There’s a reason Ireland is known as the Land of the Horse - horses are intrinsically tied to Ireland’s history, culture, and people, and many Irish children grow up on horseback the way American children grow up riding bicycles. The gentle nature, brave demeanor, and steady resilience of the Irish horse is a testament to the spirit of the Irish people, and there is no better way to explore this lush landscape than from the back of a steady Irish steed. 

Travel to Northern Ireland to discover the Causeway Coast, known for its spectacular scenery - white sand beaches, enchanting forests, rugged coastlines, historic castles and villages, and of course, genuine Irish hospitality.  Visit iconic locations such as Giants Causeway, Dunlace Castle, Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, and Mussendun Temple. 

Ireland is known as the “Land of the Horse” for its horses’ reputation for bravery, agility, stamina, intelligence, and gentleness. Guests’ mounts will be Irish Sport Horses, Connemara Ponies, Irish Cobs, and Irish Draughts. On the North Coast and at Castle Leslie, the guides make sure to match each guest carefully to an equine partner that is suitable for his or her skill and confidence. 

Intermediate-Advanced

Riders should be able to ride comfortably at all paces, and spend several hours in the saddle daily.

Riders will ride English, and should be prepared for several hours in the saddle daily at all paces.

Helmets are required, and can be provided if you do not bring your own. 

During the North Coast ride, riders will be housed at a hotel in the town of Ballycastle (specific hotel will be determined and sent to you prior to your trip).

On the North Coast, your accommodation will include a full daily Irish breakfast, and lunch will be provided daily on your ride.  Riders are responsible for their own dinners - there are quite a few dining options in Ballycastle, and we will send you a list of recommended restaurants prior to your trip. We are happy to make dinner reservations on your behalf.

Céad míle fáilte (one hundred thousand welcomes)

Welcome to Ireland! You can arrive in either Belfast or Dublin. We can arrange for our driver to collect you from either location and whisk you off on the beginning of your Irish adventure. You will journey northwards and, if it tickles your fancy, you can opt to travel along the renowned Causeway Coastal Route, lauded as one of the top 5 road journeys in the world. This beautiful drive will give you a taste of the rugged coastlines and sweeping sea views that you will experience over the course of your holiday.

The coastal route is dotted with historic castles and a changing canvas of natural landscapes–incredible fishing villages, quiet beaches, rolling green hills with lush hedges, mountain streams and rugged coastlines with majestic cliffs—all overlooking the magnificent sea.

You can spend the day at your leisure in your accommodation or by exploring the beautiful North Coast. Enjoy some food at a local pub or restaurant, sample a pint of Guinness with the locals or dance the evening away to some traditional Irish music. Be sure to get a good night’s rest to be ready for what the coming days have in store!

Meet the team and to the barn for a stable tour and to meet the team of horses.

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. Get a good night’s rest and be ready for four more full days of riding.

Today we will transport the horses and saddle-up in the rugged hills above Ballycastle. We will be venturing to Loughareema, known locally as the Vanishing Lake, an area surrounded by Irish myths and legends. This ethereal lake, on the outskirts of a beautiful series of wild, expansive peatlands is often enshrouded by swirling mists. The true mystery of the lake is derived from its propensity to mysteriously vanish overnight, with the usually brimming body of water being no more.

The ’Vanishing Lake’ is an area surrounded by Irish myths and legends. Allow your guide to regal you with these tales, as you hear of the coachman and horses lost in a terrible storm! The group had tried to cross the lake when it was full of water, which they did not notice in the dead of night in this misty, desolate area. Rumours abound that, when the lake is at its fullest, the ghosts of this unfortunate party haunt the lake.

We will pass a winding laneway and be transported far away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation, where we will have the opportunity to explore a hidden gem which has historically been known only to locals. The McBride Family farm has a massive underground spring which leads to the Carey River, whose gentle, flowing waters will accompany you throughout your travels.

 We will continue our ride on the Old Coach road to the edge of the famed Glen of Glendun, one of the 9 Glens of Antrim. This road was the main thoroughfare from the Coast to the Glens in bygone times, and whilst it has long been abandoned, in favour of more expedient routes, this route is well worth traversing. The Coach Road provides a fantastic vista from which to soak in the surrounding beauty of the Glens and the sea of Moyle, in all its glory.

After exploring the historic route, we will head towards the sheltered harbour town at the mouth of Glendun, another of Antrim’s famed 9 Glens. We will ride along this short, but beautiful section of beach, trotting and cantering with the ocean spray on our faces, to finish off this day on an exhilarating high.

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. Savor the taste of the tantalizing sea air, feel the blustering and energizing 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 Fulerton Arms. Enjoy a pint, glass of wine or a cup of tea/coffee and expect good, straightforward locally sourced main dishes such as seafood chowder or Irish stew, terrific sandwiches and sumptuous deserts! This spot is the perfect place to rest and recharge before continuing our ride of exploration on private farmland in the hills above the picturesque village of Ballintoy.

We will look out over Ballintoy Harbor 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 Harbor 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. From here 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 before finally stopping and saying farewell to the horses and team after a full day of off-road riding.

The day of riding is coming to an end and as you take a moment to thank your trusted horse, 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.

Our next beach is adjacent to the village of Waterfoot and located at the base of the glen of Glenarriff. Here we can canter and gallop across the bay while enjoying stunning views. After some invigorating time spent on the beach, we make our way through what is often described affectionately as the “Queen of the Glens” riding to the head of the most beautiful of the Glens of Antrim. Glenariff Waterfalls, at the top of the Glen, cascade down the gulley between the leafy trees and is a major visitor attraction on Ireland’s North Coast. As we meander up the Glen and through this oasis of tranquility you will become enchanted by its beauty and strengthen the bond you have with this land.

We will ride this spectacular trail to the summit, and at the head of the Glen we will dismount and untack our horses at the Lara Lodge restaurant, a beautiful location famed as a wedding destination. Here we will tie up the horses before making a short walk to view the Waterfalls up close.

Next we will relax in the restaurant at Lara Lodge and, over a meal, share photos of your riding excursion deep in the fabled and mystical Glens of Antrim.

After lunch we will meander our back down the Glen, en route to our starting point at Waterfoot where we can enjoy one last gallop across the golden sands before saying goodbye to our horses and guides for the day.

Today we will start our ride at the White Rocks beach so named because of the white chalk cliffs and caverns set back from the water’s edge. The west end of the strand is adjacent to the sea side town of Portrush and backs on to one of the top grass links golf courses in the world, the famous Royal Portrush host to the British Open which is part of the 2019 Masters Competition. The White Rocks beach also looks out over the Skerries (a small group of islands off the coast of Portrush) and the iconic Dunluce Castle, Donegal and the Western Isles of Scotland. While riding here there is the opportunity to ride along the edge of this famous golf course for photographs or to get photographed with your partners if they happen to be playing on this fabulous course.

We’ll ride on to Dunluce Castle and take a tour of the castle learning some of its intriguing history (especially the bit about the kitchen & staff plunging into the sea during a storm in 1639).

While here, we will have some refreshments at the Dunluce Castle Cottage before riding on to the tiny harbor town of Portballintrae on route to the Giants Causeway.
As we ride through Portballintrae and on to the Giants Causeway we will cross the River Bush and follow an old tram trail across sand dunes and past the stately Runkerry House before arriving at this world heritage site.

This unique world heritage site is the final destination for today, here we will loaden up the horses and have a meal in the Causeway Hotel beside the centre.

Afterwards, you can check out the new world class visitor’s centre and you must explore this unique heritage site and take in this natural wonder before you return to your accommodation.

Breakfast and departure