Equestrian Vacations

Equestrian Escapes have been receiving wonderful customer feedback from our horse riding holiday-goers, and we are delighted with the response!  Here is a little taster, but I assure you there is plenty more to come…

Laura took a French horse riding holiday to Saumur in the Loire Valley and

Laura - many thanks!

 had a wonderful time – “exciting place close to the Loire River … great experience visiting Le Cadre Noir!”  Laura said she would happily suggest a horse riding holiday with Equestrian Escapes to friends and family, and said she would definitely go again! 

Jim went on one of our Portugal horse riding holidays to Obidos Lagoon.

Thank you, Jim, for such fantastic feedback!

 Jim was very happy with our service – “Excellent.  Especially at such late notice: thank you!” and that the facilities and riding were “outstanding”.  When asked about his overall experience with us, he said: “[t]he experience [that the staff had] with and knowledge of the horses transmits confidence. The horses themselves were, I thought (not having ridden before), wonderful animals. I wished I’d had more time there!”

Kyrrias kindly gave us feedback on her horse riding holiday to Cornwall. 

Thank you kyrrias - we look forward to booking your next horse riding holiday with us!

 Kyrrias assured Equestrian Escapes that they chose us because of our quick and positive handling of her booking over other tour operators.  When asked about the quality of riding that was available to her, Kyrrias boasted: “”Excellent, we liked all our instructors and I was successful in a dressage test I took on my return, I’m sure the extra practice helped!”

Martin used Equestrian Escapes for a wonderful horse riding holiday in

Martin - thank you for such valuable feedback!

Pembrokeshire.  He commented about the quality of riding and his overall experience – “As  total novices, we have nothing but praise for the patience of  ALL of the staff – especially the girls!” and even said he would “…start saving & planning for next year!”  Thank you Martin for such lovely feedback.

Equestrian Escapes look forward to hearing from our customers who have travelled with us, and value their feedback!  Equestrian Escapes would like to thank our customers for their loyalty and insight into our horse riding holidays, and would also like to thank the staff on hand who make the magic happen!

If you have any questions about any of our horse riding holidays, or wish to give your own feedback, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. 

Many thanks!

Choose a Horse Riding Holiday of a Lifetime!

Equestrian Escapes is proud to say that a series of brand NEW horse riding holidays in Mallorca are to shortly be revealed!  This exclusive holiday destination is not one to be missed, and makes a horse riding holiday of a lifetime!  You could stay in the beautiful town of Alcudia, and explore the surrounding attractions.  These horse riding holidays will vary in length, and are possible for all riders of all different standards.  As ever, the facilities are exceptional, with wonderfully healthy horses.  Riding tuition is of very high standard, and we can assure you that you will be in safe hands!

Look Forward To Mallorca With Equestrian Escapes - WATCH THIS SPACE!

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.

The Brooke horse and donkey charity works to save hardworking animals, and the communities that depend on them.  First launched in Cairo, the Brooke charity has grown, and now prevents the suffering of over 700,000 animals a year.  Such a charity needs all the support available, and relies on people like you to give generously to this very special cause. 

Why is this charity so special?

Their commitment.  Brooke charity realise the relevance of these animals to those who cannot afford other modes of transport, and need these animals to support their own families.  They are used in the transportation of water and building materials, much of which is done over harsh terrain.  These communities clearly love these animals and rely on them entirely, but simply cannot afford them the care that they need.  With very little money for their families, the horses come a close second on their list of priorities.  At Brooke, the horses come first, to provide them with the care that these communities cannot give them. 

What extent of care is given to the animals, AND the communities?

Through the charity, communities are educated in general care of their horses.  For example, in remote areas people believe in painful myths to cure the animals, which do more damage than good.  The Brooke charity work to stop these ‘cures’, and teach simple methods of avoiding lameness and other everyday problems such as exhaustion, malnutrition and dehydration.  Taking care of the horse means taking care of the community.  Extensive training is given to the animal’s owners, for example farriers, saddlers and feed sellers.  What the Brooke charity have also taken into consideration is that through helping these animals, and teaching people about them, one can bring communities together through their work.

