Horse riding holidays in Wales

By: Gyöngyi Molnár Posted: 11/05/2021

Horse riding during your holidays in Wales is a rewarding experience. Your routes will be magnificent riding a Welsh Cob.

In this article, we take the opportunity to disclose two alternatives for your next horse riding holidays in the UK, precisely on the astonishing lands of Wales.

Wales is home to green hills, friendly people and bagpipe music. It is the land of King Arthur, converted to Christianity by the Romans.

Wales is the land of stunning mountains and fertile valleys, it was a haven for the Celts in former times. Famous for its splendours farmland, Wales is a paradise for outdoor activities, especially in the most mountainous regions.

As regards equestrian tourism, here you ride along mountains, beaches and lots of green, very green fields. All this in sight as the equestrian trails take you through small villages scattered in its lovely rural landscapes.

To explore them on horseback is a journey to the past that you will never forget.

And regarding horses, Wales is home to the Welsh Cob breed, a very strong horse breed that can take riders for perfect and extreme rides.

Are you ready to ride one?

Sooo, what are you waiting for?

Where to go if you are looking for horse riding holidays?

1. The best places for horseback riding in steep and challenging trails are, without a doubt, the Black Mountains. This mountain range is in the eastern end of Brecon Beacons National Park. It boasts a wild and captivating beauty, and seems to have been created just for horseback tours. From the green hills to the grasslands, you can see and ride this country accompanied and guided by Trans Wales Trails.


2. If you want a route from the mountains to the sea and ride on the beach, you need to visit North Wales, more precisely Snowdon where you can ride among some of the best coastal and mountain settings in the British Isles. It is optimal for both beginners and experienced riders. To explore this area, you can contact Snowdonia Riding Stables.

Trans Wales Trails

Trans Wales Trails is located in the Brecon Beacons Mountain Range, in the south of Wales. It welcomes riders from all over the world and riding here is like nothing you have experienced before.

If your experience of horseback trails until now has been to get your horse in line and stay there nose-to-tail, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how different their approach is.

The hosts and the story of their life…

A business kept in the family since 1970. Paul’s father Mike started Trans Wales Trails, just after Paul was born. They are still very much a family business with everyone lending a hand where needed. They offer a friendly greeting, log fires filled with stories, comfortable beds, legendary helpings of the best home-cooked food, and a trustworthy home-bred Welsh Cob to carry you over the hills.

• Maria Turner (originally from Bavaria, Germany) meticulously ran the guesthouse side of the business for over 40 years, and her cooking skills are legendary. Both her and Mike are attempting retirement these days, but are still very much behind the scenes, helping out.
• Michael Turner set up Trans Wales Trails in 1970 and has been busy keeping things perfectly organised ever since. He now helps out with servicing the trail rides, driving your luggage from one stop to another on the trail, and taking care of the breeding stock.
• The Trans Wales team consists of Paul and Emily, Paul’s parents Mike and Maria, and their manager Kirsty, as well as their other guides Rowena, Tresta, Beth and Marie.

What are their Welsh Cobs like?

Their horses are beautiful, fine and fit Welsh Cobs who will surprise you with their sureness of foot and superb balance. Compact, intelligent and strong, they are ideally suited to the hills and mountains that surround them.

The terrain is varied and includes open moor-land, thick forests, picturesque country lanes and narrow mountain ridges. Since these horses were raised and trained in this terrain, they are the best travel companions for you.

During your holiday here, there is plenty of opportunity for fast canters and gallops, and even the chance to jump logs and ditches, and horses will enjoy that.

Their horses are well schooled and very sociable. Riders are encouraged to build a relationship with their horse, and they can ride them at a walk, trot and gallop, as if they were long-time friends.

What are their Equestrian Tourism programs like?

They offer day rides, treks and horse riding holidays for horse riders. Different equestrian adventures through the Brecon Beacons and beyond into the heartland of Wales on their herd of fine Welsh Cobs.

Among their many options, we will now describe one of them to give you an overall idea of what they offer and how they offer it.

The Trans Wales Trail

During this holiday spent riding almost the length and breadth of Wales on native horses uniquely bred for the job, you will experience some of the most historic, beautiful and undiscovered countryside in Britain.

Please note, this is a challenge for experienced riders only. On this route, you cross from the Black Mountains to the Irish sea, over several mountain ranges, covering great distances, mostly off-road, and riders must be fit, have good stamina, and be comfortable riding at speed.

The route passes through four mountain ranges – The Black Mountains, Mynydd Epynt, the Elan Valley and over Plynlimon before a final gallop on the beach near Aberystwyth.

The route uses mostly forgotten bridle-ways, some open moorland crossings and several trails over private land. Luckily your guide Paul Turner has been riding these trails for over 20 years and knows them well.

