
Playground Horses
Central Melbourne
Alexander Street Playground, Clifton Hill (horse springer)
Coronet Street Playground, Flemington (wooden horse sculpture and three racing horse springers to reflect the horse racing history of the site)
South East Melbourne
Iluka Reserve Playground, Iluka Avenue, Aspendale (horse springer)
Wilson Recreation Reserve Playground, Allee Street, Brighton (horse springer)
Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Playground, Glen Eira Road, Caulfield East (horse themed "Spin the Dice")
Tulip Grove Park Playground, Tulip Grove, Cheltenham (four horse rocker)
Meppel Drive Playground, Clayton South (horse springer)
Apex Park Playground, Cleeland Street, Dandenong (four person rocker with two horse seats)
Fotheringham Reserve South Playground, Pyke Street, Dandenong (horse springer)
Howard Dawson Reserve Playground, Burke Road, Glen Iris (tiny horse springer)
Brynor Crescent Playground, Glen Waverley (horse springer)
Lefey Court Playground, Glen Waverley (pony springer)
Peterson Reserve Playground, Peterson Street, Highett (horse springer)
Church Reserve Playground, Harlequin Drive, Keysborough (two unusual horse springers)
Tranter Square Reserve Playground, Brady Close, Lynbrook (horse springer)
Keith Styles Reserve Playground, Venice Street, Mentone (horse springer)
Mentone Racecourse Reserve Playground, Cedar Street, Mentone (the playground is set on the site of the former Mentone racecourse and the playground has a horse racing theme throughout - in fact it is the Black Caviar of horse racing themed playgrounds)
Phillip Street Playground, Mentone (horse springer)
Southern Road Reserve Playground, Southern Road, Mentone (horse springer)
Brickmakers Park Playground, Stamford Road, Oakleigh (big see-saw with horse seats)
Gerry Green Reserve Playground, Keith Street, Parkdale (beautiful horse springer)
Victoria Gardens Playground, High Street, Prahran (see-saw with horse seats)
Columbia Park Playground, Columbia Drive, Wheelers Hill (horse springer)
Inner North
Roseberry Street Playground, Ascot Vale (horse springer)
Bundoora Park Playground, Playground Drive, Bundoora (four person rocker with horse seats)
Bundoora Park Playground, River Red Gum Avenue (South), Bundoora (horse springer)
Fotini Gardens Playground, Hastings Street, Bundoora (horse springer)
Hibiscus Avenue Playground, Bundoora (horse springer)
Maroondah Terrace Playground, Bundoora (horse springer)
Nickson Street West Playground, Bundoora (horse springer)
Tamar Street Playground, Bundoora (horse springer)
Warrenwood Place Playground, Bundoora (horse springer)
Albert Jones Reserve Playground, Durham Street, Eaglemont (horse springer)
Thompson Reserve Playground, Keilor Road, Essendon (carousel with two horse seats remaining - the third obviously left in disgust at the condition of the playground)
Susan Walsh Reserve Playground, Rathmines Street, Fairfield (see-saw with horse seats and horse springer)
Wallace Reserve Playground, Justin Avenue, Glenroy (horse springer)
VC Henderson Reserve Playground, Rill Street, Heidelberg (horse springer)
Nellie Ibbott Reserve Playground, Maud Street, Ivanhoe (horse springer)
Judith Scott Memorial Park Playground, Whittier Street, Kingsbury (see-saw with horse seats)
Derby Street Playground, Moonee Ponds (see-saw with horse seats)
Peters Reserve Playground, Dalziel Lane, Northcote (see-saw with horse seats)
Payne Reserve Playground, McCracken Avenue, Pascoe Vale (horse springer)
Adams Reserve Playground, Milton Crescent, Preston (see-saw with horses)
Fyfe Street Playground, Reservoir (four person rocker with two horse seats)
De Winton Park Playground, Strasbourg Road, Rosanna (horse springer)
Melissa Street Playground, Strathmore (horse springer)
Mornington Peninsula
New McDonalds Farm Park Playground, Ramlegh Boulevard, Clyde (look out for Harriet the horse)
Rothschild Reserve Playground, Cavendish Avenue, Clyde (a wooden horse laying next to jump obstacles and a measuring board to check how many hands tall you are)
Hazlitt Court Playground, Cranbourne (horse springer)
Jennings Park Playground, Dunbar Avenue, Cranbourne (horse springer)
Evesham Street Reserve Playground, Crestway Drive, Cranbourne North (see-saw with horse seats)
Linda Drive Playground, Cranbourne West (horse springer)
Dunns Road Reserve Playground, Dunns Road, Mount Martha (horse springers)
Colchester Park Playground, Conway Court, Somerville (see-saw with koala and horse seats)
North East Melbourne
Kyamba Court Playground, Bayswater North (horse springer)
Halley Street Playground, Blackburn (seesaw with horse seats)
Briar Hill Hall Playground, Mountain View Road, Briar Hill (horse springer)
E J Andrew Reserve Playground, Williams Road, Briar Hill (horse springer)
Bulleen Park Playground, Bulleen Road, Bulleen (horse springer)
