Taking your horse on holiday with you is a bucket list dream for many riders, but you can make it a reality in 2022 with our selection of staycation spots that allow you to enjoy and embrace all the UK has to offer, without leaving your horse at home
From endless trail riding in the Yorkshire Dales, galloping along a sandy beach in Norfolk or exploring the rugged wilderness of Bodmin Moor, there are so many options for holidays with your horse in the UK.
With plenty of flexible self-catering cottages and B&Bs that welcome four-legged guests, this could be just the escape that you — and your horse — have spent the past couple of years dreaming about…
Live your own Poldark adventure
Take a trip through Poldark country, with a riding holiday to Cornwall’s wild and beautiful Bodmin Moor. Miles of open moorland, woodland paths and rocky tors await and you can enjoy all of this from your own saddle with Hallagenna Riding, which hosted film horses for a recent series of Poldark. Choose from a variety of livery options for your horse on the BHS-approved yard and book into one of the two smart self-catering cottages and you’re all set to explore. To get the most out of your trip, a riding escort can be provided to help you discover Bodmin Moor’s hidden beauty.
Cost: from £357 per week; livery from £20 per horse per day
Where: Bodmin moor, Cornwall
Rustic luxury a stone’s throw from the beach
Take a break from the stresses of everyday life by taking a holiday with your horse at the stunning converted barn at Home Farm Stables – think exposed wooden beams, spiral staircases and bright, spacious rooms. Your horse will be equally well catered for with large stables in an idyllic yard, as well as a lockable tack room, area with jumps and post-and-rail fenced paddocks. Once you’ve dragged yourselves away from your lovely base, you’ll be able to enjoy endless riding within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including on the stunning Holme beach, which is virtually on the doorstep and stretches for five miles.
Cost: From £120 per night; £40 per night for stabling and grazing
Where: Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
A blissful break – complete with hot tub
How many of us dream of waking up in the morning to see our horses grazing just outside the window? You can make this a reality at Hoe Grange in the delightful Peak District, where riders are welcomed to the eco-friendly cabins and cosy glamping pods, and their horses to the traditional stone barn and paddocks. Hay and straw is provided along with secure storage, mucking out equipment and ample parking. Take advantage of the extensive off-road riding including the High Peak Trail, and return to relax in peaceful surroundings — and maybe a dip in the hot tub.
Cost: From £135 per night per glamping pod (sleeps two); From £417 for three nights in the cabins (sleeps 4-6), plus £18 per night per horse
Where: Brassington, Derbyshire
Escape to the wilds of North Wales
Get away from it all with a holiday with your horse at the beautifully appointed two-bedroom Plas Tirion Farm Cottage, nestled in the North Wales countryside near the Dee Estuary and Snowdonia National Park, and boasting sea views. There is spacious stabling on site for your horse, with a manege and grazing available on request, and super riding on the doorstep including the cross country riding tracks at Mostyn Farm Ride. Indulge in an alfresco dinner in the courtyard on your return, or snuggle up in front of the log burner.
Cost: From £314 for seven nights; from £40 per horse per week
Where: Mostyn, Flintshire
A spa day with brilliant riding
Combine high adrenaline with ultimate relaxation at Bank Farm Equestrian, where a variety of themed riding days are on offer, with luxury glamping-style accommodation available as well. Choose pure relaxation with guided meditation rides through the Wyre forest on a “Wellness” day, or you can opt for a high adrenalin cross-country ride including ditches and banks on a hunt simulation day – or one of the options in between. All riding experiences include lunch and an afternoon in the spa lodge and hot tub. Horses are available to borrow, but if you take your own you can be sure they will be given the pamper experience too, with comfy beds in the new stable block and as much hay as they can eat.
Cost: From £125pp for a day’s riding experience
Where: Arley, Worcestershire
Peaceful seclusion in the heart of the New Forest
For those looking to get back to nature, Burley Rails Cottage in the heart of the New Forest could be just the ticket. Wilf’s Cabin is a cosy, self-contained log cabin that sleeps four, and features a timbered verandah — perfect for enjoying a glass of wine after a busy day of riding. Two airy, modern stables with rubber matting and Aubiose bedding await your horses, as well as turnout and plenty of parking. Simply open the stable yard gate and you’re straight on the Forest — no roadwork required whatsoever.
Cost: From £120 per night for two people; £15 per horse
Where: Burley, Hampshire
A home-from-home, perfect for a group getaway
Gather your horsey friends for a staycation or bring the family and check into Mazzard Farm in the rolling Devon hills. There is a range of gorgeous self-catering cottages with oak flooring and welcoming log burners, and two of the cottages can be interconnected to sleep up to 10. Your horses will be equally well looked after, with a lush, shady orchard split into spacious individual paddocks and large loose boxes, with various livery options available on request – perfect if you fancy a break from mucking out! There is super riding on offer too, with the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the doorstep and the beach close by.
Cost: POA
Where: Ottery St Mary, Devon
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