Who's been on a horsey holiday weather here or abroad

mocha911

mocha911

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As title really. I am thinking of a horsey adventure, and would like to here other people's experience...

Brilliant or a nightmare...

Where did you go and how long for.

What were the horses like, or did you take your own.....

was it how you expected and described....

Do you have any tips for anyone thinking of going and where do you recommend.. :D:D:D

Thank you for any ideas..
 
I have been on a few over the last few years. All of them were one week trail holidays i.e. you stay somewhere different each night. You need to think about what sort of holiday you want i.e. centre based, trail riding, lessons etc.

Where you go very much depends on your budget. I have booked with some direct and others via agents. Have always booked my own flights. 'In The Saddle' are very good - see their website for honest reviews of holidays.

The best (and most expensive) was Botswana Safari - http://www.limpopovalleyhorsesafaris.com/latestnews.html. Quality horses, luxury camping, good food, fantastic staff - couldn't fault it.

Sierra Nevada in Spain - http://spain-horse-riding.com/
Good horses, amazing scenery, good accommodation and food. Highly recommended.

Cheapest was Ireland - http://www.horse-holiday-farm.com/
This was an experience as they were very disorganised! We done an unguided trail ride and had to change to a different trail for the second part of the week as they had forgotten to book our accommodation. Stunning beaches, horses not well schooled, basic B&B accommodation but we had fun.

Bordeaux area of France - can't remember who this was with. Another unguided trail. This was OK but the countryside/scenery was a bit boring. Not particularly memorable and had a bit of disaster getting there (long story).
 
Nothing as exotic as the above, and a long time ago, we had a horse drawn caravan holiday in the Brecon Beacons. (me, the ex and foster child, plus dog) and had a couple of riding ponies too, so we could all ride when we were not driving. It was great, beautiful scenery, lovely cobs, we had great weather (those were the days!) and`really enjoyed the daily campsites. There was no way the driving cob was going to pass her evening stop, she knew every inch of the route. Had some wonderful rides without the other two novices too. Great holiday.
 
I wholeheartedly recommend Estancia Los Potreros in Argentina for a horsey holiday. http://www.estancialospotreros.com/

Its set in 6000 acres of stunning rolling hills in the Sierra Chicas mountains, they have 150 wonderful horses - from the criollos and polo ponies to the homebred Peruvian Pasos...it is heaven on and off horseback. Wonderful hosts, fabulous food and amazing riding.

Best holiday I've ever had - I'd go again in a heartbeat ( and a new credit card...!)
 
I went on one years ago as a teen nice place in somerset met some lovely people also resident for the two weeks two I've stayed in touch with 20 years later.

Downside was it was mainly young girls running and taking the rides who lacked basic care when it came to lame horses. I walked my first mount back after day one refusing to get on him again despite him being tacked up and ready to go the following day still limping. YO was happy with him to go out as no other horses available, Owner was NOT and gave a flea in the ear leaving a few red faces.

Positive was that the only horse available was a retired grey cross country competition horse still kept fit but not used for holidays, fabulous ride and totally made my holiday. Never forgotten the horse or the ride especially as we were treated to a cross country course on the last day :D

Lots has changed since I went insurance and management for starters but I would definitely recommend a horse holiday. I'd love to do one of the American Trekking in the states... very appealing.
 
I've been to South Africa - Horizon it was okay but although I would go back to SA I wouldn't go back to Horizon, I was booked on another holiday but it was destroyed in a bush fire 3 weeks before I was due to go and Horizon was the only holiday available,

I've also been to Mexico
http://www.inthesaddle.com/rides/search?countryid=24 which was fantastic I would go back there tomorrow if I could afford it, fit and healthy horses, great riding, accommoadation 5 star and the food was the best food I have ever had:D.
 
Went on amazing ranch holiday in Wyoming USA it was fantastic. Would love to go on out to the Botswana riding in the Okavango delta. It is on my top ten things to do in the next 5 years.
 
I have been on a Free Rein holiday in Wales, which was great. Nice cobby type horses, very well run operation, beautiful riding. We did have great weather though, not sure what horizontal rain on the top of a mountain would be like!

