To soak up the beautiful Yorkshire coast on horseback, head to Farsyde Farm Cottages in Robin Hood’s Bay, where you’ll be taken out in small groups with the B&B owners. While beginners take a gentle walk along the former Scarborough to Whitby rail path, experienced riders can explore the beach, which makes this one of the coolest horse riding experiences in the region.
Kilnsey Trekking and Riding Centre
Set in Wharfedale Valley, the family-run Kilnsey Trekking and Riding Centre offers five different routes for an unforgettable horse riding day out. If you’re a beginner, you can choose from three different treks and the least experienced rider will set the pace in groups of up to 6 people. Will it be a gentle meander along the River Wharfe or a trek through the North Yorkshire Dales? If you can hold your position in canter, go for their advanced rides, which last up to 90 minutes and will see you explore either Kilnsey Crag or the grykes above Conistone village.
Riding centres
Whether you want to get to grips with the basics or sharpen up your skills, these riding centres will do just the trick.
Back Lane Stables
The family-run Back 
Lane Stables offers a varied horse riding programme for all abilities. They have two flood-lit outdoor arenas, with one that stretches to 60 metres, so you can make the most of a sizeable training space any time of day. But that’s not all. Experienced riders can use a full set of show-jumps and dressage markers to train for competitions. If it’s been a while since you took the reins, you can do a dedicated session that eases people back into the sport. Ever had a go at side saddle riding? It’s one of the only places in Yorkshire to offer specialist training with award-winning professionals.
Back Lane Stables, Back Lane, Farnley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS12 5HH. Private lessons and hacks start from ?35 for 40 minutes.
Cliffhollins Riding School
Cliffhollins is a family-run riding school. At the moment they’re open to experienced riders only, so if you can walk, trot and canter, you can book onto a lesson with their experienced instructors. Just six people make up their intimate group lessons, so you won’t fall into the background, but if you prefer an even more personal experience, they do private lessons too. Better still, they do hacks every day of the week. You can take a gentle 30 minute hack out towards East Bierley duck pond or go for a canter out to Black Carr Woods and Oakwell Hall.
Cliffhollins, Cliffhollins Lane, East Bierley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 6RQ. Private lessons start from ?35, group lessons start from ?15 and hacks start from ?30.
Yorkshire Riding Centre
Yorkshire Riding Centre have 50 years of horse training under their belts. Although they’re based in the small village of Markington, you’ll have over 30 acres of countryside at your disposal. They have two generously sized indoor arenas, but that barely scratches the surface. They have an international sized outdoor dressage arena, outdoor jumping arena, a canter track and a selection of cross country fences, so they’re kitted out for virtually every horse riding discipline. It’s so well equipped that it attracts students from all over the world, which makes them one of the best in Yorkshire.
Yorkshire Riding Centre, Markington, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 3PE. Private lessons start from ?40 and group lessons start from ?25.
Think Like a Pony
Think Like A Pony is a child-centric riding school with a variety of schemes to develop horsemanship from a young age. Riders will get one-to-one lessons before they’re confident enough to join small groups of two or three riders. But lessons don’t just focus on horse riding, you’ll learn how to communicate with the horses and understand their behaviours, which in turn will improve your performance. They’re also one of the only places in Yorkshire that offer a youth development programme for vulnerable children.