Riding Holidays

"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle"
Winston Churchill

"I've often said there's nothing better for the inside
of a man than the outside of a horse"
Ronald Reagan

Riding Holidays on the Isle of Wight

At the Island Riding Centre we offer horse riding weekends and midweek short riding breaks with guests able to stay in our luxury self-catering accommodation and enjoy the equestrian centre facilities on site and amazing beach and trail rides off site.

With a milder climate and more sunshine hours than most other parts of the UK has made the Isle of Wight a popular destination for holidays and short breaks. Add in hundreds of miles of off-road bridleways, spectacular landscapes and dozens of sandy beaches the Isle of Wight is the perfect destination for a UK horse riding holiday and our 60m x 25m indoor arena with wax fibre surface guarantees riding whatever the weather.

Our equestrian holiday packages are flexible to suit riders of any ability from complete beginners to novices and advanced riders with a choice of on-site riding lessons, including tuition in dressage and show jumping. A safe on-site trail ride is available for riders of any age or beach and trail rides which can be guided or self-guided for guests bringing their own horse or choosing to hire one of our horses. See below for details of what the riding holidays include.

3 Day Riding Holiday:

Prices from £399 per person*
(*Based on 4 people sharing a 3 bedroom cottage)

See the full itinerary

4 Day Riding Holiday:

Prices from £499 per person*
(*Based on 4 people sharing a 3 bedroom cottage)

See the full itinerary

Beach Riding on the Isle of Wight

Beach rides are a ‘bucket list’ must if you ride and provide spectacular photo opportunities. Being centrally located on the Island, there is a good choice of different beach rides within easy reach of the riding centre. Trips to the beach are organised around tide times and include Ryde, Yaverland, Yarmouth and Bembridge beaches.

44672329_2183903825202489_6923516688793075712_n

Trail Rides on the Isle of Wight

Large parts of the Island are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and what better way to see it than from horseback. Our trail rides are a great way to explore the Isle of Wight and make friends within a group ride. Riders of any ability can participate with experienced guides on hand and safe horses happy to follow the rest of the group. For the more experienced riders, we are happy to provide bridleway maps allowing you to choose your own rides.

Bring Your Own Horse

The Isle of Wight is easily accessible for horse boxes and lorries (with special ferry travel rates available) and we are happy to provide DIY, part or full livery for the duration of your stay, so why not give your horse a holiday too!

Learn to Ride

Our horse riding holidays will give beginners and novices the chance to learn to ride and develop their skills in a relaxed, friendly environment with lessons from our qualified instructors on horses and ponies that will be matched to the riders’ ability.

Riding Lessons

Following an initial assessment, our instructors will tailor lessons to suit your goals which can include dressage and show jumping tuition or developing your confidence in the saddle. Our ABRS approved riding school on the Isle of Wight is staffed by our team of experienced and qualified instructors. We are a fully insured riding school and our staff are first aid trained and DBS checked. We offer riding for visitors with physical limitations too and cater for all ages and skill levels.

As an RDA accessible kite mark centre, we have accessible riding facilities, a Changing Places WC and qualified instructors on site too.

Accommodation

Our luxury self-catering accommodation can cater for between 2 and 12 guests at a time so groups, families and individual riders are all welcome. Some of our cottages have been purpose built to cater for disabled guests, with downstairs bedrooms and wet-rooms suitable for wheelchair users.

Guests can enjoy a continental breakfast in their accommodation or the occasional cooked breakfast when out on an early morning beach ride. In the evenings we have a selection of local eateries close by or why not enjoy a beachfront cocktail or cosy country pub around the Island. For larger groups we can organise onsite catering from our ‘horsebox’ café and marquees are available to hire if booked well in advance.

The Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight has lots of activities for non-riders too including golf, cycling, walking, sailing, clay pigeon shooting, go-karting, paragliding and various water sports. Visitor attractions start right next door at Monkey Haven or a short walk to Butterfly World. A short drive takes you to Robin Hill, Blackgang Chine, Carisbrooke Castle, Osborne House, Godshill Model Village, The Needles Landmark Attraction, Isle of Wight Zoo, Amazon World. The list goes on… Why not try the Isle of Wight Steam Railway or even go on a dinosaur hunt……OR just relax on one of the award winning beaches.

For our wheelchair users and those with limited mobility, read our blog post on exploring the accessible Isle of Wight.

Facilities

Opened in 2017 our riding facilities include an unrivalled 60m x 25m indoor riding arena with fibre wax surface ideal for year round all-weather horse riding; a 60m x 40m outdoor fibre wax sand school; and an on-site off-road hacking track. There is a luxury livery yard with wash-down area and solarium, an automated horse-walker, vending café, classroom (for private hire and parties) and the brilliant Froghill tack shop for all your clothing and equipment needs. A restaurant and bar will be opening by the end of 2019.

So give a UK riding holiday a go and explore the Isle of Wight from horseback!