Trans Wales Trails

Horses & Riding

Tack

You will ride in English tack, although some endurance saddles are used. Guests are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of horse care and preparation during their stay, from grooming and tacking up, to feeding and turning out at the end of the day.

Horses

You will ride native Welsh Cobs and Cob Crosses. Although cobs, these Welsh horses are not uncomfortably wide or 'ploddy' as some might think, they are compact, intelligent and most definitely not slow! They are ideally suited to the hilly terrain which includes open moorland, thick forests, picturesque mountain lanes and narrow mountain ridges and they will give you a thrilling gallop when the time is right. There is also the chance to jump logs and ditches (optional!) and to enjoy the balance and strength of these admirable horses.

Riding

There is 1 itinerary:

• Trans Wales Trail is a trail ride

Ages

Competent teenagers aged 13+

Health

Good physical fitness is required for holidays at this destination. Riding includes strenuous hill climbs and long hours in the saddle.

Weight

83kg / 182 lbs / 13 stone

Food & Accommodation

Food

When staying at the farmhouse Paul, Emily and their family will give you a warm welcome and ensure that your stay is a fantastic mix of exciting riding, good food, and a relaxing environment. Some nights you might like to take a walk in the historic village of Talgarth, just one mile away. It is a very pleasant walk down through fields and you can enjoy a drink in a traditional pub before dinner or explore the nearby waterfalls - or simply relax beside the stream in the gardens around the house. Vegetarians and special dietary requirements can happily be catered for.

High quality products that are locally grown or ethically sourced are always used where possible. All the meat comes from Billy George, an acclaimed butcher in the nearby town (who has been mentioned in the Guardian!). Billy has an abbatoir attached to the butchers so this meat is fresh and has never known packaging. Eggs come from a local farm, fruit and vegetables come from the local farmers' market and potatoes and onions are bought from a nearby farm as well. When in season you may find raspberries, blackberries, green beans or fresh herbs on your plate which have been picked from the farmhouse garden. This destination even has its own fresh spring water on tap!

You are welcome to take wine or beer to enjoy with your evening meal.

Dinners in hotels, inns and pubs on the trails are traditional pub fare. Lunches on the trails are usually sandwiches eaten en route, but you may sometimes stop for a pub lunch (drinks at own cost).

Accommodation

Accommodation varies between the trails but is either at the farm itself (a comfortable and welcoming farmhouse) or at inviting hotels, inns and B&Bs.

Your holiday base is a tranquil little farmhouse, nestled at the foot of the Black Mountains beside a beautiful stream. This traditional Welsh Longhouse was built sometime in the 1700s and has been recently renovated to the highest standards. Guests are accommodated in comfortable stylish twin or super-king double rooms, all of which have en-suite shower rooms. There is plenty of shared space including a large lounge with a log-burner, and a garden room where guests eat breakfast and dinner each day, with a wonderful view of the setting sun.

Itineraries

Trans Wales Trail Standard accommodation.

Other Activities

Guests are encouraged to get involved in horsecare (grooming, tacking up etc) in order to build a nice relationship with their horses. Other than this and plenty of riding, the holidays are spent relaxing and socialising with new friends.

Travel

By Air:

International guests can fly into London Heathrow and a pickup service is available on Saturdays (or Sundays) at 1pm. There is an additional cost for this service - please enquire.

Other options from Heathrow are:

By coach:

Comfortable and good value coaches run regularly between London Heathrow and Chepstow - see www.nationalexpress.com. The coach takes just over 2 hours, and leaves every 2 hours from Heathrow. A return ticket costs approx £38 (but do check online). We can then arrange a transfer from Chepstow for you (about an hour's drive, for which there is an additional charge), or you could arrange your own taxi.

By rail:

Take the Heathrow Express www.heathrowexpress.com to Paddington - it takes 15 mins and costs approx £15 (depending on time of booking). Then take the train to the nearest station of Abergavenny. From London Paddington, via Newport, the journey can be as little as 2 hrs 20 minutes. See www.nationalrail.co.uk for timetables and fares. The farmhouse is a short taxi ride away from the station (about 35 minutes, £30-35) - there are usually plenty of taxis outside.

By road:

Renting a car - it's nice to have the flexibility when you are there, especially for longer stays, and the farmhouse is an easy 3 hour drive up the M4 from Heathrow. Please contact us for directions.

Testimonials

Jane C., Sept. 14, 2022

Exceeded expectations which says a lot! The horses were awesome, I rode 2 and could have bought both of them. Genuine sure footed , foreword going and didn’t need telling what to do🥰. Tack was adequate and comfortable. (Favourite memory?) Excellent horses, great weather and scenery, lovely mix of riders who could all ride and all females! Great guides.

Marie-Soleil, Oct. 28, 2019

It was amazing! Honestly the best trip of my life! The scenery was amazing. Every day once we thought we couldn't see better the trail would impress us by showing even more beautiful views. The horses were amazing, very well taken care of.

Elizabeth, Sept. 25, 2019

This was an awesome holiday, the welcome, the hospitality and organisation were super and I felt very comfortable in the accommodation. The horses were beautiful and the trail staff were very caring and professional. The food was also excellent.

Sue C., Nov. 3, 2017

Really challenging - mentally and physically - amazing experience. Would suit someone wanting to improve riding seat and jumping. (Favourite memory?) Riding across the top of mountains and the descending a thousand feet. (I had an) Excellent horse - knew her job. I did take a gel seat saver as saddles were quite old-fashioned. Paul was an excellent guide. Never having galloped across moorland and jumped ditches, I was taken by surprise on day one as there was a lot of it!! Not for the faint-hearted - still, no one came off!

Deborah W., Nov. 2, 2017

Amazing, I will remember it forever. My horse for the trail was one of the best I've ever ridden. I rode 2 others that were excellent. Tack and equipment was in good condition. (favourite memory?) Hard to choose, our first fast gallop on day one set the tone, every day was fantastic.

Matthew W., Oct. 7, 2017

Superb - beautiful trail rides right on our doorstep with just the right level of challenge. Accommodation, food and hospitality every bit as good as the riding.

Silva P., Aug. 16, 2017

The TWT was an incredible experience! Stunning scenery, comfortable accommodation and lots of fast and fun riding on fit and forward-going Welsh cobs who took us through little dips and falls and even "the bog from hell"! Would definitely recommend this ride to adventurous riders who want to experience top class trail riding!

Ruth J., Sept. 20, 2011

Beautiful location, breathtaking scenery, very relaxing. The atmosphere was friendly and you felt like a family member rather than a guest. Emily felt like a friend rather than a guide, she was an excellent rider and very encouraging. This has opened up a whole new world of opportunity and possibilities. The food was very nice and Paul did a good job with selecting the horses for us.