Competitors looking for stabling while they are at events can now access an Airbnb-style website, while yard owners could make extra money by renting out their facilities.
Event rider Nicole Mills (pictured) came up with the idea as she had struggled to find stabling while she was competing far from her Stamford home.
Landowners can register properties in a “book a stable” section of the website, while riders can search for accommodation in the UK, Europe and America, with a minimum cost of £25 per night.
“As riders, we’re already lucky with the Airbnb and Spareroom websites that have been a phenomenon over the past few years to find cheap and comfortable accommodation that saves us sleeping in a chilly lorry,” said a spokesman for the website.
“But there’s never really been an option for our horses, except stabling onsite and extremely generous friends of friends.
“Equally, homeowners are making a fortune from their spare rooms; they just have to put up with strangers around the house every now and then. If you’re already reaping the benefits of renting out your extra space, do you have some equestrian-friendly land and stabling that a horse could benefit from too?”
Nicole said she hoped stablebookings.com would allow riders to access events they would otherwise not have considered owing to their location.
“I absolutely love eventing in Scotland, the events seem to work really well for my horses with their testing hills and (usually) excellent ground,” she said. “But I’m often put off travelling so far without accommodation for the horse.
“As we know, we’re so busy getting them fit and getting our entries in that sometimes the last thing we think about is a stable for the night. Most events offer some sort of local stabling but it’s difficult to arrange and usually not as close as I’d like.
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“So, with the success of Airbnb for humans I thought I’d start a similar website for horses so that you can book a stable securely, as last minute as needs be.
“You can rest assured that you’ll be close to the event, the horse is going to be comfortable, and you don’t have to remember to carry around cash!”
