Spain or France advice please!

Rollin said:
When we moved here my first horse was also in his 20's. we too were concerned about the move. We expected him to live for another few years. He lived to be 36 years of age.
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Your webiste looks amazing.. lovely horses and what a beautiful property!! I'm well jel....as they say LOL!

How did you settle into the language? Did you learn before you went? That is my only concern, as it took me about 20 years to learn a bit of Spanish!! Not linguistic in anyway unlike my hubbie. Did you experience 'culture shock'?

Thanks
 
I lived in Spain for 12 years, I took my horses over there, 2 Appaloosas and later a Welsh sec A, all adapted fine to the heat, I was an hour inland from Alicante (and not far from Beccs who has commented above) Hay is now available as there is a grower near Alicante, and others import. But I also fed Alfalfa and straw and a forage called, Forraja, which is like straw with the heads still on. Lots of variety of hard feeds out there now and the quality is good. My neighours allowed me to graze on their land free of charge which was great as there is a lack of grazing in parts.

I had my horses at home which was a tie with me being there on my own. But there are plenty of good livery yards.

If you are on FB join ''horse owners in Spain'' and ask for advice on there https://www.facebook.com/groups/HorseOwnersInSpain/ its a friendly group.

Im now back in the UK, along with the horses ( and a couple extra we bred) the pony sadly died due to old age.
 
Keith_Beef said:
Take a look at "Loger mon Cheval" for Maisons-Laffitte, for example. This gives you an idea of facilities and price.

DIY ("box nu") is typically around €130 (example here, a yard I sometimes ride from) to €160 (example here seems to include straw bedding) per month, often there's an additional annual fee of around €50 .

Stable sizes vary quite a lot, as do presence or not of outdoor arena, covered manège, treadmills, space for gigs or sulkies (these are quite rare, now)... I know of one yard that I imagine was used in the past by a breeder, because there are double-sized stables that I was told were "poulinières", which is normally the term used for a broodmare.

Google Maps satellite view makes it so easy to check the layout of a yard and see the arena.

The best way to find a good farrier (maréchal ferrant) is to go to a yard and ask for recommendations, and to turn up on the day the farrier comes round to watch him work.

I don't know much about feed, but it is possible to get pellets without maize, soy, rapeseed, but it seems to always have an English or a German name. Look here and here for examples.

Showjumping and dressage without knowing much French shouldn't be a problem; you'll need a bit of vocabulary for classes, maybe, but filling out forms to get your Federation licence and for entering competitions shouldn't be a problem if your husband (or Google translate) is to hand; it'll just take a few minutes longer.

As for buying property, it's like the UK in that properties are vastly more expensive when you get closer to the capital, but also as you get to secondary cities like Bordeaux, Lille, Strasbourg, Marseille, Nice.
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Thanks again for your help. It was informative about livery. Could you let me know how much it would be to rent a cottage (perhaps with land) but without if my mare is in livery, in the country approx 45mins from Paris.

My husband has also had interest from an International school in Paris, so checking that out. Thanks again.
 
Tonks in 1972 we lived near Brussels (Waterloo, but we don't mention that to the French), my husband had to do a crash course and is a good linguist. e.g. if he hears people speaking in Chinese he can tell the difference between those frommainlnad China and those from Hong Kong. I do NOT have a good ear, I don't write French at all but manage with all the essentials, like doctor, vet, shopping. I always use local shops and markets - I don't just shop in the supermarket which is good for making you use your French. Also we go to lots of French events and don't immerse ourselves in just mixing with other English people which is a big temptation.

If Paris might be a location, you could also consider Le Mans you will be at the heart of Equestrian activities. There is a huge centre in le Mans called Boullerie Jump - jumping all year round. A lot of Parisien live in the area as there is TGV from le Mans to Paris 55mins. Nearer you are looking at somewhere between Versailles and le Mans. Possibly Chartres if you look at my FB friends, there is an English lady living near Chartres - I think she events. I am going to meet up with her at Lion D'Angers so will ask.
 
