Whether it’s a quick donkey ride on the beach or a rough-and-ready riding adventure, there’s something exciting about getting up close with horses. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, an expert or someone who just wants to watch the graceful creatures in action, there’s a horsey holiday that’s suitable for you.

Carcassonne canters
The sunny south of France is a perfect spot to trot through the woods on a new friend, and when you’re staying on a genuine farm in Carcassonne, it will feel like the real deal. Suitable for total novices and experienced riders, who are separated in order to go at the pace they wish, the gentle treks through the countryside lead you to picnic spots, forests, thermal baths and mysterious villages. The four day, three night break, including up to two-and-a-half days riding for those who wish to maximise their time on horseback, is available with Unicorn Trails (01767 600 606, www.unicorntrails.com). The £310 cost covers transfers to and from Carcassonne airport, accommodation with English-speaking owners, the riding (and lessons if needed) all meals and wine with the evening meal. Cheap flights to Carcassonne are available from Stansted, East Midlands and Liverpool airports with Ryanair.

Polo possibilities
Should you wish to rub shoulders with royals and play with princes, then a polo match is where you will find them. The Ham Polo club (020 8334 0000, www.hampoloclub.org.uk), sitss by the Thames in Richmond, south-west London and is one of the oldest clubs in the country. There are games every Sunday until October and it costs £2 for pedestrians or £10 per car load to watch.

If you’re feeling braver, however, you can take lessons that will have you swinging the mallet with confidence in no time. The Maywood Polo Club (01962 761173, www.maywoodpolo.com) near Winchester, Hampshire, gives instruction ranging from one hour beginner taster sessions (£45) to full day skills courses (£195). To go the whole hog, sign yourself up for a residential course, and stay on the farm. A three day course costs £650.

Stunning stallions
Horses can be incredibly agile and elegant, and none are more so than the pure white Lipizzaner stallions of Vienna’s Spanish Riding School. Amid much ceremony, the horses and their riders pull off incredible tricks during their live performances in front of a plush palace backdrop in the Austrian capital. The choreography and control is quite spectacular, the music rousing and the stallions astonishingly nimble as they step and jump around the arena. Tickets to watch the Lipizzaners in action cost from €25 at the Vienna Ticket Office (+43 1513 1111, www.viennaticketoffice.com). Vienna is also a fabulous choice for a city break – it’s packed with history, famous buildings and the beautiful River Danube. Thomson Cities (0870 888 0225 , www.thomsoncities.co.uk) have a variety of two and three night stops in Viennese hotels available, ranging from around £200 to £300, including flights.

Stay at a stud
Not everyone wants to be on a horse all day, every day, so the opportunity to have a go, but do as little or as much as you like is a welcome one. If that’s the case for you, then staying in a cottage next to a stud farm might be the best option. The Lochhill Holiday Cottages (01557 820225, www.lochhill.net) in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland are part of a horse breeding property, and activities can be arranged to suit. Those wishing to have a go can take part in riding lessons or hack through the forest for a few hours can do so. But, if getting in the saddle doesn’t appeal, you are free to wander round the farm and say hello to the beauties in the paddocks. The middle ground is taking a carriage ride into the nearby arty town of Kirkcudbright – all the fun without the sore legs. The cottages are rented out on a weekly basis, with prices starting from £230 a week.

A day (or two) at the races
We all know that going to the races isn’t really about watching the horses – it’s an excuse to buy a new dress, get glammed up and drink champers in the sunshine. However, as most race meetings are stretched over a few days, this can easily be turned into a short holiday. Royal Ascot (08707 227 227, www.royalascot.co.uk), of course, is the big one, and that takes place in June each year. It is easily reachable from London or Reading, but if you can get in early enough, there are hotels in town. The Royal Berkshire Ramada Plaza (01344 623 322, www.ramadajarvis.co.uk) is arguably the swishest, and most suitable for the occasion. However, there are meetings across the country all year round. To find one in your area, or decide where to head to on your spare weekend, try www.racemeetings.co.uk or call the British Horse Racing Ticket and Information Line on 08700 721724.

Become a cowgirl
If donkey rides at Blackpool seem a bit too tame, then there’s always the ultimate adventurous option of dropping everything and becoming a proper cowgirl, mustering cattle across an outback station in Australia. It’s not just the riding either – during a five day course, suitable for total beginners, you’ll be taught all the tricks, from throwing lassos to cracking whips. Jackaroo Jillaroo Australia (+61 428 617 097, www.jjoz.com.au) specialises in turning city slickers into hardened stationhands who can chase down a rogue bull on horseback, and bring them back into the fold. Their five day course, on which you stay on a genuine working property near the country town of Tamworth, costs AU$490 (£200). Accommodation and hearty farm meals are included, whilst return flights to Sydney (about four hours drive away), cost between £650 and £800.