Equestrian Venues in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is one of the great riding counties, simply because of the country it contains. The Dales and the North York Moors give hill, moor and valley riding on a scale few English counties can match, and Middleham, tucked into the Dales, is a major racehorse training centre with gallops on the moor. Saddl lists 16 venues, 6 BHS-approved. The riding here is about getting out, hacking and trail across heather moor, dales pasture and forestry, often on hardy types suited to the ground and the weather. There are riding schools near the towns, and the racing world around Middleham adds a particular character, but the pull is the landscape. The going can be heavy in the dale bottoms and exposed on the tops, so a steady, sure-footed horse earns its keep. Distances are real in a county this size. For visitors, the area is excellent for a riding holiday, with trail and residential options. For riders based here, the combination of moor, dale and racing heritage within a short drive is the kind of thing that keeps people in the saddle for life.