Equestrian Vacations

Snow in March!!

admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:02:09 +0000

With a cold chill still in the air the majority of our 2013 bookings so far have been for Spain and Portugal, hardly surprising really! We are still working really well with our top selling luxury centre in Antequera Malaga, and our Tailor made Algarve riding holiday sold out in a matter of weeks. As a result we have three brand new offers; the first is in Almeria, Southern Spain. Here you stay on a traditional Spanish ranch nestled between the Sierra de las Estancias and the Sierra de los Filabres mountain ranges. We have a 1 week special offer running at the moment for £395pp including accommodation, all food and riding. Fly into Almeria, Alicante or Murcia.

The second is a luxury small holding in the picturesque region of rural southern Alentejo, Portugal. Here we offer instruction on beautifully trained Lusitano horses with a top Portuguese instructor. Set in breathtaking countryside here you can relax and unwind at this five star family run equestrian centre. Fly into Faro from most UK airports.

Our third riding package is again located in Portugal along the Western coast of the Algarve. Our stable is idyllically situated in a wonderful natural park, with excellent temperatures all year round. Here we can offer beach riding all year round, hacking, lessons and surfing. Choose to stay in one of the onsite eco bungalows or a nearby 4* spa hotel on the coast.

Altough there is still snow on the ground in the UK the met office is promising better weather conditions, and perhaps with any luck we’ll get a proper summer! The sun is currently shining in Cheshire and we have a full book for the Easter weekend. Wiltshire proves to be another top seller along with beach riding in North Wales and North Devon.

If you want to talk about any of the mentioned holidays contact Sarah, Lindsey or Lou on 01829 781123 or email info@equestrian-escapes.com

Happy New Year

admin — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:22:58 +0000

Happy New Year to everyone, I hope that 2013 brings you all that you are hoping for including of course, many hours of equestrian pursuits! We have had a busy start to the year with lots of bookings received already across all of our carefully selected short breaks and longer holidays. As always I must remind you that if you are thinking of taking a horse riding holiday in Europe this year, then book your flights as soon as possible as they do nothing but get more expensive! The low cost airlines start off with the cheapest fares and then as the plane fills the price goes up and up! Our centre close to Malaga proved hugely popular last year, no surprise really as the accommodation is 4 star plus and the horses and facilities are probably the best I have ever seen in Spain! We have a new riding holiday in Portugal this year, located in the popular Algarve region access from the UK is easy into Faro airport.

The Castle in Italy has provided top quality riding breaks for us for over 5 years now, the thought of staying in a castle with beautiful gardens, a lovely pool and fabulous riding is a tempting thought!

Back in the UK we continue to have exclusive rights to ride on the Rushmore Estate and demand here through 2012 has persuaded the owners to build a charming log cabin in their gardens so now you can be even closer to their lovely horses. Here at our home base in Cheshire we opened The Country Lodge in September of last year, this beautiful property has 3 double bedrooms, a huge living area and 3 bathrooms. The quality of the riding we offer here is superb (although I say it myself) but if that isn’t enough have a look at our testimonials page and you will see I am not the only one that is of this opinion!

As always myself (Sarah), Lindsey and Lou are always available to assist you, you can call us for a chat 8.30 – 6.30 Monday to Friday and Saturday morning. We have designed and written 90% of the holidays on site, these are all unique to Equestrian Escapes and we really do know these holidays. As instructors and riders ourselves we understand ability and confidence levels and it is our aim to match you with the perfect break and the perfect equestrian partner to share it with!

Call us now to request a brochure on 01829 781123.

Our horses January 2013

Koda the miniature horse

admin — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:31:08 +0000

In the Yarrambat Veterinary Hospital just north of Melbourne Australia you will find a very special little horse named Koda. Koda is a miniature Horse who was also born a dwarf. Standing at just 59cm tall, if Koda the horse wants an equal he has to turn to the veterinary cat for company! He is so tiny visitors often think he’s a stuffed toy. The American miniature horse who suffers the double-whammy of being born a dwarf has had a bout of health problems caused by his size, but after substantial multiple surgeries is now recovering and enjoying the life of a pampered pet.

Koda and the cat

Brave Koda has had lots of surgery to correct his stumpy, buckled legs but that hasn’t helped his peculiar face. ‘His lower jaw juts out and he has bulging eyes, upturned nostrils and a wrinkled nose. He had a punky look, a fuzzy forelock and his mane stuck up like a mohawk,’ Dr Lynch said.

Koda’s poor health prognosis left Dr Lynch with little doubt he should be put down, but after the surgeries Koda looks set to live a long and fruitful life. Veterinary nurse Karen Stephenson, 23, was astounded by the resilience and spirit of the pint-sized pony. ‘I’d never seen a miniature horse and I just thought him amazing,’ she said. ‘I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him and thought he deserved a go at some good quality life, so I took him on.’

Dr Lynch has performed about £5,000 worth of leg surgery on Koda, but his total vet’s bill is expected to top £15,000. The next step is extensive dentistry to remove protruding adult teeth that won’t fit in his little mouth. He has recovered well from every operation so far. ‘He’s very brave and takes his medicine like a little man’ said Dr Lynch. ‘He’s everyone’s friend but he’s also got a very naughty streak and he’ll chew just about anything’.