Where will my money end up?

The money goes where it is needed, and it shows.  Today, the Brooke charity reaches communities in Egypt, Kenya, Nepal, Israel and the West Bank, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Jordan and Guatemala. Indirectly, the money goes to these poor communities who rely on these donkeys, horses and mules for their living.  A healthy animal results in a healthy income, whereby the community can then take care of both the people and the animals. 

Who are the people working for Brooke?

These people recognise the importance of these animals for communities.  They also strongly believe in the animal’s rights, and its value.  These people are well trained vets, ambulance teams, blacksmiths, community workers, but most importantly animal lovers!  Each horse, mule or donkey is treated with individual care to meet its needs.  These people then help to raise awareness and the level of welfare within communities, but we need your help too.

How do I donate?

You can visit The Brooke via the Equestrian Charity link below.  The Brooke charity is a prestigious and valuable society that has been recognised for its dedication.  That is why, at Equestrian Escapes we ask you to donate one pound to the Brooke charity, and for every pound we will match it.  Like many animal lovers out there, we value these animals and feel that they are entitled to a better way of life, and for the communities that rely on them, a better standard of living.  Go to Equestrian Charity to donate now, alternatively just contact us.  Thank you!

 “Working to help horses, donkeys and mules – and the poor families who depend on them”

The girls hear how this donkey was involved in a road accident but is now making a full recovery thanks to the Brooke

A question often asked is what experience do the Equestrian Escapes team have with horses?

Well, my name is Emma Shore and I own a horse called Wee Welsh Lady (Lady). I have been working at Equestrian Escapes for the past 3 years on a part time basis whilst studying at University. Lady is a Welsh Cob x Throughbred. I compete with Lady most weekends in BSJA showjumping competitions. To date I have won many prestigious competitions.

I got Lady 7 years ago and she had never done any show jumping before. She had previously competed in working hunter classes to a high level and qualified and competed at many of the top shows.

She was the perfect horse for me as I was only 13 when I got her so we could both start in British Novice classes and slowly progress together. Soon after this I had qualified for the British Novice and Discovery Championships in Lincolnshire. Unfortunately because I was still at school I couldn’t compete in the Discovery as it was during school time. However, I went and competed in the British Novice. I qualified for the final in which I came 2^nd. I also won the under 21 qualifier but didn’t jump her in the final as we wanted to save her for the British Novice.

After this success I qualified for numerous other championships including the Scope 1.15 metre class. At Scope I qualified for the main ring in the 1.15 metre. This class was inside and there was a fountain in the ring and Lady hates water. I was slightly worried that there was a fence that looked like it was jumping straight into the fountain and I was correct to be worried. I fell off and ended up breaking my finger. However, after this I came 3^rd in the Star of the Future class.

Additionally, she won a Welsh Master Championship as well as numerous 1.15, 1.20, 1.25 and 1.30 classes. In August 2009 I won 2 championships at Aintree Equestrian Centre.

Lady was having a rest during the winter of 2009 when she jumped put of her field onto the concrete yard. When she did this she slipped onto her hock and cut a large area of her hock down to the bone as well as cutting her coronary band on her front hoof. She was rushed to the vets and underwent an operation. She had to have her hock thoroughly washed to try to avoid infection and she had stitches in her front hoof. She then had to have 4 months box rest whilst the wound healed and all the time we didn’t know whether she would ever recover. About 2 months ago I started riding her again and getting her back to fitness. She has now been to 4 shows and she has been placed 3^rd in 2 competitions and 1^st in 2 competitions of which one was a 1.15m Amateur Championship qualifier. I am now aiming at building her up to larger competitions including the 1.20m HOYS qualifier and numerous championships.