I have been for a weekend on the Somme in France. Ditto great riding and nice horses. All live out, riding in bitless bridles through pine forests and long canters on the beach.
Good food!

Took my own horse on a Bridlerides holiday in the Cotswolds. Really beautiful riding, would love to go back. Bridlerides has been taken over by Redlands Equestrian, I think.

Went to Montana last year. OMG - I would love to go back, in the spring to see the flowers. It was hot but bearable, very like the scenery on a TV film last weekend. Western parelli trained horses, hard working, very fit, lived out and we had to fetch the herd in every morning. Fantastic food, lovely family operation, interesting other guests.
Fantastic views from the top of mountains, a 15 minute canter up a mountain, old deserted ranches, wildlife. Need I go on? It was great.
 
I have now been to http://la-fiaba.com/ twice. Both on working holidays, I love it there and fully intend to go again next summer.

Sharon the owner is lovely, she is english so no language difficulties :) Lorenzo (her oh is Italian and is really really nice too, his cooking is gorgeous!

The horses are all lovely (and I know this better than most because I was in charge of looking after them) and Sharon is especially good at matching you with your ideal horsey buddy for the week. If you don't get on though, she is happy enough to swap you onto something else.

The rides out are gorgeous:

551822_10150999308255904_164331540_n.jpg


And vary from 1 hour to 6!

It is about 1hours drive from Pisa, Siena and Florence (I highly reccommend both F and S) There is accommodation on site and it is lovely, the pool is fab!

Looking through my photos makes me miss it!
 
I sell riding holidays and can tell you that the number of options really is incredible. I would recommend booking something either with an agency or a place that you hear of through reputation, rather than just booking somewhere that looks nice.

If you contact an agency then you can provide them with your requirements, budget, preferences etc. and they can give you some suggestions of riding holidays to match.

Of course I would absolutely recommend giving it a go. Once people have the bug they tend to go again and again, trying out new places. It's an excellent way to make new friends too. People often meet someone on their trip and then arrange to travel with them on another horsey adventure! There are riding holidays to suit all levels.

If you are planning to travel alone and are nervous then you can often be matched up to other single travellers in the same boat. Many agencies also run escorted trips when a company staff member joins the rides and makes a group of clients. I just ran a trip like this to Mexico which was awesome. :)

I know I'm biased but really do give it a go. I've only been in the job a little while (it's a family business) but with it I've ridden in Wales, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Bosnia, Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico, Canada and Sardinia. I'll be off to Hungary with a group in May and plan an African safari sometime in the not too distant future. The options really are endless... galloping on the beach, spying on lions, dressage lessons on a beautiful Lusitano, cattle drives, countryside trails. It really can become a passion.

Give it a go and have a nice time!
 
We did a ranch in Colorado for a week. Possibly the best holiday ever. Based out of one ranch house for the week so all very comfortable, loads of different trails to try, and rides segregated by ability so we got to gallop a lot in our group and ride over some of the steeper terrain. Horses really well selected for the people involved (don't know how they did it!) And on the last day we got to do some barrel racing and then ride bareback through the lake.
 
I've been on three now - all in Europe. Each one was different but all were great. I'd recommend In the Saddle as they have a good range of hols and are very helpful at matching you to something suitable. Be honest about your riding ability and the time you are happy to spend in the saddle to make the most of it. Have fun!
 
I have been on many different riding holidays, both at home, in Europe and further afield. My favourites have definately been the further afield ones. In April I was in Costa Rica which was amazing. It really is a beautiful country. I have also done several of the African rides including Wait A Little and Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris. I can thoroughly recommend both of them. A couple of times I have been to Iceland(www.ishestar.is). I think out of all the rides ive done over the years, my favourite ones have been the African ones and Iceland. I havnt got anything booked for next year yet but am considering Los Potreros. Everyone who has been says it is amazing.

I always use unicorn trails to book my riding holidays (www.unicorntrails.com). Their staff are very knowledgeable and have been on many of the holidays that they sell. They are alsways very quick to respond to any queries or questions. I deal with Danii and I certainly cant fault her.