Just wanted to say thanks for the really useful thread. We are currently looking into a move to France so this is really interesting. @Shady we are looking at the Pyrenees region although location isn't fixed.

Bit tricky though as we would like to be based near good cycling and walking to start a business which basically means the mountains, but I want some land for my horses which isnt necessarily compatible.

We are over in Collioure in a few weeks so going to try to take a day out from relaxing to look at property 😁
 
My friend lives in a similar area to Rollin, ...she moved out there with her partner a couple of years ago. The horses live out year round and the soil is fairly sandy although they had a horrendously wet winter the first year they were there. They bought a house that didn't need any work, and have invested more in fencing and converting a barn to provide stables if they are going to competitions or a horse needs vet treatment etc; they also built a school for a fraction of what it would cost over here, but they do have their own diggers etc. They make their own hay with the help of a local contractor and say vets/farriers are ok, although not to Uk standards. They love the lifestyle and their beautiful rural setting although the bureaucracy (related to buildings, work, horses, basically everything!) drives them mad sometimes ! They were mad keen on hunting, but that's not an option; they mainly compete in show jumping and some eventing now, although decent XC courses are few and far between locally. If you like hacking, it's worth knowing that French drivers are not terribly considerate of hacking; there are lots of 'chemins' that you can use in some areas, although like Britain even rural France is getting more built up.
 
JulesRules said:
Just wanted to say thanks for the really useful thread. We are currently looking into a move to France so this is really interesting. @Shady we are looking at the Pyrenees region although location isn't fixed.

Bit tricky though as we would like to be based near good cycling and walking to start a business which basically means the mountains, but I want some land for my horses which isnt necessarily compatible.

We are over in Collioure in a few weeks so going to try to take a day out from relaxing to look at property 😁
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Hi JR
I don't know that area well except that it is very expensive and seriously hot and possibly difficult to find the package that you need, maybe worth looking more west towards Foix but remember that the further you get up into Pyrenees , the harder it is to live( shopping, doctors, vets etc) but the lower down you go ,you won't get the walkers and cyclists, you have to find THAT spot!!.
The reason the Midi Pyrenees( where i am) scores so highly for regions of France to live in is the geographic diversity here and ease of living. There are some major gorges here and many historical trails, it's not as dramatic as the Pyrenees but that is the trade off, it's easier to live here( in theory ).
I am happy to help you if you want to run some stuff past me, not a problem at all, also might be worth talking to Fuzzy Fury, she has family over that way. xx
 
Jules, it's possibly worth checking out places in Herault. It's not fashionable so prices better. I'm planning on moving out there in 5 years or so, but regularly pop over to visit a brother of mine who has lived there for years. He's in St Pons de Thomieres, a lovely town but has a major route running through the centre of town. Fab hacking about 1k out of town, many small yards nr the lakes, due to being close to the hills it can be wet, but equally hot in summer. Fields usually quite lush as they are close to the damper Tarn region.
Under an hour to the coast nr Sete, and 40 mins over the hills to Carcassonne, it's got lovely gorges on 2 sides of town. Further south to Boisset or Minerve and on to Carcasonne and you'd find it's quite arid in the warmer months.
I'm lazy and make bruv pick me up from Montpellier as it's quicker for me to fly there from Gatwick :)
I have no idea about vets and farriers in the area tho, it's something I'd need to look into.
Many family friends stay with my bruv there as the area is great for cycling, walking, motorbikes etc :)
 
JulesRules said:
@Shady We are very flexible location wise and thinking of being more inland. We are just on holiday in that area anyway and using the opportunity to look as it's in touching distance.
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Just saw Fuzzy's post and realised i called her Fuzzy Fury instead of Furry, lol, sorry Fuzz, has anyone noticed that it's eyes bore into you and follow you around like those creepy jesus pictures( hope it's not just me......) anywayyyyy Fuzzy makes a very good point regarding Carcassone, it is wicked hot there and you get some weird weather , also bear in mind some towns down that way, even tho they are inland will get the mistral winds if they are high up. Where Fuzzy suggests is a good area to look, i did it myself after talking to her but i think i want to move away from the heat here now and i have different needs to yours. If you do find a house you really like drop me the details and as many photo's / info as you can and i'll have a good look at it for you in terms of price/condition and what jumps out at me that needs addressing. x
 
