Equestrian Vacations

We understand that owning your own horse can be very expensive and many of the people who travel with Equestrian Escapes don’t have their own horse. The service that we offer gives both riders and non-riders a chance to experience the reality of having their own horse whether its during a weekend break or longer. Our Adult Intensive course  combines dressage/jump lessons with hacking and stable management which gives first time horse owners a feel of what its like to own their own horse.
We have recently come across a website called Horse Shares UK, offering horse owners and first time buyers a cost effective solution to what can be a very expensive vocation. Read on for more details-

Find a horse to loan or a horse for share at Horse Shares UK. Established in 2006, Horse Shares UK is now one of the UK’s leading websites solely advertising horses loans and horse shares and attracts thousands of visitors each week. Owning a horse is a rewarding experience but can become very time consuming and costly. Often a good solution for horse owners is to have a sharer for their horse or to put their horse out on loan as an alternatively to selling. Equally, sharing a horse can be a great stepping stone towards owning a horse of your own. Browse through our horse share and loan advertisements or place your own advert with us today. Advertising on Horse Shares UK is simple, cost-effective and is guaranteed to target the right audience helping you find the perfect loan or share agreement quickly. There is also great information about loaning and sharing, including real life experiences from people that loan and share horses.
For more information visit www.horsesharesuk.co.uk/ or contact them via email.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas – if it was anything like mine you ate and drank far too much and are now struggling to do up the top button of those much loved denims!

Unfortunately riding across most of the UK has been put on hold for the past few weeks but it seems as though the ‘big freeze’ is finally over and business is up and running as normal.

Understanding that Christmas can be a very stressful time, especially for mums, Equestrian Escapes have come up with a New Years treat just for you:

Relax and Ride in Cheshire

This one is especially for mums who have been under stress and strain this Christmas – for £235 enjoy a 2 night break in our beautiful B&B just a few minutes walk to the stables where you will enjoy 3 days riding in the stunning Cheshire countryside. For those experienced riders why not replace a standard hack with the 3 hour XC farm ride? To Make your stay that extra bit special let us book you a relaxing spa treatment at the near by Fabulous You Company..because your worth it! For mums travelling alone dont worry -  because we know that every little helps we will waiver the single supplement charge.

For further information or details on any of our other packages please call us in the office on 01829 781123.

Happy New Year from all of us at Equestrian Escapes!

2010 is drawing to an end but what a year it’s been! As everyone is rushing around adding those finishing touches to the Christmas preparations, buying and wrapping those last few presents and fighting their way through the crowds at the supermarket for the big food shop I thought what perfect time to reflect on what has been a fantastic year! Find the time to take a few moments out of your busy day to read what lovely things our customers had to say about us and their 2010 holidays.

In February Sandra enjoyed a holiday in Cheshire at our Country House Hotel – “Brilliant weekend. By far the best horse-riding experience I’ve had, the teachers were patient and knowledgeable and I felt I learned a lot. The hacks were great fun and were a good opportunity to put the techniques we learned into practise, as well as a brilliant way to see the countryside. We really enjoyed our experience, can think of nothing that would have improved it.”

In March Sam and Seb travelled to Tarifa – “We had a five night break in Tarifa at the end of March, the whole experience was fantastic, the instructors were so friendly and really wanted us to learn so I would recommend it to anyone who would like to try something different. The whole thing had a great laid back vibe and you could tell that the horses were well looked after and loved it.”

In May David and Kathryn stayed in Jerez for the annual Feria – “This was our first time with Equestrian Escapes, but it will not be our last! All arrangements were efficiently made and everything worked like clockwork. The structure of the week was expertly put together – we would never have been able to do this ourselves. The accommodation chosen for us was first class and well positioned in the city centre, within walking distance of most of the attractions, and the hotel staff  were so helpful, kind and courteous. The riding with Alphonso was an unbelievable experience, exciting, safe and pleasurable – not to be missed! It goes down as the best holiday ever!”

In June Gerogina spent 2 nights with us on the Adult Intensive riding course in Cheshire – “I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for a lovely riding break last week.  I thoroughly enjoyed the riding in Cheshire, Sandra and the staff were very welcoming.  Your expertise was much appreciated when planning my schedule, I was really happy with the lunge and flat lessons and the number of rides out that I did – it all worked out perfectly.  Except of course for the fact that after 12 years of no riding my body was physically battered afterwards!  Thank goodness Chris found a seat-saver for me before my 3 hour ride! Thank you again, I would thoroughly recommend Equestrian Escapes and hope to be back sometime with my sister in tow.”

In July Mrs Smillie travelled to Portugal - “Great! The setting was beautiful and placed on the Obidos lagoon. The service was easy and hassle free which made the whole trip run so smoothly. The eco-camp that I stayed at was really different but I enjoyed it so much. The tipi was lovely, the bed was very comfy and I slept like a baby every night! The quality of the riding was excellent and the beach ride was exceptional. I could not believe my eyes when i got there. Our horses were absolutely gorgeous and so incredibly soft natured. In all of my riding experience, I never have come across such fantasticly well natured animals. They were a total delight. My overall experience was great, I thoroughly enjoyed my four day stay and would have liked to stay for much longer! I plan on recommending this holiday to both my family and friends!”

