The sound of the hoof on the turf of the South Downs Way, the single track, the chalk, the wind, and the view of the sea from the ridge at the Devil’s Dyke, is the soundtrack of the British horse riding holiday. The UK is the best horse-riding destination in the world for the amateur: the 140,000 miles of the public rights of way (the bridleways, the byways, and the footpaths that are the accessible to the horse), the landscape that is the gentle, the green, and the broken into the manageable distances (the pub at the end of the ride, the stable that is the 10 miles from the next village, and the sense that the horse is the natural way to travel the British countryside), and the culture, the horse is the part of the British DNA, the hunting, the racing, and the riding school that is the accessible to the every income. Here is your guide to the horse riding holidays in the UK.

Horse Riding Holidays in the UK

• The best regions, where to ride: The South Downs (the Sussex): The South Downs Way, the 100 miles of the bridleway from the Winchester to the Eastbourne, the chalk, the sea, and the best long-distance horse ride in the UK, is the essential horse-riding holiday. The ride takes the 4–7 days (the 15–20 miles per day), the accommodation is the B&Bs and the inns en route (the luggage is transferred by the car, the essential service, the £30/day), and the horse, the rent, the guided, or the bring-your-own, is the essential decision. The guided rides: the South Downs Riding (the 3-day and the 5-day guided rides, the £600–1,200, the horse provided, the fit, the forward-going, and the well-behaved). The essential pub stop: the Seven Sisters Country Park, the view of the chalk cliffs, the sea, and the best lunch on the ride. The Exmoor (the Devon): the Exmoor National Park, the moorland, the ponies (the Exmoor ponies, the native breed, the oldest in the Britain, and the wild herds that roam the moor), and the riding, the Exmoor Riding Centre (the 2-hour, the 1-day, and the 5-day rides, the £50–600, the horse provided, and the best riding in the south-west). The Scottish Borders: the wide, the empty, and the best riding in the Scotland, the MacNivens (the trekking centre, the 3-day and the 5-day rides, the £500–900, and the sense of the Scotland that is the wild, the beautiful, and the empty). More UK →
• The essential types of the horse-riding holiday: The centre-based: the rider stays at the riding centre (the stable, the accommodation, the meals, and the riding each day, the different routes, the same base, and the best option for the family and the novice). The essential centre: the Cumbrian Heavy Horses (the Lake District, the Clydesdale and the Shire horses, the heaviest and the gentlest, and the best riding experience for the novice. The 2-hour ride is the £65, and the 5-day holiday is the £900). The trail ride: the rider moves each day, the horse carries the rider, the support vehicle carries the luggage, and the route, the South Downs Way, the Pennine Bridleway, the Highland trails, is the essential horse-riding holiday for the experienced rider. The essential trail: the National Trail Riding (the South Downs Way, the 5 days, the £1,200, the horse, the accommodation, and the luggage transfer). The beach ride: the gallop on the sand of the Northumberland coast (the Bamburgh Beach, the castle, the sea, and the best beach ride in the UK. The Kimmerston Riding Centre, the 2-hour beach ride, the £80, the essential experience for the rider who has dreamed of the gallop on the sand)
• The essential practicalities: The ability (the riding holiday is not the riding lesson, the essential level is the “can walk, trot, canter, and gallop with the confidence,” and the honesty with the riding centre about the ability is the essential for the safety), the weight limit (the 85–95 kg, the 13–15 stone, is the standard limit for the riding centres, and the essential check before the booking), the kit (the riding hat, the essential, and the riding centres provide the hat if the rider does not own the one to the current British safety standard, the PAS 015 or the SNELL E2001. The boots, the essential, the small heel, and the wellington boots are the acceptable. The gloves, the waterproof, and the suncream), and the insurance (the riding is the “dangerous recreational activity” in the UK law, and the personal accident insurance, the £20–40/year from the British Horse Society, is the essential)