How far would you travel and what would you expect?

Slinkyunicorn

Slinkyunicorn

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www.rutlandhorseextras.co.uk
Ok - thoughts and ideas please!

My yard is in the middle of toll ride - it covers over 15 miles of safe, maintained private bridleway round fields and through an estates parkland - there is also loads of bridleway and very quiet country lanes - and you can ride 'off road' for up to 3 hours at a time with plenty of opportunites to canter, gallop etc. Even though it is a toll ride there are options for day use, lorry/trailer parking etc The problem is there isn't enough membership at the moment - heavily reliant on word of mouth/local riders.

So what I was wondering was - would you travel to use a ride like this? if you did would you expect anything other than safe parking? and where would you look to find out about rides like this?
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I am trying to work out if there is a way of getting more riders here to use it so the powers that be don't close it!! It would be a real shame as there is so much about dangerous roads/not enough bridleways etc

Any ideas gratefully recieved!!
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Jam doughnuts for anyone who has got this far - real ones if you ever come and ride here!!
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I definitely would travel to ride somewhere like that! There are no bridleways near us so only roads or riding at home. Not really sure where i'd look, local tack shops or bridleway network or whatever it's called!
 
somewhere safe to unload/load would be essential

advertising....

*create a website

*do you get those free equi mags in your local saddlers/corn merchants? ads in those...

*contact your local regional television broadcaster and try and interest them in doing a piece on the facility, they like to have local interest stories, supporting local ecomony, local flavour, etc

*ditto local neswspaper/local radio


any help?

ps youre very lucky having all that space
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As you know, I have ridden around the Toll ride near your yard quite a few times!
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I also took part in a Promotional video which was broadcast at Rutland County show last month.

It really is brilliant and fabulous for a good gallop! I particularly enjoy the canter which goes through the golf course!
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There is more information on this ride at: www.ridewelland.co.uk

and for more information on other TROT rides in other parts of the UK:

www.tollrides.org.uk


I would highly recommend people to join up. You only have to pay a small amount of money and you have unlimited access all year round!
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would definitely travel an hour to get to somewhere like that and would bring a friend with me.

Where is it?????????
 
Could you organise a sponsored charity ride round the toll ride (the min entry fee to ecompass the £5 day fee for using the toll ride, with an optional higher fee for a years membership, with the option of upgrading to full year membership later/at the event?), and advertise/leaflet/poster this around the local area. meaning that people will enjoy the day's ride and hopefully sign up for the year.
 
sounds ACE, and i'd love to do something like that! i didn't even know that sort of place existed... so wouldn't even think to google it. could you run a couple of sponsored rides there to advertise it? and let people know you're there?

i'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO coming along as soon as i've had my baby and my horse is fit enough!
 
What about a local yard or B&B offering good rates for people who are a little further afield who may want to come along and stay over night?

Also, what about offering a years membership - that way you know that the money is coming in and forecast useage over the year.

The advertsing websites like horse trader etc where people are buying a hore - what about a link on there - I know when I bought my boy I did look at where there was places to ride locally.

If you are interested in a website I am an affiliate of a company who design website for exceptionally low prices (literally (£100) and they are not like the cheap freebies you can do online.

You could also send some flyers to all the yards within a set mile radius of the faciity and ask them to display it in their yard

If I think of anymore will let you know

Kelly
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Thanks for all your help and ideas!! There is a website, different membership packages etc I just don't think they publicise it very well - and relying on word or mouth and local riders isn't enough!!

As for horsey B&B the yard I am at does that so holidayers are welcome - I just think they need to advertise in the right places rather than relying on people coming across the website by accident!!
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I would hate to see it shut through lack of use - it is part of the TROT scheme which is nationwide - so if you are a member anywhere in the UK you ride any of the other TROTS but I would have thought there are plenty of people more local to us that would like to ride here if they only knew about it!!
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Rutland! We are about 10 miles from the A1 - so near Leicester, Peterborough, Nottingham, Lincolnshire, Cambrideshire - we have hills for those who live in the fens!!
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oh bugger a bit far away for me really - live in the Yorkshire Dales. Am v envious of you lucky people though. If it was closer I would definately come. Only really need a safe parking/loading/unloading area IMO (although if you were going to be extravagent a toilet and a water tap for washing down/drinking would be fab!) Sounds great as it is though.
 
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Only really need a safe parking/loading/unloading area IMO (although if you were going to be extravagent a toilet and a water tap for washing down/drinking would be fab!) Sounds great as it is though.

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We have all of those too!! and YO does B&B for neds if you ever fancy a little holiday!!

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