After much thought, designing and careful preperation Equestrian Escapes launched it’s new website on March the 31st 2010. Although there was nothing wrong with the old website, we had decided along with the views of our staff and PR team that it was very much so the time for change, and a little bit more spice. So the rustic old lime green Equestrian Escapes faded quietly into the night and a far more respectful, diligent Equestrian Escapes was born. Our new layout is founded on the corner stone of a lovely chestnut brown which has gently carried our horse theme, from page to page of the intricate network of web resources. We have more itineraries than ever before with a list of new holidays waiting patiently for their triumphant addition to our internet catalouge.

So what does this shiny new advertisement mean for the heart of Equestrian Escapes and the people working hard on a daily basis to keep it all running as smoothly as a busy tour operator can? More work. To place it into two simple words. With the easier to navigate web pages and clearer design our customers are finding exactly what they want much faster. No faffing around clicking on broken links or being led to irrelivant pages, just simple to the point information… with a horsey twist. We are afterall in this business for the horses! Sarah Caplan has been a horse lover all of her life and without a doubt wouldn’t be running the elaborate show behind the scenes here in the office headquarters of Equestrian Escapes if it had not been for her four legged pals. For further internet info

So without further adieu please click on the following link and be taken directly to the homepage of Equestrian Escapes. Horse Riding Holidays

Equestrian Escapes has duely noted the absolute need for businesses today to play the 21st century game. Cyber space.  The optimal goal is not what you may think… money, money, money. But to deliver a great service or product, and using the web in its different ways is most vital in finding your perfect customers. Because they are out there, and they are looking for a product that will make them happy. So is the nature of our capitalist, consumer ruled soceity.

So how is Equestrian Escapes using the web today? And how can you be involved?

1. www.Equestrian-Escapes.com

This is the headquarters of Equestrian Escapes on the web, if you will. It was the first website we launched and has managed, over time to help us build a loyal following of happy customers who can easily browse our itineraries at their lesiure whenever they want. EquestrianEscapes.com has been up and running for three years now. Click on the link above to read about our extensive list of horse riding holidays.

Equestrian Escapes to Bournemouth

2. www.EquestrianVacations.co.uk

This is the blog you are currently reading. We have written over fifty full length articles describing our itineraries and a wide vareity of other things. Our blogs are written mostly by our staff but we have included articles that have been volunteered by customers and friends of Equestrian Escapes. For example we have had a number of talented writers take us through each step of their holiday and kindly let us post it as an article, with links, onto our blog. EquestrianVacations.co.uk has proved to be an invaluable source when it comes to letting people know what we’re up to both on the scene, and behind it.

3. Horse Riding Holidays Equestrian Escapes on Facebook

This Fan-page on Facebook is a little base that we have recently been using to let our friends, family, colleagues and fans gather in one convenient address to hear about recent news and events. We have been using facebook to alert people to our newest of holidays and we upload our favourite photos of horses that we have taken in the UK and abroad. At the time of writing this article, our facebook page has 157 fans.

4. Equestrian Hols on Twitter 

This is our most recent cyber venture. Twitter, brought into the limelight by the likes of Stephen Fry, is an extremely popular internet communication site and a massive forum on which people can write short notes to the Twitter world and their own accumulated “followers”. Followers are people who have selected your account, for example Equestrianhols and decided that they want to be alerted whenever you post something new. We only began Tweeting here at Equestrian Escapes a few days ago but already have double figures of followers! Click on the link above to visit our Twitter page and start following now.

A great day to enjoy the sandy coast

5. Folkd.com

Folkd is an article sharing site on which a long standing friend of Equestrian Escapes has been taking his own time to write occasionally. Eduardo a friend of Sarah Caplan has been contributing to Folkd under the amusing alias of EduardoHorseExpert. Click above to browse his short descriptions and links.

6. Hot Frog

This is a directory of UK based businesses. Each registered business has a page on which it can sumbit articles about their product allowing the reader to have an incredibly close look at what it is they are interested in. Most sites do not offer this attention to detail and this is why Equestrian Escapes has laboured to put a few very select holidays onto our page within its listings.

