Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park

Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park

Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park
5
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park ~ A day out delivered with passion at Dorset's favourite family run attraction ~ Enjoy a unique experience visiting one of the very last Heavy Horse Centres left in Great Britain home the the Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron, Suffolk Punch and Ardennes. The Farm Park is a multi-award-winning day out for ALL ages recognised as both a family attraction and conservation centre for the majestic rare breed Heavy Horses. Whether you are a family group, grandparent, or young couple embrace a real countryside experience with a FULL days events! Please visit www.dorset-heavy-horse-centre.co.uk for more information Opening Times/Dates 2022: 10AM-4PM Open April - October. Closed Mon & Tues during Dorset term time. Open 7 days a week during Dorset holidays. *Open bank holidays. PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIAL! *PLEASE PRE-BOOK VIA THE WEBSITE.
Verwood, Dorset, England
Meets animal welfare guidelines

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles1,745 reviews
Excellent
1,514
Very good
162
Average
29
Poor
8
Terrible
32

Kelly F
Southampton, UK49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Couples
Absolutely loved this place we visited on 23rd September 2020. The weather had taken a dip it was a bit cold and raining sometimes but the experience made up for this. My dad was brought up with shire horses his face lit up when he saw this lovely laid creatures. I soon fell in love with them too. The price was reasonable too, you get talks on the history of gypsies /travellers and where the term gypsies comes from. Also had a talk and viewing on the horses who where well behaved one white horse took a shine to a couple who where sat listening to the talk which was quite amusing. There is toilets and sinks to wash hands, plenty of sanitiser. There was a old western cafe the lunch prices might look expensive but you get plenty of food on the plate. There is things for children to do and miniature ponies, Guinea pigs, chickens and rabbits, romany caravans, old tractors and cars. Great day out. A few restrictions on the kids rides. I enjoyed it will be back next year in summer. My dad loved it too, my mum was a bit weary of the horses. We bought food for horses and me and dad fed them. Gift shop is a bit pricey though.
Written September 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

koogeybear
Amesbury, UK63 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
We visited today (Saturday) and comprised 2 paying Grandparents and a mum and two free just under 2's grandchildren (boy and girl). Mum was a substitute for a poorly 7 year old grandchild and swapping the latters booked ticket was not a problem nor incurred any additional cost. We had a lovely day and all enjoyed a cart ride and tractor ride amongst the informative talks given by the owner (whose wife kept a careful management and H&S eye) and staff. The grandchildren additionally loved their own cart ride pulled by a Shetland pony, feeding the horses, looking at exhibits (blacksmith, livery etc.), stroking the petting corner rabbits etc., riding the 2 old Fun Fair rides and swing boats, pedal tractors and the playpark (slides, swings, climbing frames and a great sandpit which was very popular with the youngsters. We also enjoyed meals from the Cafe which were reasonably priced and provided a quick service although the children's box contents was disappointing. Given what you pay now to go to the cinema for say 2 hours and 1 film, the comparable price of admission was reasonable given a family could easily spend the whole day there. If visiting as adults, then obviously 2 or 3 hours would suffice to see everything, have a cart and tractor ride, lunch and see all the horses, ponies, petting animals. All in all a great day for a family with children under 6 (unless older and horse fanatics.
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julie T
Wing, UK96 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Cannot recommend highly enough! Our party included, amongst others, a 91yr old, an 8yr old and two pensioner spaniels. All of us were made so welcome and there was so much for us all to do and see and learn. Talks were informative, funny and perfectly pitched. It is testament to the professionalism of staff that they can recount the same facts, stories and 'lines', day after day, ride after ride, and the customer still feels special and that they could return and hear it all again, too. Ponies well cared for, equipment used safe and well maintained - these people care about their animals, who are far more than a means to make money. There are clear cases where the centre has gone above and beyond to rehabilitate, and hearing the passion regarding the preservation of rare and endangered breeds was great. Our daughter chose to sponsor a horse, rather than have a gift from the shop - the efforts to appeal to the next generation were not lost on her. Lastly, the food and service thereof was excellent, too. Thanks for a great day. We'll be back.
Written August 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Icecreaminthesand
Devon, UK444 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
I absolutely LOVE the Dorset Heavy Horse Farm!

