Horse Riding Holidays

Horse Riding Holidays are an ideal way for you two unwind doing what you love most, and you can spend enjoyable time getting prepared at home by riding more in anticipation! Mountain bikes, motorcycles, four wheel drives and overland coaches cannot compare to the best ride in the world... a horse (other than perhaps elephants and camels of course)!

Select the country you are considering visiting below for tour operators offering riding holidays in that country:

Choosing And Preparing For Horse Riding Holidays
There are several things to consider before going on a riding holiday, to make sure you (and the horses!) get maximum enjoyment.

Horse Welfare
Try and find out about the welfare of the horses at the tour operator you are considering before going.
They may be 'approved' by a qualified vet or another organisation that requires certain standards. Try and find out on the internet about past performance in this area, and look for genuine testimonials. Speak to the tour operator themselves and ask what reassurances they can give you.
Turning up on a holiday only to discover the horses are being cared for poorly or mistreated is a sure way to ruin the experience.

Your Ability
Be honest about your ability on horseback to yourself and the tour operator (they may require you to be assessed before allowing you to book.).
If you are unfit, then too advanced a riding holiday will leave you tired and in pain.
If you are totally out of practise or unpractised it will be potentially dangerous for you and those around you on the more demanding tours.
Horses used to good riders will be potentially intolerant of poor riders, so you could upset the horses too!
However, don't let this put you off taking such a holiday, as there are tours for people of all abilities, including the disabled. Horses are a little bit like cars, from family estates to formula one, so there's sure to be one for you!

Practise Makes Perfect
If you don't ride regularly or haven't ridden in a while, preparing for your trip will give you more enjoyment. Even if you do ride at weekends, a week on horseback will test you more.
Get yourself off to a quality riding school or hacking/trail riding centre and go riding more regularly. You'll become generally fitter, more confident and more physically prepared for your holiday.
Take some lessons from a more experienced rider and brush up your skills, and consider the type of riding you'll be doing.
Western trail riding uses different tack and the horses will be differently trained than classical English trained horses.
So if you are off to the USA or somewhere else where the style will be Western, consider finding a stables where you can practise that style.

Take Appropriate Clothing
Find out as much as possible about the climate you are going to at the time of year you are going. A good tour operator should tell you exactly what you need to take when asked.

For more information see Equestrian Clothing

Get Travel Insurance!
Horse riding is a potentially dangerous activity, and even so you should always get travel insurance when going on holiday. Seriously, an airlift and following intensive care, plus emergency transportaton perhaps back to your home counrty for a life threatening accident could financially destroy you! You will also need to ensure that the cover you get covers the activity of horse riding, and any other sport type activity you may be partaking in.
Do not leave your home country without suitable travel insurance... ever!