Where you can ride
The New Forest is one of the few places in England where you can ride across open access land rather than keeping to marked bridleways. Much of the open Forest, the heath and the lawns, is open to riders under the Forest by-laws, which means miles of gravel tracks, open heather and ancient woodland to ride through rather than around. It is some of the most accessible off-road riding in southern England, and a large part of why people travel here to ride.
The famous New Forest ponies roam loose across all of it. They belong to the commoners who graze them, so they are not wild in the strict sense, but they are not pets either. Keep your distance, never feed them, and give mares with foals a wide berth, particularly in spring.
Riding without your own horse
You do not need your own horse to ride here. Several stables around the Forest run accompanied hacks and treks out onto the heath, which is the easiest way in for visitors and a gentle introduction for families and beginners. Rides are usually matched to ability, often on steady, Forest-wise horses that know the ground. Book ahead in the school holidays and over summer weekends, when the popular yards fill quickly.
You will find centres clustered around Brockenhurst, Burley, Beaulieu and Lyndhurst. You can see riding schools and trekking centres across Hampshire on Saddl, or search for hacking yards near you.
Bringing your own horse
If you are riding your own, the Forest rewards a sure-footed horse that is happy with open space, loose ponies and the occasional cyclist or walker. Ground varies a lot: dry and fast on the gravel tracks in summer, soft and boggy in low-lying areas after rain. Stick to firmer going if you are not sure, and carry a map, because the open heath looks similar in every direction once you are off the main tracks.
When to go
The Forest rides well most of the year. Spring and early summer are at their best, with the heath greening up and the foals out. Autumn brings firm ground and colour. Winter is quieter but wetter underfoot, so expect heavier going. Whatever the season, the New Forest gives you something rare in England: room to ride out properly, for hours, without a road in sight.