In September Jessica and James went to East Devon - “Having recently enjoyed an Equestrian Escapes holiday to Devon I thought I would write and tell you about it. The tuition at the riding stables is second to none and the hacks over Woodbury Common are a slice of heaven.”

In November Jean-Pierre and Elizabeth travelled to Berkshire - “Hello!
Our family recently booked a short break with you and stayed at Maggie’s in Berkshire. We had an unbelievably fabulous time. The accommodations were perfect and it was wonderful to wake up to the sound of hoof-steps in front of our cottage and open the shutters to friendly equine faces across the yard. Maggie was amazing — she offered to watch our 3 year old daughter, Axelle, while my husband and I had lessons. The two of them got on famously to the point that our daughter was completely devastated to leave the farm. She sobbed and sobbed as we said goodbye to Maggie. (This is after Axelle had announced to us that she wanted to stay with Maggie and be one of her “children” and “Papa and Mama could go back to London” and she would walk home later. “Is London far to walk to?”) And best of all, my husband and I think we actually made some progress with our riding! We definitely will be back! Thanks so much for offering a most memorable holiday!”

I hope you enjoyed reading this little handful of testimonials from our customers. If you require any information about the holidays you have read about or any of the packages on our website please contact us in the office on 01829 781 123, or email info@equestrian-escapes.com

Finally have a absolutley fantastic Christmas and New Year from all of us at Equestrain Escapes.

As you are all aware the weather in the UK over the past month has gone from bad to worse to impossible. It seems that many parts of the UK have ground to a stand-still. Hundreds of schools have had to close, driving conditions have been hazardous to say the least, and rail and air passengers were delayed on many flights leaving badly affected areas. For the first time our riding centre in Cheshire had to cancel all rides on the 5th December as the melting snow and freezing rain had transformed the yard and paths into an ice rink. The bad news is The Met Office has issued further heavy snow warnings for Yorkshire and Humber, east Midlands, east and north-east England, London and south-east England.

As Lou and I were left in the -6 conditions here in the office in Cheshire, Sarah, our managing director headed off to what we all thought was a rainy Southern Spain. Little did we know (including her) that there was a whopping 33 degree difference in temperature and it was a blazing 27 degrees celcius! Hard to comprehend when only 2 1/2 hours earlier she had left an artic Liverpool John Lennon airport on a Ryan Air flight heading for Malaga.

Hardly laughing when we heard this the next day we were soon cheered up when Sarah told us she was in a bit of a ‘sticky’ situation as she had packed for rain – 2 pairs of wooly boots and several pairs of jeans and thick jumpers!

Thanks to the un-announced spectacular weather Sarah enjoyed 5 days of glorious sunshine on the coast of Marbella, riding along the sandy beaches of Southern Spain and sampling the wonderful gastronomy and wine that the Spanish are so famous for.

If you are interested in any of our Spanish riding breaks please contact Sarah, Lou or myself Lindsey in the Equestrian Escapes office on 01829 781 123.

Fed up with the cold weather?

For those who have had enough of the cold we have a two special offers for you! The first in Southern Spain - designed to warm the cockles of your heart. Enjoy 3 nights in a top class golf resort hotel in Jerez on bed and breakfast basis plus a 3 day riding programme with our top trainer riding his wonderful homebred Andalucian horses. The cost per person in a shared twin/double for a rider is £350 and a non-rider (with unlimited green fees) £150. Transfers are available from Gibraltar airport and the offer is available for bookings to the end of March 2011.

Our second is a little closer to home. You can enjoy 2 days of riding at our beautiful centre in Berkshire, and make the most of 2 FREE lunches or evening meals during your stay. This short break is usually £315pp on a bed and breakfast basis but until the end of February ’11 we are offering it to you for just £275 INCLUDING 2 free lunches or evening meals. This is just the holiday that our equestrian enthusiasts need after a stressful and expensive Christmas! For more information on this offer please call us on 01829 781123. This offer lasts for all booking made by 28 February 2011.

As you may already know Equestrian Escapes have moved offices and we are just about up and running again as normal – after the palava of installing a new internet and phone system, and just about everything you can think of going wrong DID go worng we are pretty much there (2 weeks later)!

The office is looking great though, huge compared to the last one, the tree is up and the first Christmas card was opened this morning. Although the icy temperatures have managed to freeze our water supply we have not let it darken our festive spirits, instead of endless cups of tea we are now drinking endless cups of hot chocolate which isn’t a bad thing in my eyes!

During the move we managed to stumble upon a very nice picture of Sarah and Sasha – see below

Then we found another one..it took us a while but can you tell the difference??

The funniest thing was when Sarah showed these pictures to her mum, she laughed and said “well of course I know thats you Sarah, they’re your eyes!”

For any more information about Equestrian Escapes please contact Sarah, Lou and Lindsey at http://www.equestrian-escapes.com/contactus.htmlor call the NEW office on 01829 781123.

