UK Riding Holidays

[RHM]

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone had any personal recommendations for riding holidays in the UK? It is my dads 60th birthday next year so want to get him something special.

He has been learning to ride for a couple of years now. Very confident (ex motorcyclist) but not the most ability. He is very happy cantering in a group in open spaces but would have to be sensible horses.

Looking for 2-3 days, bonus if you get to ride to a new destination each day.

Thanks!

 

[turkana]

I've done a couple of trips with Hoofin About, who I can recommend as providing a good service and not silly prices

 

[SEL]

Free rein in Wales can accommodate most abilities and the scenery is stunning.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Free Rein near Hay on Wye are brilliant. I rode out with them for the first time recently, though they’ve been on my bucket list for years.

They do various duration of rides starting at the two day/one night Explorer trail, which is what I did. The overnight was at a lovely welcoming pub with great food.

They also do Learn to Ride trails, but your Dad may well be fine for one of the regular trails. This lovely chap in front of me is a Free Rein regular, he is not very experienced but his horse looked after him really well, they did all the canters. The scenery is stunning. We did 33 miles over the two days.

I’m returning in 2024 to do at least one of the longer trail rides. I was the only Free Rein newbie on my ride, the other 4 riders had ridden out with them before multiple times, though each of us rocked up independently.




Saddling up at the start of day 2. The horses were turned out together overnight in a field near to the pub.


Lunch stop day 2.

 

[nikicb]

Another vote for Free Rein - a group of six of us did an unescorted weekend with them and it was fab. One member of the party has returned several times since.

 

[ester]

Another free rein vote

 

[Jenko109]

It blows my mind that they allow self guided trials on their horses.

How do they determine that someone is competent enough? Or that they arent going to just rag them around?

 

[ester]

They’re not the sort of horses that are going to rag anywhere

They do have a fairly high give up rate on the self guided tho apparently

 

[Jenko109]

Give up because they're lost?

 

[SEL]

It blows my mind that they allow self guided trials on their horses.

How do they determine that someone is competent enough? Or that they arent going to just rag them around?

The horses are pretty sensible. They did a quick check for me and my friend and got her something quieter - she's a good rider but she was very, very nervous about the trip. Smashing pony who didn't put a step wrong for her.

I think the horses could probably have done the route without my dodgy map reading skills in all honesty. I guess someone could have ragged them round, but the terrain isn't always gallop friendly.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The self guided rides are more popular than the guided rides, apparently .

One of my fellow riders had been on a self guided ride previously. She prefers guided not just because you don’t need to navigate, but because your guide will be the one to dismount to do gates. Our guide was lovely. I’ll go guided again.

If you want to go out with just your own group you can book your own guide for the group.

 

[ester]

Give up because they're lost?

Lost/too hard we had 2 give up on guided on the last day but they’d never done more than a 2 hour ride before so that was predictable.

The horses don’t stay if they aren’t snaffle mouthed/easy. Though mums mare was a bit sassy . But they’re the sort of horses that seem to know when to step it up or not.

They pretty much get everyone cantering by the end of their learn to ride ones.

I’d have totally gone self guided, my mum would not have dealt with that well and our guide was an absolute hoot - and did some of the routes the ‘wrong’ way round for better cantering and I do think it means they do know where the best canter spots are whereas you’d be trying to check while also making sure it was the right way

 

[Jenko109]

It surprises me that they're more popular.

I'm always somewhat hesitant in new places as I dont know the terrain. I imagine that is due to riding in the New Forest for many years where there are some nasty bogs and terrain that looks okay just sometimes isnt!

I would prefer someone who knows the ground so I know exactly where is safe for a blast.

 

[ester]

Yes we had that issue in the new forest at times!

 

[nikicb]

We tried to go down the wrong track at one point - the horses were having none of it!!! That said, they all had character, and were safe, but not plods.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I prefer someone who knows the ground well, too.

Our ride was quite hilarious at times because it coincided with the Red Dragon festival of endurance. There were orange direction flags and whizzy Arabs everywhere, some of whom were lost and passed us twice in both directions. We Free Reiners only trotted and cantered on good uphill going, the endurance lot just cracked on regardless .

 

[webble]

Another vote for free rein. I havent been for about ten years but I went twice a year for about 5 or 6 years at one point and loved it

 

[RHM]

Thanks so much guys!! Your photos look amazing too! I quite like the sound of the self guided, though I would leave the map reading to my dad who spends a lot of time on mountains!

 

[Tiddlypom]

You’d get a really good briefing before you set off on the self guided.

Seeing as your Dad is younger than me you must be properly young , so hopping on and off to wrangle gates shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for you. There aren’t loads of gates, our guide dealt with maybe 4 or so over 2 days.

Just a heads up that if you do get lost (which is not unknown on the self guided despite really good maps), adding another few miles onto an already long day in the saddle can be rather daunting.

 

[SEL]

Thanks so much guys!! Your photos look amazing too! I quite like the sound of the self guided, though I would leave the map reading to my dad who spends a lot of time on mountains!

They give you instructions too (turn left at big gate kind of thing)

We got totally stuck finding one of our overnight places until we saw a bloke waving madly at us. Both horses had napped towards his gateway 10 minutes earlier - we should have listened to them!

 

[webble]

Thanks so much guys!! Your photos look amazing too! I quite like the sound of the self guided, though I would leave the map reading to my dad who spends a lot of time on mountains!

