Best horse holidays for rusty, nervous rider!

[Tazzy9]

Hi all

I'm suddenly feeling inspired to book a riding holiday and wanted people's recommendations please. I'll try to keep this brief so as not to bore you!

I have my own pony but due to lameness and a surprise foal, she's now out of work (I had grand plans of taking her on holiday with me )...

Although I've ridden for many years, I'm rusty, due to said pony, and my nerves can get the better of me on strange horses. Therefore I'd love to hear from fellow nervous Nellie's who have survived and enjoyed riding holidays. Cantering would be good but in a relaxed atmosphere and on quiet, steady ponies

To give you an idea (shout out to anyone in the area) I used go to Derbyshire Trekking Center and loved it! The horses are obedient, they match you well to the horses and have rules like single file to minimise the risk of chaos Bonus if they have wee ponies!!

Thanks in advance

 

[Tiddlypom]

Whereabouts are you based? If you can, I thoroughly recommend getting your eye back in on some shorter rides in open country before booking on a riding holiday. If you are within a day trip of Cannock Chase trekking centre then that’s the place to go. They have ponies and horses from small and beginner safe to much whizzier ones up to over 17hh. The rides are all off road and last 2 hours, covering 6-8 miles.

There’s also a 1 hour midday ride which I haven’t done, I think that’s walk trot only.

The afternoon mixed ability rides have the option to canter or not - the canterers split off part way from the walk/trot group. The morning experienced riders rides are faster paced and all riders canter.

Have a read of this thread .

A fun afternoon's trekking on Cannock Chase

Operation 'get me fit enough to book on a multi day trail riding holiday' has now entered the third phase, after getting rather waylaid over the last year by post double covid fatigue. First phase was this time last year, returner riding lessons in the arena at an excellent local riding school...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

You’ll be much better placed to enjoy a riding holiday if you’ve got your nerve and your riding fitness back first.

 

[Tazzy9]

Thank you @Tiddlypom ! Your geography is spot on as I'm about half an hour from Cannock! I've also been there for a spin a few times too. Wisper being my firm favourite

I guess I'm thinking further in advance (spring time maybe) as it's unlikely my mare will be in ridden work before summer. I will indeed get myself back in the saddle regularly before I head off on my happy holidays though, good thinking!

Being midlands based I'm open to various locations. Beach holiday would be a nice one to tick off the bucket list.

 

[shortstuff99]

Go for a trail riding holiday on the Azores!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Haha, those are Kitty’s ears I’m looking through!

Tbh I’d ask Lisa’s advice. She has her ear to the ground. I had a bit of a disaster on a two day trail ride earlier this year and ended up bailing part through the first morning as I no longer felt or was safe, and apparently I’m not the first person to have issues with that operator. I lost my £600, but at least I didn't get a rude response to my debrief email, it was just ignored.

 

[JackFrost]

I posted recently about a very positive experience at Moorland Mousie/Exmoor Pony trust at Exmoor. I only did a short ride but felt absolutely safe with a really sensible pony and leader. It made me want to go back to do proper all day trekking with them, and they were happy to fit the ride to whatever I wanted to do. It didnt seem to be the fizzy whizzy kind of riding but if you can ride there are canters if you want, and the staff (who were not youngsters) were really attentive.
And - for the bonus point! - they are wee Exmoor ponies .

 

[Tazzy9]

I posted recently about a very positive experience at Moorland Mousie/Exmoor Pony trust at Exmoor. I only did a short ride but felt absolutely safe with a really sensible pony and leader. It made me want to go back to do proper all day trekking with them, and they were happy to fit the ride to whatever I wanted to do. It didnt seem to be the fizzy whizzy kind of riding but if you can ride there are canters if you want, and the staff (who were not youngsters) were really attentive.
And - for the bonus point! - they are wee Exmoor ponies .

Exmoors??! I'm sold! Thanks, I'll check them out