WHAT'S NEW AT UNICORN TRAILS

• NEW for 2007
  Loyalty rewards for repeat clients: receive £50 off the third ride booked in 2 calendar years. We also offer 5% discount if you go on the same horse riding holiday a second time. See our News and Specials pages for more information or more details below
• You can now check availability and book most of our horse riding holidays online. With a secure server and most major credit and debit cards accepted booking your riding holiday couldn't be easier. See any of our rides.
• BBC's Radio 4 explores riding holidays world wide with Wendy Hofstee, founder of Unicorn Trails, Christina Dodwell and Robin Hanbury Tenison. Hear this program again on www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/excessbaggage the web site of the program read more...
• Eastern Europe is the next hot place on the traveler's list - visit one of our rides in Romania, Hungary or Poland and explore rural read more...
• Meet Leah Gravell who joined our team in January 2006 read more
• Grand horseback adventure in Ecuador. Read a book about 3 girl friends who bought horses and went trekking through the Andes read more
• Every year we add exciting new horse riding holidays. This year we have added new rides in Spain, Finland, Sweden, Poland, USA, Canada, Kenya, Namibia, Brazil, read more

BBC EXCESS BAGGAGE EQUESTRIAN TRAVEL

For centuries, before the arrival of the motor car, the main means of individual travel over any significant distance was on horseback. Nowadays there are plenty of people who like nothing better than to saddle up and ride on their holiday from pony trekking to equestrian exploring. Sandi Toksvig talks to three keen riders who have travelled thousands of miles across all the continents.

Travel writers Christina Dodwell, Robin Hanbury-Tenison and equestrian holiday organiser Wendy Hoftsee are all members of a club called the Long Riders' Guild. They recount tales of nights under the stars, robbers, horses rescued from the knacker's yard and discuss the bonds they've formed with the animals that have carried them on their backs.

Presented by Sandi Toksvig

top

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe is the next hot place to visit. The countries out there are fast adapting to the western values, but particularly in the countryside retain an almost medieval way of working the land and a very distinct culture. This is a startling contrast. Many of these countries have recently joined the European Union and are easily accessible by many low cost airlines.

In general these areas are far more rural and less mechanized. They rely on horses to do regular work and even for transport in rural areas. Consequently almost everyone has some knowledge of horses, much like the UK 100 years ago. The countryside is also very horse friendly, with minimal fences, fields criss crossed with tracks and paths suitable for horses and an acceptance of horses a a means of transport. No problem then to find a pub that has a place to tie your horse, or a B&B with stables or a field. Horses also provide a handy conversation topic with locals. Talk of a nice sized horse that is a "good doer" or a good farrier is as common as a motoring conversation in England.

On the cultural side there are two aspects to Eastern European countries. One is the post Soviet culture. Behind the iron curtain there was a the completely different world of communism and collective farms. The legacies are still clearly seen and a hot topic of conversation with the locals. On top of this many countries are now rediscovering national identities long suppressed by Soviet culture and revelling in expressing them. National dress, food and traditions are more strongly supported than ever. This makes for a fascinating mix.

Post Soviet cultures did not have many consumer items and goods and their economies were not as monitized as ours. Consequently goods and services tend to cost a lot less out there. This era of cheap travel in Eastern Europe won't last forever. As these countries integrate their economies into the EEC prices will rise and eventually largely equalize. Since joining the EEC, the labour markets have opened up and hundreds of thousands of young Eastern Europeans come to Western Europe to seek well paid jobs. These jobs are only well paid by their standards, by regular UK standards they offer an excellent hard working, well educated service at low rates. Most send their money home and after a few years go back, buy or build a nice house and start their own businesses, raising standards and prices in the process.

This mutual fascination is a two way exchange. The increasing numbers of Eastern Europeans coming to the UK not only work hard and earn money to improve their lives back home. They also take back with them a taste for UK culture - music, clothes and consumer lifestyles. While all this accelerates the rate of economic development in these countries, it also heralds the decline of the traditional lifestyles and dilutes cultural differences and increases costs. Given this, it makes sense to visit these fascinating places now while they are still very different, easily accessible and low cost.

See our rides in Hungary, Romania, Poland and keep an eye out for additions.

top

Welcome Leah!

Meet Leah Gravell, who joins our team in January 2006. Leah grew up in rural L