Let me know if I can help with any of the places I have been.
 
I've done a couple. One was trekking across the Andes from Argentina into Chile. The ride was mostly walking due to the terrain, but we did get a couple of little trots and canters. Great tough little horses. The biggest challenge was the altitude as we hit over 4000m asl. A few people suffered from vertigo so the sheer drops next to the trails made a couple of people freak out. I took it to be my job just to not get in my horses way, the climbs and drops and scree slopes were pretty extreme, so all I wanted to do was sit still and let him do his thing! Slept in tents or under the stars and it was utterly beautiful scenery.

The next was to Namibia to Okapuka. Brilliant. Horses are only suited to experienced riders as they are all endurance trained arabians. Mine were both hot feisty chestnut mares who took a bit of riding, but the canters went on for miles, interspersed between grazing in the midst of a herd of giraffe or springbok or kudu...you get the picture. A great place for people like me who want fast riding but without lots of crocs and lions trying to jump out and eat me. They lack big game but I was fascinated by the range of antelope, plus mountain giraffe, leopards, rhino. One of the rides heads into the mountains where the face is so steep you have to let the horses gallop to get up it. I have never been so fast over such a steep rocky surface, such a thrill.

I also worked as a guide at a place in NZ, lovely horses, responsive to good riders and tolerant of beginners, i loved them. And the scenery was second to none. We were lucky that we had access to river flats for loads of trotting and cantering.

Whatever you do, im sure you'll love it!
 
HollyWoozle said:
I sell riding holidays and can tell you that the number of options really is incredible. QUOTE]

Oh my God! You have my DREAM job!! :) I work in marketing and PR, nad previously worked for a travel company (cottage and villa holidays) so your job combines my two great loves!

Personally, as an adult I have been on three riding holidays.

One was a three day ride round the Mary Towneley Loop, riding from between B&Bs on this 58 mile ride which forms part of the Pennine bridleway. I took my own horse and it was great fun with friends. Parts of the route were tricky and I'm glad I was riding my horse at the time, who was very sure-footed! The scenery was lovely though and the B&Bs really welcoming.

I have also done an Active Rider camp at Somerford Park. This was also great. I went with 5 friends nad we had a mix of cross country, SJ and flat lessons. It was a great thing to do with my new horse and helped build our bond.

But my favourite was my honeymoon - a stay at a the White Stallion Ranch in Arizona. AMAZING! I had a fantastic former barrel racing champion and my more novice horse as matched with a lovely young mustang.
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dollymix said:
Oh my God! You have my DREAM job!! :) I work in marketing and PR, nad previously worked for a travel company (cottage and villa holidays) so your job combines my two great loves!
...
But my favourite was my honeymoon - a stay at a the White Stallion Ranch in Arizona. AMAZING! I had a fantastic former barrel racing champion and my more novice horse as matched with a lovely young mustang.
Click to expand...

It's not too shabby. :p Sadly it's mostly office based but I'm getting out and about at least a few times a year. I also made it on a special trip to the Calgary Stampede this year with backstage tours of the chutes and whatnot! Lots of agencies head out to visit the places they are selling but we're finding more and more that it's a fun chance to take a group. I can't wait for my next one in Hungary!

People are recommending some awesome destinations here... I can safely say that White Stallion Ranch (US), Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris (Botswana) and Los Potreros (Argentina) are all incredible! There are also a lot of cheaper and more budget-friendly options within Europe though so you don't have to have mega bucks. Keep your eye out for special offers too as a lot of agencies and destinations have some running right now.

It's a great time to book a trip for next year as some places will let you have this year's rates if you book early. :)
 
Wait a little south Africa is fab, amazing well schooled horses. Lots of long gallops, racing giraffe, watching lions from metres away etc etc. Hosts are lovely - would love to go again. While in SA you can add extra excitement by cage diving with great whites near cape town.
 
HollyWoozle said:
It's not too shabby. QUOTE]

Hahaha - I am seriously soooo jealous! :)

Sorry for the hasty reply earlier...but I was rushing out to see to the horses.

