Where is the best place in the UK to own a horse

Thank you all, lots of different opinions and some great recommendations.
In an ideal world, good forest and field gallops, indoor school close by and good bridleways as we are looking for horsey utopia lol;)
 
Ill buck the trend and say the North East- no funky bugs like the new forest, no major midges like Scotland, in the shadow of the Pennines so less rainfall than Cumbria. Durham and Northumberland has some wonderful riding, great facilities and good craic- some good hunts as well. I'm not far from Durham and just outside a city (supermarket 3 mins drive from yard- as is my house-) but I can ride off road for ten mile circular routes in three directions off road- and there are decent hills for fitening as well as some fab beaches!! :)
 
silkster007 said:
Thank you all, lots of different opinions and some great recommendations.
In an ideal world, good forest and field gallops, indoor school close by and good bridleways as we are looking for horsey utopia lol;)
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Cheshire is for you then !

Delamere Forest is superb
Kelsall Hill - Gallops, plus XC country (BE)
Southview arena & Reaseheath Equine College- Indoor arena/comp ( did the Charles Masters)
Someford Park - amazing XC farm ride / arenas/comp facilities (BE/BD)
Smallwood - xc
Doddington Hall - off road hacking
Great vets & saddlery shops

Beaches not too far away
 
Honey08 said:
I live within reach of Cheshire, and think its great for competition venues and farm rides, but wouldn't want to hack out there... I'd rather be a bit further north in the hills. Lincolnshre and Notts are great if you are into hunting, but were too flat for me!

though.
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Couldn't agree more. Cheshire is useless for hacking out.
 
Well you've had most places mentioned so you have to take your choice. We're in Wiltshire and mustn't grumble. Bit we're on is sand and that's usually well-drained but like everywhere else is a quagmire at the moment. I love the open spaces of Wiltshire and the miles of grassy plain.
 
Cheshire is a great choice for livery yards, equine vets, competitions, riding clubs etc. But you get the best of both worlds on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border, we are high enough to have good draining fields and lovely country lanes and bridle paths for hacking/excersing. Property is cheaper over the border as well, and you can get a smallholding at a fraction of the cost in some areas of the south.

Where ever you chose, do spend some time or rent before you make a final decision! Have fun looking!
 
Grumpy Jewel said:
Not Sussex or surry, very expensive and clay everywhere so nasty in winter and like concrete in summer!
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Not if you are on the South Downs it isn't!

I think it's great - better weather than most other places in England - no flooding here ....yet.
Lots of different competition centres and facilities. I could easily hack for about 4 hours plus without hitting more than a tiny lane or farm track amd only 10 minute drive to beach.

I love living here :)
 
Gloucester for me, having spent a couple of years there, it would always be my horsey hub of choice in England, such a vast wealth of knowledge in all disciplines in the same area and many top notch competition facilities not to mention a good variety of yards
 
timiton said:
Vote for oxfordshire! West/south oxon is racehorse county, several event riders have set up locally, many centres dotted around and its fairly reasonable.
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This!

Also very easy to get on the ridgeway, and from there you can literally hack for hundreds of miles! Also quite central, so easy to get to many competition venues.
 
We are Gatwick way and most yards iv been on are clay and awfully muddy, but our forest is fantastic and I take it back, the downs are chalk so do drain well. Devils dyke is my most favourite place to ride ever and going to clymping beach is always fun. It's still too expensive and agree with whoever said lots of clueless people ;)
 
Dorset, outskirts of dorchester. Have forests, woods lots of countryside plus lots of livery yards in this area. And comp yards Not far to box to newforest if want to go there occasionally/ camp b&b. Also have beaches.
 
Own a yard in West Sussex at the foot of the downs. Chalk. Never floods. Fantastic hacking...it's one of the best places in the country for getting horses fit- lots of hills, good gallop stretches and bloody gorgeous at the same time! Heaven.
 
Hi,

Gosh what a wide radius you have. So much choice - there's so many wonderful places to ride and everyone loves their own patch :D.

I reckon it would depend on your budget - further north the cheaper your up-keep.

I keep my boy at a livery a stones throw from a 500 acre country park in Nottinghamshire, you can easily travel to Sherwood Forest, Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire coast and it's beaches.

What sort of riding do you like? Are you looking to compete or hunt locally or nationally or would you just like a chilled hack with a bit of fun thrown in.

Also, What's your ideal yard? Do you like a competitive yard, or a relaxed place with good chat and plenty of other liveries for rides out???
 
Don't bother with Kent either as it's too expensive and there is not a great deal of hacking without going on the roads.Some of the other posters live in some lovely areas though,like the New Forest,west country and Gloucester.I love the West Country and NF and if i could i would relocate there,but more likelt Devon/Cornwall as housing is cheaper than Hampshire.
 
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