ester
Not slacking multitasking
It’s great to hear others experiences 
we partly went due to what other hhoers had said about it.
we partly went due to what other hhoers had said about it.
UK Riding Holidays
- Thread starter RHM
- Start date
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Would you be able to view your location live on the OS app in an area with poor phone signal coverage?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
I did record the rides on both days with the OS map for posterity, but I didn’t view it while we were out. The GPS tracking must have been working throughout . There was some to no phone signal depending on where we were.
I agree that the saddles were really comfy - I had no saddle related discomfort at all.
FGI
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Jenko109
Well-Known Member
I've done TW before.
I dont feel I was particularly well matched with the pony I was given and would have rather ridden anything but that one
I wouldn't personally go again.
I dont feel I was particularly well matched with the pony I was given and would have rather ridden anything but that one
I wouldn't personally go again.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
It works with no phone coverage (I use outdoor active which used to be view ranger, I’ve not tested OA as much) we had nothing in the woods where we were in wilts which is why I started using it cos you weren’t going to manage contact if you were lost.
HollyWoozle
Well-Known Member
Have ridden with TWT twice myself and sent many clients with great success, but as yet their 2024 season is not decided on. Hopefully they will open some dates as there are many die-hard fans!
Kirstd33
Well-Known Member
Can I resurrect this thread with peoples recent experiences? As I'm looking for a short UK riding holiday eg 2-3 days for my eldest teenager daughter and I before the younger 2 finish school next July? We're in the West Midlands and would be looking to travel 2-3 hours max, am flexible on the acommodation but the riding must be predominantly off road in nice scenery and on well looked after horses. We're both competent novices eg can WTC
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
I withdraw the recommendation for the trail riding company that I went with upthread and which is within reach of you.
Look elsewhere.
Look elsewhere.
palo1
Well-Known Member
I agree. I still think Trans Wales offer an amazing experience but possibly for more confident riders.
teapot
Well-Known Member
Oh no @Tiddlypom - have you had a bad experience since? That's a shame
2ndtimearound
Well-Known Member
If you wouldn’t mind more of a DIY holiday, you could find some accommodation near Cannock Chase and do both the morning and afternoon rides for a couple of days at the trekking centre where Tiddlypom and I ride (Cannock Chase Trekking Centre). That would definitely fit your criteria for off-road riding on well looked after horses.
gryff
Well-Known Member
I did the Trans Wales ride in May. Or rather, I did some of the ride. You do have to be very confident. It's fast, very fast and over some challenging terrain. There's no checking to see if everyone is OK to go. It's just flat out and everyone has to be happy with it. I ride over very similar terrain. I have my own welsh cob and an arab. I like going fast. I thought I'd be absolutely fine. But I didn't like the lack of control that I had. My horse ended up tanking off twice. The first time it was fine. The second time I ended up taking quite a fall. I know these things happen and you do sign up to say that youre conpetent. I thought I was!I’ve pondered the trans wales so good to know
Re mapping, I’d def be taking my OS app
I'm not especially happy about the way I was treated after the fall. There didn't seem to be much of a plan b. I ended up hobbling to the nearest road. About 2 miles away. Waiting to be picked up by a member of the team. Everyone else had to wait around for this. So there were cold people and impatient horses. I was dropped off at the accommodation for the evening. Nobody discussed with me what I was going to do for the remainder of the trip. The first I knew about what was going to happen for next few days was when someone turned up at the accommodation with a horsebox to pick up my horse. No member of the trans wales team asked if I wanted to carry on, if I wanted to swap horses. I couldnt have as i was in too much pain woth wjat turned out to be very snapped ligaments in my ankle. I just went home very upset and disappointed. My OH had paid over two thousand pounds for what turned out to be a day and a half's riding.
So, Trans Wales is absolutely amazing riding, on wonderful fit horses, but it defintely isn't for the faint hearted.
palo1
Well-Known Member
That is really awful! I am pretty shocked by this and you must feel utterly let down.
