Travel // The Call of the Saddle: 9 Horse Riding Holidays You’ll Be Dreaming Of

Some holidays are about switching off, slowing down and recharging your batteries. Others are about adventure, movement, and feeling utterly, wildly alive. For me, horse riding holidays sit somewhere in the middle, grounded yet free, completely connected to nature while still deeply restorative for the soul.

I’ve yet to take a full equestrian holiday, but I am working on it. Whenever we travel, if there’s a horse closeby, I will find it. I’ve fortunate to have ridden a Maharaja’s polo pony in Jodhpur (India), galloped across Lord of the Rings landscapes in New Zealand, cantered up beaches in Bali and (only slightly) panicked my way along cliff tops in Portugal. Riding is such a great way to explore, and tune into a place.

On my bucket list is a family riding holiday in Argentina, mate tea, gauchos, wide skies… I’m manifesting hard.

For now, these are the riding holidays around the world that fill my daydreams, some for families, some for adventure, some for learning, and some simply for the joy of it. Hope they inspire you to put one foot in the stirrup and mount up for your next horseback holiday adventure.

1. Portugal, Dressage at Monte Velho Equo Resort

Monte Velho is a small, family-run equo-resort set on a protected landscape of rolling Alentejo hills, the kind of place where the views make you exhale a little slower. The family originally designed the property as their own weekend retreat, and you can feel that warmth and thoughtfulness in the nine beautifully designed rooms, the quiet spa, the shared meals and the pace of the days.

Riding programs focus on dressage lessons on well-schooled Lusitanos and slow, meditative countryside trail rides through cork and oak trees. On select dates, horse-riding-focused yoga sessions with Pia Walberg are offered, helping riders soften, align and find more feeling in the saddle. The owners also shared that at the end of the day there are buffet style meals served with delicate local Portuguese wines.

2. Byron Bay Hinterland, Australia with Zephyr Horses

My Byron Bay obsession is no secret. Barefoot mornings, coastal trails, eucalyptus-scented breezes and the sound of the ocean just beyond the trees. It’s soulful, simple, sun-warmed, and very me.

Zephyr Horses is a boutique riding outfit based in the coastal woodlands of Byron Bay, offering small, personalised rides through forest tracks and along the beach. Their team focuses on gentle, thoughtful horsemanship, making the experience accessible whether you’re brand-new to riding or already confident in the saddle. They also run private lessons, mounted archery and trick-riding clinics, plus low-key options like horseback pub rides for something a bit different.

I’ve followed Zephyr Horses for years and their beach rides looks super dreamy.

Guests staying at Sun Ranch can also book private or group rides on the property, including scenic ridge-line tours. There’s an option for a quieter kind of connection too: a guided equine-assisted session designed to help guests slow down, reflect, and spend time with horses in a more mindful way.

3. Patagonia, Blanket-Wrapped Trail Riding with Catch and Release

Patagonia feels wild in the best possible way, huge skies, wetlands, condors overhead. Riders travel wrapped in wool ponchos, stopping to boil coffee on open fires. Slow adventure, big landscapes, that feeling of smallness in the best sense. I dream of this.

Catch & Release’s Wetlands Experience is wild and free-spirited: a private lodge tucked deep in the Argentine wetlands where you ride across endless open fields, splash through rivers, and even swim with your horse in warm, glassy water.

Days unfold in that delicious blur of adventure and ease, long rides with expert local guides, generous meals served at the lodge, all included, from breakfast through to dinner with wine. It’s remote, warm, abundant, a place where you wake to birdsong, ride until your cheeks ache from grinning, and end evenings on the veranda watching the sky turn every shade of pink. A true escape into nature, but with the comfort and hospitality that makes you feel instantly at home.

