"You Can Lead A Horse To Water But You Can't Make Him Drink...."

Meaning:

People, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do.

Origin:

Proverbs give richness to language and, to some extent, define a culture. ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink‘ might be thought to encapsulate the English-speaking people’s mindset better than any other saying, as it appears to be the oldest English proverb that is still in regular use today. It was recorded as early as 1175 in Old English Homilies:

Hwa is thet mei thet hors wettrien the him self nule drinken
[who can give water to the horse that will not drink of its own accord?]

Equestrian Escapes' Horse Riding Holidays

If you are looking for a holiday that is a bit different, and carries with it a sense of adventure, why not book a horse riding holiday?  Equestrian Escapes offers a wide variety of horse riding holidays, from Peru and Spain, Portugal and Italy, to the Uk and Ireland.  You can even take your horses with you on holiday, and learn new tricks together.  You can design your own riding plan to suit you from lessons, short hacks, half day rides to full day rides.

Riding in Berkshire

Accommodation is also varied, from pretty little B&Bs, to log cabin, quiet country hotels, to luxurious full board hotels and spas.

Here at Equestrian Escapes we are happy to discuss your perfect holiday.

We went with Equestrian Escapes to Dartmoor with our two girls, and had the most wonderful time!  Dartmoor National Park is so beautiful, and the horses are to die for!  We stayed in a lovely self catered cottage, and enjoyed a good pub meal in the evening.  Each day when we rode out the scenery was even more pretty every time, and saw a nice variety of wildlife, too – how lucky we were!  Dartmoor is really beautiful, and I suggest this holiday weekend to any family who needs a break away!

Explore Dartmoor with Equestrian Escapes

Many thanks,

Sophie and Paul

The beautiful surroundings of Tarporley, in the heart of rural Cheshire, is very picturesque and in the local pub we were told that it won the Best Kept Village Award in 2007.  For my birthday, my sister gave me tickets to Portal Golf & Spa.  I’ve never been one for massages and stringy vegetable juices, and was rather dreading it, to be honest.  Whilst pulling up to this amazing place, I was surprised by how much I wasn’t aching to be in the pub, and maybe she wasn’t such a bad sister after all….

A perfect spa and golf retreat.

Everything was clean and fresh, and everyone so welcoming.  When we collapsed on the comfortable beds our bodies sank into feather pillows and a squashy supporting mattress.  The attention to detail was fabulous, and hugely enjoyable.  Every comfort needed is available to you, and such friendly members of staff who are willing to ensure the spa is catering to your needs.

Now, the best part!  The golf course meant that I got rid of my sister for two hours so she could get some lessons, and I retired to the steam room for some down time with Jilly Cooper.  Honestly, if I have to turn fifty every year, I’d want to do it at Portal Golf and Spa.  We had a wonderful time, and learned that turning fifty isn’t as bad as it may seem….!

Jen & Vickie Southport

My husband hates the idea of riding around on a horse, “the poor animal!” he would say as I saddled up my furry friend.  So, I decided to research horse riding holidays that would introduce him to it, and make him realise these are not “poor animals” at all.  I found Equestrian Escapes that tailor-made me a holiday that could cater for my husband’s lack of interest, and certainly his lack of talent on a horse, and we found ourselves in Bournemouth.

He was given lessons starting right from the beginning, and he loved it!  My next fear was that he was beginning to look like he had the potential to be a better rider than myself!  Problem easily solved – I booked myself a riding holiday with Equestrian Escapes, totally alone, so that I could ride horses somewhere breathtaking, and work on my technique all at once.  This time, my destination was Wales.

Equestrian Escapes cater for everyone, and the quality of the holidays are outstanding.  Through them, my husband and I found the Brooke horse, donkey and mule charity and now regularly donate to help improve the animals that live in such harsh conditions.  If you are an animal lover, and want to get more involved with animals and particularly horses, Equestrian Escapes will be perfect for you!

All I wanted was a bit of time, just my husband and myself, to re-connect and enjoy some fresh air, as well as beautiful scenery!  I have always liked horses, and have been on many horse riding holidays since I was a young girl.  I lead a busy life, and don’t have time to spend hours dipping into books and travel guides, having to sort out every detail of my holiday; I just like to get there!  So, my husband found this site, Equestrian Escapes who tailor-make holidays for people just like me.  The choice of places was remarkable, and we settled for Wales, the Brecon Beacons!

A symbol of honesty and quality

As soon as we arrived at the wonderful Georgian house, we were amazed at all the luxury!  Our room was enormous and so comfortable, and the stables were out of this world!  I was delighted, this was just what we needed.  I breathed a sigh of relief as I mounted my beautiful horse and followed our very friendly guide out for a ride in the countryside.

Once we retired back to the hotel, my husband wanted to swim, and I thought I might join him, and perhaps even check out the spa….  Woweee!  The facilities were endless, it seemed, and not over crowded so if there was ever a oproblem there were always friendly and willing staff on hand, really magical!