This was our second visit here and it just gets better! Parking is easy and plentiful.

You start off meeting the horses in their stables, lots of strokes (and slobber!) you can feed them their food (which is an additional cost at the entrance) there is a talk by the owner about the history of the farm and the horses.

You can take a ride on the bigger horse drawn wagon around the farm whilst listening to the owner talking exceptionally passionately about saving the Suffolk Punch breed.

Or you can ride in a child’s carriage with the miniature Shetland pony (great for younger guests).

There are lots of traditional Romany vehicles which are beautifully and traditionally painted. Further along there is a petting area and play area for younger guests.

Smokey Joe’s food was lush (had a ploughman’s) although it was super busy and queued for a fair bit. Everyone was patient and staff were friendly and upbeat dispute being very, very busy.

The owner also takes guests out on a tractor ride across the farm which is bumpy and windy - but totally worth it! Or you can take the smaller circular tractor bumping up and down in the mud!

The play area has been VASTLY improved since our last visit. There is also the addition of a WW1 trench, which charts the story of horses used in the war. The story is narrated (reading signs like a story) by a horse and tells his story.

Got to ride the traditional fairground rides this time and they were a hit. Note that these rides alternate at various times and not all day.

The go carts are great fun, adults and children alike whizzing round the tack. There are goats and donkey’s to feed too.

Fair to say this family give their all to this Farm. From talk about saving Suffolk Punch’s (and other heavy horse breeds) to talking about their history and Romany heritage.

This for me ticks all the boxes! Great day out and one of the best memory making days EVER!!
Written March 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tears to our eyes! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind comments. Your feedback certainly make the endless hours of work on the farm worth while! We are so pleased that you also enjoyed your experience at Smokey Joe's! Although we do get busy during the holidays our dedicated team are very efficient in serving freshly prepared food to our wonderful visitors as fast as they can! I have passed on your appreciation! It means a lot to us that you noticed and enjoyed the new improvements such as our children's play areas & war trenches. We are determined to keep improving and providing something new each season to our loyal returning visitors. It is our pleasure to host your day trip. You have also created special memories for us too in which we thank you! We look forward to seeing you again!
Written May 3, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Anna P
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Couples
We were so impressed with the whole set up of the park. The ability to be close to the horses made it a real hands on experience. Richard and his team are friendly and knowledgeable.
Smokey Joe’s cafe on site provides freshly cooked good food in a clean environment and not ridiculously expensive.
Although we were “older” visitors we were so impressed with the facilities there for young families. You would have no issue spending a day there with children as there is so much for them to do. We loved the trench experience was included, it was really interesting and set out brilliantly, very informative.
Everything is clean and well looked after. We throughly recommend The Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park.
Written July 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ParkSouth
10 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
A very interesting place to visit, especially for young children. Our kids really enjoyed the pony carriage rides, tractor and trailer rides and feeding the animals. There’s loads to do and even arriving at opening time it’s hard to fit it all into one day. We’d really recommend the children’s farm tour on the morning, which included feeding many of the animals for no extra cost. The playground and fairground rides were also excellent fun. The talks in the main square were also interesting, although some of the jokes may not be to everyone’s taste (especially if you are visiting from from Merseyside!).

Most of the staff were great and really helpful, particularly the young helpers who were leading the farm tours and small animal sessions, they were brilliant with the kids. The only exception to this being the cafe staff who, when we were buying ice creams, were more interested in having a conversation between themselves than serving us which we found quite rude. They didn’t even tell us the price, just gestured towards the card reader, and no please/thank you.

Our kids also really wanted a quick turn on the go karts, which we saved until the end. As they were going up to them, at about 3.40pm a member of staff came over and told them to get off as the farm was about to close. This left them a bit upset and is with a slightly sour taste in the end. I think for over £60 for a family of 4 the place could do with being open slightly later than 4pm in peak season, in line with other farm parks which are usually at least 5pm, but if not at least allow access to amenities until close.