Can I ask if there are a
freckles22uk said:
I lived in Spain for 12 years, I took my horses over there, 2 Appaloosas and later a Welsh sec A, all adapted fine to the heat, I was an hour inland from Alicante (and not far from Beccs who has commented above) Hay is now available as there is a grower near Alicante, and others import. But I also fed Alfalfa and straw and a forage called, Forraja, which is like straw with the heads still on. Lots of variety of hard feeds out there now and the quality is good. My neighours allowed me to graze on their land free of charge which was great as there is a lack of grazing in parts.

I had my horses at home which was a tie with me being there on my own. But there are plenty of good livery yards.

If you are on FB join ''horse owners in Spain'' and ask for advice on there https://www.facebook.com/groups/HorseOwnersInSpain/ its a friendly group.

Im now back in the UK, along with the horses ( and a couple extra we bred) the pony sadly died due to old age.
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Thank you for the information. I have gone onto the FB page you recommended. Had a few replies. Lots of things to consider. Do you know much about Barcelona? Is there much of a competition scene in Spain - SJ or DR? As stated earlier, my husband now has a job interview today for a position in Barcelona, so as much information as possible is greatly received. Thank you.
 
My brother in law lives near Barcelona. It is very built up and property is fairly expensive. Most people live in flats. That said we did have a great riding holiday in forests about 60 miles north of Barcelona. Think you would need to live quite far from the city to get land. Trains are good though.
 
Casey76 said:
I live in Alsace, and have kept horses on livery here for more than 10 years.

It’s difficult and frustrating

As for eventing, unless you compete at a high level (FEI competitions), the cross country phase is usually restricted to fixed jumps in one or two adjoining paddocks, with the optimum time being around 3-4 minutes.

You will need an FFE license (club, amateur or pro) and French Galop exams to enter any competition; however as an adult, you can start your Galop at any level, without having to do them all sequentially.

I only have experience of horse keeping in Alsace, so in other regions things may be different.

  • Feed is cereal based, with horses getting 2-4L three times a day. There is no French branded feed without maize in it
  • Hay is often rationed very strictly, with only one or two flakes given twice day
  • Boxes may only be mucked out once or twice a week
  • Boxes are very small - 3x3m is considered large
  • Fields are often closed completely from Oct to April
  • On “competition” yards, no turnout at all is normal
  • Vet care is at least 20 years behind the UK
  • Horse insurance usually only covers basics, no diagnostics, and often only 50% of surgery fees.
  • Farriery is almost universally appalling

You may wonder how I’ve managed to keep horses for 10 years lol, but my yard was set up by an English lady, and is run in a more “English” way than most yards in my area. We have turnout every day, the boxes are mucked out every day, I choose to feed my own forage based food. It isn’t ideal, and if you can find any of my threads on here,you’ll see I moan often enough... but my yard, despite it’s foibles, is exponentially better than most yards in my area.
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Thanks for this information. I was just wondering if you could clarify this please?

How do you go about getting a FEI licence?

Can you explain about the gallops licence please? I understand that they are a bit like the British Horse Society's exam system, with the stages etc. I'm not sure that I really want to take any more exams! Are they on your own horse?

I have a read a little about this.....I have my British Horse Society's A.I. Certificate and I also compete British Eventing, so I am a current member. Does this mean I can transfer these qualifications and membership, as I think I have read that you could?

Thanks again.
 
Tonks said:
Thanks for this information. I was just wondering if you could clarify this please?

How do you go about getting a FEI licence?

Can you explain about the gallops licence please? I understand that they are a bit like the British Horse Society's exam system, with the stages etc. I'm not sure that I really want to take any more exams! Are they on your own horse?