Newbigin Street Playground, Burwood (horse springer)
Bowen Gardens Playground, Bowen Street, Camberwell (horse springer)
Cooper Reserve Playground, Green Street, Camberwell (see-saw with horse seats)
Radnor Street Playground, Camberwell (horse springer)
Trafalgar Road Playground, Camberwell (horse springer)
Norway Reserve Playground, Woodstock Street, Canterbury (two horse springers just near Oslo)
Kurrajong Avenue Playground, Croydon (horse springer)
Hughes Park Playground, Maroondah Hwy, Croydon North (horse springer)
Tarralla Creek Reserve Playground, Tarnagulla Road, Croydon South (rocker with three horse seats)
McKenzie Street Playground, Doncaster East (horse springer)
Aranga Reserve Playground, Eastway Avenue, Donvale (two horse springers)
Eucalyptus Road Playground, Eltham (horse springer)
Meruka Park Playground, Meruka Drive, Eltham (horse springer)
Darly Glen Playground, Greensborough (horse springer)
Deblonay Crescent Playground, Greensborough (horse springer)
Nepean Street Playground, Greensborough (horse springer)
Plenty River Reserve Playground, Elder Street, Greensborough (horse springer)
Central Gardens Playground, Henry Street, Hawthorn (three horse carousel)
Rose Street Playground, Hawthorn East (springer with four horse seats - the horses went up and down in the same place - much like the horse I backed in the Melbourne Cup!)
H E Parker Reserve Playground, Heathmont Road, Heathmont (three person springer which has two horses seats and one standard seat)
Heathmont Reserve Playground, Waterloo Street, Heathmont (see-saw for four people with two horse seats - I can envisage fights if you come with more than two kids who love horses)
Hansen Park Playground, Tower Street, Kilsyth (horse springer)
Kilsyth Avenue Playground, Kilsyth (horse springer)
Landstrom Quadrant Playground, Kilsyth (four person rocker with two horse seats)
Grayswood Reserve Playground, Rendcomb Street, Kilsyth South (lovely see-saw with horse seats)
Keith Hume Fraser Reserve Playground, Swansea Road, Montrose (horse springer)
High Point Avenue Playground, Mooroolbark (beaten-up rocker with horse seats)
Kemp Newton Reserve Playground, Newton Avenue, Mount Evelyn (two horse springers)
Chesney Drive Playground, Ringwood (three person rocker with horse seats)
Highland Boulevard Playground, Ringwood (see-saw with horse seats)
Munro Street Playground, Ringwood (rocker with horse seat)
Towerhill Drive Playground, Ringwood (rocker with three horse seats)
East Ringwood Reserve Playground, Mt Dandenong Road, Ringwood East (four person rocker with two horse seats)
Smithdene Avenue Playground, Ringwood East (three person rocker with horse seats)
Walhalla Drive Playground, Ringwood East (three person horse rocker)
Panorama Avenue Playground, Ringwood North (horse see-saw)
Werac Drive Playground, Ringwood North (three person rocker with horse seats)
Kensington Gardens Playground, Prestbury Drive, Vermont South (horse springer)
North West Melbourne
Old Canning Street Playground, Avondale Heights (horse springer)
Lidgett Street Playground, Bacchus Marsh (carousel with three horse seats)
White Avenue Playground, Bacchus Marsh (four person rocker with two horse seats)
Cobblestone Green Village Reserve Playground, Cobblestone Green, Caroline Springs (horse springer)
Jonathan Drive Playground, Darley (horse springer)
Cashat Park Playground, Ashgrove Drive, Deer Park (five horse springers)
Robert Bruce Reserve Playground, Gould Street, Deer Park
Dunfield Drive Playground, Gladstone Park (horse springer)
Rudstone Bend Playground, Greenvale (springer)
Dowling Street Playground, Kealba (four person rocker with two horse seats)
McShane Drive Playground, Kealba (swing with a horse seat and a four person see-saw with two horse seats)
Jackman Crescent Playground, Keilor (four person rocker which has two horse seats)
Patterson Avenue Playground, Keilor (horse springer)
Dongola Road Playground, Keilor Downs (horse springer)
Tarella Drive Playground, Keilor Downs (horse springer)
Winton Court Playground, Keilor Downs (horse springer)
Brimbank Park Playground, Park Drive (Car Park C), Keilor East (horse springer)
pennington-street-playground-keilor-east (horse springer)
Kings Park Reserve Playground, Gillespie Street, Kings Park (horse springer)
Shalimar Place Reserve Playground, Shalimar Place, Melton West (horse springer)
Neil Heinze Reserve Playground, Emerald Street, Niddrie (rocker with four seats - two of them horse seats)
Spring Gully Reserve Playground, Keilor Road, Niddrie (horse springer)
Clarke Avenue Playground, St Albans (two horse springers)
Stevens Road Playground, St Albans (two horse springers)
Forrest Street Playground, Sunbury (horse springer)
The Village Green Playground, Sunbury (blacksmith's 'shoe the horse' panel)
Kelman Court Playground, Westmeadows (springer with horse seats)
