Emma Getliffe asked:


Imagine riding an Arabian horse in its native environment and experiencing the open desert and beauty of Wadi Rum – land of Lawrence of Arabia. In October this year you can take an exclusive trip to Jordan and combine a visit to the Royal Stables in Amman, a swim in the Dead Sea, a tour around one of the oldest Crusader castles and a day’s visit to Petra, the Rose Red city of the ancient Nabateans – one of the new wonders of the world.

These are cultural add ons to a six day riding holiday which is split into three days in the spectacular Petra mountain region and three days in Wadi Rum – a dramatic desert wilderness in the south of Jordan. Huge mountains of sandstone and granite emerge, sheer-sided, from wide sandy valleys to reach heights of 1700 meters and more. Narrow canyons and fissures cut deep into the mountains and many conceal ancient rock drawings etched by the peoples of the desert over millennia. Bedouin tribes still live among the mountains of Rum and their large goat-hair tents are a special feature of the landscape. Here you will be riding away from the main tourists and camping overnight under the stars with the horses tethered close by.

At the end of the ride you will transfer to Aqaba on the Red Sea rounding off the tour with yet another wonderful experience.

You will be riding true horses of Arabian blood, (or “Anglo-Arabian Bedouin” with the official name in Jordan of “Bedouin bred”). Most of them are mares, coming from different regions in the Middle East, (Jordan, Syria, Iraq). There are also geldings and very occasionally stallions.

All of the horses are generous and high spirited, very enjoyable to ride, in spite of their strong temperament (or perhaps because of it?) Their endurance and good temper are legendary. You will be able to testify to this yourself.

They are sure-footed horses, quick to react and with a notable sense of competition. Arabians enjoy racing. These are absolutely not “riding school horses” but working horses trained to Bedouin standards and to our own desert riding standards

Marty Davis asked:


Whether you fancy white water rafting, horse riding, mountain biking or hiking, these are just some of the adventure holidays on offer in France, and with so many different activities on offer your holiday can range from the extreme sports to the more sedate, through to adult only adventures, what ever you decide this sort of holiday is never going to be boring, plus all the family can be involved together, which can also make for a great learning experience.

Complete package holidays are a good way of getting the holiday you want without the hassle and these can be catered specifically for your needs, yet you can also choose to book specific activities for a day here and there whilst on your holiday. And when booking your adventure holiday, you would normally be in a reasonably small, informal group of around three to five families, or a social group of around 15 to 30, which would be headed by a trained tour leader and representative. You will also find that this can be a great way to meet other like minded families and individuals, whilst enjoying yourselves and, of course, testing yourselves to the limits along the way.

There are some people that would think of white water rafting or sky diving as extreme adventure sport, whilst others would think of cycling to one place, then going on horse back to another as a great adventure. But the truth is, there is an adventure holiday available to suit all tastes and some are more strenuous than others, so please do always check the itinerary thoroughly and make sure it is going to be suitable everyone.

You can also choose from activities such as canoeing and rafting in the Ardeche, canyoning, tubing and mountaineering in the Alps, horse riding in Brittany, paragliding and climbing in the Pyrenees, or why not go to Chamonix which is a real mountain town, full of history and is popular for skiing holidays, but also provides amazing summer mountaineering and with the diverse terrain it is mostly suited to the experienced for some of the worlds best winter riding.

Why not visit the Gorge d’Ardeche is also known as the Grand Canyon of Europe and as the river winds its way past steep canyon walls and towering cliffs, this creates the ideal location for canoeing, climbing and walking both for the experienced and the novice alike.

The Alps Maritime is like discovering the true France and even though the Roya Valley is only around one hours drive from the Riviera, it is still very unspoilt, and the valley itself is renowned for its many canyons and with the fast flowing river and mountain scenery, this could be the perfect location for an exhilarating family adventure holiday with lots of different activities to choose from, so you could never become bored, just possibly exhausted!

Also, France has lots of lakes and miles of coastal water suitable for water skiing and other water sports, although the areas in the South of France are far warmer, which gives it an added advantage.

Also this country has some of the finest terrain for mountain biking, which is probably why France has been able to produce some the best mountain bikers in the World, but there are also lots of other adventures that might take your fancy, which could include pony trekking, kayaking, scuba diving, wind surfing, hiking, rope courses, caving, abseiling, thrilling jumps into pools, quad biking and much, much more.

Just make sure that whatever type of adventure holiday you are looking for, you think of everyone that is in your party, as some activities are not available for children under certain ages, so you do need to consider what will be appropriate, after all if you like cycling but have a heart condition, then mountain biking is not going to be beneficial!