7. Ezine Articles

Ezine is another article shraing website. Our correspondant on this one is none other than Richard Mark who has occasionally dipped in a dropped a line on a recent holiday or travel experience. He regularly travels with Equestrian Escapes. Click above to go directly to Ezine and read his articles.

Check out Equestrian Escapes’ Horse World on our main site. It has all sorts of horsey information and some great photos.

If you have a question you would like us to answer but rather than phone us (on 01829 781 123) you think that others would also find the answer to your question useful, then please just leave a comment at the bottom of this post and we will give you a detailed answer as soon as we next log in.

Here are some questions that we frequently answer to customers enquiring about our horse riding holidays;

Q:“How experienced do I need to be to go on this ride?”
A: For the vast majority of our holidays, not at all. We deal with all levels of rider on a daily basis. All the way from riders who have never rode a horse, to members of Trooping the Colour and army riding instructors (aka the rather experienced!). All of our holidays will be tailored to suit your requirements and where ever possible we will alter the itineraries to fit your desires. For example, if you chose The Magic of Andalucia which contains a fair amount of riding (including some much longer hacks out) and then you rang one of our experts and told them you are a complete novice or had spent little time on a horse beforehand, or even that you used to ride but haven’t in years! Our experts will have a good chat with you, obtain an understanding of your abilities and then help work out the right riding plan for you, with the ideal amount of time on horseback.

Q:“What do you think I should bring with me?”
A: Bring with you the things you usually like to ride with. Wether this is general kit or just a comfortable outfit. There will be riding hats available from the various equestrian centres that will be managing your riding. Also take into consideration how necessary the item is when thinking about lugging it through a possibly hot and busy airport. Do bring some smart/causual wear for a nice meal out in the local village but for the rest of the holiday comfort is key.

The pool available for your lesiure

Q:“What time of year is best to travel?”
A: From an economical point of view you should aim to make your travel plans as early as possible. This is particularly necessary in terms of flights. The sooner your flights are booked, preferably months in advance, the less it will cost you. As for the seasons you should travel in, the same applies again (book in advance!). Between March and July chiefly, even into late August you will have a massive chance of good weather and in some of our destinations this is near guarenteed! Obviously Equestrian Escapes can take absolutely no responsibility for the outcome of the weather, we are a tour operator, not God. For instance Portugal and Spain will be very hot during this period. But as we all know, better weather means more demand, and more demand means a higher price. So there will be higher prices for our holidays (and everyone elses) during the peak months and key holidays.

Q:“Have you any riding experience?”
A: Our staff are all horse involved and have been for much of their lives. Sarah Caplan our managing director has been riding ever since her early childhood and can often be heard recounting her words upon her first sighting of a horse, “That’s for me, that’s what I want to do!” And it was. Sarah maintained her passion throughout her teenage years and even during uni (where many horse lovers can’t find time) in Manchester where she studied Zoology. Now the proud owner of six cherished horses, three of which are foals of varying maturity, Sarah has made the entrepreneurial leap on top of her stable duties (and giving her friends enough attention) to running her own quality riding holiday business. And with that the deal was sealed and it is now what Sarah “does”!

Riding in the water, Spain

Q:“ How do you test your holidays?”
A: Our BHS qualified director Sarah Caplan has personally been on each of the holidays that we offer. Now, that sounds like a luxurious job at first glance but the reality of going to over sixty destinations whilst running a fledgling company and playing mother to two growing teenagers is something different all together. But the starter years are over and Equestrian Escapes is no longer a fledgling business. Sarah also sees the horses when she is considering adding a new location to our ever growing list of itineraries and rides the available routes to establish whether it is worth paying your hard earned cash for.

Two thousand and ten brings nothing but positive thoughts for the hard workers here at Equestrian Escapes. Behind the scenes we have been chipping away at a long list of tasks all working towards bringing new holidays to the table. Whilst at the same time, balancing our efforts to keep the customer service high and managing the business as it rapidly expands. The last of these points being the most crucial.

