Taking your horse on holiday

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surreygirl17

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Hi everyone,
A relative of mine is thinking of using their farm outbuildings to provide B&B accommodation, targeting the equestrian market in particular. She's asked me to get some input regarding demand etc as is not sure whether to do B&B or s/c accommodation.

Details are:
West Wales, fabulous hacking straight from the farm, near to the coast and short drive to towns for pubs etc. Horses can be DIY grass livery (£10/night) or stable (£15/night) with discounts for a week's stay. Free parking for horsebox/trailer. Dogs allowed but with it being a working farm with cats and sheep, must be kept under full control.
If she does B&B, breakfast will be full english or continental. Lunches and dinners can be done also at a supplement but will be home-cooked cakes and food with local produce where possible.
Can also arrange to go out with the local hunt during the season, local fun rides/endurance rides etc and possibly provide a guide for hacking some days. Also possibly available lesson on owner's side saddle horse dependent on availability.

Can I ask how many people would be interested in taking their horse away, or have already done it? And what they think of my relatives proposal? They haven't gone to the bank manager with it yet, just testing the water!
 
I've taken my horse on holiday, we're in Surrey and we went to Kent for the weekend, in fact we did it two years running. We stayed in local B & B's for two nights, Friday and Saturday, and then came home on Sunday. Arrived mid-day Friday, went for a 12 mile ride. Saturday was a full day's riding (around 25 miles) with a break for lunch. And Sunday morning was another 12-15 mile ride, then home in the afternoon. It was really good fun, my horse loved it and nice to ride somewhere completely different.

The rides were accompanied so we didn't have to worry about following a map/route and getting lost. I think there were about 5 of us the first year, I went again the next year and there were only three of us. The cost was around £180 for the weekend with all meals/snacks included.

I'd love to do something like that again but I think West Wales is a bit too far from Surrey to travel! I'm sure there would be a market for it.
 
I've taken my horse on holiday to B&Bs twice last year - once to the Cotswolds and the second to Shropshire. We are going back to Shropshire this year! Fabulous idea!!!
 
I am pretty sure there is a group of riding holiday businesses in Wales that you could get in touch with for help and advice.

I have taken my horse on holiday, but in common with lots of other people, I wouldn;t want to travel for hours. Is there good road access, ie via the M4? Where are your customers going to live? Who would take the horse to West Wales?

The holiday I did was in the Cotswolds and we had very, very detailed route description and the routes marked on a OS map, which was part of the package deal.

I have also done a holiday with Free Rein, using their horses, the advantage being that their horses know the terrain and are very fit. My horse would not have coped with the steep hills, he would have given up!

I don't think you can make a living from just horse riders, it would have to be ordinary B & B too, plus walking/birdwatching/cycling.
 
That's really encouraging guys. She is having a tough time as her husband has depression so they are trying to find a way of getting income without a high pressure job for him and this is one of the options. Hence why I have offered to do t he research as a favour.

I think she was going to charge £10 per night for grass and £15 per night for stabled with discounts for staying a week or more and then the B&B for humans separately just in case there were non-horsey people staying!!

Orangehorse - yes the B&B would also be targeting walkers and other nature lovers, and if self-catering then families too. It's not that close to the M4 but the A roads leading there are great. I think it would have to target those living in the South West/West Midlands area but I have been on a 2 week holiday from Surrey to Devon with our horses so I guess for a longer trip the net could be cast wider.

Meems - do you think a package deal with all meals etc would work better than paying for everything separately or do you think the freedom to choose would be better?
 
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I would love to, and I love Wales and near the coast would be lovely! It's good that they will offer grass livery as some places only have stables which wouldn't work for me. Just wish I had transport and money and I'd come tomorrow :-)
 
I took my previous girl on SC and B&B in Yorkshire and North Wales. Prefer B&B personally but wouldn't dismiss self catering. Think it's a good idea.
 
Where I stayed the host offered either stables or just grazing - a paddocks was for the guest's sole use and the drinking trough was cleaned between each group, which I thought was a good point. There was grass to eat, but not too much! They had various options for turnout, to suit. We kept ours out so they could eat all night and walk round, but I am glad I took a rug. We had to poo pick the field.

When doing B & B the place has to be really clean and tidy with good "first impressions." Do you watch 4 In a Bed? Gives some good examples!


The Wales tourist board would give you advice.
 
Orangehorse said:
Where I stayed the host offered either stables or just grazing - a paddocks was for the guest's sole use and the drinking trough was cleaned between each group, which I thought was a good point. There was grass to eat, but not too much! They had various options for turnout, to suit. We kept ours out so they could eat all night and walk round, but I am glad I took a rug. We had to poo pick the field.

When doing B & B the place has to be really clean and tidy with good "first impressions." Do you watch 4 In a Bed? Gives some good examples!


The Wales tourist board would give you advice.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I have copied and pasted all of your advice into an email for her. Her husband would be working the B&B as a full time job so would be meticulously clean knowing him! I've not heard of this program but I might have caught a few minutes of it, a bit like come dine with me for B&Bs?

So it seems not a totally crazy idea! Maybe mr bank manager will go for it, I think they're used to diversification loans down that way!
 
I have taken my horse to Wales on holidays from London.
I would suggest that your friends contact the local Endurance Group as their members would be interested in Local Bed and Breakfast when they have Endurance Rides in the area.
 
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