There are some trips that will cater for the experienced, such as rafting down rapids or ice climbing for the experienced rock climber, whereas a novice or for instance someone that has never even been in a canoe or on a horse before, would need to look at having some tuition incorporated within their holiday before they could attempt some of the activities on offer.

Also, do confirm the equipment, if any, that you will need to take with you along with any specific clothing requirements, such as hiking boots or your own life jacket, just as we had to get a life jacket for our daughter due to her age, as there were not any available in very small sizes and the last thing you want is to get to your destination and realise you cannot participate in the activities you were so looking forward to.

So for anyone who is interested in outdoor adventure travel then this type of holiday can really show you the real France by taking you off the normal beaten track and into the heart of this remarkable country.

Emma Getliffe asked:


Imagine riding an Arabian horse in its native environment and experiencing the open desert and beauty of Wadi Rum – land of Lawrence of Arabia. In October this year you can take an exclusive trip to Jordan and combine a visit to the Royal Stables in Amman, a swim in the Dead Sea, a tour around one of the oldest Crusader castles and a day’s visit to Petra, the Rose Red city of the ancient Nabateans – one of the new wonders of the world.

These are cultural add ons to a six day riding holiday which is split into three days in the spectacular Petra mountain region and three days in Wadi Rum – a dramatic desert wilderness in the south of Jordan. Huge mountains of sandstone and granite emerge, sheer-sided, from wide sandy valleys to reach heights of 1700 meters and more. Narrow canyons and fissures cut deep into the mountains and many conceal ancient rock drawings etched by the peoples of the desert over millennia. Bedouin tribes still live among the mountains of Rum and their large goat-hair tents are a special feature of the landscape. Here you will be riding away from the main tourists and camping overnight under the stars with the horses tethered close by.

At the end of the ride you will transfer to Aqaba on the Red Sea rounding off the tour with yet another wonderful experience.

You will be riding true horses of Arabian blood, (or “Anglo-Arabian Bedouin” with the official name in Jordan of “Bedouin bred”). Most of them are mares, coming from different regions in the Middle East, (Jordan, Syria, Iraq). There are also geldings and very occasionally stallions.

All of the horses are generous and high spirited, very enjoyable to ride, in spite of their strong temperament (or perhaps because of it?) Their endurance and good temper are legendary. You will be able to testify to this yourself.

They are sure-footed horses, quick to react and with a notable sense of competition. Arabians enjoy racing. These are absolutely not “riding school horses” but working horses trained to Bedouin standards and to our own desert riding standards

Karen Tappenden asked:


Yes plenty, from racing to dressage to jumpers and endurance there is polo even handicap riding programs!  The country is lush even in the city center.  The riding facilities are primarily in a club setting. Labor is inexpensive in Malaysia thus boarding (relative to our standards is inexpensive, 1350.00 Ringgit or roughly $ 125.US your horse will be groomed, mucked and provided with basic feed. 

The barns we visited at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort were designed for the heat and humidity of south Asia.  High ceilings lots of room for circulation, the days are hot but the stalls seem very comfortable.  The stalls were kept very clean, manure is picked up and bagged for removal. The grooms worked their shed row much like our race tracks.  

There are horses of many breeds in Malaysia and a variety of riding style there. Plenty of European trainers come to teach young and more mature riders. The Asian Classics (show jumping for qualified Asian riders) were held in conjunction with the FEI World Cup Show Jumping At Bukit Jahil Stadium about a half hours drive from the capital, Kuala Lumpur[1] According to the US show jumping team the footing, lighting and accommodations were all be exceptional.  The horses there were housed in large box stalls and the barn, warm up arena and stadium are all air conditioned. Now, back home the thought of air conditioning a stable is a bit unordinary except in some of the very arid parts of the US, but here for this competition it is keeping the horses in a very controlled environment through out the competition. 

On the east coast of the country, along the South China Sea, the Equestrian World Endurance Championships will be held in 2008.  Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu [2] along with five other Malaysian riders will compete at the World Endurance Championship in Germany this August to promote the event in Malaysia.   The Terengganu Pony Club and a state owned Equestrian Club have been erected to rekindle interest in riding in that state.   

The native pony in Terengganu is the Kuda Padi. On the Northeastern shores young Malaysians ride their ponies bareback and barefoot as fast as they can along the beaches and at local events.  There is an annual Kelantan Equestrian Festival (Pesta Sukan Berkuda Kelantan).  The Kelantan bareback riders dress their ponies and themselves in lavish textiles, splashed with wonderful colors and sequences. Truly a sight!