Equestrian Escapes started providing quality, tailor made horse riding holidays only three and a half short years ago and is now the proud partner of a significant portion of the wide market share of horse riding holidays in Europe. This proves Equestrian Escapes is here to stay as a healthy competitor doing its vital part to help drive down holiday prices and keep the bigger horse holiday businesses on their tippy toes.

With the UK finally completing that long climb out of the recession we are all so eager to forget about, it definitely is time to enjoy our compliments and rewards made possible by you, the customer. Not in the sense of a massive profit margin (because our holidays are designed to compete with the best) but rather, our horsey experts are in this business because of one thing – they love riding. If our Managing Director Sarah Caplan had not followed her unfaltering passion for riding and continued to sustain her excellent skills and knowledge up to this point then there really is no doubt that Equestrian Escapes would not be standing this tall.

Our success in this business comes down to one of our main key points of practise. That is taking the sweet time and effort to scout these holidays and scrutinise their every detail for you. Now that sounds like a luxurious job doesn’t it? Not as much as you would think. These horse riding holidays all have various options and can be tweaked and tailored to suit your party at any point. So if there are many variables then that means one thing… we have been there and tested them. So when Sarah goes for instance to Barcelona or Madrid, she visits the hotels, goes on all of the rides and meets the people who will be dealing directly with you. Whilst all the time assessing the quality of what she is seeing and how it is going to help you make the best of your holiday.

But despite the hard work it pays off. Every day we get more testimonials from happy customers just wanting to drop a line, or little note to say thank you or a full account of their holiday and how truly great it was. Usually ending with how they don’t want to wait until next year to travel with us again.

It certainly is a positive time at the moment, everything is coming together and the hard work is paying off. So not for the last time, thank you.

Bacelona is the capitol of Catalonia, Spain

On day one of this four night riding holiday package, you will arrive into Spain via Girona Airport, for your Barcelona Riding Holiday. Having already made your choice of accommodation between a beautiful rural country home, or a stunning four star Bed & Breakfast Spa Hotel, you will arrive at your new headquarters for the ensuing days of riding. If time permits, you could start your riding today! If however it is too late, fear not… riding will start in the morning.

On day two you will see the equestrian centre for the first time. We reccommend that you take an assessment lesson to assure the right horse is chosen for you. After your assessment you can choose from a range of riding activities from riding lessons, jumping lessons, all the way to your own hand picked itinerary of pathways and tracks through the counrtyside of Barcelona. You can enjoy a full days ride and picnic or a hack in the morning and lesson in the afternoon. It is your riding holiday, and should fit your wishes accordingly.

Today, day three, is a great chance to mix it up a little and do something you didn’t cover on day one. For example, take advantage of the breath taking scenery composed of Barcelona’s own countryside and go for a picnic in a scenic spot. Your transport to and from the equestrian centre each day depends on wether you decided to rent a car for your holiday or not. If not, then lifts can be arranged for you but this must be made clear earlier on in the planning stages of the holiday to save your inconveniance. Also, please mention if you would like a transfer from the airport to your accommodation and back again at the end of the holiday.

Day four. More riding catered to your desires, give us a ring and we can plan the perfect holiday for you! If you don’t fancy some more fabulous riding in the local area then pay a visit to the town of Besalu. It is the proud owner of a 12th century Roman bridge, a local landmark. And the restaurants in this region are a gastronomic delight of Spanish, and local dishes.

Day five is the day of departure. And by this time you will have grown very fond of Barcelona. If there is time before your flight this morning, you can go out for one last ride.

Our riding holidays are for you and aim to be the best riding holidays that you could hope to enjoy. If this sounds good to you but you would like more nights in Barcelona, or to fly over to Andalucia, Spain’s most Southern Region, and spend a few days there. Or just add something you wanted to do. It is your holiday and we are here to help! Contact us on our website Equestrian Escapes Riding Holidays.