Organising a beach ride?

[Charlotte.04]

Hi, we are planning on taking the ponies to the beach for the first time! We are based in Reading/ Oxfordshire way so what is the best sandy beach closeish to us? If so are there restrictions on riding at the beach with times and months or days etc? Do we literally box up and park in a car park nearby and unload and walk them to the beach? Is that allowed?!

 

[Sealine]

Holkham in Norfolk is popular. I used to take my horse there every year for a long weekend. There are a couple of places you can stay with the horses in the area. You do need to be aware of tide timetables and ride at low tide on the firm sand.

Horse Riding | Holkham National Nature Reserve | Beach | Norfolk

Holkham Estate welcomes responsible horse riders to the wide open expanse of Holkham beach. Find out more.

www.holkham.co.uk

My horse used to stay here and I would either camp or stay in a B&B in Wells - https://www.millfarmwells.co.uk/horse-holidays

This place is also very popular https://hfsnorfolk.com/home-farm-stables-1

ETA: Hopefully someone will be able to suggest somewhere on the south coast which would be closer for you.

 

[Skib]

I rode on the beach at Studland Bay, Dorset. When I last looked at the website, it appeared that beach riding there was limited to winter months.
I was invited to ride at Holkham, Norfolk this autumn. It looks to me as if they have tried to separate the very popular footpath to the beach from the bridle path route. I decided that the long journey there from London plus an 8 mile hack would be too much for me these days. OH can no longer drive far.

The household cavalry ride into the sea, but they ride bareback.
I have ridden bareback, but it is a long time since I did that as my current share doesnt take bare back riders. I would always want control on a beach ride as there are always likely to be pedestrians around and some of them with bare feet.

 

[teapot]

Different beaches will have different restrictions, and they can vary depending on time of year.

You also need to factor in time of day, tide times, with the best time to go an hour before low tide (so you can the biggest window for a safe ride). Also worth getting local knowledge too as what may look like perfect going, might not be (thinking sand that can be extremely deep and claggy when you walk on it as a human, let alone cantering a horse along it!)

Popular beaches on the south coast would be Hayling or Bracklesham (Wittering is privately owned).

 

[Charlotte.04]

Thanks all, the plan is to drive down there and back in the same day so no overnight as I would love to get out regularly doing different things & obviously accom for horses and people is expensive (hopefully one day!). Sand and tide times will be taken into account, thanks for all the useful advice and tips!

 

[eggs]

My friend who is based near Bicester took the horses down to Hayling for the day a couple of weeks ago do definitely doable for you.

 

[ester]

I was going to say hayling probably your best bet

 

[Charlotte.04]

I was going to say hayling probably your best bet

I was thinking Hayling or Bracklesham based on the research because Hayling seems to be far busier and times are more limited?

 

[Orangehorse]

Local knowledge is advisable. Sand can not only be very soft and deep, with pockets of quicksand, it can also be as hard as concrete.