Outer East
Hammerwood Green Playground, Beaconsfield (horse springer)
Keith Ewenson Park Playground, Salisbury Road, Beaconsfield Upper (rocker with four seats including two horses)
Bridgewater Boulevard Reserve Playground, Mathoura Court, Berwick (horse springer)
Eddie Baron Reserve Playground, Cheviot Avenue, Berwick (four person rocker with two horse seats)
Fairholme Boulevard Playground, Berwick (horse springers)
Neville Hamilton Reserve Playground, Russel Avenue, Berwick (horse springer)
Richardson Street Playground, Narre Warren (horse springer)
Lake View Drive Playground, Narre Warren South (horse springer)
Strathaird Reserve Playground, Kenton Walk, Narre Warren South (horse springer)
Outer North
Rochdale Square Playground, Lalor (three horse springers)
Mernda Adventure Playground, Mernda Village Drive, Mernda (three huge horse shapes dominate the top level of the playground)
Pomaderris Linear Park Playground, Breadalbane Avenue, Mernda (horse springer)
Buckmaster Drive Playground, Mill Park (horse springers)
Kellaway Crescent Playground, Mill Park (horse springer)
Woodvale Court Playground, Mill Park (horse springers)
Buttress Crescent Playground, South Morang (horse springer)
Winamurra Crescent Playground, Thomastown (horse springer)
South West Melbourne
A.W Langshaw Reserve Playground, Cresser Street, Altona North (horse springer)
R.J. Cooper Reserve Playground, Sutton Avenue, Altona North (horse springer)
Maple Crescent Playground, Hoppers Crossing (horse springer)
Patton Lane Playground, Hoppers Crossing (horse springer)
Cropley Crescent Playground, Laverton (horse springer)
Ian Cowie Recreation Reserve Playground, Westcott Parade, Rockbank (horse springer)
Cullen Street Playground, Spotswood (horse springer)
Finchley Park Crescent Playground, Tarneit (horse springer)
Street Art & Statues
Horse by Julie Squires (Mordialloc)
A cast bronze sculpture of a horse standing 16 hands high was inspired by the memories of racehorses being exercised in the water along the foreshore. It celebrates the long association the City of Kingston has had with the horse racing industry.
Location: 183 Beach Road, Mordialloc (at the end of Bay Street)
Clocktower by Norm Fenn (Melton)
The sculpture is styled upon a rearing thoroughbred and a harness sulky, reflecting the rich history of both thoroughbred breeders and harness trainers in the Shire of Melton.
Location: Melton Town Centre, corner of High Street and Palmerston Street, Melton
Mural by Kaffeine (Melbourne CBD)
A mural by Kaffeine with an image of a horse, pig, duck and dog in an interesting dead-end lane off Little Bourke Street which has a mix of murals, stencils and three dimensional pieces.
Location: Warburton Lane off Little Bourke Street in central Melbourne.
Sir John Monash by William Leslie Bowles (Melbourne CBD)
A bronze statue of Sir John Monash in an equestrian pose, on a granite plinth. The monument to Monash was funded by Melbourne City Council and public subscription. It was proposed in 1932, the year after his death but due to the outbreak of World War Two was not completed until 1950.
Location: Cnr Government House Drive and Birdwood Avenue, Kings Domain.
King Edward VII Memorial by Edgar Bertram Mackennal (Melbourne CBD)
The statue of Edward VII depicts a heroic king in the full dress uniform of a British field marshal. The eldest son of Queen Victoria, Edward was rebellious into his adulthood and the Queen showed her displeasure by denying him any governmental position. Despite his lack of experience, Edward successfully negotiated England's conciliation with France, earning him the title of 'the peacemaker', and his social reforms made him popular among his subjects.
The desire to create a monument to Edward in Melbourne took hold immediately following his death in 1910. Mackennal was commissioned to undertake the work on a tender of 1867 pounds, but the statue eventually cost three times that price. The outbreak of World War I delayed the statue's production, but casting in London commenced at the war's end. It was unveiled in 1920.
Location: On the southern side of the Queen Victoria Gardens.
Greensborough War Memorial Park Sculptures (Greensborough)
Representing the Australian Lighthorse, this horse and rider leap out of a mass of wood. Australian horses had a pivotal role transporting troops and hauling supplies, equipment and ammunition during the Boer War and World War I. More than 136,000 horses were sent to war with Australian troops, and only one ever returned. Horses have been used in the Australian military up until 2008, the last mounted troop, NORFORCE worked in remote areas of Northern Australia.
Web Links
→ Guide to Horse & Pony Riding Clubs in Melbourne
→ Guide to Horse Riding Lessons in Melbourne
→ Guide to Horse Trail Rides in Melbourne and Victoria