I have a read a little about this.....I have my British Horse Society's A.I. Certificate and I also compete British Eventing, so I am a current member. Does this mean I can transfer these qualifications and membership, as I think I have read that you could?

Thanks again.
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Also, could you let me know if the gallop exams are taken in French..... that would be a problem at this stage!
 
Tonks said:
Thanks for this information. I was just wondering if you could clarify this please?

How do you go about getting a FEI licence?

Can you explain about the gallops licence please? I understand that they are a bit like the British Horse Society's exam system, with the stages etc. I'm not sure that I really want to take any more exams! Are they on your own horse?

I have a read a little about this.....I have my British Horse Society's A.I. Certificate and I also compete British Eventing, so I am a current member. Does this mean I can transfer these qualifications and membership, as I think I have read that you could?

Thanks again.
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Casey76 - I have read a little more about the gallop exams.

Am I correct in saying that they are taken at a local equestrian centre where you're assessed on your own horse?

What level do you generally need to acquire in order to compete at say, 1m and over in SJ and XC and around Nov or elementary DR?

Are the exams generally hard, or can you go to a centre, have some lessons and get to know your trainer, who will then assess you gradually over time?

I'm a little worried I won't pass and then have moved to France, where I can't compete.

Thanks again.
 
Tonks said:
Thanks again for your help. It was informative about livery. Could you let me know how much it would be to rent a cottage (perhaps with land) but without if my mare is in livery, in the country approx 45mins from Paris.

My husband has also had interest from an International school in Paris, so checking that out. Thanks again.
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Is that 45 minutes by helicopter, motorbike, car, bicycle or train?

My commute to work in Paris is little over one hour, and that includes a 30 minute walk from my house to the railway station.

You're going to have to do some research on your own, when you have an idea on where you want to live. Look at your husband's likely place of work, and where you might need or want to get to easily, and then look along the transport routes for likely places.

An example property going for €2000 per month, 110 m² of living space in the house, paddocks and stabling for two horses, supposedly 10 minutes from the RER line B station Saint-Remy-lès-Chevreuse. That's the last station on line B,

The easiest way to find something would be to come over once your husband has a signed contract for work. Then you can decide where you want to live. Take a week in a hotel to visit different towns. Once settled on a town, get a couple of estate agents in that town to do the legwork for you, and agree that you'll come over again for a long weekend and that you want to visit five properties per day. When setting your criteria, have a set of criteria for yourselves, then reduce everything by 10% to 20% and give that stricter set of criteria to the agents. And make sure that the agents understand that your criteria must be respected.

My experience, confirmed by talking with other people, is that when you state "I want 5 bedrooms, within 20 minutes of the station, and my budget is 2000", the agents want to show you something that has either 2 bedrooms, is 30 minutes from the station and costs 2200, or has 8 bedrooms, is 45 minutes from the station and costs 3000...
 
Tonks said:
Are the exams generally hard, or can you go to a centre, have some lessons and get to know your trainer, who will then assess you gradually over time?
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You are supposed to prepare for the exam either on your own or with an instructor, it doesn't matter which, and then turn up and pass the exam... Written and practical. There's no "continuous assessment" option!

I passed my Galop 2 exam before the summer, but I've already done the theory test preparations and mock tests up to Galop 4. Whatever level you want to start at, you'll need plenty of vocabulary to name the parts of grooming equipment, tack, horse anatomy, coats, gaits. Some centres won't want to put you straight in at anything above Galop 1, and might want to make you take one exam per year... since the centre collects a fee for each candidate at each exam.

I don't know whether you need to have a Galop of any particular level to enter competitions... that might depend on competition organisers.

If your examiner is also your instructor, you might get a quite a lot of leeway when it comes to stringing together full sentences, if it's clear that you know your stuff but just have trouble with the language.
 
Tonks said:
No sure if this is in the correct area on forum... but calling all horse owners who live in Spain or France please.....