When it came to supper time, I was so hungry!  I opted for the ‘home grown meal’ that was simply divine; like nothing I could ever cook myself, and we enjoyed wonderful wine from an expansive selection.  And what a night we had!  All of the staff were friendly, the whole place immaculately clean and tidy, and the pool and spa were to die for as well!  In the morning, after riding out, we went to the farm where all of their homegrown produce is sourced, and again nothing could be faulted in such beautiful scenery.  Everything was immaculate and well maintained, and you could tell that a lot of love went into these, much like the horses they provided.

Equestrian Escapes, THANK YOU!!

Do you suffer from volcano aversion? Then treat youself with our riding holiday offer.

An aerial photo shows smoke rising from the volcano under a glacier in the Eyjafjallajokull region of Iceland

As the vast majority of the world is all too aware… last Wednesday by the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier (a volcano 70miles east of Iceland’s capitol Reykjavik) erupted and tore a kilometre long fissure in the ice, spouting lava one hundred metres into the sky. This eruption caused over six hundred residents of Southern Iceland to be evacuated from their homes, but the knock on effects went on to be an extremely pricey affair.

This happend last Wednesday and today is the 20th of Apirl, Tuesday 2010. It is about to be one week since the blast that put Europe on hold first appeared on the global radar, but flights are still halted in England and a few other countries mainly residing on the continent. It is estimated that this eruption has cost the British economy alone £1.5 billion pounds. This will put a heafty strain on Gordon’s economic recovery plan during his final days as Prime Minister in addition to the minisucle chances he wouldn’t be further damaging the country in the first place.

So all in all we are not in tip-top shape. But the grass is always greener on the other side…

What can I do to help? I often ask myself the same question as I just put forward. The answer will set your eyes rolling but well, here we are… on the Official Blog of Equestrian Escapes. With flights indefinitly postponed and the economy sufferering every minute of the way the most positive solution would be to treat this period of time as a little time-out for England. Mother natures way of saying, you haven’t been behaving yourselves recently England. You’ve been a naughty country, so learn to get on and help each other out. So lets spend some money within the British Isles. Get out, go to the butcher, buy some fine meat. Go to the shops, buy some nice wine and have a good meal with the family. Rent a movie, better yet go to the cinema. Can’t make orange Wednesdays? Pay an extra three pounds for a standard ticket. No drama. And now to the crucible of the article… why not go on a Horse Riding Holiday?

Really though, why not? I take by the fact you’re reading this that you have an interest in a horse riding holiday, the news, or at the very least, horses. If you don’t have that much spare cash… fear not once more! We offer great little getaways throughout England, Wales and Ireland. Experience a riding holiday in UK. Wherever you are, you aren’t to far to go riding in the sun and kick back for a good meal and eighty pages of your latest novel. Treat yourself, better yet treat your wife and kids, or mum and daughter. Whoever, wherever a riding holiday is for someone you’re close to so get them on the case.

What is it about the English as soon as the sun comes out?  They slap on their factor fifty, roll up their sleeves to reveal pale and pasty bingo wings, and get all excited about the countryside!

Well, that was me, except I got REALLY excited.  On a whim I took my wife’s laptop into the garden and started surfing the internet for horse riding holidays.  The web pages were endless and I didn’t know where to begin!  Being almost computer illiterate I looked for something respectable, easy and accommodating – and there it was; Equestrian Escapes.  As I navigated my way through their clearly thought out website looking at the endless opportunities I could embark on, imagining myself in these beautiful pictures, I breathed a sigh of relief as my face began to spread into a grin.

There was Andalucía.  And Seville it would be!  The idea of a horse-drawn carriage showing off the city of Seville to me was the real clincher.  But, the Spanish country home, the inviting olive groves, the Spanish food as well as beautiful beaches needed little persuasion.

I am booked to go in a couple of weeks, and cannot wait!  Equestrian Escapes made a holiday made just for me, and I was able to choose from their many luxurious choices in order to make a holiday perfect for me.  I’ll let you know how the tapas tasted!

Ron Howarth

Yet another stunning day in Seville, Andalucia

Ron kindly gave us this article after becoming aware of our blog here at Equestrian Vacations for Equestrian Escapes. Soon after he wrote this and emailed it to our staff (know how you can find on our Contact Us page) he phoned up and arranged a holiday, within two weeks he was sat in Andalucia eating tapas for lunch after a great mornings riding. Now that is a good example of what we at Equestrian Escapes aim to achieve when delivering fantastic landscapes and scenery to our beloved customers. We’re here for you.

