West Somerset Bridleways Association Organised Picnic and Trail Rides...
Exmoor has some of the best riding in the country, if not the best. There are glorious views as you ride along paths through the heather. You will see few other people around as you cross abundant open moorland and streams where your horses can take a drink, and look about for red deer. This equestrian paradise is wonderful for both locals exercising their horses and for equine tourists who wish to ride across the moor from farm to pub or whatever.

The West Somerset Bridleways Association exists to try and ensure that the bridleways are all open and that new ones are established where the current network is deficient. The Association organises a dozen summer picnic rides to promote riding on the moor. Riders bring their own lunch, which is then transported from the meet to the lunch stop by the support/safety vehicle. The riders then ride across the moor for about 3 hours to the lunch spot, avoiding almost all roads and going through as few gates as possible. After lunch with wine, we ride back by a shorter route. The last picnic ride afternoon did not touch a road or go through a single gate in two hours of riding.

We also organise triangular 3-day rides, staying in B&Bs around the moor and covering about 20 miles a day, again with a support vehicle as back up and to carry the lunch. The third day of the 3-day ride does not go near a single inhabited house all day and barely touches a road. These 3 day rides have been over-subscribed and the last picnic ride was large enough to be split in two for the viewers and the canterers. Even the viewers though we moved on well. We have seen red deer on almost all of our rides and on the last one, several herds with stags were seen close by. We have also seen a merlin, buzzards and numerous other species of bird.

Why not come and ride with us next summer and appreciate the joys of riding on Exmoor yourself?


For full details visit the WEST SOMERSET BRIDLEWAYS ASSOCIATION WEB PAGE