My family and I would like to move to either France or Spain and need some advice please from all of those peeps who live there or who have lived there please with their horses. We are both teachers and are considering a move abroad to an International school (weather, son learning new language etc). My husband is a language teacher (German, French, Spanish & English) so any of those languages is not an issue for him. I can speak a bit of Spanish to get by, but my French is non existent.

We own a small DIY livery here in the UK, so would either sell (but ideally rent out initially, to see if we like living abroad). I would like to know however, which areas of France or Spain are the most 'horsey'. I do compete BE eventing, but understand that this is non existent in Spain, but they are into SJ and DR. But, which are the good ideas for competitions and generally doing all things horsey?

However, I understand that they do have 'eventing' in France? France looks much greener that Spain, so what could be some of the issues with keeping horses in France / Spain (enough hay - feed all year round etc - heat?). Also would love to know where some of the best trainers are please.

Property in France looks better - cheaper, more green grass, more space. Any information welcome. Thank you!
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I would look at France better support from the Government ,horse are livestock so you can get CAP finance, Normandy is cooler Spain gets very hot.
 
Keith_Beef said:
Is that 45 minutes by helicopter, motorbike, car, bicycle or train?

My commute to work in Paris is little over one hour, and that includes a 30 minute walk from my house to the railway station.

You're going to have to do some research on your own, when you have an idea on where you want to live. Look at your husband's likely place of work, and where you might need or want to get to easily, and then look along the transport routes for likely places.

An example property going for €2000 per month, 110 m² of living space in the house, paddocks and stabling for two horses, supposedly 10 minutes from the RER line B station Saint-Remy-lès-Chevreuse. That's the last station on line B,

The easiest way to find something would be to come over once your husband has a signed contract for work. Then you can decide where you want to live. Take a week in a hotel to visit different towns. Once settled on a town, get a couple of estate agents in that town to do the legwork for you, and agree that you'll come over again for a long weekend and that you want to visit five properties per day. When setting your criteria, have a set of criteria for yourselves, then reduce everything by 10% to 20% and give that stricter set of criteria to the agents. And make sure that the agents understand that your criteria must be respected.

My experience, confirmed by talking with other people, is that when you state "I want 5 bedrooms, within 20 minutes of the station, and my budget is 2000", the agents want to show you something that has either 2 bedrooms, is 30 minutes from the station and costs 2200, or has 8 bedrooms, is 45 minutes from the station and costs 3000...
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Again, thank you so much for your help.

I'm currently doing so much research on both France and Spain, that my head is spinning! My husband has been offered in job in Barcelona but not sure if we can afford to live there, given the poor teaching salaries etc, and high cost of rental.

The exams sound terrifying, especially given the fact that I currently don't speak really any French - I guess its an incentive to learn!! I am a bit scared that I won't pass and therefore, will have moved and can't compete. I do hold the BHS AI and I do compete up to BE100 with my horse - will that stand me in good stead for the exams? I understand you can't convert them (and I don't want to teach in France) but honestly, I just can't imagine taking an exam in French - my knees are knocking all ready!

Thank you for all your input once again.
 
sywell said:
I would look at France better support from the Government ,horse are livestock so you can get CAP finance, Normandy is cooler Spain gets very hot.
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Thanks. Could you explain the CAP finance please? What does this mean for everyday horse owners in France (esp. those from the UK with perhaps...Brexit shortly to arrive). Thanks
 
Tonks said:
Thanks. Could you explain the CAP finance please? What does this mean for everyday horse owners in France (esp. those from the UK with perhaps...Brexit shortly to arrive). Thanks
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CAP..... common agricultural policy.
This means nothing to normal horse owners, it applies to professionals, ie ,breeders, dealers but many trekking centres/equestrian centres can use this to get support so long as they offer horses for sale. It can sometimes help with land management but quite often they require you to have a qualification in the relevant field. The laws in France are very complicated, you can be swamped with bureaucracy and the cap system is widely abused with many people getting it who shouldn't.
This is my advice , check and double check that the house and land you saw match the land you signed for, that it is clear with no rights of way, Napoleonic rights to things like wells and be aware that things around you can change very quickly and affect you . Redundant lanes and buildings can be reactivated and houses and cow barns can pop up without you having any say so. It's easy to make a mistake here but using common sense helps a lot, keep it simple, if there are any grey areas walk away.
 