A horse riding holiday in the spring in the UK is a great way to start the year and to try to keep up new year resolutions to enjoy more fresh air and to take regular exercise. We are please to report record numbers of riders joining us for our Eater riding vacations and having received back most of the comment forms we are delighted to report that everyone had a great time. In fact one lady has already booked a repeat trip on her riding holiday in Berkshire! We thought we would like to share some of our customers comments with you:

As a lone traveller I was apprehensive.  I was made to feel welcome and put at ease both at the guest house and at the riding centre.  The riding was amazing.  They know their horses well and match them perfectly to your requirements.  I had an amazing time and I am sure I will be back!

This was our second visit to Berkshire and it was just as good as the first time.  My daughter found the riding excellent and the opportunity to help round the stables was much appreciated.  I don’t ride but enjoyed a relaxing time and the lovely country walks.  We will definitely be back!

Many thanks. We had a lovely time, now we appreciate how beautiful Cheshire is, there really are miles of riding oportunities!

If you are interest in joining us in May or June now is the time to book please contact us on 01829 781123

This picturesque region in the south of Spain has been a chosen holiday destination for the inspired traveler for decades. The sun soaked scenery relaxes the mind and allows true recuperation from many a busy and hectic life. I recently travelled to Faro airport from Manchester on an inexpensive Easy Jet flight. Before I knew it I had been transported from my dingey flat in Manchester to a beautiful hotel in Donana National Park. With that much wildlife and nature leaning on my doorstep I could feel the pressures of the big city sliding gently off my shoulders. It was time for a real break.

I used to ride a lot as a child but as the years past, I grew up and eventually moved away from the countryside in Berkshire where I was raised. I followed my carrer, guided carefully by my A-Levels and Univesrity and ended up for the time being in Manchester. And as many of you will know, that left little time for horse riding. I hadn’t had a holiday as long as I cared to remember so I did a quick, self explainitory search on the internet; Horse Riding Holidays. And there it was, plain as day. Equestrian Escapes, my saviour. They offer reasonably priced, well researched, quality holidays which are what they say on the packet. I was so impressed and thought as I am a writer, the least I could do is write them a short article about how much I enjoyed my holiday for their blog. So here it is.

My Break Starts Well

After a great nights sleep, I retired early on the previous night and achieved a fantastic fourteen hours sleep! That’s over twice what I’ve been getting over recent months. I ate a slpendid breakfast and set off to the stables. They all spoke English and helped me find the perfect horse. My Andalucian steed was a beautiful chesnut brown. He was a well mannered and patient horse, very pleasent to ride and not too wild but abundant with character. I found my feet again for the first time in years and felt years younger. That afternoon we hacked through Donana National Park for an hour and a half (my bum wasn’t up to much more) in the glorious sun.

Day three of my trip kept up the pace with a hack in the morning and, as I travelled in the summer I did miss the migrating birds of autumn and winter but my guide did point out a Spanish Imperial Eagle and then we went for a ride on the beach in the afternoon. What a wonderful day! Horse riding on a golden Spanish coast. How could I go home?

The next day I took a trip into Seville and visited the much documented and acclaimed banks of the Guadalquivir River. Called by some as one of the historical corner stones of Europe, I took a private horse drawn carriage tour. And was not dissapointed by the stunning bridges spanning it’s still water and the looming architecture combining centuries of culture, style and heritage.

The hotel in Seville

Halfway through

On my fith day in Spain I spent the morning and afternoon, split by a healthy lunch, having dressage lessons. I have never attempted dressage before, not even when I was younger but I really felt like I made some headway. I felt much more in control of the horse, and after attempting something outside of your immediate comfort zone (with no pressure from anyone besides myself) I felt that standard walk, trot and canter were far easier and the control I learnt followed through to my general horse riding ability.

Today I went on a memorable journey, one and a hlaf hours drive (but completely worth it), to Jerez de la Frontera. A place I will not be forgetting quickly. Especially after my dressage attempts the day before, this visit could not have come at a better time. I was going to pay a visit to The Royal Riding School. Internationally renowned for their skills on horseback, supreme training and quality bred horses they performed “How The Andalusian Horses Dance”. How I urge you to see that show in all of it’s elegance.

The painful reminder of day seven was that my holiday had flown by and already I was staring into the eyes of a nearing departure. This however didn’t come close to stopping me from enjoying a final days cultural exploration around Jerez. A truely beautiful place. And as if the holiday had not already come to a fantastic climax I sat down for a delicious local meal followed by flamenco dancing! Along with a long list of fine wines to taste and entertainment in the form of taditional dance I felt that this holiday had given me the umph I needed to keep me going when I was back in England. It would be a warm, happy time to resurface from my memories when faced by a daunting amount of articles to write with a rapidly looming deadline.

And just like that it was time to check out, and before I knew it I had landed in England. After a taxi, a wait at the airport and collecting my luggage I snapped out of my luxury trance and performed the last short leg of the journey to get me back home. Just in time to catch up before Monday. C’est la vie.

by Michael Bournon

The Holiday that Michael went on was aptly called The Magic of Andalucia just click to be taken directly to it’s itinerary.