Yes - the White Stallion Ranch - what a fab place! Not so rustic that you don't feel like you're on holiday... but not too plush that you feel like you're in another nameless hotel!

The hosts were great, amazing food (in that huge portion, hearty American way) and there were horses to suit all abilities. As a regular rider though, some might think the rides are a little tame as you are essentially one behind the other on twisty desert tracks. But there are opportunities for fast canters on all the rides and the all day ride in particular, you go out onto a dry river bed which we blasted up! Great fun!

Guests also take part in team penning which is so much fun - and if there are enough keen, experienced riders, they will do a barrel racing lesson which I took part in. This was my favourite part of the holiday (of course it had nothing to do with the fact that I was riding a former barrel racing champ! In fact I loved it so much that I wrote a review for the company we booked with (Ranch Riders) and they still use it fairly frequently in their marketing materials....we were a picture on their Facebook page a week or two back! lol Here are a few pics...
IMGP2774-2.jpg

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barrels.jpg


Hollywoozle - it's great to have someone we can tap up for recommendations ;)
We have looked at a couple of places that offer ski and riding....can you think of anywhere in the Europe or US that offers somthing like this? We were thinking early January. Also, for the summer months, we like the idea of riding through the vinyards...again in Europe or the US (we do LOVE America but are open to other suggestions!)

Thanks
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Never been on a riding holiday, but did go on a horse drawn gypsy caravan holiday in Norfolk when younger. It was great, we fell in love with the horse, Rufus! Although, looking back, they trusted very novice people with a horse and caravan on their own for a week!? Luckily me and my friend were fairly knowledgable but the other families with us had no idea about horses! All a bit yikes really :/

I've also looked at a place in Wales called Caeiago for a riding/trekking holiday which looks fantastic, but now I've got my own not sure I have the time/money to go anymore.
 
dollymix said:
Hollywoozle - it's great to have someone we can tap up for recommendations ;)
We have looked at a couple of places that offer ski and riding....can you think of anywhere in the Europe or US that offers somthing like this? We were thinking early January. Also, for the summer months, we like the idea of riding through the vinyards...again in Europe or the US (we do LOVE America but are open to other suggestions!)

Thanks
Click to expand...

I do know a place for skiing and riding (I've been myself) and there are some lovely places for riding through vineyards in Italy, Spain, France, Croatia and plenty of others too. I'll PM you a link to our website and some ideas (don't want to be seen as advertising!). :)
 
I just got back from a trip to Mexico with HollyWoozle! The company she works for is Far and Ride, and I can't recommend them highly enough.

I would never normally choose to go on a riding holiday as I work with horses, so it isn't really a holiday for me, but I had the most incredible time in Mexico and will DEFINITELY be going back there as soon as I can. My boyfriend has been on another holiday through Far and Ride too and said that one was equally fab.

I was particularly impressed by how helpful they were regarding my severe allergies to rather awkward foods. I was never made to feel bad for not being able to eat what everyone else was, and had something delicious made seperately for me every day.

DEFINITELY go and look at their website.

Aaaaaand now I wish I was still in Mexico...
 
E_Lister said:
I have now been to http://la-fiaba.com/ twice. Both on working holidays, I love it there and fully intend to go again next summer.

Sharon the owner is lovely, she is english so no language difficulties :) Lorenzo (her oh is Italian and is really really nice too, his cooking is gorgeous!

The horses are all lovely (and I know this better than most because I was in charge of looking after them) and Sharon is especially good at matching you with your ideal horsey buddy for the week. If you don't get on though, she is happy enough to swap you onto something else.

The rides out are gorgeous:

551822_10150999308255904_164331540_n.jpg


And vary from 1 hour to 6!

It is about 1hours drive from Pisa, Siena and Florence (I highly reccommend both F and S) There is accommodation on site and it is lovely, the pool is fab!

Looking through my photos makes me miss it!
Click to expand...

Snap but only went once so far and very tempted to do it again as it was one of the best *holidays* we've had, defo one of the best for food and company :D
 
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