Equestrian Escapes have branched out-

We are now not only offering a wide range of horse riding holidays spread over the whole of the UK and abroad, but also organising coach travel to 5 of the biggest music festivals!

Music Festival Holidays are a company run by students for students. We are here to offer an affordable and easy solution to getting to those hard to reach UK & European music festivals. Benicassim Festival, Exit Festival, Global Gathering, Kendal Calling and MELT! Festival.

We will enhance your festival experience from a long weekend to a holiday you’ll never forget. We organise your festival ticket along with coach travel to the festival and stop-offs for nights out en route to the event.

We are your one port of call for organising your perfect music festival holiday!

Please contact us by calling 01829 781 860, or alternatively email matthewcaplan@musicfestivalholidays.com where we will be happy to discuss your music festival holiday…Alternatively if a horse riding holiday is more up your street call Equestrian Escapes on 01829 781123, we’d love to speak to you about your riding holiday!

Sadie Page is one of our neighbours on Common Lane and she is a regular rider at our Cheshire riding centre. She recently went on holiday with her family to Pembrokeshire where she experienced fantastic hacking through wooded valley’s, along coastal tracks and galloping along the golden sands of South Wales. Sadie had nothing but praise for the stables on her return, the staff were professional, the horses genuine and well matched for the riders and the setting absolutley beautiful. She promptly presented us with this lovely picture taken by the on-site photographer which we think deserves to be shown off!

For more information on riding in Wales, Cheshire or on any of Equestrian Escapes holidays please contact us on 01829 781123.

Dont worry your favourite horsey holiday company isn’t emigrating! Equestrian Escapes are leaving their small (but perfectly formed) little office behind and travelling all the way accross the drive into our brand new beautiful one!

For the past 4 months Mike and his superb team of builders and electricians have set up camp (pretty much) at Rose Cottage and spend days upon days erecting our huge fantastic new office. Much to the delight of Hector our resident dog who has had full time ball throwers on site at his every beck and call!

On the 4th November Sarah and Lou will be hauling desks, computers and files over to the new build where we can then look forward to answering your emails and phone calls looking out over Mark’s pretty carp pond, Sarah’s well manicured gardens, and across the rolling fields where Trevor, Percey, Fan and Julio graze.

The next stage (much to Lou’s disappointment) will be for Sarah and I to decorate our new office with fairy lights and rows of tinsel in time for Christmas!

We are hoping that with the new larger office we will be able to work better and more efficiently as a team, with the newly installed computer and phone system we aim to give you the customers an even higher standard of quality customer care and service.

Our goal and Philosophy will always remain the same-

To provide a truly memorable horse riding experience designed by people who understand horse riding. This means you can book with confidence knowing we have:

* Inspected and approved the stables and the quality of the horses you will ride
* Checked the riding instructors and guides are suitably qualified and operate safely
* Assessed the rides for their quality and to match them to differing riding standards
* Checked your accommodation to ensure it meets our demanding criteria
* Carefully put together riding itineraries that are fun, exciting and challenging (for those who want to be challenged!)

Our Philosophy

At the heart of our business is our respect for horses and the value they have added to man throughout the ages. We feel the horse helps remind us of the strong link between humans and environment. In addition we recognize the benefits that horse-riding gives to individuals.

We want to be known for offering the best selection of UK horse riding holidays and abroad possible and for our customers to feel happy to recommend us to their friends and families.

Fore more information please contact Equestrian Escapes on 01829 781123 where you can speak to Sarah, Lindsey or Lou. Alternatively emal us at info@equestrian-escapes.com

Stuck for Christmas present ideas?

Looking for something original, unique and guaranteed to make someone very happy?

We have the solution! Did you know that Equestrian Escapes can provide a voucher redeemable against any of our holidays?
How about providing your friends or loved ones with a horse-riding weekend of a lifetime (or at least contributing to it if that suits you better!).

Simply select a destination, contact us on 01829 781123 with the name of the person you are buying for and we will provide you with an itinerary which will make someone very happy this Christmas. Don’t worry about the dates – that can be arranged later.

On the first day of Christmas….
We have a great choice of UK destinations. Experience the delights of the English countryside in Yorkshire, Cheshire, Dartmoor and anywhere inbetween! Choose between an award winning farmhouse B&B, luxury spa hotel, log cabin or country house hotel and unwind in style. We cater for all levels of riding experience and put together riding itineraries that are fun, exciting and challenging (for those that want to be challenged!).

Mistletoe and wine?
We might not be able to organise the mistletoe but the wine we certainly can!

We can combine a riding holiday with wine tours in the Loire valley vineyards; the charming Purbeck vineyard in Dorset; Ribatejo vineyards of Lisbon or Jerez’s famous vineyards for a cultural experience you will never forget.

Magic moments….
Maybe it will be the lure of the Mediterranean coastline with its sandy beaches and hours of sun that appeals. With riding holidays in mainland Spain, Portugal, Italy and Mallorca we can cater for all levels of experience. Choose from a self catering apartment, B&B, luxury hotel or even a tipi! Match this with trail rides in the mountains, dressage lessons or that beach riding you’ve always wanted to do and you may just have your dream holiday.