Spanish riding holidays (dressage focused)

blitznbobs

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Hi

Some of you may have noticed that I might be in the market for a horse of Spanish decent... but I want to ride a few so my decision can be informed. I am therefore thinking I will go on a riding holiday to Spain and try one of the dressage focused courses that seem to be abundant. Anyone been? Any recommendations? Any to avoid? Pm if more appropriate

Hot chocolate with rum and marshmallows for reading this far x
 

sidewaysonacob

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Los Alamos isn't a dressage holiday (beach and forest hacking), but they have a range of PRE and PRE-x that you could try and they seem happy to let you ride two or possibly three over the week (5 days riding) if that's what you fancy and they think your riding is up to it. The horses are all well-schooled in the Spanish style and last time I was there I had a lovely time playing with laterals and changes at the back of the ride :) They do sell a couple of horses to clients each season, but there's no pressure to buy. It's a fab holiday with long fast gallops so even if you didn't move further forward in your decision making you'd still have a great time - I've been two years running and am already booked for next year.
 

Barlow

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If you’re after Dressage then I’d recommend the courses at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez. If you’re after something a little less refined and fancy riding retired bullfighters, going hacking and doing a spot of yoga at an authentic Spanish farm run by a well known figure within the Andalusian equestrian circles then I’d recommend Alcantara Ecuestre. If you just want to ride an Iberian schoolmaster then Morgado Lusitano is excellent but Lusitanos not PREs and Portugal not Spain.
 

Courbette

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Why don't you view a few in the UK if there are any for sale near you or have a schoolmaster lesson and then if you want to continue go abroad. I love Iberian horses and think they are fantastic but to be honest I have mostly ridden very well schooled Iberians so would imagine I would like most breeds of horse give then same level of schooling. Peter Madison-Greenwell wrote a book on Spanish horses that gives a good overview of the breed.

I don't think it is time wasting to ride a few Spanish ones in the UK if you might actually but the horse if you found the right one. I've heard good things about Morgardo. If you do go abroad please do a write up as this is something I want to do for my next milestone birthday :)
 

Orangehorse

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In The Saddle do riding holidays (I think they do the Los Alamos trip) and they include dressage holidays too. Equestrian Escapes is another firm.
 

SpottyMare

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A friend worked at Epona Equestrian Centre in Spain for a while and has lots of good things to say about it. It's somewhere I'd like to go for the classical dressage training. It seems to have a good online review score too

http://www.eponaspain.com/
 
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