Shady said:
CAP..... common agricultural policy.
This means nothing to normal horse owners, it applies to professionals, ie ,breeders, dealers but many trekking centres/equestrian centres can use this to get support so long as they offer horses for sale. It can sometimes help with land management but quite often they require you to have a qualification in the relevant field. The laws in France are very complicated, you can be swamped with bureaucracy and the cap system is widely abused with many people getting it who shouldn't.
This is my advice , check and double check that the house and land you saw match the land you signed for, that it is clear with no rights of way, Napoleonic rights to things like wells and be aware that things around you can change very quickly and affect you . Redundant lanes and buildings can be reactivated and houses and cow barns can pop up without you having any say so. It's easy to make a mistake here but using common sense helps a lot, keep it simple, if there are any grey areas walk away.
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Thank you...very useful to know and bare in mind.
 
Tonks said:
Am I correct in saying that they are taken at a local equestrian centre where you're assessed on your own horse?
What level do you generally need to acquire in order to compete at say, 1m and over in SJ and XC and around Nov or elementary DR?
Are the exams generally hard, or can you go to a centre, have some lessons and get to know your trainer, who will then assess you gradually over time?
I'm a little worried I won't pass and then have moved to France, where I can't compete.
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Tonks said:
The exams sound terrifying, especially given the fact that I currently don't speak really any French - I guess its an incentive to learn!! I am a bit scared that I won't pass and therefore, will have moved and can't compete. I do hold the BHS AI and I do compete up to BE100 with my horse - will that stand me in good stead for the exams? I understand you can't convert them (and I don't want to teach in France) but honestly, I just can't imagine taking an exam in French - my knees are knocking all ready!
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Gosh. Don't panic! It's not as hard as it seems, really!

Firstly you will need your FFE (Federation Francaise d'Equitation) license in order to compete, register your horse and so on. You must renew your license every calendar year (you can apply for it any month of the year, but it will always expire at the end of the December) and it also requires your GP to do a simple medical exam and provide you a certificate which basically just says you are fit to take part in sports. Once you have your FFE account and license you can do everything online (registering your horses, competition entries, etc).

The majority of competition in France is what you might call "affilliated" in that it's all connected to the FFE. "Unaffiliated" competition doesn't really exist aside from concours d'entraînement ("training shows") which are run by riding schools and aimed predominantly at RS riders. The exams go from Galop 1 (the very basics) to Galop 7, and there's a blanket requirement across all competitions and disciplines - you need your Galop 4 to compete at Club level, and your Galop 7 to compete at Amateur level. FYI as your riding standard is good enough for BE100 you would definitely want to do Amateur - the standard at Club level is significantly lower and you would find yourself somewhat limited especially if you are quite ambitious!).

What you need to understand about the Galop exams is that the system was really created to encourage systematic progression for those learning at riding schools. In France they like to do things in a very structured kind of way! So riding schools usually operate as "clubs" whereby riders take out an annual membership and do all their training / competing etc through them. Within this system people tend to take their Galops in consecutive order and will usually attend a group assessment day organised by their club to take their exam. Each exam will involve a ridden assessment, a practical assessment and a written test. HOWEVER in reality this isn't necessary for an experienced rider who doesn't need to use the club system and just requires their Galop 7 so they can start competing. You would just need to find an instructor who's willing to do a one-off assessment of your riding and award your Galop on that basis without asking you to do the practical and written components at all. Any decent club instructor will be happy to assess you even if you're not a member. Many independent (non club member) riders do it this way. That's how I got mine - I only had 3 months of French at that point and wouldn't have been able to pass the practical and written sections as I couldn't have answered any of the questions, so my boss took me to a local club instructor who just assessed my riding to the Galop 7 guidelines and awarded it to me within the hour. Going purely by the level you are currently competing you would be able to get yours with your eyes closed... my dressage test was roughly equivalent to maybe one of the more difficult Novice tests, and the jumping assessment mainly requires you to jump a course of 1m showjumps with good technique and an effective position. If you said you were going to event they might also ask to see you over a few straightforward XC fences. Seriously... if you moved to France, passing your Galop assessment would be the least of your concerns!

