28th January 2026
how to choose the right riding holiday
(even if you’re not ready to book yet)
One of the most important things to do first when deciding on how to choose the right riding holiday is to work out your budget. There’s not much point in browsing through holidays £3000 over your budget if you’re seriously looking into booking (there’s definitely a time and a place for this though when you’re doing some daydreaming).
Make sure when deciding your budget that you’re considering the cost of flights, accommodation outside of the trip if necessary, travel insurance and a visa if needed.
Once you’ve figured out your budget and narrowed down the pool of holidays, it’s time to consider your ability.
Work out your budget
The next important thing to consider is your riding ability. Again this will help you narrow down the pool of holidays that are accessible to you and keep your browsing realistic.
We can’t emphasise enough how important it is to be completely honest at this stage. This is not only for your safety because if you’ve signed yourself up to a trip beyond your ability, it puts you more at risk of an accident, but it’s also for the safety of riders around you. Beyond safety concerns, it’s enjoyment that needs to be considered. You will find a ride pointedly less enjoyable if your skills up to scratch and again you affect those around you as the ride can only go as fast as the slowest rider. You also run the risk of being grounded and sent home early by the operator without a refund if they deem your ability unsuitable.
If you need some help discerning your ability, see our ‘how to judge your riding ability’ blog post here.
Generally, the quicker and more off grid the ride is, the higher your riding ability needs to be.
assess your riding ability
Consider what you want to get out of the holiday
The next important thing to think about is what you want to get out of the holiday. Each riding holiday will feature a different experience, both with the riding itself and things like food & accommodation. If you’re focused more on the riding and views, but care less about ‘nice’ or ‘luxury’ accommodation, Iceland would be a great option, especially if you want to ride with loose horses. However if comfort and accommodation is more important to you, choosing a ride in France or Spain where you stay in charming hotels may be a better option.
What time of year do you want to go?
The next thing to consider is what time of year you want to go. This might be reliant on when you can get time off work, what weather you can manage, flight prices and more.
If you’re looking to go in the spring, summer and early autumn, you’ll find lots of great rides in Europe such as Spain, France and Wales. If you’re thinking of going in winter (northern hemisphere), places such as Africa and South America are great as they head into summer.
If you’re finding browsing or choosing difficult…
Reach out to us! That’s what we’re here for.
We enjoy nothing more than helping riders plan their dream riding holiday and understand how stressful it can become. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by choice or confused on what the best option would be for you, drop us an email at rides@wildmanetravel.com.
NOT SURE WHERE TO GO or need some help?
Drop us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can🐎🌅