experience

You don’t need special skills for bridle-riding, but you’ll find the experience is surprisingly different from most other riding. Your horse will too.

Bridle-riding does not involve difficult riding, so if you’re used to looking after your horse and riding out on 2-3 hour local hacks, you should be fine. There are no jumps and no speed pressure so, as a result, we have had riders with a very wide range of experience from experienced distance riders to “happy hackers” who’ve never done this sort of riding before.

The end of a wonderful day – Paul & Penny Steadman from Tavistock on Devon, riding on Martin Down in the Cranborne Chase network. It’s criss-crossed with very high quality bridleways – you can see one snaking away in the background.
Bridle riding doesn’t require top quality horses (though they enjoy it too), but it can seem a bit daunting if you haven’t tried it before. One centre holidays and some of the shorter 2 day place to place rides are designed to encourage first timers to put their hoof in the water for the first time. Bobbie from Bridle Rides is always happy to chat through your concerns over the phone (tel : 0121 445 6998) and advise on the best choice of ride before you book.
Whatever your experience, you must have your own horse or access to a friend’s horse to do a Bridle Ride. It is becoming almost impossible to hire horses for unescorted riding where the horse is kept away from the owner’s premises overnight. Indeed, we understand that it is now a specific insurance exclusion for BHS approved riding centres

We know of a few reputable companies who offer Bridle Rides type holidays on their hired horses that we are happy to refer enquiries to. Click on the following link for more information – I don’t have a horse .

lone riders

Bridle riding is best suited to small groups of 2-4 people, and you need at least one other person to ride with you on a horse or a mountain bike. We don’t accept lone riders because you don’t meet many people on the bridleways which could be a problem in an emergency, and because our hosts worry about them too much. It’s OK as long as you are accompanied, and we have several couples who ride together regularly on a horse and mountain bike. If you need to find a riding companion, you may find someone at your local Riding Club or put an advert on our Co-rider page. We have paired a few people up in the last few years this way, but it’s not generally as successful as finding someone in your own area!

Is there a minimum – or maximum – age ?

Provided that you are a competent rider, you can do a bridle ride. As a result, we have had a very wide range of ages from 6 to over 70 – but you do need to be fit enough to enjoy spending 5-6 hours a day in the saddle. One-centre holidays with petal rides (ie. where you return back to the same base each night) may be best for riders who may get tired because you can always cut the ride short or turn back.