Author: Philippa Verry
Published: 2022
Available as ring-bound file
About the author
The author Philippa Verry is a lifelong horse lover, who has done all kinds of riding from dressage to hunting and now – her new passion – endurance. From her home on Exmoor, Philippa has compiled a collection of her favourite rides, with detailed instructions and information on each one.
“Having spent 12 years hacking and hunting on Exmoor, it’s a wild and beautiful place I have grown to love,” she writes. “At every opportunity I have been exploring new rides, certainly with some adventures along the way. My motivation is the thrill of being able to share these experiences with others in my most favourite place, Exmoor.”
Philippa has lived with the effects of thalidomide since birth, as she was born with no arms. However, she has never seen herself as a disabled person, as she has never made any concessions for her lack of arms.
Exmoor Bridleway Rides review
This collection is very practical. It is assembled in a waterproof plastic ring binder, so that you can remove each of the 12 rides rather than taking the whole folder on your adventure.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Each ride has an initial page outlining the distance and duration, as well as the level. Philippa has chosen three grades, one being straightforward with less strenuous hill work, up to three, which requires a fit horse for challenging hill work and longer distances.
There are also fascinating details about the history and culture of the area, which brings character to each ride – and will add to the conversation as you show off your local tourist knowledge to your with companions.
The second page is a detailed explanation of how to get to the start of the ride, with grid reference, and where to park. There are then easy-to-follow, numbered instructions, using landmarks such as river crossings, stone roads, concrete bridges and so on. Overleaf, there is a simple map, showing the ride route, which coincides with the numbered instructions, and shows basic landmarks such as forest, rivers, roads as well as bridleways and footpaths. Photos of the route accompany each leaflet.
While I have sadly not had the opportunity to test out the routes, from my knowledge of following instructions for ramblers and riders, I can see that Philippa knows these routes well and has thought out every step so as not to misdirect riders.
There are handy tips, such as “this track is only suitable if you are on a small pony”, or “the small stone with a daub of blue paint is easy to miss”.
Aside from the details of the routes, I enjoyed the introduction, in which Philippa details how she started riding, some of her early ponies and the highlights of her riding life. She pays a touching tribute to her current horses, Melitta (a home-bred) and her top endurance ride, the Appaloosa Stilton, in the acknowledgements – “without them, this book would never have happened”.
Not all of us will have the joy of riding on Exmoor, but this collection of adventures is surely one to stoke up your enthusiasm to make it happen. And if you are someone who has the opportunity, then this will be your invaluable guide. And you might even spy the spotty Stilton out enjoying his favourite routes.
Books can be purchased by emailing exmoorbridlewayrides@gmail.com or via Facebook Messenger to Exmoor Bridleway Rides. The cost is £39.99 + £4.50 P&P.
You may also like to read…
Horse & Hound book reviews
A selection of fantastic equestrian books reviewed by Horse & Hound, plus details of how to buy the books online
The ‘Almost’ Exmoor — a funny, captivating story for any child
Scarlett Owen, aged 12, takes us through her review of this new book for children
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.