Overall an honest review for our experience, but we did enjoy our day overall.
Written August 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

baobabsammy
Birmingham, UK65 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Fabulous little place. We went while on holiday as one of our party is mad about horses, and it looked more interesting that the other farm parks in the area (which are very similar to many farm parks we have locally to us at home). We spent 5 hours here, and there was plenty to keep 6 kids ranging in age 18m-7yrs busy. Everything was clean, fresh and well maintained. The horse rides and tractor rides were all included in the price. The staff were knowlegeble and friendly. We only bought hot drinks from the cafe, which were good. Plenty of picnic tables. It showed a few times while we were there - but it was easy to duck into something indoors/under shelter so it wasn't an issue. Despite it being half-term, it didn't feel overcrowded.
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your lovely detailed review! It means a awful lot to us knowing that you enjoyed all the facilities at the farm. We aim for there to be something for everyone, of every age! As a family we are forever cleaning and carrying out maintenance works, the fact that this didn't go unnoticed makes it all worth while! We are truly grateful. We hope you enjoyed your holiday and exploring the beautiful depths of the Dorset countryside!
Written June 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Helen F
Tadley, UK67 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
Expensive play park with horses. It doesn’t seem that the heavy horses are a major part of it. It’s more about the miniature ponies, tractors and play park. The play park is quite good but I wouldn’t pay £14.50 to visit a play park. The talk on the horses was short, monotone and just involved the horses standing in the yard. I have seen much better displays at country shows and rural life museums, actually showing the horses ready for working with harnesses etc. it felt this is more of a rescue centre with one breeding Suffolk punch.

The poor pony pulling the cart for children’s rides was old (35) lame and looked miserable. The pony for grooming was its mother and even older. She moved herself at one point and was pushed several times to get her back into position. Both I feel should be retired to a field!

The Suffolk punches were beautiful, but the one pulling the trailer for rides again looked lame and exhausted, with its left hind crossing over its right.

