A ride out over Belfast Lough
Ballylagan Trail Rides sits in the hills above Straid and Ballyclare, a working stables where the countryside does the rest. You arrive at the yard, get matched to a horse or pony, and head out with a guide along quiet farm tracks and forest paths — the sort of ground you'd never reach on foot in an afternoon.
The reward is the height. As the trail climbs, the land opens out, and on a clear day you look down over Carrickfergus and across Belfast Lough — the castle on the shore, Kilroot beyond, and the far side of the water at Bangor. It's a different way to see this stretch of Antrim, from the back of a horse rather than through a windscreen.
The stables keeps it welcoming for everyone. Complete beginners are matched with steady horses and never left to fend for themselves; more confident riders can take the longer forest treks. Helmets and boots are there if you need them, so a first-timer can turn up with nothing but a sense of adventure. Younger riders get their own hands-on "Me and My Pony" day, learning to groom, tack up and lead before they ride, and finishing with soup and a sandwich in the tea room.
There's an organic farm shop on site too, open through the week, and seasonal treats through the year — evening beach rides in the summer, group lessons, even a Christmas unicorn trail. However you come to it, it's a proper day in the fresh air, the kind you'll be glad you made the time for.