REFERENCE
pubs
accommodation
staying at a horse B&B
hunting
saddlery and feed merchants
riding schools
riding clubs
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Staying at a Horse B&B
Accommodation may need to be flexible date wise. Most providers keep horses and understand, but some may need to charge non-refundable deposits if you cannot get there. Some will give excellent advice on local riding and may ride out part of the way with you by arrangement.
Doing Horse B&B is not a major source of income for any business enterprise. It is very difficult to find places and important that they want to keep on doing it. They are not hotel chains, and are likely to provide a variety of standards in terms of accommodation and facilities. What you pay is often frankly chicken-feed compared with their other incomes and visiting horse riders can be a real pain if not dealt with properly.
If you want it easier try Exmoor where there are probably twenty times as many good places to stay with lots of vacant stables in the summer.
Pay a decent rate and they will want riders back again. Suggested fair price could be ?25 pppnight for person B&B and ?15ppnight per horse Inc feed and hay etc.
Most places are keen horse people and will welcome you, want to hear about where you are going and be very helpful but try to make it as easy as possible for you both:
If your horses don?t mix well with others or each other then tell the host beforehand and see what can be done.
NEVER TAKE A STALLION on a horse tour, we know people who have, it is just plain stupid, reckless and uncaring. If your horses have a contagious illness then postpone the trip and wait until they are better.
Before hand
Beforehand: Your plans may well change , you start off asking for three horses to stay and one can?t come etc? so do keep the venue informed and as far ahead as possible Give us much relevant info as possible ,do not be too demanding and give your mobile number for easy contact.
Find out what feed they can offer and any special requirements either way. Some may ask for current flue /inoculation certificates etc, carry them with you and show them when relevant
If you have horses with very special diets or demanding regimes then touring B&B may not be practical, stay for a week at some of the very good horse " hotels" and you can take all your pets special stuff and keep it there for the duration
Arriving
Aim to arrive early, say 4pm or at least three hours before sunset. This allows time for you to be shown the facilities and leeway if you are held up.
Walk the last mile, loosen the girth, but not too much if you have panniers on ?? and arrive with nice cool happy horses, not sweating grumpy ones. Don?t walk straight into a yard or stables; tie up outside away from other horses and go and find the owner. The resident horses may not welcome a swift intrusion into what may be the wrong part of the yard.
Try and keep your horses near each other and not split up amongst others. Take your own rugs and grooming kit. Don?t leave your stuff in the way of other riders, keep it tidily together. Find out about feeding times and feed together with the residents.
Beware of putting out your horses in paddocks next to other horses. They can all tear up and down the fence and cause damage. Sometimes better to just keep them in a stable if there is any doubt. Do check for hazards in strange paddocks, other peoples standards can vary wildly from your own. Whether to keep a head-collar on is debatable, the safety type Velcro ones are probably a solution as you want to be able to catch them later?.
Ask where the wheelbarrow and dung heap is and muck your horses out in the evening and before you go leaving the place as you found it.
Check them regularly when they have just arrived to see they settle down.
Take your own rugs, quality new type wicking sweat rugs are ideal and work under a variety of wet/dry conditions and can be carried behind the saddle. Borrowing them is asking for trouble
Do check saddle/girth area carefully, sores which can develop rapidly when you are doing more work then usual. Numna maintenance is really important, comb and wash them regularly if needed.
Leaving
Get up early, feed early (check that won?t upset other resident horses and make special arrangements if it will),breakfast early before 8am and aim to be out as early as you can you will feel righteous and have plenty of time to play with later if you need it.
If you are leaving your stuff in a locked tack room then find out about the key etc the night before so you don?t have to find your host early in the morning.
Clean out your boxes and leave the place nice, thank your hosts and lead your horse out of the yard and for the first mile as it is much kinder to them and good, different exercise for you and your valuable knees.
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