4. Sparta Horseback Safari, South Africa

There’s a special kind of magic at Sparta Horseback Safari, the kind woven by people who live and breathe horses, land, and hospitality. The host, Luke Barnard, is a professional horseman with national polo and dressage accolades. Alongside him is a small team of local riders, trackers, and chefs who welcome you as if you’ve arrived at a private family retreat rather than a commercial lodge. It’s intimate, deeply personal, and rooted in the rhythm of African countryside life.

Days unfold from the saddle, riding through 2,000 hectares of private, (and importantly) predator-free reserves where giraffe, zebra and antelope move quietly around you. Whether you’re a total beginner or a confident rider, you’re paired with the right safari horse, one of over 50 beautifully trained mounts (they have circa 100 horses in total), and guided across open plains, rocky ridges, and soft grasslands that make you feel like you’ve slipped into a quieter, wilder world. Afternoons might take you to a mountain-top braai, a dam-side picnic, or a game drive ending with a sundowner in hand as the sky transforms into cotton candy.

Evenings settle into luxury at the restored 1800s Rietfontein Manor House, where en-suite rooms, a private chef, firelit dinners, and generous hospitality make it feel like a sanctuary. It’s an all-inclusive experience where everything, from your rides and meals to curated adventures, is taken care of, with optional extras like clay shooting, golf, or a first taste of polo if you want to try something new. For anyone craving a luxurious, soul-stirring African escape… this is the kind of trip that stays with you.

5. Knitting & Riding Retreat at Hestaland with Kirsti Hiller in Iceland

This one stole my heart immediately. At Hestaland, the Knitting & Riding Retreat is a quietly magical week-long escape where wool and hoofbeats intertwine, under the sweep of Iceland’s midnight sun. Over seven days, you’ll split your time between gentle trail rides on Icelandic horses through the rugged countryside of the Borgarfjörður area, and intimate knitting workshops guided by Kirsti Hiller, Hestaland’s barn-manager and resident knitting guru. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned stitcher, the classes are tailored to your level. Kirsti the host specialise in the iconic lopapeysa (Icelandic sweater) tradition.

Beyond your daily lessons, the retreat invites you deeper into Iceland’s wool culture. You’ll visit a local sheep farm, explore a wool mill, and join a full-day tour of Iceland’s “Woollen Circle”, a pilgrimage for yarn lovers. There’s also time to unwind at the Krauma geothermal spa, soak in nature, and stitch & sip while watching the light shift over the farmland.

Meanwhile, in the saddle, all riding levels are welcome: you can choose between daily trail rides or lessons, and the team will match you with the right horse for your ability and comfort.

Days exploring volcanic landscapes and moss-covered hillsides, evenings spent by a fire learning to knit with Icelandic wool. I’m absolutely a beginner knitter, but joyfully so.

The retreat includes all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), with wine and beer, plus accommodation in the Hestaland guesthouse, ground transport from Reykjavík, and expert instruction on both knitting and riding. Hestaland Spaces are limited to around a dozen guests.

6. Dartmoor Riding Holidays with Bridle and Moor, England

Closer to home, but no less special. At Bridle & Moor, riding across Dartmoor feels like stepping into another world, one of wide-open skies, rolling heather and that unmistakable sense of freedom you only get when a good horse is carrying you across wild country. A thoughtful collaboration between Cheston Farm Equestrian Centre and the tranquil Old Brook Farm, where you can loan a horse from the riding centre or bring your own.

The accommodation is housed in a charming Grade II listed farmhouse at Old Brook Farm, with just three guest rooms, giving the stay an intimate, boutique feel. Bridle and Moor Rooms are furnished with antiques and vintage art, and the hospitality adds a personal touch: homemade breakfasts, fizz on the moor at sunset, and dinners in the oak-panelled drawing room.

As for the riding experience, Bridle & Moor offers both 3- and 4-day itineraries (and even bespoke options) where the first day begins with horse-matching and ends with horses traversing wild Dartmoor terrain. The pace is thoughtful and relaxed, tailored for riders who want to connect with the landscape, and with horses, in a meaningful way.

