Price
2026
3-night itinerary
Sold out for 2026, please get in touch to get added on the waitlist for 2027.
6-night itinerary
£2,350 per person sharing
Dates & Prices
UNITED KINGDOM
Dartmoor Cattle Drives
Overview
Ever fancied a spot of cattle herding but don’t fancy trekking all the way to the states – here’s the perfect solution – visit family-owned Cattle Meldon Cattle Farm in Dartmoor which is run by husband and wife team, Philip and Mandi Heard and the only place to offer, genuine cattle driving in the UK.
This Dartmoor Workhands riding holiday is such a unique experience and the only one of its kind currently in the UK. Philip and Mandi keep beef cows and sheep, plus a few ponies, which graze the farm and commons of Dartmoor where they have thousands of acres to roam over. Many towns or parishes have their own part of the moor called a common; many farms in the parish have common grazing rights attached to the land. Meldon Farm has rights to graze cattle, sheep and ponies.
The farm runs two herds of cattle. The first are Limousin x Friesian cows put to a Charolais bull and make use of the more fertile low-lying land around the farm and produce fast-growing high-quality cattle, very popular with local cattle buyers and the second are Welsh Black Cattle. These are a docile hill breed that are excellent mothers and make good use of the poorer moorland grazing and these are the cattle that guests help to move at certain points of the year, like taking them out of their winter housing to their first pasture of the season.
It’s a great way to see Dartmoor and get involved with a real working farm, plus all the horses have either an English or a Western saddle, so you really can get to feel like a proper cowboy for the week! Apart from herding the cattle, there’s also some lovely riding out, lasso lessons, natural horsemanship demonstrations and a variety of other things to occupy guests depending on the time of year.
Location
Okehampton, England
Airport
Bristol
Duration
3 or 6 nights
When to go
May-June, August-September
Riding level
Intermediate Plus to Advanced
Weight
95 kg / 15 stone / 209 lbs
Group size
8 max
Accommodation
Inn or shepherds huts
Included
All your riding, guides, accommodation, breakfast and lunches either at the Inn, at Phil and Mandi’s farmhouse or local pubs en route, excluding the shepherd hut self-catering option.
Extras
£2,700 single room
£2,700 shepherd hut self catering
Excluded
Dinners (the Inn does great pub food, or you might want to visit other restaurants in the area), drinks at pubs and tips.
Price guarantee
All our riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book with us and will refund the difference should you find the same riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
Exchange rate
Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our Terms and Conditions for full details.
Transfers
If driving to Meldon Farm is not an option, there are plenty of other ways to get there, please see suggestions below.
Exeter Airport
The best and most sustainable way from here is by train to Okehampton. The trains run every hour from 07.00 to 22.00. Okehampton Station is only 10 minutes from Meldon Farm. The train fare from Exeter to Okehampton is only £4 one way (£8 return) and the transfer rate from/to Okehampton station is £10 one way, (£20 return) per booking.
We can also pick you up, it’s £75 each way per car and about an hour’s transfer time to Meldon Farm.
Bristol airport
The next closest airport and has more airlines serving it as a destination. Transfer time is 2 hours, and we advise hiring a car.
We can also arrange a private transfer please ask for latest price.
Departure dates
2026
3 - 9 May (Includes a 7 hour cattle drive)
14 - 20 June
2 - 8 August
13 - 19 September (Includes a 7 hour cattle drive)
Riding & Itinerary
Autumn Cattle Clearance – Here’s an idea of what you might experience day to day on a horse-riding holiday here at Meldon Farm.
Day 1
Arrive at Meldon in afternoon, meet family and ride leaders, meet horses and ride out for assessment and horse suitability. Check in at accommodation in evening, where guests can use the hotel restaurant for their evening meal (not included).
Day 2
Pick up at 9.30am after breakfast and off to Meldon around 10.00, mount up around 10:30, head off across Sourton & Bridestowe common checking the cattle, on past the old ice works, along the peat works tramway, across Southerly Down arriving at the Fox & Hounds Inn for lunch, where the horses are tied up outside. Home via Nodden, Sourton Tor across Prewley Moor to arrive home at approx. 4:30 for afternoon tea and home-made cakes, back to hotel around 6.00.
Day 3
After breakfast we head off to round up a small bunch of cattle on Sourton Common and return them to Meldon Farm for the winter.
Day 4
After Breakfast we head out again for a bigger bunch of cattle, returning them to Meldon Farm, where they are sorted and housed for the winter.
Day 5
After breakfast we head out again looking for any strays, taking lunch at another local Inn on the way, returning to Meldon around 4.30pm.
Day 6
After breakfast we check the cows then head over to the ‘Tors Inn’ at Belstone via Black Down, West Mill, New Bridge, Winter Tor and Belstone Tor for lunch. We come home via Watchet Hill Scarey Tor Culliver steps, Halstock Down and Granulite Quarry arriving back around 5.00pm.
Day 7
Check out of hotel accommodation, then a short ride to say farewells leaving Meldon around 4.00pm.
Itinerary is not fixed and likely to alter on a daily basis depending on weather conditions and work being done at Meldon.
Horses
Thoroughbreds & Quarter horses
Riding level
Intermediate Plus to Advanced
Type of riding
Each horse can be ridden either Western or English, it’s your choice on how you want to ride.
Tack
English or Western
Weight limit
95 kg / 15 stone / 209 lbs
Group size
8 max
Accommodation & Meals
Phil and Mandi use a lovely, old-style Inn just 10 minutes down the road from the farm and they come and collect you in the morning and take you back at the end of the day. The Inn is run by Sue and her husband, he works as the chef in the downstairs pub and restaurant. Sue will take great care of you, and you can look forward to lovely big rooms, comfy beds, fluffy towels in the bathroom and a full cooked breakfast each morning.
Afternoon lunches are either at the farmhouse or at a local pub en route and this is also the same for evening meals. Phil and Mandi will also host barbeque evenings at the farm, with scrummy sausages and burgers all locally produced, washed down with the local beer and cider, with some country music playing the background and the chance to practice the art of lassoing!
And a new addition to the accommodation option is 2 Shepherd Huts, which are self-catering and on site at the Farm. Each are very cosy, one has a double bed, the other two singles, (linen provided) each has a wood-burning stove (wood provided) table and chairs and seating. Outside there is a fire-pit with utensils etc for open air cooking. Guests staying in the huts also have use of the guest lodge with kitchen/diner and bathroom facilities.
Accommodation
Inn or shepherds huts
Single Supplement
Single supplement applies.
Meals
Dinners not included
Drinks
Drinks at pubs payable
The Destination
Dartmoor is known for the Dartmoor National Park, the largest and wildest open moorland in Southern England, characterized by its dramatic granite tors, expansive heather-clad moors, and deep, ancient wooded valleys. It is a designated 368-square-mile area offering a profound sense of remoteness, dark night skies, and rare wildlife.
The Dartmoor area, distinct from the designated National Park, is characterized by its exceptionally dense concentration of prehistoric and medieval archaeology, including Stone Age, Bronze Age remains, and ancient clapper bridges.
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