Regarding area... personally I'd say by far the best part of France for all things horsey is the Normandy / Brittany area in the north. It's got the best facilities (veterinary etc), best and biggest choice of competition venues, liveliest and most varied competition scene, the most renowned studs, lots of fab hacking including some fantastic forests and beaches, plenty of good grazing and proper green space... you can't beat it really!
 
joosie said:
Gosh. Don't panic! It's not as hard as it seems, really!

Firstly you will need your FFE (Federation Francaise d'Equitation) license in order to compete, register your horse and so on. You must renew your license every calendar year (you can apply for it any month of the year, but it will always expire at the end of the December) and it also requires your GP to do a simple medical exam and provide you a certificate which basically just says you are fit to take part in sports. Once you have your FFE account and license you can do everything online (registering your horses, competition entries, etc).

The majority of competition in France is what you might call "affilliated" in that it's all connected to the FFE. "Unaffiliated" competition doesn't really exist aside from concours d'entraînement ("training shows") which are run by riding schools and aimed predominantly at RS riders. The exams go from Galop 1 (the very basics) to Galop 7, and there's a blanket requirement across all competitions and disciplines - you need your Galop 4 to compete at Club level, and your Galop 7 to compete at Amateur level. FYI as your riding standard is good enough for BE100 you would definitely want to do Amateur - the standard at Club level is significantly lower and you would find yourself somewhat limited especially if you are quite ambitious!).

What you need to understand about the Galop exams is that the system was really created to encourage systematic progression for those learning at riding schools. In France they like to do things in a very structured kind of way! So riding schools usually operate as "clubs" whereby riders take out an annual membership and do all their training / competing etc through them. Within this system people tend to take their Galops in consecutive order and will usually attend a group assessment day organised by their club to take their exam. Each exam will involve a ridden assessment, a practical assessment and a written test. HOWEVER in reality this isn't necessary for an experienced rider who doesn't need to use the club system and just requires their Galop 7 so they can start competing. You would just need to find an instructor who's willing to do a one-off assessment of your riding and award your Galop on that basis without asking you to do the practical and written components at all. Any decent club instructor will be happy to assess you even if you're not a member. Many independent (non club member) riders do it this way. That's how I got mine - I only had 3 months of French at that point and wouldn't have been able to pass the practical and written sections as I couldn't have answered any of the questions, so my boss took me to a local club instructor who just assessed my riding to the Galop 7 guidelines and awarded it to me within the hour. Going purely by the level you are currently competing you would be able to get yours with your eyes closed... my dressage test was roughly equivalent to maybe one of the more difficult Novice tests, and the jumping assessment mainly requires you to jump a course of 1m showjumps with good technique and an effective position. If you said you were going to event they might also ask to see you over a few straightforward XC fences. Seriously... if you moved to France, passing your Galop assessment would be the least of your concerns!

Regarding area... personally I'd say by far the best part of France for all things horsey is the Normandy / Brittany area in the north. It's got the best facilities (veterinary etc), best and biggest choice of competition venues, liveliest and most varied competition scene, the most renowned studs, lots of fab hacking including some fantastic forests and beaches, plenty of good grazing and proper green space... you can't beat it really!
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Arh...thank you so much! I was loosing the will to live and reaching for the bottle!!! LOL

Lots of decisions to be made......

My husband has applied for job in Paris....but is so expensive....anyway, thank you again, you've ben brill :)
 
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