It includes six days of intense riding, spending more than five hours per day in the saddle.

The program also includes six nights’ accommodation, all meals, five full days trail riding, and all logistic servicing – your luggage is driven on to each overnight stop meaning you don’t have to ride with bulky saddlebags.

For their other rides and if you choose the mobile or star modality, you can ride out each day and stay at their beautiful 17th century Welsh Longhouse.

Family-run here in the Brecon Beacons, they are a small and flexible business, attending to their guests’ requirements all the time.

They can offer fully-inclusive holidays to just eight people at a time in their traditional Welsh Longhouse, so that you can really kick back and not worry about a thing.

They ride all year round. So if you fancy some fresh air and want to get away from it all, then join them for a riding adventure you won’t forget. Visit them! For further information, please go to their web site https://www.transwales.com/

Snowdonia Riding Stables

Whether you are a complete beginner or a competent rider, Snowdonia Riding Stables offers you superb riding amongst some of the best mountain and coastal scenery in the British Isles.

Located in North Wales between Snowdon and the sea, they have carefully selected horses and ponies to provide a range of sizes, types and temperaments to suit riders all abilities (or none at all).

What do they offer?

They have daily rides with several trail alternatives ranging from 2-hour to full-day rides. Now, if you plan to spend a few days here, you can be sure that you won’t ride in the same path on horseback twice!

A good horse riding holiday option is the modality called mobile or star, every day you start your ride at the stables and, in the afternoon, you go back to that same place, you stay and sleep on the premises and, on the following day, you go for another different ride in the surroundings.

All rides are guided by experienced trek leaders and include instruction in the arena for novice riders and assessments for the more competent. This is to ensure the right match of horse to rider and so that the trek leaders can plan the route and pace of the ride to suit the group’s general ability.

Overall description of a typical riding day with them

Our full day mountain rides go deeper into the mountains amongst rugged and spectacular scenery. These are leisurely rides of around 5 hours into the vast tranquillity of the high mountains.

The full day mountain rides should only be booked by experienced riders.

• Guides will adjust the route and terrain difficulty to the capacity and intermediate experience of the group.
• Bear in mind that, prior to your arrival, they will ask for details about the height, weight and previous riding experience of each rider who wants to participate in their equestrian routes and trails.
• Please note they have a strict weight limit of 101 kg for horse welfare reasons.
• All rides are accompanied by experienced guides to help riders enjoy to the full the pleasure of riding good horses in spectacular scenery.
• Riding hats are provided at no extra charge and safety stirrups are fitted to the saddles.
• All their rides are adjusted in length and pace to suit riders’ ability and requirements.

Riding instruction

For all those riders that visit them, they offer riding instruction. You just have to contact them before your arrival. This service is known as friendly instruction. A very interesting experience for all levels, from beginner to expert riders of all equestrian disciplines.

They have group or private lessons for career students, competition riders, leisure riders and horse owners.

Children from the age of 5 upwards can participate too, and there is a specific program for them.

Special needs by arrangement.

What type of accommodation do they offer?

As soon as you arrive, they will inform you about the different accommodation options you have in the area near their stables. They range from caravanning areas to charming cottages and camp sites. Their two most popular choices are Plas Dinas Hotel and Hen Ysgubor Cottage.

• Plas Dinas

  An award-winning historic country house set in Snowdonia, North Wales. Formerly the home of the Armstrong-Jones family, they offer you nine individually styled bedrooms with five star comforts in historic yet relaxed surroundings in beautiful grounds as well as a charming, two bedroom self-catering cottage.

• Hen Ysgubor

  Hen Ysgubor is a beautiful modern barn conversion located on a working mountain farm on the outskirts of Betws Garmon between Beddgelert and Caernarfon. Set in an idyllic location that is perfect to explore Snowdonia’s mountains, coast and extensive award winning tourist attractions of Snowdonia.

  This property sleeps 8 people in 4 spacious bedrooms, the open plan living design offers a fantastic sociable space to entertain family and friends with kitchen, dining and lounge areas and an adjoining utility room.

For further information about them and their special offer, please go to https://www.snowdoniaridingstables.co.uk/

/ Photos: www.transwales.com y www.snowdoniaridingstables.co.uk /

Are you also passionate about the idea of travelling the world on horseback?

Argentina is a country with a long-standing tradition of horses. Exploring the country on horseback is something unique – a highly recommended experience. In our eBook "Discover Argentina, the Land of the Gaucho, on Horseback" you will find our options to enjoy Argentina on horseback.

~

THIS COULD ALSO BE INTERESTING

~

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? LEAVE A COMMENT