Everyone loves our horse riding weekends! Arrive, kick back and unwind, with a whole weekend of adventurous horseback trail-riding, exploring the stunning Bannau Brycheniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park in Wales, in the best of company (both equine and human!)
Take 48 hours out of your schedule – fill it with two full days trail-riding on a beautiful Welsh Section D cob, add comfortable accommodation and home-cooked meals in our traditional 17th Century Welsh Longhouse, log-fires or a glass of wine on the sun-soaked terrace in the evenings, add an old friend or two, and a sprinkle of new ones – it’s a recipe for an unforgettable weekend of horse-riding adventures, challenge and chill-out time!
Your weekend begins on Friday evening. After showing you your room and the house, you are welcome to wander up to the fields to see some of the horses, or take a walk or drive a mile into the village for a pre-dinner drink at the pub, or simply relax with a cup of tea or glass of wine. Welcome drinks are served in the lounge before dinner. In the winter, there are cosy log fires in the comfortable lounge, and in the summer, there is a south-facing patio where you can catch the last of the day’s sun.
Dinner is a relaxed affair – our food is home-cooked and simple, based on fresh local ingredients – we are really lucky to have a fabulous butcher, deli and grocers right in the village, and our eggs are from our own chickens. Paul makes his own sourdough loaf every day! After dinner, we ask you to fill out some forms and we talk about the horse riding to come. Then it’s more relaxing around the fire, maybe a board game or two, or an early night with a good book!
After a hearty breakfast to set you up for the day, we meet on the yard and after showing you how we do things, we get on with catching the horses, grooming and tacking up – don’t worry if you need help, our friendly guides and yard assistants will lend a hand. Spending time on the ground with your horse gives you the chance to get to know one another, and you’ll be super relaxed by the time you’re in the saddle.
By mid-morning we are out on the trail. You can expect relaxed riding through woods, country lanes, old drover tracks and bridle-paths, with long canters and gallops across the nearby open commons of Pengenfford and Talgarth. If the weather is on our side, we can get high up into the mountains where you will earn some fantastic views. Some of the trails can be twisty, turny, up and down, bumpy and stony, but our Welsh cobs are built for the terrain, and are incredibly sure-footed – you’ll be amazed at what they can handle!
By lunchtime we have reached a cosy pub or friendly cafe along the way, where we tie up our horses, loosen girths and remove bridles, and horses and riders alike take a break over lunch. Lunch is usually sandwiches and chips or something similarly simple. Lunch is included in the price but riders will need to bring some change for drinks during lunch.
Back in the saddle after lunch, we enjoy another couple of hours riding in the afternoon, before reaching the yard around 4pm. Together we untack, groom and feed the horses at the end of the day, and wipe over tack, before relaxing over a well earned cup of tea and home-made cake.
Total riding time each day is around four hours, which is usually plenty for most people! The ride is designed to be relaxed but adventurous, with a certain pace to it, rather than a ‘trek’ where horses ride nose to tail. Hopefully you’ll feel like you are out riding with a group of friends, in control of your own horse. Riders should be confident and competent at walk, trot and canter to get the most out of our rides.
On Saturday evening, you’ll enjoy another relaxed dinner together, and then perhaps a walk down to the pub through the fields, or a game of ‘Horseopoloy’ (which has been known to go into the small hours!) We also have plenty of DVDs if you fancy watching a film, or books that you are welcome to borrow. After a long day riding, many guests simply enjoy relaxing in front of the fire, sharing their stories and looking forward to the next day’s riding.
Sunday dawns with another route ahead, and perhaps a different horse!
The aim is to finish the weekend feeling relaxed and happy. You will have undoubtably made new friends – with our horses as well as humans! And hopefully you’ll leave with plans to come back soon, perhaps for another weekend, perhaps for a longer or more challenging trail!
COST £595 March & Oct, £625 rest of season – per person fully inclusive
What is included in the price?
2 nights dinner, bed and breakfast and 2 full days riding (3-4 hours total in the saddle) unless otherwise stated, including lunch along the way (at a pub or cafe or sometimes a picnic). It’s basically all-inclusive except for your drinks during lunch at the pub, and alcoholic drinks in the evening.
Long weekends are 3 days/ 3 nights, except Easter where we offer a 3 day or 4 day break.
What sort of riding ability do I need to have?
Our weekend trail rides are suitable for anyone who is competent and confident at walk, trot and canter. We are not suitable for complete beginners or nervous novices who do not wish to canter, although we can sometimes organise private rides for people who might prefer a pace suited to their individual needs. Riders will be spending around 3.5-4 hours in the saddle each day. We aim to suit riders to horses, so that more confident riders can enjoy a ‘sparkier’ horse, whereas others may prefer a ‘safe pair of hands’. We get full details not just of your experience but of your confidence level when you arrive, which helps us match horses and riders.
What’s your weight limit?
13 stone/ 83 kilos – our horses are fine Welsh cobs, not the heavy type, so we do have quite a strict weight limit. In certain cases, if for example you are tall and well-built, we can horse slightly heavier riders – please do let us know if you are over the limit so that we can make sure we can look after both you and our horses.
What if it rains?
We ride in all weathers! We have long coats for riders to borrow if need be, but please do bring rain clothes if you have some.
Can we borrow hats?
Yes, we have a reasonable selection of equipment for riders to borrow.
Do you cater for vegetarians/ vegans/ special diets?
Yes, we do – but please let us know beforehand so that we can make a note, and remind us when you get here too!
Do you charge a single supplement?
We welcome plenty of single riders and we charge a supplement only if you insist on a single room. The supplement which then guarantees you a single room is £50 per night. But there’s no charge if you are able to be flexible, and we will give you a single if possible, or we may ask you to share a room with someone of the same gender. It’s a very relaxed sociable holiday, and this arrangement works well.
How can I get to you?
By car – it’s about 3 hours from London, 2 from Birmingham.
By train to Abergavenny Rail Station, where you will need to take an onward taxi which will cost approx £45 and takes half an hour. We have a great contact.
By coach to Chepstow, where we can arrange a taxi transfer for you.
We can organise direct transfers from airports for groups, and can advise on reaching us from almost anywhere – please just ask.
What if I need to cancel or change my holiday?
Deposits are non-refundable, although in the event of cancellation we try our best to move any payments another date or holiday. Please see our terms & conditions for more details.
