A horse riding holiday can put off many people who don't or can't ride - but it shouldn't be like that. Riding holidays exist to suit all levels - and while some of the most spectacular riding holidays are only accessible to seasoned riders, there are plenty of great experiences to be had by novices.

Some are residential - that's to say you stay on a farm or ranch and ride out every day - while others go on a journey, staying somewhere different every night. Whichever way you do it, and however experienced you are, a riding holiday is one that will give you an incredible experience. As a way to see the landscape and feel in tune with nature, not much can beat it - an alternative way to enjoy the great outdoors, and a good way to get closer to wildlife.

There's something primeval about riding, too. For the historically minded, horse-riding can remind us - put us in the saddle as it were - of our ancestors, for whom the horse was often the only means of transport. The three great agents for the spread of civilisation throughout the centuries (and before the invention of trains and planes) have been the written word, rivers - and horses.

Related categories: Cycling, Horse Riding, Train Journeys, Road Trips, Sailing, River Trips, Walking

Experts in Horse Riding:  Nelly Gelich,  Olwen Law,  Louisa Begg,  Edina Knight,  Fran Griffith,  Lian Hayes,  Hollie Jones,  Wendy Hofstee,  Cassie Fuller,  Rachel L. Webb

Sponsored ads