Horse Riding in Yorkshire

The three options here split into two kinds. Two are trekking centres where a family with no experience can turn up and ride out across open country. The third is a working farm with a cross-country course and camping, aimed at families who already own horses.

For beginners, the choice is between Boltby Trekking Centre near Thirsk and Kilnsey Trekking & Riding Centre near Skipton. Boltby takes children from five and reviewers repeatedly praise Sheila and her team for settling nervous first-timers, adults included. Horses are matched to ability from the outset, hats are provided, and the two-hour trek is the one families recommend if you want trots and canters. Kilnsey starts a year younger, at four, and its treks follow quiet riverside fields beneath Kilnsey Crag, where reviewers say wildlife sightings are common. It also runs birthday rides and offers Pony Club badges, which gives a child a reason to come back. One review describes a 50-year-old first-timer and a seven-year-old sharing the same outing, so it suits mixed-age groups.

Craven Country Ride in Skipton is a different proposition. It is a farm camping stay with a cross-country course that reviewers say caters for novice ponies and competition horses alike, with hard standing pitches and electric hook-ups. The owner provides dog walk lists, a small thing families with dogs appreciate.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park describes the Dales trekking centres as suitable for everyone from complete novices to experienced hackers, names Kilnsey among them, and notes over 900 kilometres of bridleways and green lanes in the area. It also warns that weather changes quickly, so pack waterproofs and sun protection.