We GUARANTEE you won't find the same horse riding holiday at a lower price through any other source... and if you do, we promise to refund the difference!
from £1,650 or €1,905
Explore the fantastic riding and scenery of Dartmoor, 4-5 hrs in the saddle, an 8-day, 7-night, progressive ride stopping at different B&B’s and hotels each night.
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2023 Prices
2023 Dates
13 – 20 May
24 June – 1 July – Fully Booked
12 – 19 August (visit Chagford Show)
8 – 15 September (visit Widecombe fair) – Fully Booked
Note: Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our ‘Terms & Conditions’ for full details.
Included – All your riding, guides, accommodation, breakfast, lunches & luggage transfer.
Excluded – Dinners, drinks at pubs and tips.
Getting There
Drive or you could fly into Bristol airport.
Transfer
If driving to Meldon Farm is not an option, there are plenty of other ways to get there, please see suggestions below.
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
This is a 7-night ride crossing Dartmoor, riding 15 – 20 miles each day stopping at fabulous moorland Hotels and local farmhouse B&B’s. You will be guided by your host Phil Heard, owner of Meldon Farm through some of the most spectacular riding anywhere in the UK, stopping en-route for either a packed lunch or lunch at one of many welcoming moorland pubs. Each week will include a day out of the saddle to visit a local attraction or a local agricultural and equine show. While riding you can expect to see incredible scenery, ride past prehistoric settlements, wonder at neolithic stone circles, ancient tin mines, enjoy beautiful forestry as well as Dartmoor’s natural beauty.
Phil and Mandi have been welcoming clients to their farm for many years and in addition to this unique Dartmoor Crossing, also offer unique Cattle Drives with their own herd of cows and general riding stays, offering glorious long days ride across Dartmoor.
Philip & 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.
This crossing is a unique way to fully experience and appreciate what the Dartmoor has to offer.
Dartmoor Crossing: Horses – A mix of Thoroughbreds & Quarter horses.
Dartmoor Crossing: Level of Riding & Pace – Intermediate plus riders only, must be able to ride forward going horses under control in open countryside.
Tack – Each horse can be ridden either in a Western or English saddle, it’s your choice on how you want to ride.
Dartmoor Crossing: Weight Restriction – 15 stone / 210 lbs / 95 kg.
Dartmoor Crossing: Group Size – Maximum 8
It is a mix of local inns and farm B&B’s, all chosen for their location, charm and warm welcome.
Horse Riding Holidays like our Cattle Herding Farm holiday are part of the Zara’s Planet collection of Horse Riding Holidays UK.
Please Ask About
Cattle Drives, Short Breaks and general riding stays in Dartmoor with Phil & Mandi.
Phil & Mandi also rent out a holiday cottage which is in Sennen Cove, Cornwall. It has spectacular views across the harbour and is recently refurbished to a high standard, think white walls, light blue soft furnishings and a wood burning stove. It’s a great option if you want to have a combination holiday of activity in Dartmoor followed by chilling out by the sea! It’s 90 miles from the farm and takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach.
Day 1
Arrive in late afternoon and check-in at the Castle Inn, Lydford or another similar local inn.
Day 2
Trail ride from Meldon, about 4 hrs to ease into your horse and terrain. Dinner & overnight at the same Inn.
Day 3
A beautiful day ride across Dartmoor to the Two Bridges Hotel at the heart of the Dartmoor national park and set perched on the West Dart river. Dinner & overnight.
Day 4
Another beautiful day ride on to Drywell Farm, near Widecombe, a local farm B&B.
Day 5
(May & July) Trail ride from Drywell Farm, 4 – 5 hrs overnight at Drywell again.
(Aug) Ride on to Chagford
(Sept) Visit to Widecombe Fair
Day 6
(May, July & Sept) Ride on to Chagford with dinner and overnight at the Three Crowns Hotel.
(Aug) Ride around the Dartmoor area of Chagford
Day 7
Our last ride home to Meldon, a farewell dinner and overnight at a local Inn.
Day 8
Breakfast & departure.
Zara’s Planet Horse Riding Holidays Guarantee:
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
We have travelled the world testing a huge variety of horse riding holidays to make sure we offer you, our client, the best horse riding holiday experience possible.
Our horse riding holidays are thoroughly researched – we consider all the elements that go towards making our horse riding holidays collection the best in the world. We check the quality of the horses, if they are fit for the job, well produced and looked after. We make sure the riding terrain is good going, the countryside is interesting and, for example, on Classic Dressage horse riding holidays, the arenas are in good condition. We make sure the accommodation, whether it’s a five star hotel, a farmhouse or camping, is clean and comfortable, and offers a great night’s sleep. The food is all important too – we take the time to make sure we tell you if it’s cordon bleu, home cooked, or regional and locally sourced – above all it has to be delicious, plentiful and nourishing. Last but not least, we choose the horse riding holidays that have the best hosts, who are friendly, warm and welcoming.
It’s only when all these elements come together that we add a horse riding holiday into our hand-picked collection of horse riding holidays.
If you are having trouble finding exactly the right horse riding holiday for you from our horse riding holidays collection, please contact us directly using the form below and tell us in your own words what you would like to do and we will use our extensive knowledge to make sure we find that perfect horse riding holiday.
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