. Whenever I see TWT horses on the hill they seem reasonably same. I do know the owner and whilst he is very experienced I would hope he'd have a bit more support in place. So disappointing.gryff
Well-Known Member
Horses were absolutely lovely but very up for it! I found it harder i suppose because I've only really ridden my own horses for the last 20 years, riding in smaller groups or being the person "in charge" so setting the tone of the ride myself. I think the owner was having some personal difficulties and wasn't able to accompany us on the trip for the first three days, so there was no continuity. We had three different people take the first three days (I only managed 1½). The owner didn't get in touch after my fall, nor when I got home. I was really quite upset by the whole process. It should have been my dream holiday. Ironically, if I hadn't been able to hobble off the mountain, it would have been my OH's Mountain Rescue team that would have had to pick me upThat is really awful! I am pretty shocked by this and you must feel utterly let down.
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
That’s dreadful, gryff. I hope that your hobble to the nearest road didn’t cause more damage to your ankle.
Whilst I had bailed from my Free Rein two day trail earlier this year before getting decked from the replacement horse (I’d rejected the first horse as she had a sore back) I too heard nothing back from Free Rein even after my debrief email.
£600 for about an hour in the saddle.
Very poor.
Whilst I had bailed from my Free Rein two day trail earlier this year before getting decked from the replacement horse (I’d rejected the first horse as she had a sore back) I too heard nothing back from Free Rein even after my debrief email.
£600 for about an hour in the saddle.
Very poor.
Kirstd33
Well-Known Member
That is our plan B having ridden there before and had a wonderful 2 hr fast ride out on the chase on the gorgeous Arizona. I just wondered if the rides would all be the same though?
2ndtimearound
Well-Known Member
We rarely do the same ride twice in succession, unless the ground is so bad we’re limited as to where we can go. The morning rides tend to do different routes to the afternoon ones too, as there’s much more trotting on the mornings, so we can cover a greater distance.
SussexbytheXmasTree
Well-Known Member
I’ve ridden with them twice I did the Hay Triangle and the Beacons Triangle and had a blast. It’s fast and furious in some places though. I had Echo both times and he was amazing. My sister and BiL have been multiple times including the trans-wales ride itself twice.
They’re in their late sixties and didn’t return to riding until they’d retired but now seem to seek out the most demanding rides.
They've done Dartmoor crossing and a cattle drive with these which they loved https://www.dartmoorridingholidays.co.uk
They did one across Scotland this year too with Highlands Unbridled and did a Free Rein self-guided trek.
RHM
Well-Known Member
We had a great time with Free rein. We opted for the self guided and the instructions were pretty easy to follow and they provide printed maps too. I was really surprised that they didn’t watch us ride before letting us go but they had matched the ponies really well. Although I did feel a considerable lack of horse power when cantering compared to my own! 
My dad’s horse was an absolute saint and the only wobble we had was meeting some off roaders on dirt bikes, which lit the ponies up a bit. Some beautiful scenery and great bridleways. The roads are very quiet and the horses were pretty bombproof in traffic.
I would really recommend to anyone who wants a safe enjoyable experience. Particularly if you are nervous as honestly these horses were so safe.
The pub we had dinner at was excellent and the landlady was fabulous. We stayed at the B&B which was basically an old ladies house. I felt so guilty creeping downstairs to the loo at night!
It is a good 15 min walk to the pub once you have finished the ride. And i was surprised that no one met us at the field to check the ponies etc. they merely asked you to text them.
It didn’t feel much of a “luxury” experience given the price though. Particularly to some others I have seen but the ponies were in pretty good nick. All the tack is synthetic but pretty comfortable even for my dad who has only ridden a hour or so at a time. Though my reins had seen better days!
All in all I would really recommend if your wanting to spend a decent amount of time in the saddle in great surroundings.
My dad’s horse was an absolute saint and the only wobble we had was meeting some off roaders on dirt bikes, which lit the ponies up a bit. Some beautiful scenery and great bridleways. The roads are very quiet and the horses were pretty bombproof in traffic.
I would really recommend to anyone who wants a safe enjoyable experience. Particularly if you are nervous as honestly these horses were so safe.
The pub we had dinner at was excellent and the landlady was fabulous. We stayed at the B&B which was basically an old ladies house. I felt so guilty creeping downstairs to the loo at night!
It is a good 15 min walk to the pub once you have finished the ride. And i was surprised that no one met us at the field to check the ponies etc. they merely asked you to text them.
