Best place for hacking in England?

[paddy555]

Dartmoor, there are so many options it gets difficult to choose where to ride each day!

 

[Chihuahua]

My favourites have been Chobham Common, the Surrey Hills and the New Forest.

Currently on the South Downs which are good but while the views are incredible the riding isn't as varied as the others.

 

[Remi'sMum]

I think it depends where in the Peaks you are. I'm from the Dark Peak area near Glossop and it's exactly as Tarragon describes - lots of bridleways or public byways but they do tend to be fairly stony. The Longdendale Trail is nice but again, stony in parts and can be very busy at the weekends with walkers and cyclists. Gorgeous though!

Yes, I guess the Peak District is a big place. I’m near Chatsworth - we’ve got fab hacking all round me 😊

 

[tankgirl1]

Yes, I guess the Peak District is a big place. I’m near Chatsworth - we’ve got fab hacking all round me 😊

Wow, I'd love to do one of the sponsored rides round chatsworth!

 

[fabbydo]

Definitely not Oxfordshire or Wiltshire unless you enjoy military helicopters playing 'how low can we fly over your horse/house/school/farm/livestock' apparently just for a laugh. The Queen lives in 'no fly' areas. Lucky her. The rest of us can obviously just take our chances. Off to buy Windsor Castle so I can ride in peace..........

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

My favourites have been Chobham Common, the Surrey Hills and the New Forest.

Currently on the South Downs which are good but while the views are incredible the riding isn't as varied as the others.

Wouldnt be Chobham common today or onwards for a few weeks, hectares up in flames much of the day

 

[GTRJazz]

Did find quite an few bridleways today in the wolds around Belchford hill

 

[windand rain]

Been beautiful today pleased your exploring has proved fruitful

 

[Northern Hare]

I grew up in Chorleywood, Herts and took the hacking for granted. Now I've moved to Stafford the hacking here is rubbish and I so miss the miles and miles of rides we used to go on. There was still a fair amount of roadwork but so many different rides to go on with plenty of places for a canter or gallop. Of course like most other places so close to London it is becoming more built up and some of the old rides are lost which is a shame. If I could pick my house and land up and take it somewhere else i'd choose Flaunden in Herts. Lots of quiet lanes and off road rides.

We were brought up in the same area - I was in Chipperfield, and rode for miles and miles - the horses were so fit!

 

[Abi90]

We are on the edge of the Goyt Valley so very lucky with our hacking!

I used to live near there in Macclesfield. It’s very beautiful but my heart is definitely in Northumberland

 

[GTRJazz]

Been beautiful today pleased your exploring has proved fruitful

Just one road further on from Ulceby cross going North around 20mins away from me

 

[Keith_Beef]

Hi all
Where can I find endless peaceful hacking with beautiful views? Hope to be retired from work, so remote is not a problem. Planning the next house move....

On Saturday, I got back from a short trip to Iceland. Sheep, pigs and cattle were still overwintering indoors, but horses are kept out all year round. They must be hardy little buggers.

This was not the time of year for going out riding, but I am certain that in the summer it must be a wonderful place for hacking.

 

[Orangehorse]

I'm not sure that Ireland is all that good as there are no bridlepaths, so unless you own many acres you have to ride on the lanes - or so I understand.

A bit like some neighbouring counties where I live. Historically "Everyone" hunts so people don't necessarily need or use bridlepaths as in winter they like to keep the horses clean when exercising and in winter they just cross the country when hunting - or so I have been told, the leisure rider didn't really exist. Friends turned up for a riding weekend to use a local network advertised in a Riding B & B to find that the owners had event horses but said they never used the bridlepaths so couldn't show them any routes. Friends ventured out only to find that some of the bridlepaths were blocked or in a very poor state.
I remember helping to exercise some hunters one winter locally and I knew it was an area with a good network of bridlepaths so was looking forward to finding all the routes. But we only kept to the lanes and I realised that the YO didn't want to clean off muddy horses after excercise as she had enough of that on hunting days.

 

[Remi'sMum]

Wow, I'd love to do one of the sponsored rides round chatsworth!

I have done and it’s lovely (they open up parts of the estate you can’t isuslly get in to) but there’s bridle paths all round too if you’re handy with a map ☺️