Hawkchurch riders head for Blackdown Hills

Horse Trails & Horse Tails

By Charlie Barrett

You may commonly see horse riders haring across the countryside in red jackets, or perhaps urging their steeds over coloured poles or leading a gleaming pony around a show ring. However, there's another kind of rider out there, one more likely to be sporting a map case and compass. Their equine friend will by carrying its rider, food and water. These are trail riders, horsewomen and men who love to explore their world on horseback, enjoying the trusting relationship which builds up between horse and rider over the miles they travel.

People have been doing this for years, but it's been getting harder, with the increase in traffic, bridlepath closures and the demise of green lanes. To counter these difficulties, an increasing number of riders are determined to use designated routes to keep them open. One man who has been particularly active in the South West is John Presgrave at the Phoenix Project. John is an inspiring volunteer who has worked tirelessly to create five superb new circular rides in the Blackdown Hills.


These adjoin one another, around the areas of MemburyDalwood, Stockland, Luppit, Upottery, Dunkeswell and Sheldon. The routes vary from nine to twenty
miles and are available from http://www.blackdown-hills.net/horse-riding.html

Five riders from the Three Counties Bridlepath Group
(www.3cbg.org.uk) recently explored
Route 3 over two days starting from Hawkchurch.
Our aim was to take plenty of time to enjoy the ride,
including an overnight farm stay near Stockland.
We also wanted to provide feedback to John,
on the route overall and clarity of directions.

We were a motley crew, with the horses ranging from an Icelandic horse to an enormous Welsh Section D. From Hawkchurch we rode to join the official route near Furley Cross and Smallridge, passing The Ridgeway Inn. We stopped for a welcome - though perhaps not yet well earned - drink and lunch. Afterwards we travelled North then West, mainly off-road. Much of the ride traverses stunning green fields, and there are a couple of very pretty shallow rivers and fords to cross, which afford the horses sufficient watering opportunities.

One of the wonderful things about the journey was trekking the whole route at a walk since we had a nervous rider with us, which meant we could really enjoy the views, and each other's company. The views are one of the real treats of the route; it's very ‘up hill and down dale' overall, but much of it is elevated, traversing the area's hilltops and ridges.

We stayed overnight at Goran Farm, a beautiful organic wildflower farm near Stockland. Kate and Julian welcomed us to their wonderfully warm (and not a little eccentric!) farmhouse, where time seems to have stood still. The accommodation is basic but perfectly adequate, and they hope to open a camping barn for walkers and riders in the near future. As evening fell we made for The Tucker's Arms at Dalwood. The food was fantastic and the welcome especially warm and inviting. We had planned an early night, but were waylaid on our return to the farm by Julian and his infamous cider shed! There we sat on ancient armchairs in the equally ancient shed, were treated to glasses of a magnificent cloudy brew and regaled with tales of the farm and its inhabitants over the years - now there's a novel of fantastic proportions, just waiting to be written!

Awaking early the next morning, ever so slightly groggily, we congregated in the kitchen. This is invariably crowded with family, including
two small children and a friendly relative of Julian's
who has lived at the farm for ever and a day with a vast number of cats. Bacon, eggs and lots of fresh coffee prepared us for the day, and off we set, heading for Millhayes, then across the small River Corry. Having ambled for much of the day our pace was noticeably quickened towards lunchtime by the lure of our third and final pub destination, The George Inn at Chardstock. Here we were welcomed warmly by the staff and with positive joy by a nearby resident, whose initially alarming request, "can I take advantage of you?" turned out to be less bizarre than it sounded, as he snapped away with his camera, explaining that
we were the first people with horses he'd seen
at the pub in many years.

Tightening the horses' girths one last time, our own having expanded considerably thanks to the pub's deliciously indulgent puddings, our forgiving mounts carried us home via the river at Buddlewall to dip tired hooves and toes in the cooling water. Tired but happy and full of the joys of achievement and adventure, we vowed to explore more of the wonders on our doorstep, accompanied by another of John's excellent route plans.

THE END

Looking for a Horse Riding Holiday in North Wales?

If you're thinking of a horse riding holiday why not visit Horse Riding Holidays in North Wales