Concessions were a whopping 50p discount and only for a carer, not for the wheelchair user who could get around but couldn’t take part in any activities.
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the 4 star review. Its great to hear you/your children enjoyed the play parks on the farm! In response to your comments, I can confirm our heavy horses are not only a major part of the day, but they are a major part of our lives....each and every day of it. Sadly, we are now one of the last heavy horse left in the UK. Given the choice, as much as we personally would quite happily pay admission to admire heavy horses in a field or watch ploughing, unfortunately, unless you are an enthusiast, the majority of people won't, which is a contributing factor as to why in recent years, Heavy Horse Centres in Britain have all closed down. In order to keep the Dorset Heavy Horse Centre alive & provide a permanent home for the rare breeds, the Centre has had to be adapted to attract and entertain visitors of all ages and provide a wide range of activities. This helps to not only sustain the future of the centre but also the future of the faithful Heavy Horses. We believe it is absolutely essential to plant a seed of interest in the minds of the younger generation as the future of the heavy horses lies in their hands. It is thought by many that if measures are not taken now, the people working and caring for today's heavy horses will be long gone before the breeds. By no means does this mean that the heavy horses are not the centre of attention - they must certainly are! I wish you had arrived earlier in the day as at 10.30am we carried out the stable yard tour, followed by the Heavy Horse harness demonstration at 11.15am and the main presentation at 2pm. It is a shame you missed these educational events listed in the adults' daily schedule. We love country shows! It is just a shame that one of the drawbacks of running the farm park means we do not get to experience a day off in order to enjoy such events. I can say, we would love nothing more than to spend the day carrying out a harrowing demonstration in a field, but as previously mentioned, sadly, this won't entertain a family from 10am-4pm. We aim to provide a balance of education and entertainment and to do this we are proud to have designed and offer a full day out with a list of daily events/activities. I would have really appreciated it had you spoken to us before making assumptions about the ponies' ages. The pony carrying out the cart rides is not 35 - this is incorrect. We do have some very ancient miniature Shetland's which are reaching their 40's and are growing old gracefully. All our animals are regularly vetted and are monitored 24 hours a day. We appreciate some of these little shetties do not look in their prime, but like all of us, we age. Our priority is to ensure they are comfortable and well cared for, which we do every single day of the year. All our horses and ponies are stabled in the day and head out to the fields to graze after 4pm. We open the field gates in the morning and every horse comes running in freely (you can see videos on Facebook, it is a wonderful sight, one we can never get bored of). They are very happy to come in and receive attention from all our visitors. If they were to remain outside in the fields all day, visitors would not get the opportunity to meet or engage with them. Also, please understand that with it being spring and the rich spring grass sprouting, we would not leave ponies to graze 24/7 at this time of year due to risks of laminitis. Many horses and animals on the farm live to great ages, because they have lived a healthy, well-loved life. We do not interfere with mother nature when there is no need too. I am pleased you enjoyed meeting our gentle Suffolk's. They are truly wonderful and we are trying our best to support the breed which is currently on the critical list of extinction with our 4th Suffolk due in June! We may not save the breed single-handedly, but we are trying our best to do all we can to prevent losing a breed which dates back centuries. When a horse pulling a carriage turns, this is called a turning circle and the horse's hind legs will cross over. (It is the same as us turning on the spot, we would naturally cross our legs to turn in a circle. This is not lameness!) If you had concerns, it would have been nice for you to come and speak to us. We are a friendly bunch with 30-years' experience of both rescuing and working heavy horses. We would have been more than happy to speak with you about any concerns or explain anything you were unsure about. I am sorry we can not accommodate the large discounts you were hoping for. The cost involved in running a Heavy Horse Centre also contributes to why so few remain. (It is certainly not an easy task to keep the place going). We are not a funded organisation or registered charity, which means we are reliant on entrance feeds to provide over 1 ton of feed for the horses per week, regularly vetting, shoeing and the list goes on. As you are aware, the cost of everything is currently rising. We are still, however, determined to offer our visitors a great value day out and continue not to charge for any rides. For wheelchair use, we have a ramp which can be used as support for rides. We always try to help as much as we possibly can. We have given our lives to the horses here, the farm and dedication to making our visitors happy, so it is a shame to read 'the not so good bits of your review'. Nevertheless, we remain determined to keep this last sanctuary alive for those who are able to enjoy it and avoid the fear that one day when the next generation wish to see or visit a heavy horse, they may just have to use Google images.
Written May 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kevan S
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Couples
Amazingly historically in real time the knowledge of the travelling people Romaine and there history was staggering. The carriage driver knowledge is extensive and I learned a huge amount of horse history, there role in past. The carriage horse was stunning elegant and to actually see him turning the carriage on a half penny was impressive and he executed the turn faultless in his movement. There is a mini shetland pony and trap for the young ones perfectly supported by the pony leader. It is a perfect time capsule as if you are travelling from the madness of the modern world into a horse powered bliss feeding these huge and powerful animals is without doubt impressive, because of there gentle manner. The owner has running huge 1950 power trucks which he cares for and are running units. They are 6 wheelers and massive.
Written September 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laura W
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Couples
Was treated a trip to the heavy horse centre by my husband for my birthday as he knows I love animals. Entrance was quick and easy and all COVID precautions adhered to.

It is single handedly one of the best experiences in the BCP/verwood and dorset area and is great value for money. For the entrance cost you get so much- tons of presentations and tours throughout the day. Tractor and horse carriage rides and seeing and petting the animals. You buy cups of feed for just £1 each (and you get loads in it) and can feed a majority of the animals including the horses, donkeys, goats etc...

The staff are very experienced with the animals and have a wealth of knowledge to share. It was great knowing that such caring people are responsible for these amazing animals and their well-being.

We even had lunch at the cafe on site and the value for money is again fantastic. You get great portions and good quality food. We even said paying the entrance fee was worth it just for the lunch we had haha!

Overall, an amazing outing even as adults. I imagine with children, it is even better. Strongly recommend this for all ages.
Written June 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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