FOREST AND LAKES TRAIL - SWEDEN

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This farm-based horse riding holiday features riding along lingering paths and small roads, through pristine natural forests and past glittering, deserted lakes on steady, safe, powerful and sure-footed North-Swedish coldbloods. The riding is in small groups and with one or two guides. Natural Horsemanship is used extensively with these horses and you are given some tuition in this fascinating method of training.

Trip length 7 days / 6 nights Ride only price 2008: £835 Departure dates 2008: 15, 22 & 29 May; 5, 12, 19 & 26 June; 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 July; 7, 14, 21 & 28 Aug; 4, 11, 18 & 25 Sept. Approximate riding time per day 4 to 7 hours per day Riding ability required Need to be good rider, comfortable with putting on tack, saddling up, walk, trot, canter (and preferably not afraid to gallop). Min age 15. Group size 1 to 7 Meeting point Linköping Airport or Tranås Railway Station Transfer The transfer from Tranås railway station is included in the price. A transfer from Linköping costs about £64 Flight guide £280 London to Linköping return, see below for flight info. Single supplement None, if willing to share. Limited single rooms are available.

SAMPLE ITINERARY - FOREST AND LAKES TRAIL

Arrival at Kalvefall during the day with time to become acquainted with the surroundings, the other riders, the horses and your room. Lunch and dinner will be served depending when guests arrive. In the evening the farm house pub is open, as it is every night.

Day 2
After breakfast there is a thorough briefing about how to handle and ride the horses, which are trained and handled on the basis of Natural Horsemanship, that is on their natural way of communicating and reacting, using release of pressure. During these sessions some of the Natural Horsemanship training methods are demonstrated. Especially impressive is the demonstration of helping a horse accept a noisy tarp so it is quite safe to put raincoats on while still in the saddle, or riding in an energetic canter with a rain poncho whipping about. After lunch, we fetch the horses, but before mounting you will get the chance to try some of the things we have been doing during the morning. We want everyone to be in control of their horse from the ground with lateral movements, backing, stopping, and giving both head and neck without resistance. This is fun and fairly easy to do, and above all you present yourself as the leader of the horse. After this, we mount at the arena and you get the chance to show the horse your leadership from his/her back. Then, as we ride into the forest, we have one simple security rule: we do not trot until everybody has full control of the horse at a walk, we do not canter until everybody has full control of the horse at a trot. But do not worry, as there is plenty of time to gallop, we just want everybody to feel secure so we can enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Day 3
In the morning (typically, depending upon the weather, the group’s wishes, etc.) we ride along winding country unmade roads and beaten tracks in the wonderful fully-grown forest, every now and then taking in bubbling foaming streams and shining, black lakes. This is the country of moose, lynx and the Golden Eagle. But these are horses of the forest and they feel both secure and full of energy as they take us through the landscape they have been working in since hundreds of years. Lunch will be eaten in a very old communal building where village people still gather for festivities and meetings. In the afternoon we ride up on a majestic mountain ridge, into the deep forest letting the horse find its own way among the trees on the soft green moss. Dinner is served back at the pub and stories are shared till it is time to sleep.

Day 4
After breakfast we take a trip to some local craftsmen doing traditional handicraft in the region. These are people that have it in their blood to produce artefacts and more from wood. Lunch is served back at the farm. The ride in the afternoon ends by one of our many lakes. If you wish, you can swim in the lake and / or in our large heated wooden tub seating 8-9 people. Together we cook a wilderness dinner under open skies using techniques from the Stone Age. Fish will be cooked in a hole in the ground, bread will be baked over the fire, and the dessert will be flambéed in a great big frying pan. If the weather is bad we can raise a traditional Sámi tepee, and sit down for dinner inside. In the soft Nordic summer night we ride home in the dark, the horses secure with better night eye sight than a cat.

Day 5
Today the ride heads through the forests to a rocky hill with spectacular views. We eat lunch that we brought along and rest in the grass, stretching our legs while the horses graze by our side. On the way home we pass by an old wolf trap in the shape of a hole in the ground. We also ride over moorland dotted with crooked small pine trees. Here we ride slalom between the trees practicing the use of indirect reins which makes the horse bend along the track.

Day 6
Now that we know our horses better, maybe even changing horses to get the best one for us, and we can now ride long, rocking canters. We have lunch by the ruins of an old farmstead. It is quite a special place and you can almost hear the old inhabitants going about their business, even though nobody has lived here for a hundred years.

Day 7
This is the day of departure after a fabulous riding holiday. Lunch will of course be served to those who leave later in the day.

NOTES - FOREST AND LAKES TRAIL

Riders must either believe in, be willing to learn about or be open-mided to the principles of Natural Horsemanship. The first day of riding is preceeded by tutorials, demonstrations and lessons in Natural Horsemanship methods. The North Swedish Horses are all ridden in side-pull (bitless) bridles. There are many outdoor activities for non-riders eg canoeing, cycling, walking, wildlife watching, so this ride is ideal for mixed groups of riders and non riders.

GETTING TO Linkoping Airport

As a fully ATOL bonded and registered agency we would be delighted to book your flights for you. Should you wish to book your own flights please see our flights page for some options.

The weight limit for this ride is 17 st/242 lb/110 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.

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