As the world prepares to celebrate Chinese New Year, VisitEngland grabs 2014 by the reins and gets ready to ride into The Year of The Horse. From Bring Your Horse breaks to the finest riding schools, here are some of the top equine holidays on offer across England.
 

Bring-Your-Horse Breaks
Wake up every morning to the sight of your horse grazing outside against the rural backdrop of the Peak District with Hoe Grange Holidays.  As part of the British Horse Society's 'Horses Welcome Scheme', these quality-assured breaks take pet-friendly holidays up a notch, providing stone built stables on-site and ensuring that all needs - of both rider and steed - are met, including emergency access to local vets, grazing paddocks, hayracks and feed upon request. If your premium pony deserves only the very best, The Old Tack Room in Dorset offers a private retreat, where mare and rider can share the same bolthole. This refurbished property adjoins the owner's 'house' to the horse's 'room'. Set in a location awarded with AONB status, the cottage has stunning views of Bulbarrow Hill, Dorset's highest point.
http://www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk/horse-holidays 
http://www.letsstaydorset.co.uk/the-old-tack-room-ref-2980-ibberton-dorset-and-somerset.aspx

Riding Hotels
For those looking for a little more luxury in their livery, Lucknam Park's Equestrian Centre matches the standards of comfort that are synonymous to the hotel. What's more, for those who don't have their horse to bring along, Lucknam Park is one of the many excellent riding hotels in England. With trained horses and staff on hand to help beginners and assist experienced riders, Lucknam Park's Equestrian Centre offers classes to cater for every level. For your time out of the saddle, the property also has a highly prestigious cookery school and a first class spa.

Coworth Park is a riding hotel that's a must for anglophiles and sports-fans alike. Situated in Ascot, this is a hotel that fully embraces its polo and horse racing heritage. Not only can guests take up lessons from professionals but from April to September, the social season here comes into full swing, with polo practitioners galloping about, performing on field.
http://www.lucknampark.co.uk 
http://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/ascot/coworth-park  
    
Wild Ponies
Experience England's last remaining wilderness by tracking free-roaming ponies in Dartmoor. Watch on as new born foals find their feet on blue-bell clad moors-  though be careful to keep your distance as these horses remain untamed, so no 'foal-' play allowed! Used as the backdrop for the award-winning film War Horse, Dartmoor is the perfect spot for an equine break. Here, fans can find their own Joey, either by catching the stage adaptation as it tours around the country or by booking in a 'Dartmoor Experience' at Gildleigh Park. The house is offering guests an opportunity to visit the film's locations and of course try a riding experience on the Dartmoor ponies.

Further north, you'll find many chestnut-coloured beauties in the New Forest. Although not technically wild, these are magnificent creatures that allow a closer viewing than the kind in Dartmoor. Saddle up one of their tamer cousins and take to the bridleways on a pony trek for an entirely appropriate way to explore this incredible setting.
Perhaps England's most famous horse is the steed of St George in Uffington, known simply as the 'White Horse'. Hike across rolling chalk downs and travel back in time to an age of myth and legend as you approach this iconic landmark, thought to be 3,000 years old.
http://gidleigh.co.uk/events-offers/exclusive-experiences/dartmoor-riding-adventure-403000  
http://www.thenewforest.co.uk 
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/white-horse-hill 

Horse-Friendly Beaches
England's beaches have also evolved to accommodate the more adventurous. Northumberland's Holy Island allows riders to take out horses and journey across the sand - watching the ancient waves crashing in this beautiful spot from horseback is guaranteed to be a memorable experience. Both Kimmerston Riding Centre and Swinhoe Riding Centre can facilitate such experiences.

Horses will also find a warm welcome on Dorset's stunning Studland Beach. With permits available from The National Trust, you can gallop, trot or canter to your heart's content across this four-mile stretch of golden sand. Studland Stables van even bring the bubbly, so you can pop the cork over views of Old Harry Rocks and make this trip even more special. Other horse-friendly beaches include Sandhaven beach and Weston-super-Mare beach.
http://www.kimmerston.com 
http://www.swinhoefarmridingcentre.co.uk 
http://www.studlandstables.com/

A Day at the Races
If you're more into racing than riding, England's age-old horse racing can offer a heritage twist to your horse holiday. The Aintree Grand National can offer you 'Ladies Day' spectacles like no other. Often thought of as the most valuable jump race in Europe, this event offers high quality 'dressage' from its spectators, and competitive racing to get the adrenaline pumping. Book a Grand National Experience to relive the excitement of the race through a tour of the racecourse, including the stables and weighing room, and a visit to the Aintree Museum.

A quirky alternative is the Kiplingcotes Derby. Though the event technically took place 20 years before the Chester Roodee - officially the oldest Horse Race in England - it only became an endowed race much later. One oddity of the race is that the rider coming in second place usually wins more money than the winner. While first prize wins £50, the second horse home gains the sum of all the entrance fees - costing £4.25 each. Another difference is that no-one knows how participants will be involved until the morning of the race. Set in the Yorkshire Wolds, the picturesque village of Market Weighton has featured in the famous landscape paintings of David Hockney.
http://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/attractions/search/the-grand-national-experience-p16171  
www.vhey.co.uk 

For more pet-friendly holiday inspiration, visit www.visitengland.com

Ends.

For further press information and images please contact:
Rishika Sharma / Laura Dewar / Rebecca Holloway
VisitEngland Press Office
Tel: 020 7578 1463 / 020 7578 1446 / 020 7578 1437
Email: Rishika.Sharma@visitengland.org / Laura.Dewar@visitengland.org / Rebecca.Holloway@visitengland.org

Notes to Editors
About VisitEngland
• VisitEngland is the country's national tourist board. We work in partnership with the industry to develop the visitor experience across England, plan national tourism strategy, grow the value of tourism in England and provide advocacy for the industry and our visitors.

About England
• Historic yet contemporary, traditional yet cutting-edge, metropolitan yet wild: England is truly a unique destination and a real powerhouse in global tourism.
• With ancient Hadrian's Wall straddling the wild north and the world's biggest indoor tropical rainforest nestled in the far south, England really is the ultimate mix of old and new as well as being home to some of the most iconic sites in the world, including Stonehenge, the honey-hued Georgian terraces of Bath and the towering peaks and glistening meres of the Lake District.
• Did you know that in 2010 there were 96.4 million domestic overnight trips in England, 25.5 million inbound visits and 872 million tourism day trips?
More information can be found on www.visitengland.com and www.visitengland.org.