Holiday with your
Horse (BYO)
Looking for an escape to share with your four-legged friend? We offer Horse Riding holidays where you can bring your horse to Chapman Valley, either on a guided event or at your own self-guided pace.
6,000 acres of mixed bushland, open paddocks and more than 120kms of trails to explore!
Self-guided property access – explore the property at your own pace! With over 120kms worth of bush and open paddock trails to explore you’ll never run out of places to go.Includes:
- ♦ Free range access to 6,000 acres of land, and a map to find your way around.
- ♦ Includes Camping and use of our amenities for 1 night (night before or after riding)
- ♦ Invite your non-horsey friends for a camping adventure (see Camping for pricing)
- ♦ Lots of room; a large flat grassed paddock to setup your float, campsite, and horse yards.
- ♦ Wash-down areas, high pressure and low-pressure hoses (both cold water only).
- ♦ 120kms+ of tracks to explore, inc 2hr, 4hr and 6hr trails marked on your map.
- ♦ Yards available for hire (subject to availability)
BYO Horse Events
Chapman Valley is a judgement free zone. Horses of all shapes, sizes and disciplines are welcome. There is no minimum age for our BYOH events, however please ensure your little riders are confident and capable on their mount even in new environments.
The Horse Camp offers a variety of experiences all packed into one event, and is perfect for those wanting to get to know their horse even better. Offering a range of workshops; anatomy, massage, stretching, liberty, boundaries with horses, hoof care, saddle fitting. And of course plenty of mounted fun; trail rides, cattle mustering, mounted games, dressage skills. The itinerary will change slightly from event to event depending on the needs and wants of the group, but it will likely be very similar to this sample of the Five Day Horse Camp Itinerary.Includes:
- ♦ 5x days of activities; a mixture of mounted & unmounted fun
- ♦ Free camping on-site
- ♦ (optional add-on) Accommodation: Queen Room in the Drover’s Quarters
- ♦ (optional add-on) Extra nights of camping & trail access
- ♦ Breakfast x5, Lunch x5, Dinner x4 (not inc on final night).
Upcoming Dates:
…coming soon…
Bring your horse to Chapman Valley and join in on one of our cattle musters! Spend the day in the saddle riding out in search of the cows, and learn some new skills moving a mob of cattle around.
Includes:
- ♦ Full day of guided cattle mustering (2x Chapman Valley guides).
- ♦ Camping overnight, the night before the event and the night after.
- ♦ Lunch included on the day of the event.
- ♦ Morning session & afternoon session available.
Upcoming Dates:
(coming soon)
Bring your horse to Chapman Valley and join in on one of our cattle musters! Spend THREE days in the saddle riding out in search of the cows, and learn some new skills moving a mob of cattle around.
Includes:
- ♦ 3x days of guided cattle mustering (2x Chapman Valley guides).
- ♦ Free camping on-site
- ♦ Breakfast x3, Lunch x3, Dinner x2 (not inc on final night).
- ♦ Morning session & afternoon sessions are available if you’d prefer not to do three full days of riding.
Upcoming Dates:
.coming soon. (BYO Horse)
Chapman Valley is now hosting BYO Horse Trail Riding Fun Days! Gather your equine companions and join us for a fun trail ride experience that promises new friendships, picturesque landscapes, and some soul-nourishing time in the saddle. This is the perfect opportunity to expose your horse to new environments in a supportive, judgement-free space.We will ride out in two groups (in different directions). The “walking only” group is ideal for those seeking a relaxed stroll—perfect for nervous riders or green horses needing a chill experience. For those wanting a bit more pace, the “trotting/cantering” group offers the opportunity for some trotting and cantering. Please note however it will still be kept at a relaxed pace to be set by the Chapman Valley guide. We will run a morning and afternoon session, each approximately 2-3hrs in the saddle. You can choose swap groups in the afternoon if you wish for a change of pace.
Includes:
- ♦ A full day of guided supportive trail riding.
- ♦ Free camping the night before and after the event.
- ♦ Two groups (walking group & trotting/cantering group) with flexibility to change at lunchtime.
- ♦ Lunch included on day of event.
- ♦ Morning session & afternoon session available.
- ♦ (optional add-on) Accommodation: Queen Room in the Drover’s Quarters
- ♦ (optional add-on) Extra nights of camping & trail access
Upcoming Dates:
20th October 2024 (NEW!)
- ♦ 2x days of activities; a mixture of mounted & unmounted fun
- ♦ Free camping on-site
- ♦ Breakfast x2, Lunch x2, Dinner x1 (not inc on final night).
Upcoming Dates: .coming soon. (BYO Horse)
Things to keep in mind
- BYO camping gear, cooking equipment and food (unless participating in a catered event)
- BYO fencing. Panels or stand-alone electric fencing (or hire a yard, $25 per night. Very limited number of yards available).
- BYO Horse Feed and Equipment
- Set-up camp at the Communal Area (fenced paddock, close to our amenities block)
- Due to safety reasons BYO horses are unable to join our regular guided trail rides.
