Pony-School, Quinta de Pentieiros

Pony-School is a small riding school for children at Quinta de Pentieiros, a farm run by Ponte de Lima council on the edge of the Lagoas de Bertiandos e São Pedro d’Arcos, a protected wetland in the Lima valley. Its ponies suit children from 3 to 15. Lessons happen in groups, so children learn alongside others, and the teaching covers more than sitting in the saddle: they learn to handle and care for the ponies, the safety rules around horses and the vocabulary riders use.

The school describes its ponies as well trained and completely reliable. That matters a lot to a parent watching a three-year-old sit on an animal for the first time. One of the ponies it introduced on Facebook in September 2026 is X-Satta, a miniature Shetland born in 2006, which gives you an idea of how small the smallest ones are.

For a one-off visit, the simplest option is a pony ride. When we checked, the school’s Facebook page listed a short ride at €7, a longer ride at €10, and a 30-minute pony activity that includes a ride at €12. Lessons and group sessions are priced on request.

For families living nearby, the school runs a regular Pony School group. In September 2026 it announced enrolments for children aged 3 to 7, open until 30 September, with sign-up in person at Quinta de Pentieiros every day from 10:00 or by phone. The post promised contact with the ponies and the other farm animals, basic riding rules and riding skills, and said sessions go ahead on rainy days too.

The school also joins in local events. On Children’s Day, 1 June 2026, its ponies were painted for the occasion. Back in 2022 it ran “Uma Aventura com o Garrano” (An Adventure with the Garrano), nature days in the Serra d’Arga with the Garrano, the small native horse of northern Portugal, organised with the councils of Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima and Caminha.

Quinta de Pentieiros is also the council’s Quinta Pedagógica, a teaching farm set up to show children everyday life on a Minho farm. According to the council, it has outdoor paddocks with cattle, sheep and goats, stables, a hen house, riding arenas and a lake, plus a teaching vegetable garden, a greenhouse, orchards and a field of aromatic and medicinal herbs. It keeps native Portuguese breeds and won a special prize as a guardian of domestic biodiversity in 2023.

The farm sits within the Lagoas de Bertiandos e São Pedro d’Arcos protected landscape, which turned 25 in December 2025. The council is running a programme of anniversary activities until 11 December 2026. The environmental interpretation centre is at Rua da Lagoa de São Pedro d’Arcos 476 (phone 258 240 201) and is the place to ask about walking routes around the lagoons.

Book before you go. The Facebook page asks families to get in touch 24 hours ahead, and its price note asks for two days’ notice by SMS, so a couple of days is the safe choice. Contact is by phone or Facebook message. The council tourism listing gives an email address at the pony-school.com domain, but that website no longer seems to belong to the school, so don’t rely on it.

Bring boots and gloves if you have them; helmets are lent. Everything here is outdoors, so dress for the weather, and bring water and snacks because we found no café mentioned for the farm.

On a hot day, the council also runs an outdoor pool at the quinta, the Piscina Municipal da Quinta de Pentieiros, with a 15 by 8 metre pool and an 8 by 5 metre small pool; the council doesn’t publish its season on that page, so check before you pack swimming things.

If you are touring the Minho, in Viana do Castelo the Fábrica do Chocolate museum is a treat on a wet afternoon. Further south, the Museu de Olaria in Barcelos has the famous clay roosters, and above Braga the Bom Jesus do Monte has a water-powered funicular.

What age can children ride?

The ponies are meant for children from 3 to 15. The weekly Pony School group advertised in September 2026 was for ages 3 to 7.

How much is a pony ride?

When we checked, €7 for a short ride, €10 for a longer ride and €12 for a 30-minute pony session with a ride.

Do you need to book?

Yes. Contact the school at least a day ahead by phone or SMS.

Do we need our own helmet?

No. The school lends helmets and asks riders to bring boots and gloves.

Is it good for toddlers?

It takes children from three, and at least one pony is a miniature Shetland. Younger siblings are below the listed riding age but can still see the ponies and the farm animals. A short €7 ride is a sensible first go before you commit to a group.