Koda is not expected to live a completely normal horse life but there is hope that with the help of his human friends at the Yarrambat Veterinary Hospital that he will see two decades.

Koda

Horse Riding Articles

admin — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:07:55 +0000

In an office full of equestrian experts it only seems right that we should be relaying our equestrian knowledge back to you and as such we have designed a light hearted and informative A to Z of horse related articles. We will be posting two articles a week to our ‘horse riding articles’ page which you will be able to read through as and when you please. So far we have written articles A – F, D and E are to be published next week! We start with ‘A is for Aids’. This article details the true aids which are generally considered to include the voice, hands, legs and seat. Artificial aids include whips or spurs. We then continue onto ‘B is for Bits’ where we explain the function of the widely used bit, the snaffle. ‘C is for Canter’. In this article we go into detail about the sequence of footfalls in all three gaits, walk trot and canter.

All of our equestrian experts are chomping at the bit to offer you advice and expertise about all things equestrian and we hope that you will find our new horse riding articles page informative and interesting. Keep an eye out over the winter months for the complete A to Z of equestrian facts designed to increase your knowledge of the horse world.

Canter

Sir Alfred Munnings

admin — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:43:28 +0000

Sir Alfred Munnings has long since been hailed as one of the greatest equine artists of all times. On 14 November 2012 an exhibition of his work went on show at The Richard Green Gallery in Bond Street, London. Early next year a feature film entitled Summer in February is due to be released, it tells the story of the early part of Munnings career including his tragic love affair with his first wife Florence, famously depicted in the painting Two Lady Riders Under An Evening Sky. The equestrian fraternity who has long since recognized the brilliant way in which Munnings painted horses is avidly awaited the release of the film which stars Dominic Cooper as Munnings and Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame, as his friend Gilbert Evans. The producer of the film, Jeremy Cowdrey, has expressed surprise that no such similar film has ever been made, he explained ‘Munnings as a personality and character was so interesting and lively he bounced off the pages of the novel and Dominic Cooper who plays him in the film, just bounces off the screen’. Here at Equestrian Escapes we just can’t wait, Downton Abbey and horses, does it get much better!

Miss Millicent Baron on Magpie

The Sir Aldred Munnings Art Museum in Dedham Essex has lent 25 works to the Richard Green Gallery for the exhibition currently showing in London, including Miss Millicent Baron on Magpie, arguably one of the best examples of Manning’s work that first demonstrated his true understanding of the personality and anatomy of a fine horse (and lady!). In addition to his paintings of beautiful horses and ladies set in spectacular English countryside Munnings was also employed as the official World War 1 war artist to the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. During the war he painted many scenes, including a mounted portrait of General Jack Seely entitled Warrior in 1918 (now in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa). He bravely worked on his canvases close to the German front lines and even came under shell fire as his unit was forced into a hasty withdrawal. In 1918 he painted Charge of Flowerdew’s Squadron in what has become known as “the last great cavalry charge” here Gordon Flowerdew was posthumous awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in this successful engagement with entrenched German forces.

Munnings who died in 1959 aged 80 enjoyed an outstanding career and will no doubt be associated with equine painting for many generations to come. If you would like to ride in the beautiful English countryside in the footsteps of Munnings join us on one of our carefully designed horse riding holidays

Escape to Andalucia

admin — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 08:36:37 +0000

When booking a holiday to Malaga I struggled to shake images of booze addled Brits staggering half naked from bar to beach leaving behind a trail of cigarette butts and towels with union Jacks on them. All it took to convince me that Malaga had shaken off this awful stigma was the taxi ride from the airport. I was delighted by the combination of a friendly taxi driver and endless mountains and valleys which punctuated my journey, reassuring me that this place was a far cry from the Costa Del Sol of the 90’s.
Our accommodation was absolutely beautiful. We were greeted by welcoming staff and ushered into spacious, contemporary bedrooms which were decadently furnished. Thoroughly exhausted from my travels I took a quick supper whilst lounging on our outside terrace and bid the other guests good night.

The quality of the riding the following morning (and afternoon, and every other day, come to think about it) was absolutely uncompromised. I was able to greatly improve my riding technique during our lessons and then spend the afternoon whiling away the hours enjoying relaxing treks through mountains, valleys and alongside awe inspiring lakes. By the end of the week I was even ready to engage in one of the adrenaline inspired canters through the countryside that I had previously only managed to spectate, with a mixture of jealousy and apprehension.

By the end of the week I felt that I was just about settled in to Malaga life and I was in no way ready to leave, so I decided to extend my stay by an extra night. This proved not to be enough, so to my accountants dismay I booked myself in for another week near enough the moment I stepped through the threshold of my home back in the UK.

For more information regarding our holidays to Andalucia call Sarah on 01829 781123.

