diff --git a/python/lancedb/pydantic.py b/python/lancedb/pydantic.py
index 2584d075..ed55e677 100644
--- a/python/lancedb/pydantic.py
+++ b/python/lancedb/pydantic.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 #  limitations under the License.
 
-"""Pydantic adapter for LanceDB"""
+"""Pydantic (v1 / v2) adapter for LanceDB"""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -19,11 +19,19 @@ import inspect
 import sys
 import types
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
-from typing import Any, List, Type, Union, _GenericAlias
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Generator, List, Type, Union, _GenericAlias
 
+import numpy as np
 import pyarrow as pa
 import pydantic
-from pydantic_core import CoreSchema, core_schema
+import semver
+
+PYDANTIC_VERSION = semver.Version.parse(pydantic.__version__)
+try:
+    from pydantic_core import CoreSchema, core_schema
+except ImportError:
+    if PYDANTIC_VERSION >= (2,):
+        raise
 
 
 class FixedSizeListMixin(ABC):
@@ -73,6 +81,9 @@ def vector(
 
     # TODO: make a public parameterized type.
     class FixedSizeList(list, FixedSizeListMixin):
+        def __repr__(self):
+            return f"FixedSizeList(dim={dim})"
+
         @staticmethod
         def dim() -> int:
             return dim
@@ -94,6 +105,25 @@ def vector(
                 ),
             )
 
+        @classmethod
+        def __get_validators__(cls) -> Generator[Callable, None, None]:
+            yield cls.validate
+
+        # For pydantic v1
+        @classmethod
+        def validate(cls, v):
+            if not isinstance(v, (list, range, np.ndarray)) or len(v) != dim:
+                raise TypeError("A list of numbers or numpy.ndarray is needed")
+            return v
+
+        if PYDANTIC_VERSION < (2, 0):
+
+            @classmethod
+            def __modify_schema__(cls, field_schema: Dict[str, Any]):
+                field_schema["items"] = {"type": "number"}
+                field_schema["maxItems"] = dim
+                field_schema["minItems"] = dim
+
     return FixedSizeList
 
 
@@ -120,11 +150,20 @@ def _py_type_to_arrow_type(py_type: Type[Any]) -> pa.DataType:
     )
 
 
-def _pydantic_model_to_fields(model: pydantic.BaseModel) -> List[pa.Field]:
-    fields = []
-    for name, field in model.model_fields.items():
-        fields.append(_pydantic_to_field(name, field))
-    return fields
+if PYDANTIC_VERSION.major < 2:
+
+    def _pydantic_model_to_fields(model: pydantic.BaseModel) -> List[pa.Field]:
+        return [
+            _pydantic_to_field(name, field) for name, field in model.__fields__.items()
+        ]
+
+else:
+
+    def _pydantic_model_to_fields(model: pydantic.BaseModel) -> List[pa.Field]:
+        return [
+            _pydantic_to_field(name, field)
+            for name, field in model.model_fields.items()
+        ]
 
 
 def _pydantic_to_arrow_type(field: pydantic.fields.FieldInfo) -> pa.DataType:
diff --git a/python/pyproject.toml b/python/pyproject.toml
index 3af055e7..8dc85828 100644
--- a/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [project]
 name = "lancedb"
 version = "0.1.12"
-dependencies = ["pylance~=0.5.8", "ratelimiter", "retry", "tqdm", "aiohttp", "pydantic>=2", "attr"]
+dependencies = ["pylance~=0.5.8", "ratelimiter", "retry", "tqdm", "aiohttp", "pydantic", "attr", "semver"]
 description = "lancedb"
 authors = [
     { name = "LanceDB Devs", email = "dev@lancedb.com" },
@@ -52,3 +52,6 @@ requires = [
   "wheel",
 ]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[tool.isort]
+profile = "black"
diff --git a/python/tests/test_pydantic.py b/python/tests/test_pydantic.py
index d4189bde..c38262db 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_pydantic.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_pydantic.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import pyarrow as pa
 import pydantic
 import pytest
 
-from lancedb.pydantic import pydantic_to_schema, vector
+from lancedb.pydantic import PYDANTIC_VERSION, pydantic_to_schema, vector
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
@@ -111,10 +111,16 @@ def test_fixed_size_list_field():
         li: List[int]
 
     data = TestModel(vec=list(range(16)), li=[1, 2, 3])
-    assert json.loads(data.model_dump_json()) == {
-        "vec": list(range(16)),
-        "li": [1, 2, 3],
-    }
+    if PYDANTIC_VERSION >= (2,):
+        assert json.loads(data.model_dump_json()) == {
+            "vec": list(range(16)),
+            "li": [1, 2, 3],
+        }
+    else:
+        assert data.dict() == {
+            "vec": list(range(16)),
+            "li": [1, 2, 3],
+        }
 
     schema = pydantic_to_schema(TestModel)
     assert schema == pa.schema(
@@ -124,7 +130,11 @@ def test_fixed_size_list_field():
         ]
     )
 
-    json_schema = TestModel.model_json_schema()
+    if PYDANTIC_VERSION >= (2,):
+        json_schema = TestModel.model_json_schema()
+    else:
+        json_schema = TestModel.schema()
+
     assert json_schema == {
         "properties": {
             "vec": {