7. Blue Zone Equestrian, Costa Rica

Costa Rica keeps coming up in conversations around wellbeing and slow living. Blue Zone Equestrian offers guided rides through jungle trails and untouched beaches, surrounded by this lush landscape. Add nourishing food and restorative yoga sessions and it feels like the kind of holiday your nervous system remembers long after you return home.

Trade the ordinary for the extraordinary, a horse-lover’s dream set between beach, forest and mountains in the valley of Punta Islita, Costa Rica. Their well-cared-for herd and thoughtful guiding make the riding experiences feel personal and alive. You can wander down to the beach at low tide, canter along the sand, ride through mango forests, or climb winding hillside trails to a mountain-top view that reveals seven beaches stretching along the Nicoya Peninsula.

I also love following their instagram for a daily does of virtual sunshine and adventures with the odd horse rescue thrown in.

8. Il Paretaio, Italy

Il Paretaio is the sort of place you slip into easily, an 18th-century Tuscan farmhouse surrounded by vineyards and olive trees. Where days fall into a gentle rhythm of classical riding and slow, simple living.

Mornings are spent in the arena with well-schooled horses and thoughtful instructors; afternoons stretch into poolside naps, village wanderings, or a glass of Chianti in the shade. Evenings gather everyone around long tables for honest, home-cooked Tuscan food and unhurried conversation. It’s intimate, traditional, and quietly soulful, a place where both riders and non-riders find themselves breathing a little deeper.

Catering for riders of all levels, from total beginners to more experienced, dive into classical riding and dressage at a well-trained stable of over 30 horses (including Lusitano, Anglo-Arab, Italian sport and warmblood breeds). Whether you choose the “Beginners” or “Dressage” program, you’ll ride everyday (1–2 hours), either honing basics or working through classical flatwork under knowledgeable instructors.

9. Los Alamos, Spain

At Los Alamos you get to lose yourself in the wild beauty of southern Andalucía: riding every morning across fragrant umbrella-pine forest, ancient drover’s tracks and along long, empty Atlantic beaches. The riding week mixes forest canters, beach gallops (when tide and licence allow), climbs up cliffs where the coast of Morocco is visible on a clear day, and scenic countryside rides. All guided by friendly, experienced English-speaking staff who know the landscape like the back of their hand.

You’ll be greeted by horses that are good natured, well trained… forward going Andalucian PRE or Andalucian cross Arab with great breaks and big hearts, from intermediate to very experienced. Each guest has an en-suite room with a double bed, a calm and comfortable place to settle after a day in the saddle, ideal for solo travellers as well as pairs. Meals are relaxed and plentiful, shared around the table: breakfast to set you up for the ride, lunch wherever the horses take you, and sociable evening dinners full of good food, conversation and that happy, sun-tired feeling.

Whether you crave the thrill of open-air gallops through forest shadows and across beach sand, or the slow rhythms of Andalusian countryside and pine-scented rides under golden light, Los Alamos offers both. You ride hard, then unwind by the pool or lounge in the finca with other riders, in a warm, relaxed atmosphere that feels like a welcoming home away from home.

Summary

I love the idea of travel that’s about connection to a place, to nature, to your body and to the moment you’re in. Horses have a way of slowing everything down and making you present in the most beautiful way.

So one of these days, whether it’s Tuscany, Dartmoor or Patagonia, I’ll be booking a saddle-filled escape. Maybe this year. Maybe next. But definitely soon.

And if you’ve ever been on a riding holiday (or you’re dreaming of one too), please tell me everything. I’m all ears… and already halfway packed.

A quick note: I haven’t personally visited any of the places mentioned above, nor do I have any affiliation with them. Everything here is based purely on my own research and impressions. If something catches your eye, it’s always worth doing your own digging, websites, reviews, social media, recent photos, to make sure it aligns with what you’re looking for. And because every rider (and every horse!) is different, double-check that your riding experience matches the level and terrain of the location. When in doubt, reach out to the host directly, a quick conversation can make all the difference.