Trail riding might be outlined a more sophisticated type of trekking, for more advanced ridiers, though the distinction is a little blurred dependent on local use of the term, and in which country you are situated.

The Welsh Tourist Board sum it up as being for those able to ride at sustained speeds for long distances over rough country.

The standard of riding holidays and horses used in the English Isles is often high. You can ride just about anywhere, according to local non-public property limitations and the dictates of the terrain. Scotland is superbly suited both to trail riding AKA post trekking in addition to easy trekking.

Either way there's very little road work concerned and the difficult Highland ponies used make great companions. Many centers are accepted by the Scottish Council for Sport and a catalogue of these, together with others, is available from the Scottish Tourist Board.

In England, there's particularly fine riding in Northumbria, Cumbria and Yorkshire, with much excellent scenery. These regions are sometimes not commercialized, those offering riding don't frequently advertise, so stables need to be tracked down by asking your host when you arrive for your vacation.

The reward for making enquiries has a tendency to be trekking smaller groups, potentially made up of more experienced riders.

In the warmer English West Country, there's unlimited riding country among the high tors of Devon, or the wild moors of Cornwall.

The more light country of the New Forest in the South of England, together with its wild ponies and deer, offers a good vacation setting, as also does the South Downs Way in Sussex.

One of the most important booms in trekking has been in Wales and the Pony Trekking Society of Wales has produced a book on authorized centers. Some of the larger ones, eg Rhayader and Tregaron, can be a bit overpowering with the large number of ponies and riders, a high proportion of the second being newbs.

This is applicable to some Scottish centers, too, so decide on one that fits your capability and personality. The British Horse Society book, or that of the Association of UK Riding Schools are handy publications to consult for instructional vacations.

Also useful, is the list of trekking and riding vacation centers accepted by the Pony Club of Britain. In Northern Ireland there are countless hunts along with trekking and riding around Rostrevor in the mountains of Mourne in County Down. Sea, forest and mountain perspectives form the attraction.

Then there are the Channel Islands which are largely similar to the UK mainland in personality, but with a robust French influence, to supply a novel experience for the vacation rider.

Jersey, seriously aware about family vacation wishes has good riding at St Ouen's Bay. Neighbouring Guernsey, an island with a surfeit of good country, has a bunch of stables, one near St Peter Port providing some good hacks and agreeable riding on L'Ancresse Common near to the beach. Attire must also be carefully selected, for riding even in the best of UK summer weather. Prancing thru the waves on a horse, in a bikini or two shorts might appear pretty on a poster, but is barely practical if you're going any farther than the beach, and decidedly uncomfortable after an hour or so.

Conversely, in colder weather, do ensure you are warm. Such under clothes as long johns, while inelegant, help keep down the hulking items you could otherwise need. Thick wool sweaters and light-weight windcheaters could be a blessing, as can plastic coats and leggings, but this is no time for flapping cycle capes! Eire has often been associated with the pony, and the scope for vacation riding is substantial.

We will now mention Southern Ireland, although it is not part of the United Kingdom.

In the Republic there are centers close to Shannon, Cork, Galway and Dublin, and with roads still seemingly almost traffic-free outside of the main towns when compared to most countries, it is easy to change from one area to another.

Counties Wicklow and Wexford in the east and Connemara in the west offer many quaint proosiilities for riding holidays, while County Cork offers horse-drawn caravans, regularly primarily based on conventional Romany lines.