Is horse riding safe?
Horse riding is not free of risk, and the honest version is reassuring enough.
Horse riding is not free of risk, and nobody should pretend otherwise. It happens outdoors, on a large living animal with opinions of its own. What makes it a sensible thing to do on holiday is that the predictable risks are managed: a helmet for every rider, horses matched to riders by staff rather than chosen at random, a briefing before anyone mounts, a walking pace on the woodland stretch, and a guide riding with the group throughout.
What the riding centre does
- A helmet for every rider, and we ask every rider to wear it.
- Horses matched to riders by the staff, on build and confidence, not handed out in the order people arrive.
- A briefing before anyone mounts — sit, steer, stop, and what to do when the horse in front stops.
- A walk on the woodland stretch. Anything faster is offered at the guide's discretion and never imposed.
- A guide riding with the group, from the first step to the last.
- Weather and ground judged on the day, with the route changed or the ride moved when they call for it.
What you can do
- Say you are nervous. It changes which horse you get, and that is the largest single factor in how the hour goes.
- Wear the helmet properly and say something if it moves.
- Long trousers and closed shoes. Both are on this site for safety reasons, not tidiness ones.
- Do what the guide says, immediately, the first time. Most incidents on rides like this come from someone doing their own thing.
- Do not walk behind a horse close enough to be kicked, and speak as you pass one so it knows you are there.
- Please do not drink before riding. It is advice, and it is good advice.
Who should not ride
Pregnancy rules the ride out, and so does serious trouble with a back or with getting about. Those are the riding centre's own limits, and they are on its record rather than ours.
If you are unsure whether a condition of yours counts, tell us when you book rather than on the day. We would far rather check in advance than have the conversation in a car park.
What about a weight limit?
The riding centre's own guidance is a recommended maximum of around 100–110 kg. It is advice, not a door policy: the staff match every rider to a horse on the day, and that is where suitability is actually settled. If you are near the band or above it, say so when you book and we will ask the centre before you travel rather than leave it to the morning.
Suitability is judged by the staff on the day against the horses actually available. If you would like it checked before you travel, say so when you book and we will ask.
Ready to ride?
The standard hour has a price and a calendar. Sunset, sunrise and private rides are arranged with the riding centre.
Book horse riding