Lot Valley

Horses & Riding

Tack

English.

Horses

Mixture of breeds and types - Thoroughbreds, Lusitano x, Anglo, Spanish, Paint, Trotter, Merens and other French regional types. They live out all year round on good, sheltered grazing and all have hard feed and as much hay as they need. If you go for a full day ride then they are often let loose in temporarily taped off areas during lunchtime stops so that they may enjoy a well-earned rest.

Riding

There are 2 itineraries:

• Based Programme is a based ride
• French Festive Fun - Christmas and New Year Programme is a based ride

Ages

13+

Health

General good health and fitness.

Weight

100kg / 220 lbs / 15 stone 10 lbs

Food & Accommodation

Food

All food and drink is provided and as food is a big part of the French way of life, nothing is different here. All tastes and requirements are catered for, including vegetarian and vegan diets, to a good standard. Breakfast is enjoyed in the gîte or perhaps in your own time, either around the big family table in the kitchen or out on the terrace.

Lunch is taken at a leisurely pace to allow time for a rest and some relaxation for both you and your horse before the afternoon ride. It may be served on the terrace or, should you be out on a full day ride, it is provided 'en route' in the style of a delicious picnic featuring local foods and wines. If you are riding for the the day then the horses also enjoy their own picnic as the sites are chosen so that they may be temporarily fenced off - this allows the horses to have a roll and be fed and watered at their own leisure. Occasionally a restaurant ride is offered which may include a surcharge.

When you return from your day of riding, you are provided with cold drinks and snacks to keep you going until a tasty dinner is served.

Accommodation

Here you will find traditional gîte accommodation which features a shared kitchen and dining area, three twin bedrooms each with an en-suite shower room and a family room (double room with adjoining twin bedroom) with a shared ensuite bathroom. There are also two further twin bedrooms available in the main house, with one shared bathroom between the two rooms.

The accommodation is simple and of traditional country style - light and airy to match the renowned calming ambience of the area. There is a beautiful pool surrounded by a tiled terrace with sun loungers and patio furniture. There is also an outdoor shower, toilet, utility area and barbecue. Each room has dressing gowns, a hairdryer, bathroom towels, showergel, bluetooth speakers, water bottles suitable for use when riding and outdoor microfibres towels for the pool.

Solo travellers will be allocated their own room in the gite at no additional cost.

You will also find wireless internet connection here and laundry facilities.

This destination offers a relaxed and friendly environment where guests can socialise with one another. Your hosts also own some very cute dogs!

Itineraries

Based Programme Standard accommodation.

French Festive Fun - Christmas and New Year Programme Standard accommodation.

Other Activities

For the non-riders or those who want a break from the saddle, there are several available activities. These include mountain biking, fishing, golf, walking and visits to the beautiful surrounding villages. The pool allows for a gentle swim and those interested may also enjoy watching the variety of local wildlife such as deer, wild boar, red squirrel, hares, buzzards and kites.

Travel

Airport transfers are available and costs should be paid directly in Euro. The nearest airport is Rodez, but most guests fly here or to Toulouse which is a little further out. Another option is Brive airport, which is a little further again but within transfer distance. Train station transfers are also possible - Capdenac is the nearest station (just 10 minutes away) and transfers from/to Capdenac are free.

Testimonials

Megan C., Sept. 27, 2024

Beautiful riding, friendly hosts. Comfortable rooms, friendly atmosphere, food was insanely good. (Guides were) Very helpful, very friendly and talkative on the rides, clear instruction with good warning of hazards

Ali S., Sept. 26, 2023

Really lovely people. It was such a lovely place to ride. Horses were all a pleasure to ride. Rooms very comfortable. Food plentiful and delicious. I rode 4 different horses. All fun and easy to ride. Tack all adequate. Cate was very friendly and made sure we were all OK on the technical bits of the ride.

Gill G., Sept. 26, 2023

Holiday was very relaxing. Amanda & Derek were extremely good hosts. The horses were amazing and the scenery beautiful, the riding is varied and we had a lot of great canters and riding up and down steep paths.

Jeroen R., Aug. 10, 2023

Really fantastic experience. Totally carefree, fun, safe and really fantastic rides on even better horses.

Åse S,, June 21, 2023

The holiday was just perfect, with great horses, a very friendly family atmosphere and fantastic food.

Mairi S., Oct. 19, 2022

Fantastic! We had the best time in France, we laughed so much and met some other really lovely girls. It was brilliant.

