Two Day North Coast Riding Adventure

Day 1

Our driver will pick you up at your accomodation and take you to our stables. On arrival Mr. McKinley, members of the Bespoke Equestrian Ireland (BEI) team and “Sheba” the Border collie farm dog, will greet you with a warm, genuine welcome before heading to the barn for a stable tour and to meet the team of horses (if you wish, you can assist with grooming and tacking)

After selecting a horse and a riding assessment, you will spend 4/5 hours riding out into the wilderness of the North Antrim Hills with its heather clad slopes, looking down on to green pasture away below with panoramic views over the North Coast and 5 counties of Ireland. 

You will stop at the glass sided mountain side cabin, high in the hills where a picture-perfect picnic or traditional afternoon tea awaits you. Enjoy a sumptuous lunch, while absorbing magnificent views of the Northern Irish countryside. 

We will be riding past the old peat banks that were once the traditional source of fuel in Ireland for generations and can stop and do some peat cutting with the old traditional peat spades and get a few photographs before making our way back to the stables.

After your initial days introduction and riding you will be collected and taken to your accommodation near to where you will be starting your ride tomorrow morning. Your hosts will help to organise dinner options for you in the local town. After that, its time to get a good nights sleep and be ready for what tomorrow has in store.

Overnight: County Antrim Coast

Day 2

We will begin the day in the idyllic seaside village of Ballintoy on the coast! Follow an old off- road track with splendid views of the coast, to the breath-taking white sand beach of Whitepark Bay, a 3-mile long beach on the famous Causeway Coastal Route. Whitepark Bay is a beautiful stretch of pristine beach located on Co. Antrim’s North Coast near the picturesque village of Ballintoy. With a beach so pure it shines for miles (on even the cloudiest of days) it’s the perfect backdrop for a refreshing trot, canter or gallop!

We’ll take our time playing on the beach & in the ocean before cantering over the smooth sands! If we’re lucky the famous “Sunbathing Cattle” will be on the beach basking in the sun’s warmth.

You will spend your time romping and capering along the 3 mile stretch of pristine, resplendent white sand and explore the rolling sand dunes of the area below the backdrop of the rugged surrounding cliff faces which were once home to some of the earliest human settlers in Ireland. Savour the taste of the tantalising sea air, feel the blustering and energising wind on your face and the radiant rays of the Irish sunshine on your back on this invigorating ride.

Afterwards, we’ll make our way over sandy dunes and across lush farmlands for lunch at the village of Ballintoy. Enjoy a delicious pub lunch in the Fulerton Arms with a traditional atmosphere. Add in a pint or half pint of Guinness and you’ll tick all the boxes. Expect good, straightforward locally sourced main dishes such as seafood chowder or Irish stew.

After lunch we will ride in the hills above Ballintoy, overlooking Ballintoy Harbour which was mainly associated with salmon fishing. In its heyday, cartloads of salmon made their way round hilly roads to catch the train at Ballycastle and onwards to Belfast. Game of Thrones fans will recognize Ballintoy Harbour as the setting for the Iron Islands and Lordsport in the Isle of Pyke. Like most places along the North Coast, the views from these hills are spectacular and offer some amazing photo opportunities. We look down on Ballintoy’s most distinctive site, the white Ballintoy Parish Church, perched on a hill overlooking the vast Atlantic.

Ballintoy Parish Church was built in 1813, in replacement of the original church built in the early 17th century. It is one of the most scenic churches in the country and is often pictured with the stunning view of Rathlin Island in the background. Many notable landed families are buried in the church’s cemetery including The Stewarts of Ballintoy, Downing Fullerton and members of the Stewart-Moore family.

We will now make our way towards the final destination of our journey and as we ride, we will be looking down on to the cliffs surrounding one of Northern Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge, before finally stopping and saying farewell to the horses and team after a full day of off-road riding.

Your time with us is coming to an end and as you say farewell to the horses, we will take in the vista of this spectacular coastline hugging the wild Atlantic Ocean, looking out over the sea to Rathlin Island, the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland and the Western Isles of Scotland.

Onward Journey: If you would like an additional night of accommodation tonight then this can be arranged upon request or we can help you with your onward journey