It didn’t feel much of a “luxury” experience given the price though. Particularly to some others I have seen but the ponies were in pretty good nick. All the tack is synthetic but pretty comfortable even for my dad who has only ridden a hour or so at a time. Though my reins had seen better days!
All in all I would really recommend if your wanting to spend a decent amount of time in the saddle in great surroundings.
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
ETA RHM still glad to hear that you and your dad had a good time 
.
You can tell a lot about a company’s ethos from what their response is when things do go a bit awry, and that can happen in the best run of businesses.
Blanking your client is not good.
I wasn’t angling for a refund, just debriefing Free Rein on exactly what happened.
I wonder if the aggressive kicker that carted her mortified rider along the road to kick my blameless horse from behind without any provocation (we were quietly standing at the side of the road, looking ahead, as the ride had paused), upsetting her greatly, is still with Free Rein. I hope not.
There did seem to be a lot of ill will and much face pulling between all the horses, but not so much mine, who had seemed amenable.
I’ve just checked the map, I was nearly 5 miles in when I eventually bailed from my poor very upset horse, who I don’t blame at all. In normal circumstances I’d ride her again, except there is no way that I will be returning.
Of course there are two sides to every story, but as a previous customer I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth.
Incidentally this is me 7 days prior to that happily riding a bigger and much more sensitive and forward thinking horse than your typical FR horse.
But I’m experienced enough to know that all my attempts to calm my horse had failed, despite me normally being pretty good at soothing a horse.
ETA If I had had a reply (any reply) from Free Rein assuring me that they had taken my post ride comments on board then I wouldn’t be posting this on here now. But they blanked me.
.You can tell a lot about a company’s ethos from what their response is when things do go a bit awry, and that can happen in the best run of businesses.
Blanking your client is not good.
I wasn’t angling for a refund, just debriefing Free Rein on exactly what happened.
I wonder if the aggressive kicker that carted her mortified rider along the road to kick my blameless horse from behind without any provocation (we were quietly standing at the side of the road, looking ahead, as the ride had paused), upsetting her greatly, is still with Free Rein. I hope not.
There did seem to be a lot of ill will and much face pulling between all the horses, but not so much mine, who had seemed amenable.
I’ve just checked the map, I was nearly 5 miles in when I eventually bailed from my poor very upset horse, who I don’t blame at all. In normal circumstances I’d ride her again, except there is no way that I will be returning.
Of course there are two sides to every story, but as a previous customer I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth.
Incidentally this is me 7 days prior to that happily riding a bigger and much more sensitive and forward thinking horse than your typical FR horse.
But I’m experienced enough to know that all my attempts to calm my horse had failed, despite me normally being pretty good at soothing a horse.
ETA If I had had a reply (any reply) from Free Rein assuring me that they had taken my post ride comments on board then I wouldn’t be posting this on here now. But they blanked me.
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RHM
Well-Known Member
That’s terrible they didn’t reply. All horses can be unpredictable but I think I would be wanting a refund in this instance!ETA RHM still glad to hear that you and your dad had a good time
You can tell a lot about a company’s ethos from what their response is when things do go a bit awry, and that can happen in the best run of businesses.
Blanking your client is not good.
I wasn’t angling for a refund, just debriefing Free Rein on exactly what happened.
I wonder if the aggressive kicker that carted her mortified rider along the road to kick my blameless horse from behind without any provocation (we were quietly standing at the side of the road, looking ahead, as the ride had paused), upsetting her greatly, is still with Free Rein. I hope not.
There did seem to be a lot of ill will and much face pulling between all the horses, but not so much mine, who had seemed amenable.
I’ve just checked the map, I was nearly 5 miles in when I eventually bailed from my poor very upset horse, who I don’t blame at all. In normal circumstances I’d ride her again, except there is no way that I will be returning.
Of course there are two sides to every story, but as a previous customer I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth.
Incidentally this is me 7 days prior to that happily riding a bigger and much more sensitive and forward thinking horse than your typical FR horse.
But I’m experienced enough to know that all my attempts to calm my horse had failed, despite me normally being pretty good at soothing a horse.
View attachment 147917
ETA If I had had a reply (any reply) from Free Rein assuring me that they had taken my post ride comments on board then I wouldn’t be posting this on here now. But they blanked me.