Who goes on Riding Holidays?

The common denominator is undoubtedly a love of horses. But after that, our clients come from a complete cross-section of the equestrian world.

Do I need to own my own horse?

No - definitely not. Two thirds of our clients last year don't own a horse. Some clients did have a pony as a child, others have never had the opportunity. In fact, if you ride regularly at a good equestrian centre and get the opportunity to ride a number of their horses then you might well cope better on a riding holiday than someone who has ridden only their own much loved horse around the lanes for the last 10 years.

At the same time we have many clients who regularly compete to a high level in eventing, show jumping, endurance or dressage and we have arranged holidays for five times eventing Olympian Mary King and her family; also Lucinda Green, the legendary Mark Todd and Tina Cook.

And many others enjoy riding their horse purely for recreation and the joy of getting out to beautiful places on horseback (we just hate that term "happy hacker").

Can I travel alone?

A definite yes. Riding holidays are ideal for anyone travelling on their own and almost one third of our clients book and travel alone.  Group sizes are small and made up of people with one thing in common - a love of horses. Some rides confirm for one person, but if you would prefer not to travel on your own do let us know so that we can suggest a ride or date which already has people booked onto it.

On many of the holidays there is no single supplement if you are willing to share and on some riding holidays you have your own room at no supplement.

What about my partner, he/she doesn't ride?

Some of our rides are suitable for beginners or novices; however if your partner really doesn't want to ride then we can direct you to a holiday where there will be lots of other things to do such as walking, fishing, biking, swimming or sights to see, although these don't tend to be organised. On some holidays we can offer a reduced rate for non-riders.

I love children, but when I go on holiday I don't want to be surrounded by lots of kids

Some of our holidays are geared towards families and others are suitable only for adults. For many people who book with us it is important who else is on the ride and because our holidays are mostly small groups we can often give you a good idea of who else will be with you. Just let us know your preferences.

I don't live in the UK. Can I book with you?

Yes, and in 2018 people from 33 different countries have booked with us. The majority of our customers are from the UK, with the next most common being from the USA, Belgium, Norway, Denmark and Italy. In The Saddle has agents in Belgium, Denmark, Italy and Norway and if you do not see their contact details automatically, please email rides@inthesaddle.com and we will put you in touch.

Is there an upper age limit?

There is not normally an upper age limit and last year one in five of our clients were over 60 years old but it is important that you are realistic about your fitness and any health issues since some riding holidays are in remote areas with limited medical resources.

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