- Campfires welcome, we sell firewood by the bag, or by a bulk order. See optional add-ons when booking.
- Our insurance stipulates that all riders MUST wear helmets whilst riding – including those who bring their own horses.
- In the interest of safety, we recommend that riders are accompanied by a buddy. This can be another rider, in a vehicle or someone on foot/pushbike.
The property contains cattle, dogs, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and other potentially scary stuff, including the occasional tractor or quad bike as the Chapman family go about their duties. Be sensible and bring only a horse that you trust in these unpredictable surroundings. For more information on our Cattle Musters, please check out our Cattle Mustering information page.
FAQs
When can I arrive?
We will email you with instructions of where to unload and set-up, and which yard is yours if you’ve hired a yard. This enables you to arrive anytime you like without needing to wait to meet someone on site. Your BYO horse booking (both the daily visit and the musters) includes free camping the night before and the night after. So for example, if you’re planning to ride on Saturday, you’re welcome to arrive Friday afternoon to set-up camp, and depart Sunday morning. Please note however, that this does not grant access to the trails on these extra days. Trail access can be added to your booking by adding an extra day when booking. Please let us know at the time of booking which day you plan to arrive, so that we can make the necessary preparations for your arrival.
What do I need to bring?
For overnight stays, you’ll need to bring some sort of fencing (panels or electric fencing) to keep your horse in – unless you have hired a yard from us. You will need to bring all feed, feed buckets, and water buckets for your horse. You’ll also need to bring your riding gear; saddle(s), saddle pad(s), halter(s), bridle(s) and any other equipment you choose to use.
Is there water on site?
For humans, no. BYO water for consumption and dishwashing. There is a toilet and shower block near your camping area, but there are no taps for filling containers or buckets. For horses, yes! There is a large concrete tank and water trough next to the area you’ll be set up in. You’re welcome to fill your buckets or the trough for your horse, and to hose your horse down with this hose. Please note the water is unfiltered rain water and/or bore water and is not fit for human consumption.
Are there cooking facilities?
No, BYO cooking set-up (e.g BBQs, hotplate to cook over fire, etc).
Can I hire one of Chapman Valley's horses for a friend to join me?
No, unfortunately we do not permit the mixing of hiring our horses and BYO horse.
Does my horse need shoes?
This one is completely up to you. The property and trails are a mix of grassy paddocks and fire trails over ridges. You can bring a barefooted horse and keep to the grass areas, however if you want to explore the full extent of the property we recommend putting boots or shoes on your horse for the rockier areas.
Can my non-horsey friend come too?
Yes! You’re welcome to bring extra friends along to camp with you, and they can explore the bush tracks on foot, pushbike or 4WD. Contact us for special pricing to add extra campers.
How does the yard hire work?
We have 2 yards sized 21mx27m each with shelter and a water trough, feel free to bring extra buckets! You can add a yard upon booking and we will email you the sign in instructions and what yard you can use a few days before you arrive so please monitor your emails.
MUSTERS: Does my horse have to have previous experience with cows? Does the rider?
No. These cattle musters are slow and steady, so are a great opportunity to introduce your horse to cattle. If it’s your horse’s first intro or they’re nervous in new environments we suggest coming a day early to help your horse settle in prior to facing up with the cattle. The rider also doesn’t need to have had any prior experience, as we will be there to guide you through the process.
MUSTERS: What is the minimum age?
There is no minimum age for our Cattle Musters, however please ensure your little riders are confident and capable on their mount even in new environments.
MUSTERS: What pace will the muster be held at?
Slow and steady! The musters are held at a walking-only pace as to ensure everyone’s horses are kept as relaxed as possible, and to prevent stressing the cattle.
MUSTERS: Can I ride on the property the day before and/or the day after?
Yes! Access to the trails is $40 per horse, per day. For example, if you’re riding in the 1-day BYOH Muster on Sunday you can pay an extra $40/horse to spend the day exploring the trails on Saturday. This is a great option to let your horse have a day to settle in before getting stuck into the mustering.
MUSTERS: How long is the day?
Meet up with your guides and fellow riders at 9am at the office. Please ensure your horse is saddled and ready to go, as after a short introduction we will ride out to the cows from here. We expect to be back at the home base/office around midday, and the afternoon session will begin around 1pm. We expect to return sometime between 3pm-5pm. You’re welcome to participate in both sessions or just the morning session if you’d prefer. All times are approximate and will depend on the location of the cattle.
MUSTERS: What is your Cancellation Policy?
Our Cattle Musters are in line with the terms for Special Events on our Terms and Conditions page. We keep our groups small in order to provide an exceptional experience and to give you plenty of opportunities to get up close with the cattle. The unfortunate trade off for this exclusivity is that we have a strict cancellation policy. We highly recommend that you take out travel insurance to help with the costs of cancelling in case you need to withdraw within the cancellation window.