FAQs

Does it matter if I book alone?

Definitely not. We get lots of individual bookings and the rides make a wonderful holiday for single travellers. You will be joining a small group of like-minded people and will be well occupied each day (without feeling you are being 'herded' around) but with the freedom of your own personal space when riding. Most people end up getting on very well together as everyone has an interest in common, even if they wouldn't necessarily meet at home on a day to day level. Its amazing how you bond after an exhilarating canter!

Prices quoted are based on twin accommodation and if you book alone a supplement may be payable for a single room. This is not always the case as supplements are applied in different ways on different rides. Please read the particular information on the ride you are interested in and contact us for more details.

I used to ride a lot but have not ridden regularly for several years. Do you think I will cope?

All our rides are geared towards people who have some riding experience (we do not arrange rides for complete beginners) and most are suitable for those of an 'intermediate' level and above. However this, and the riding fitness required, varies from ride to ride. Hopefully the individual descriptions on this website will give you a good idea whether a ride is a suitable choice for you. We also produce more detailed Information Sheets on each ride which will tell you more (these can be downloaded as a PDF from the relevant webpage or contact us and we will send them to you). Please also contact us to chat about any rides that interest you - suitability varies from person to person and the best way to find out is to talk to someone who has been before. In any case, once you have decided to book, we always suggest doing as much riding as you can in the months before you go, so you feel confident and relaxed on the first day and will be fit enough to fully enjoy your holiday rather than worrying about being stiff or letting everybody down! General fitness and flexibility helps too - so if you can't ride as often as you'd like but are generally fit, that will really help.

I have my own horses, ride a lot at home and am an experienced rider….. I like the idea of a riding holiday but I do not want to ride nose to tail on a 'ploddy' horse.

Our ride selection process is strict and the quality of the horses and riding is probably the most important ingredient we look for (we know that if you are riding for a week or more, enjoyment of your horse is so important). Our customer list includes top event riders, jockeys and trainers and our rides use well-schooled, forward going horses that are fun and enjoyable for even the most experienced rider. The guides we work with also have lots of experience in matching horse and rider - so please don't worry; we think you will be pleasantly surprised! At least one of us here has also been on each of the rides we offer so we have a very good idea of the type of rider they will suit. We hope the details on this website and in our Information Sheets will answer any questions you have but please do not hesitate to call us to chat - we'll do our best to fully explain the type of riding involved and can put you in touch with guests who have already been if you wish.

Is insurance included and what about visas, health and inoculations?

Personal insurance is NOT included and it is essential that you arrange your own medical and travel insurance for your holiday. You cannot take part without cover for medical emergencies and we also strongly recommend cancellation insurance in case you have to cancel for some unexpected reason. This should be taken when you book to ensure you have cover from that moment on - under our booking conditions and agreements with our ride operators some or all of your payment will be forfeit on cancellation. We will enforce these terms whether or not you have insurance! Please take the time to protect yourself. Ride World Wide is not authorised under Financial Services Regulations to sell or advise on insurance so we cannot give you any advice on suitabiity but there are several all-round travel and adventure travel policies on the market you can choose from. You need to make your own investigations and we recommend contacting an FCA regulated insurance specialist for advice.  As with any insurance, it is essential to select your policy with care and to check the detailed terms, conditions and policy wording, to ensure it will meet your needs. For example the policy may require the use of protective clothing, which, when riding, may mean a hard hat - different insurance companies take different views and you should check the policy wording carefully. It is also vital that you disclose any pre-existing medical conditions or check ups you are undergoing to your insurer before taking out cover and that you note any restrictions in cover relating to these.

We will send you general visa information when your booking is confirmed and you should also check with the Consular website for the country you are visiting or telephone their Embassy / consul in London (or your home country) for advice. Ensuring you comply with visa requirements will be your own responsiblity. In addition to this, when we confirm your booking, we will send you general information on the health and vaccine requirements for the country you will be visiting. This will signpost you to further sources of information - as health is a very personal matter you should always take qualified, personal medical advice.

Are you bonded and is my payment secure?

Ride World Wide Limited is fully licensed and bonded in the UK so you can book with confidence. We are members of ABTOT - The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited which provides financial protection under its ATOL Franchise and The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Ride World Wide, ABTOT number 5074, ATOL number 6213, and in the event of its insolvency, protection is provided for the following:

i) non-flight packages; ii) flight inclusive packages that commence outside of the UK, which are sold to customers outside of the UK; and iii) flight inclusive packages, flight only and linked travel arrangements (LTAs) sold as a principal under the ABTOT ATOL Franchise.

ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if you are abroad. Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Ride World Wide.
In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call ABTOT’s 24/7 helpline on +44 (0)1702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company. You can access The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 here: PTandLTARegulations2018

All the flight and flight inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected either by ABTOT Combined or the ATOL scheme. When you pay for something protected by the ATOL scheme you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information, ask us to confirm what protection applies to your booking or for more informaiton about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificates.
 

Some further information

Accommodation

Each ride summary on this website includes an indication of the type of accommodation used. This might be in hotels, guest or farm houses, private haciendas or camping and our Information Sheets will tell you more about this and the facilities on each trip.
Camps - We’ve assessed standards using categories ranging from 1Δ (lowest) to 5Δ+ (highest) taking all things into account. There will always be variables (and if different camps are used on different nights facilities may vary), but the following is a rule of thumb:
1 - sleeping in the open, help required around camp, streams for washing, open air loo.
2 - small 2 man tents, mats to sleep on, streams for washing, help around camp required, guide prepares food, wine usually available.
3 - small 2 man tents, mattresses, limited washing (showers / hot water some nights), open air loo, some staff, generally good back up, food and wine.
4 - bigger tents, mattresses, hot showers, good staff levels, back up, food, full bar.
5 - large safari tents with beds, private loo (long drop or flush), hot showers daily, plenty of staff, excellent back up and food, full bar.
5+ -  semi-permanent camp with walk-in furnished tents, extras such as decking, flush loo, running water, perhaps a pool.
Please contact us for further details:

Single travellers and single rooms

As the rides we offer are run for small groups of like minded people, they make a wonderful holiday for those travelling alone, as well as for couples and groups. Prices quoted are based on twin accommodation and if you book alone, a supplement is usually payable for a single room, although single supplements are not always compulsory. They are applied in different ways on different rides. On many safaris, camping or farm based rides, where the ride operator owns the accommodation used, single travellers will not be charged a supplement as long as they are willing to share a twin tent or room with another (same sex) guest if numbers on the ride, or in the camp or lodge, require. Single travellers will not always have to share, although they will be asked to if the numbers, or mix of guests, require. On other rides that use hotels or guesthouses, ride prices are calculated assuming twin room occupancy and a supplement will be charged by the hotel, and is always payable by those booking alone, unless there is definitely someone to share with. On these rides, if you ask us, we will try to find you a sharer, but we cannot guarantee to do so. If we do not, the supplement will be charged. On a few rides (if the hotel used has a limited number of rooms or only offers simple dormitory accommodation) single rooms are not available even for a supplement. Please contact us if you have any questions about single supplements.

Weight limits

Maximum weight limits (in riding clothes) are given in the relevant ride summary. These are very important so please take careful note of them. In certain cases we can make special arrangements for riders who are over the specified weight limits but, as changes to horses and itineraries might be necessary, this can only be done if we have prior notice before you book. If you are interested in any ride and are close to the weight limit, please contact us to check.

Private rides

Most rides we offer are open for you to join as an individual, couple or group of friends. We can also arrange private rides exclusively for your own group, either with a standard itinerary or if you prefer, with an itinerary tailored as far as possible to suit the group. Please contact us if you are interested.

Riding ability

The summary of each ride includes a guide to the riding ability we think is required for that trip. Most rides we offer are geared towards riders of at least an ‘intermediate’ standard - but the ability level required can vary with the pace of the ride, the hours ridden each day and the horses used. In some cases, a ride may be suitable for more experienced riders because the horses are quite spirited. Equally, where there is a wider selection of horses, the ride may suit both experienced and less experienced riders. Our Information Sheets will tell you more about the horses and riding on each trip, but we also encourage you to contact us to discuss the rides and your riding ability before booking. As a guide, in assessing ability we assume that:

A ‘novice’ rider has some riding experience and would normally be expected to have had some formal riding lessons / tuition as well as some experience hacking out in open country. He or she will be able to mount and dismount without help, will be able to apply the basic aids and will feel comfortable, reasonably well balanced and in control on a well behaved ‘schoolmaster-type’ horse at a walk, for shortish periods of rising trot and at short periods of canter.

An ‘intermediate’ rider is a rider who is secure, well balanced and in control on a well schooled horse at all paces from a walk to fast canter in open country (need not want to jump) and over varied terrain. He or she will also be confident of riding for several hours at a time.

An ‘experienced rider’ is all of the above and rides regularly. He or she is relaxed and adaptable on different horses in different environments, has an independent seat and soft hands and is capable of handling a spirited horse in open country.

For more information and for further details of any of our rides, please do not hesitate to get in touch
Tel: +44 (0)1837 82544 / 825440      email: info@rideworldwide.com