South East Asia is not the first place one would think to look for horses but they have them and it seems a past time many natives enjoy.

[1] Eastern Malaysia in the state of Sleangor

[1] Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy; there is a Sultan for each of the 9 states. Terengganu is a state in Malaysia; these sultans rotate as the supreme king of all of Malaysia for 5 years. The Malaysian legal system is based on English Common law with executive powers vested in a cabinet led by a prime minister.

Lyrene Zimmerman asked:


Horse riding has become exceptionally popular at Tswalu and the stables were very busy this festive season, with a wonderful giraffe sighting on the Christmas morning ride, followed by buffalo sightings a few days later.

Guests loved the thrill of being out on horseback, part of their natural surroundings.

The Tswalu stables now have15 horses varying of size, colour and breed. The breeds include Shire, Arab X, Appaloosa X, Saddler X, Boerperd, Friesian X, Quarter horse X and Pinto. We also have some retired racehorses from the Oppenheimer stud farm. Their sizes vary from 146cm (14.3H) to 172cm (17.1H).

Most of the horses are suitable for any type of rider but we do have a few that need more experienced riders. In December we welcomed Cindy to Tswalu, who will be assisting Almeri as Assistant Stable Manager. Cindy completed her Equine Science degree in South Africa and has worked with Arabian and Thoroughbred horses. She also worked at Saldannah Military Equestrian Centre where she was a Stable Manager and ran the eco-rides on the beach. She is looking forward to learning about the Kalahari and becoming a field guide.

This week we also welcome 2 new arrivals to the Tswalu stables. Levi and Lex are beautiful Shire carthorses, originally from England. In the past, this soaring breed was used to do farm work and pull carriages. Levi is 3 years old and already standing at 172cm (17.1H). Lex is 2 years old and is standing at 164cm (16.2H). They will continue to grow until about the age of five and will mature around 180cm (18H). Both horses are undergoing training and will be used for guests as soon as training is complete.

Robert Meldrum asked:


Horse riding has survived long beyond its usefulness as a means of transportation for good reason. The equestrian experience is one of the best ways to experience the outdoors. Holidays centered on back touring combine the pleasures of riding with destinations that stimulate our minds and renew our spirits.    



The U.K., Ireland and the continent provide riding holidays that makes lifetime memories. Stables with generations of hard earned experience have animals well suited to their venues. Skill levels from novices to experts can be accommodated. No matter the level of experience on back, the unrivaled destinations and adventures are sure to make an impression. 



One hundred forty seven kilometers from Airport “L. Da Vinci” Roma, is the Saturnia region of Italy. Multiple outfitters with all levels of riders covered can kit your group for a mounted tour of Tuscany.  The riding is easy and hot mineral springs provide soothing baths. Especially nice for occasional riders. The countryside is captivating in a charming easy going way.



More dramatic scenery is found on the Andalucian coast of Spain. Flying to Jerez, Gibraltar, or Malaga puts your group within coach range of picturesque rides in the sand or the coastal pines. Outfitters can arrange a variety of group outings from rustic camps to friendly villages. Three star hotels and Bed and Breakfasts with self catering are also found in this region.



Ireland has many equestrian holidays to choose from. Old established trails through the countryside provide challenging tours and reward with unrivaled scenery. In Addition to the Donegal and Silgo trails, seaside riding is popular. The Airport at Silgo is convenient to a number of back holiday locations.



The Black mountains and National Park trails afford some great riding in Wales. The coal mining region has a unique flavor. Hospitality is good and local foods are gaining import with foodies, making this destination a “hip” place to visit. The longstanding culture of welsh horsemanship ensures that capable mounts and outfits will be on hand. .

 

France has an abundance of beautiful countryside. The Tarn Valley is a jewel in the crown of equestrian holiday destinations. Surrounded by gorgeous mountains and graced with a scenic river the valley combines the allure of nature with some of the best sightseeing towns on the continent. Ranchers in the area are particular about supplying well cared for animals and matching the mount to the rider. The simple hearty food of this region makes an excellent repast after a day on the trail.



From the Madrid airport, equestrians can travel to Toledo for a rare Horse holiday. Toledo was the wintering spot for herds in the winter and the trails in Southwest Spain provide fantastic riding today. The hilly terrain is breathtaking. Scenic lakes and sandy trails with excellent trotting grounds make this region a great choice for seasoned riders. The food and wine is a destination in itself and one more reason to consider a Spanish riding holiday.

 

Whether riding for the first time, or traveling with an experienced group, Horse holidays give a view of the destination and a flavor to the journey that other options can’t provide. See the world from a vantage point that many never do, you won’t regret it.