Airbnb-style website offers stables for competition horses
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.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“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.
Continues below…
Related articles:
- Premier airport lounge opens for high-flying horses
- Stand by for life envy: behind the scenes with Laura Tomlinson and Lara Griffith
Enjoy news sent direct your inbox for free. Find out how >>
“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!”
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.