Equestrian Summer Vacations

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:16:49 +0000

Sadly summer is drawing to an end but what a success it has been so far. We launched our brand new 5* riding package in Antequera close to Malaga and that has been a huge hit. Riders are required to fly into Malaga from their chosen airport; we then collect them and take them to their luxury Cortijo accommodation boasting spectacular views of the surrounding valley. Daily rides include dressage or jumping lessons and trail rides plus half board accommodation. The owners of the Corjito are English, there is a Spanish cook who lives on site, the horses are privately owned and very well schooled and are often competed by the girls who also live at the centre. You can stay from 3 nights to 1 week arriving any day of the week all year round! Jessica wrote the following about her recent trip out to Antequera: I had a fantastic time in Antequera it was a perfect mix of relaxation and action packed! The riding was the most scenic I have ever done and I have fallen in love with Andalucían horses! The staff were very welcoming and made sure that I had a brilliant time organising an exciting and diverse itinerary. I have never eaten so well – the food was fantastic and I got to try lots of Spanish tapas. It was an amazing few days and a great way to explore an area of Spain which is so beautiful and unspoilt. I did not want to leave, it was like a big family and I will definitely come again! Thank you! Wiltshire, also one of this year’s most popular destinations saw the launch of their new ‘adult summer camp’. This exclusive and very unique camp offers 4 adults the opportunity to spend 1 week on the famous Rushmore Estate with our host Angie and her horses. Rides include lessons, pub rides and beach rides as well as all meals. We successfully ran 3 camps this year and hope to have next year’s dates very soon. This is what Anja wrote about here recent trip to Wiltshire before booking for New Years Eve: I am now back from the adult camp last week with Angie and I thought I would drop you an email to let you know how it went. I can honestly say that Alexander and I had an absolutely fantastic time and have never felt so spoilt and relaxed on holiday before. Angie is a spectacular host and her horses are just magnificent. The rides we went on were just fabulous and was the best way of de-stressing from a city job! We ate loads, rode loads and made some great friends. We both felt like we’d known Angie all our lives. As such, we were hoping for a return visit over the New Year weekend. Would it be possible – It’s clear to see how eager we are! Regards If you like the sound of the two packages above and are interested in escaping the British winter this year then all you need to do is find a flight to Malaga, give us a call and we’ll do the rest. Alternatively if you would prefer to stay in the UK then call us for next years adult camp dates and keep your eye out for our Christmas and New Year offers including a very special one in Wiltshire…! info@equestrian-escapes.com / tel. 01829 781123

New addition to the EE family!

admin — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:21:33 +0000

Well we are proud to announce that Fantail, our brood mare at Equestrian Escapes, has produced yet another summer time foal for us to enjoy. But this time (4th time lucky) it’s a filly! We are over the moon!

Our gorgeous baby girl is yet to be named but she is proving to be an absolute character with her super long legs, big ears and adorable little white socks. She loves nothing more than sunbathing in the arena, nibbling the show jumps and drinking plenty of milk from her doting mum. Nessa, Bella, Julio and Alfonso peer inquisitively over the fences and hedge rows at the new addition who they are yet to formally meet, baby can’t wait though, she loves prancing around in front of them all – such a show off!

Maybe you’ll be able to meet her if you come and see us in Cheshire. We will take you riding around Delamere Forest and if your good enough Kelsall Hill Farm Ride.

Get in touch on 01829 781123

Equestrian update

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:55:50 +0000

Well 2012 has been very eventful and extremely busy for us in the Equestrian Escapes office so far! Andalucía Escapes is almost ready to go live; Lou, Sarah and our top website design team have been working round the clock during the Christmas and New Year period in order to get it up and running for January ’12. Since my return form a very lovely 3 week holiday in Thailand we have had two articles published (one in the travel supplement of the Telegraph and the other in the British Horse Society Magazine) and our new brochure has been printed (yey), resulting in a huge number of enquiries for UK and non UK destinations alike – We love being kept busy though so keep them coming!
As our introductory offer in Cheshire has proved so popular we are extending the finish date to the 30th April ’12. We also have two very romantic Valentines offers in Wiltshire and Essex running throughout February.
Finally I think I should tell you all that during the Boxing day hunt with the Cheshire’s Sarah took a tumble from baby Ferdie (the day before she was due to go on a family skiing holiday to Canada) both are fine but Sarah dislocated her hip causing her, in her own words, “as much pain as child birth”..ouch! After being airlifted to Wythenshawe hospital her hip was ‘popped’ back into its socket, thankfully with no complications. See action shot below..

Needless to say Sarah did fly to Canada the following day and although not much skiing took place she did meet some gorgeous Huskies..

How cute!

Speak soon, Lindsey (01829 781123 / info@equestrian-escapes.com)

Andalucia Escapes

admin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:48:34 +0000

Equestrian Escapes are branching out..we are currently in the process of designing a brand new website, Andalucia Escapes. The thought came to Sarah in the summer but as it was peak season for us in the UK office we were too busy to peruse the idea, now we have reached our quietest time its all hands on deck researching, writing and designing. As we are specialists in Southern Spain and have an office in Seville makes prefect sense to expand our expertise in this area and not only offer horse riding holidays but Andalucian Spa weekends, Beach holidays, Festivals and Feria breaks and much more.

Watch this space for more details on Andalucia Escapes!