Riding Holidays of the past :)

[YorksG]

The thread about where people learnt to ride got me thinking
Back in the 1970's parents allowed me and a friend to go, on our own, on a two weeks riding holiday in North Yorkshire My parents took us and her parents brought us home.
It was at a place called Eagle Hall in Pately Bridge. We spent two weeks riding all day, about 10 of us, with at most two adults supervising.
I remember we had a fantastic time at a grand but somewhat shabby house and yard. I can even remember falling off a dark bay gelding who dropped his shoulder when jumping

 

[Kokopelli]

Sounds like good fun! I like the idea of no one supervising either

I went to one in Cornwall a few years ago called Wheel Buller and had a blast! I remember riding a 12hh pony picking blackberries out on a hack, I over reached for one and fell off in a walk. Was very embarrasing!

We then swam in a lake with the horses and went to the beach with them- it was awesome!

 

[YorksG]

I think if the place were running now, not a parent in the land would send their children The girls who were supervising can't have been much more than their late teens themselves. The lady who owned the place was a little eccentric and oddly enough I came across her years later, in a different town and nothing to do with horses

 

[Louby]

I went on one in the 80's in wales. We had a ball. One leader for the rides and an unsupervised treasure hunt, where we spent all afternoon following the clues, all over the woods, village etc. They had a stallion that got loose and ran amok sp in the yard, we did a sychronised display and had a show on the last day. I fell off jumping, did a xc course. It was brilliant.

 

[doonrocket]

Went to a place called Dean near Illfracombe about 6 years ago, a little treking holiday. T'was lovely and the first time I rode since the age of 7, when my mum made me have a lesson or 2 at Shaana , Nap hill (High Wycombe way). GOt bitten by the bug and now have 4 horses between my wife and I.

 

[Dunlin]

Not sure if either of them are still going but in the early 90's I had a wonderful holiday at Lydford Stables in Devon, it was magical. A few years later a girl that got crushed by her horse on a ride, the horse died (brain haemorridge I think) and the accident was featured on the programme "999" with Michael Buerk.

The other place I went to, can't remember the name but was in Exmouth. I did my own little 999 programme remake on that one as the horse I was riding on through the river where the "Tarr Steps" are decided it was too hot to be hacking so got down for a nice roll in the river We were both OK but by crikey did it give me nightmares!!

After that I did a great "instructional" holiday camp at Lavant Stables near Goodwood (they still do them now) which was brilliant and on the last day we had a One Day Event. What stood out the most for me at that one was fainting whilst ON my horse during dressage training as I had heatstroke.

Ahhhhhh such good memories!

 

[missyme10]

I've only ever been on one riding holiday and it was 20 years ago.

When I was 19 a couple of friends and I went to Wales, I can't remember where we stayed but it was a hostel type place with horse riding.
We spent 3 days riding in the black mountains on Welsh Cobs, I had the most amazing time.
I was given a 15.2hh black welsh cob called Bonny to ride for my stay, she was the most wonderful safe horse I think I have ever met, and from that day the Welsh Cob has been my favourite horse, and I knew one day I would have my own

We all had blisters on our backsides at the end of the holiday, we weren't regular riders prior to going, but were quite happy that we could hardly sit down at the end of it, it was a total blast and we learnt so much. My love of horses stems very much from that long weekend, and a year ago I bought my first Welsh Cob, my forever horse Tiger Lily

Memories I will never forget