Horseback trekking, hacking holidays & pony trekking
breaks; offering day treks & hacks from a fixed base
Featured Sites
Cotswolds Riding – Washpool Equestrian Centre
based: Worcestershire, UK
Horse riding and hacks in the Cotswolds. The equestrian centre has over 50 ponies and to suit any ability level. Package deals available on short breaks that include B&B stay and horse riding combined. Accommodation available for horse and rider.
| horse/pony trekking | England |
Dunton Stables
based: West Midlands, UK
Pony trekking holidays offering gentle rides along bridal ways and through scenic marshland. Dunton Stables offers en-suite accommodation above the stables, tailored for families and equestrian groups.
| horse/pony trekking | England |
Eurocamp – Riding Holidays Featured Site
A selection of Eurocamp parcs chosen as ideal for a horse riding break, with numerous parcs with riding facilities available across Europe. Parcs listed in a variety of locations from the sunny South of France to the mountains of Switzerland.
| riding lessons | horse/pony trekking | Europe |
Grange Trekking Centre
based: Gwent, Wales, UK
Pony trekking holidays riding Welsh ponies and Cobs in the Black Mountains of South Wales. Offering full-week, part-week and weekend riding breaks suitable for both children and adults, with or without experience.
| horse/pony trekking | Wales |
Naturellement Français
based: Occitanie–Languedoc, France
visit site»
Get immersed in the French language and culture with a combination of tailor-made French courses and multi-activities. Choose the program that fits your professional and personal needs. While your French teacher accompanies you, taste French gastronomy, go hiking or horse-riding in the Mediterranean landscape, canoe on the lagoon, meet locals ...
| French language | tailor made | escorted tours | multi-activity | team building | cookery | wine | walk/trek/hike | horse/pony trekking | canoe/kayak | France |
Panorama-Trails
based: Catalonia/Barcelona, Spain
Horse riding holidays for experienced riders on the Costa Brava and through the wild beauty of the Pyrenees. Panorama-Trails well schooled Andalusian horses are in good condition and are a pleasure to ride. Ride beaches or mountains – it's the contrast which makes Catalonia so attractive for your riding holiday!
| horse trail riding | horse/pony trekking | Spain |
Pentre Stables & Accommodation
based: Powys, Wales, UK
Approved Pony Club Centre offering children's riding holiday packages. The holiday includes daily riding and treks, gymkhana games and jumping, plus lessons in horse care, stable management and safety.
| horse/pony trekking | children's courses/holidays | Wales |
Sinderhope Pony Trekking Centre
based: Northumberland, UK
Centre providing pony treks of various length for all riding levels. Ride beautiful dales and wild moorland on cobs and native-type ponies from a trekking centre on a working traditional hill farm.
| horse/pony trekking | England |
Triangle C Dude Ranch
based: Wyoming, USA
Dude Ranch offering horseback riding and ranching vacations with specialised youth, naturalist, outdoorsman and wrangler programs and scheduled daily ranch activities. Also dedicated Country Singles weeks for anyone vacationing alone.
| ranching | horse/pony trekking | singles | USA |
Fairboroughs Riding Holidays
based: Staffordshire, UK
Horse riding holidays offering accommodation for you and your horse as you explore the Peak District.
| horse/pony trekking | England |
French Riding Holidays Ltd
based: Essex, UK
Fully inclusive holiday adventure, horse riding in the beautiful French Midi Pyrenees.
| horse/pony trekking | France |
This Travel-Quest section lists pony trekking, horse trekking and hacking holidays and tours and we use these terms to refer to day rides from a fixed base that riders return to at the end of the day; rather than longer place-to-place treks where riders stay in different accommodation each night. (Please see our trail riding holidays section for this sort of trip.)
The section lists holidays offering day trekking from a fixed holiday base that's returned to each evening. Treks will usually be guided and will generally offer relaxed daily escorted rides, or hacks, on bridle paths, quiet roads and tracks, along beaches, through woodland and across countryside and moorland; mainly without instruction. We also include some unguided, self-lead horse and pony trekking where the package assists riders by providing the horses, maps, routes and other help.
What's the difference between pony trekking and hacking?
Ponies, of course, are smaller than horses and those used by pony trekking centres will tend to be strong, hardy, sure-footed animals with calm temperaments, suitable for both children and adults of any ability.
The term pony trekking tends to be used for gentle, slower and shorter treks where strong riding skills are not needed. However, that said, some more experienced riders can, and do, use ponies for longer and faster rides at times.
Hacking tends to be offered to people with more riding experience. Horses rather than ponies are used and the terrain tends to be rougher and more varied. The horses used will be faster and better schooled and are not suitable for novice riders. Hacks can be gentle relaxed rides, but can also be faster, longer trips that may call for trotting and cantering.
These definitions are not exact and are not always used in the same way by all riding centres, so check with the centre concerned if you're in any doubt.
UNITED KINGDOM: Horse and pony day activities
Why not try out pony trekking and horse riding as a day activity before committing to a longer holiday or course? A variety of options are available including: short (half-hour and hour long) lessons for any level of experience (beginner, intermediate or advanced), full-day horse riding and care experiences, adult and kids sessions, half-day beach riding, and a pony club riding experience for children.
See locations, prices & full details»
CATEGORY DEFINITION FOR TOUR OPERATORS WISHING TO BE LISTED:
The travel-quest horse/pony trekking section lists holidays, short breaks, weekends and vacations offering horseback and pony trekking day trips from a fixed holiday base.
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