A trail ride begins with a question many riders only ask once a sign appears: am I actually allowed to ride here? The answer is less obvious than it seems. The Netherlands has no general right to ride anywhere on horseback — where you're allowed to ride depends on who manages the land and what rules that manager sets. This guide lays out how that works in forests and nature areas, on the beach, and on public roads, and how to find routes where you're definitely in the clear.
The Main Rule: The Landowner Decides
Outside public roads, almost every square meter belongs to someone: a nature organization, a municipality, a water board, a private estate owner. That owner or manager decides whether riders are welcome, exactly where, and under what conditions. The fact that an area is publicly accessible to walkers therefore doesn't mean you're also allowed to come there on horseback — access on foot and access on horseback are two different things.
In practice, this means you never ride blindly into a forest or dune area. The rules are posted on signs at the entrance and on the manager's website, and those two sources are authoritative. If nothing is said about riders, don't assume it's allowed: in many nature areas, riding outside the designated paths is simply prohibited.
Forests and Nature Areas: The Bridle Path Is the Route
In forests and nature areas that allow riders, the bridle paths are the designated route. You recognize them by signs or markings, often with a horseshoe or rider symbol, and sometimes by the loose sand that gives away that mostly hooves come through here. Riding outside those paths isn't allowed in many areas and can result in a fine — the land is protected for a reason, and a horse leaves deeper tracks than a walking shoe.
How strict the rules are differs by manager and by area. Large organizations such as Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten each manage hundreds of areas, and there are also provincial landscape trusts, municipal forests, and private estates — each with their own conditions. One area has an extensive network of bridle paths, another allows no horses at all, and sometimes a restriction applies only during the breeding season. There's no national rule that standardizes this, so check the website or the signs in advance for the specific area where you want to ride.
Some areas and municipalities also ask for a riding permit, a ruiterbewijs (riding certificate), or a day pass. The proceeds usually go toward maintaining the paths — bridle paths wear out fast and cost money. Whether a permit is needed, what it costs, and where you buy it again differs per area; the land manager is the place for the current requirements.
The Beach: Often Allowed, but Not Always and Everywhere
Riding on the beach is possible in many places along the coast, but hardly ever unrestricted. The municipality sets the rules for its own beach, and those usually work with seasonal and time windows: in the summer months, riding on swimming beaches is often prohibited or only allowed early in the morning; outside the season there's generally more room. There can also be a distinction between busy swimming areas and quieter stretches of beach.
Exactly which windows apply is set out in the local bylaw and on the signs at the beach access points — and those differ by coastal municipality. If you're planning a beach ride, check the municipality's website beforehand or ask a stable nearby; they know exactly when it's allowed.
On and Along Public Roads
As soon as you ride onto a public road — the bike path or the verge alongside a through road also counts — traffic rules apply. Under the law, a rider is a driver, with the rights and duties that come with it: keep to the right, signal direction, follow right-of-way rules. Exactly how that works, which position on the road you should take, and how you prepare your horse for traffic, you can read in the guide on riding safely on public roads.
Keep in mind that as an owner you're liable for damage your horse causes — even if it spooks and you couldn't have done anything about it. How that strict liability works and which insurance covers it is explained in the guide on horse owner liability.
Rules of Conduct That Apply Everywhere
Apart from what's formally allowed, there are unwritten and sometimes actually written rules that keep a ride pleasant for everyone:
- Walk past walkers and cyclists. Pass calmly and announce yourself if you're approaching from behind. A horse makes an impression, and not everyone finds that pleasant.
- Manure on paths. On bridle paths, manure comes with the territory, but on walking and cycling paths and in built-up areas, some municipalities have clean-up rules. Check the local regulations.
- Respect other riders sharing the route. If you share a path or stretch of beach with other riders, keep to the right and pass at a walk, just as in the arena.
- Spare the paths in wet weather. A waterlogged bridle path gets churned up if you canter over it, and damaged paths give managers a reason to tighten the rules.
Anyone who sticks to this keeps the door open — literally. Land managers who see nuisance behavior are quicker to close paths than to add new ones.
How to Find Legal Routes
The easiest way to be sure you're riding where it's allowed is to start with what's already there:
- Route maps from land managers. The large nature organizations publish maps of their bridle paths, online or at the entrance to the area.
- Riding route apps and networks. There are apps and regional route networks specifically for riders, with signposted loops over permitted paths.
- Your own stable and local riders. Nobody knows the area better. Ask which routes they ride, where you can park with a trailer, and which stretches you'd better avoid.
Is this your first time outside the arena? Then don't start with the route but with the preparation: the guide on your first trail ride walks you through that.
In Short
- There's no general right to ride anywhere on horseback: outside public roads, the landowner or manager decides where you may ride.
- In forests and nature areas, bridle paths are the designated route; riding outside them is prohibited in many areas and can result in a fine.
- Rules differ by manager and by area — check the website or signs beforehand, and account for a possible riding permit or day pass.
- On the beach, the municipality decides: riding is often allowed, but almost always within seasonal and time windows.
- On public roads, you're a driver and traffic rules apply.
- Walk past walkers, check manure rules, and spare paths in wet weather — that's how areas stay open to riders.
See also: Riding Safely on Public Roads · Horse Owner Liability · Your First Trail Ride · Jargon: trail ride · Level: Considering Your Own Horse