Erin G., June 6, 2022

It was a wonderful holiday. Derek and Amanda were lovely and gracious hosts; the food was outstanding, and the scenery was beautiful. The horses were amazing. I rode the same horse the entire week and I really enjoyed him. He was forward going and up for a canter/gallop when the occasion called for it, but very steady and reliable. The food was great, the wine and beer was free flowing, and I was pleasantly surprised that I had a room to myself.

Jenny M., May 5, 2022

Loved every second! Amazing hosts who couldn’t do enough for you. More food and drink than you could dream of. Most importantly the most beautiful horses and stunning scenery with a range to suit all abilities. The Ride leaders were fantastic as well.

Catherine, Feb. 18, 2020

Exhilarating, Fun, Challenging! Galloping with my daughter through the beautiful french countryside, whooping with joy and excitement, what more could you want!

Janet S., July 31, 2018

Great riding, super food, friendly hosts. All horses we rode were good, time was taken to ensure we were all well matched with our horses. The guides were both excellent - very knowledgeable and great fun. Favourite memories - jumping and galloping up the hill on the last day! Going from a beginner having only had 8 lessons to jumping in 5 days.

Louisa L., Aug. 14, 2017

A relaxing, fun, indulgent Christmas Adventure. (Favourite memory?) Tricky! Delicious food, ridiculous game playing on Christmas day, getting to know a great horse, finally arriving after a horrendous journey to have a beautiful sunny ride might be the winner! (Food & Accommodation) All the best Christmas fare and the gite to ourselves. (Horses?) I've added Dizzy to my top three! (Guides?) Stacey is great - fun, entertaining, knowledgeable, calm and perceptive.

Emma S., Aug. 12, 2017

Great food and riding with stunning scenery. Comfortable accommodation and fun hosts who had lots of time for guests. Favourite memory was the restaurant ride to a local restaurant - beautiful. And learning to jump again after a long time.
Very friendly and fun, very sociable - sometimes almost too much (as a quiet person) but so lovely and welcoming.

Michael M., June 29, 2016

The holiday was lovely! The meals were brilliant and the non-riding days out were fantastic (Derek gave us some brilliant suggestions!). The guide and the trails were perfect for us, and we enjoyed the private rides, it's just what we wanted.

Catherine R., May 17, 2016

The horses were wonderful. They were so well mannered and friendly and I love how they live out all year round in a pack. They are such happy animals, and there were such a large mix of personalities, all of which were very capable and sure-footed on the hacks.

Jane S., Dec. 3, 2014

This was a fantastic holiday. Lovely people, fab horses, good company, beautiful rides and surroundings.

Denise W, Aug. 31, 2011

The holiday was absolutely amazing. A fabulous experience, beautiful countryside, great hosts, scrumptious food and plenty of it, a wonderful place to meet new people and socialise. The food was wonderful and great care is given to ensure all needs are catered for at a high level.

Barbara K., Sept. 11, 2009

It was the perfect 'get away from it all' four day break. I arrived feeling slightly apprehensive, but left feeling a huge sense of achievement, just wonderful! As a novice rider the holiday was invaluable for the experience of riding over different terrain. As a lone traveller I felt like part of a little 'family' and was sad to leave. My favourite memory was an exhilarating gallop on my last day, my dream had finally come true.

Sheila W., July 3, 2009

Excellent riding in a beautiful and tranquil environment. Overall it was very good. My favourite memory was the excellent horsemanship and relaxed manner in which our host organised very safe but exciting rides. The food, hosts and transfers were excellent.

Liz D., July 3, 2009

Fabulous, I fell in love with my horse and our hosr was the nicest riding holiday host I have ever met. Overall it was first class, my horse was amazing, the scenery and diversity of the riding unusually good. Excellent food and wine. My favourite memory was galloping up to the picnic spot on the all day ride.

Alex A. & Cara F., July 3, 2009

Cara and I had a fabulous time, the food was brilliant, home made and tasty, lots of wine if you wanted it. The horses were individual and each had a way of being ridden which was explained so you could enjoy the nature of the horse together with the beautiful countryside and amazing views. We had lovely T-shirt weather and no rain so picked a great week. The accomodation was comfy but the hot showers and log fire helped any stiffness disappear. We want to go back next year so thank you for making us welcome. Carrots and kisses to Nelson and Kajoline.......

Kim B, June 29, 2009

I just wanted to send a note to thank you for an amazing break! It was absolutely perfect in every way. Great hosts, horses, the rides were amazing, food, drink, location... we couldn’t have had a better break! They went out of their way to ensure we had a great riding holiday and holiday in general. And I looooved the food far too much. Thanks!

Tabatha R., Feb. 26, 2009

Each day brought a new trail and each trail was a new adventure that makes you want more.