The map reading is pretty easy, one person has a map and the other has written instructions

We got lost a couple of times and always just made our way to the nearest road/obvious land mark and sorted ourselves from there without too much drama

 

[SO1]

I have been twice to Highlands Unbridled very easy horses mainly Highlands and beautiful scenery. I just did the center based rides.

 

[palo1]

If your dad is confident, have a look at Trans Wales trails. Close in location to Free Rein so terrain is similar but the rides are tailored to be faster/more challenging and potentially longer. Their trips are often included in world travel recommendations. Free Rein are lovely too, but with a more laid back/potentially novice friendly experience. Tis utterly marvellous riding in the Welsh hills.

 

[ester]

I’ve pondered the trans wales so good to know

Re mapping, I’d def be taking my OS app . Then you know exactly where you are, particularly useful in the middle of any woods

 

[Tiddlypom]

Mixed first hand reviews re TW from my fellow Free Rein riders who had ridden with both providers, and also from our guide who had heard the same .

Whilst anyone can take a tumble even from a very steady horse, let’s just say that you are extremely unlikely to be actively dumped by a Free Rein horse.

 

[Orangehorse]

I have done three FreeRein rides and considering going again! I have done two two-night rides and the Border to Coast which was quite hard as I don't do as much riding as in the past but one lady only rode once a week and she was fine. Although she was generally very fit and prepared for the ride - then I hear she has gone home and bought her own! It was lovely terrain, you really felt being on a journey and it was a long held ambition fulfilled.

Yes, they do have people give up who can't manage a whole day in the saddle, or haven't done as much riding before. The ponies and horses are good, but they aren't plods. The accommodation is good, varying from B & B to quite plush hotels on the Border to Coast.

I think they are the only company where you can take out their horses on a self-guided ride. But they have been doing it for years, in fact I was pleased to meet Will again who picked us up one day from the horse's accommodation, who started it, I think in 1973; he is still involved although his son runs it now. The horses know where there is a gallop coming up, and you couldn't really gallop around too much as you have to read the instructions on the route. You do sign an undertaking to look after the horses properly.

I had a one day on the Trans Wales and I didn't like it so much. The guide was excellent, first class and she really encouraged one rider who was a bit out of her depth and gave her masses of confidence. (I think she was probably ex racing stables, but she had worked at Trans Wales for 10 years). It was a bit more gung ho and the terrain was not so pleasant, but they can only offer what is available. We seemed to do a lot more on the roads, but if you are only going for a day there is only one route you can go. I know that people go back again and again for the Trans Wales, maybe more for the rider who likes to gallop more. We had to clean our tack at the end of the day, but did get tea and cake afterwards!

 

[ester]

Our guide did say she didn’t think the border to coast was the best option as there’s more stony drovers tracks to do.
Sister is local and has been up a few times since for day rides and enjoyed each one.
Given I don’t know what was written on the info as sister did it they matched us superbly. I got the turbo cob, mum the sassy little mare and sister the one who everyone thought was slow until her electric knickers got on (she’s a bit nervous cantering in open after an accident a few years back but once she’d done one was fine and the pony stepped it up )

Also most important (for me and mum) they use thorowgood saddles not wintecs .

I will def try to go back and do a self guide but time and money are required

I also suspect it’s not quite as fun if it rains for the duration, we only got very wet on the last leg

 

[palo1]

Mixed first hand reviews re TW from my fellow Free Rein riders who had ridden with both providers, and also from our guide who had heard the same .

Whilst anyone can take a tumble even from a very steady horse, let’s just say that you are extremely unlikely to be actively dumped by a Free Rein horse.

almost all of the TW horses have been bred for their job by the owner (Paul Turner) and are full Welsh cobs in the main,which may account for a difference. I've not heard of anyone being dumped by their horse there but the rides are slightly different to FR! I have seen TW horses doing all manner of activities: clean boot hunting, eventing, working hunter comps, collecting children from school etc. The FR horses are nice, chilled ones who, temperamentally are very solid citizens. Both companies offer excellent but different experiences. There are some lovely riding holidays about in the UK - we are v lucky.

 

[Orangehorse]

Our guide did say she didn’t think the border to coast was the best option as there’s more stony drovers tracks to do.
Sister is local and has been up a few times since for day rides and enjoyed each one.
Given I don’t know what was written on the info as sister did it they matched us superbly. I got the turbo cob, mum the sassy little mare and sister the one who everyone thought was slow until her electric knickers got on (she’s a bit nervous cantering in open after an accident a few years back but once she’d done one was fine and the pony stepped it up )

Also most important (for me and mum) they use thorowgood saddles not wintecs .

I will def try to go back and do a self guide but time and money are required

I also suspect it’s not quite as fun if it rains for the duration, we only got very wet on the last leg

Yes, there were a lot of stony tracks on the Border to Coast, drovers roads and forestry roads, and the long stretch across the Military training area where we had to stick to the road! And the long trot through Borth. But, there was moorland and river crossings, great views and galloping about on the beach on the last morning. It was a journey and I am so glad I got to do it.

 

[webble]

Yes, there were a lot of stony tracks on the Border to Coast, drovers roads and forestry roads, and the long stretch across the Military training area where we had to stick to the road! And the long trot through Borth. But, there was moorland and river crossings, great views and galloping about on the beach on the last morning. It was a journey and I am so glad I got to do it.

Its on my bucket list its just so expensive