Great news! Once things start opening up in Europe I will be traveling there for a couple weeks! During this time I would like to take some riding lessons while I’m there since I’ll be having riding withdrawals and I would like to work to make myself a better rider. Does anyone have any recommendations for talented English speaking trainers that have nice horses to lesson on?
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Castle Leslie in Ireland is fantastic!
It depends on what you want to do. Jumping and cross country, Ireland is good, as is trail riding. Jumping and dressage, Germany is good. Spain, dressage and less of the jumping, lovely trail riding (and if you have never riden an Iberian horse, an extra treat for you).
For dressage, I LOVED Epona in Spain http://www.eponaspain.com/ Fabulous schoolmasters. Stunning country and just the sweetest, nicest people.
I don’t think anyone from the U.S. will be allowed in Europe anytime soon… hopefully you’re from Canada!
I’m not going for atleast another year or until things open back up 
This place looks gorgeous!
YES! X1000! :yes:
Fernando & Jane, along with their daughters are the most welcoming hosts EVER. Staff is also very nice, food is YUM & horses are awesome.
My 4-day trip there coincided with daughter Caty’s wedding that weekend.
They had already accomodated me with a shortened stay (I was meeting friends in Barcelona after).
When Fernando picked me up at the airport I asked how many other quests were there.
Answer: None.
When he told me why, I asked why they had not told me to reschedule.
His answer: they had not wanted me to be disappointed.
I was not.
Trail rides were awesome.
Lessons great.
Accomodations lovely :love-struck: < though I stayed at the hacienda, I understand guests now stay at hotels in nearby Carmona
I was literally treated like family.
When Jane’s family arrived for the wedding, I was included in family meals & treated to Jane’s paella (which bested any I had in Madrid).
Ah “Don Fernando!” so glad to hear he’s still well! All his lovely grey hounds too! I was there in the early 2000’s and stayed at the hacienda. Every day the cook went into the countryside to pick wild edibles for our meals. The asparagus was amazing. I had a WONDERFUL time there, loved the horses, riding through the cork tree groves, waking up to the smell of orange blossoms. We took two riding lessons a day, a 4 hour trail ride, had a wonderful meal and then danced flamenco every night. One of the best adventures of my life.
If you’re into the big(ger) jumpers, I spent a few weeks at Holger Hetzel’s place in Goch, Germany. He has a large barn of jumpers and several riders, many of which had great English. I haven’t ridden anything big at shows beforehand, but I was competently schooling 1.1m before I went over and had a blast.
As far as Ireland goes, many of the usual tourist type places will give you some great confidence boosting rides but maybe not quite the technical instruction you may be looking for. And it depends on what exactly you’re looking to do. There is nothing like going around some cross country jumps on an Irish horse that seems to push your away any fear taking you over obstacles you never imagined you’d jump. IME I got pointers (ah you sat down too soon - which I still can’t believe because this was a comment given just by hearing how the horse landed vs watching me jump argh). I learned a lot every time I went over to Ireland -much of it very basic, simple horsemanship, and how well you really ride when you’re scared s***less. lol
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