If you want to ride deep in nature at her best then come on a Unicorn horse riding holiday in Sweden. This is a large country, about twice the size of the UK, but sparsely populated leaving an unspoilt wilderness of endless forests and bountiful lakes (96,000!) to discover on your horseback holiday riding local Swedish Cold Blood horses. We can offer you a trail ride with camping or a based stay and can accommodate the  heavier rider, single riders, families and mixed groups of riders and nonriders. We are delighted that one of the Swedish rides focusses strongly on natural horsemanship, even including tuition.  

Sweden, a Nordic country, sits on the Scandiavian Penisular in Northern Europe. It has borders with Norway to the west, Finland to the north east and Denmark via the Oresund Bridge in the south west. However, Sweden's largest border is with the sea - the Baltic Sea to the east and the smaller straits of Skaggerak and Kattegat to the south west. With a coastline of 6760 kilometres Sweden is blessed with hundreds of glorious beaches.

Over the years Sweden had somewhat fluid borders as it gained and lost land to its neighbours, Finland and Norway, but it finally stabilised and is now the peaceful country we know - neutral in wars and independent in foreign policy. It has a fine democracy, as clearly demostrated in its recent European Union 'no' vote, with a constituitional monarchy - along the lines of the UK. The Swedes have a liberal, laid-back approach to life and of-course produce some excellent pop stars!

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, Sweden has a warmer climate that most people expect. In fact the resorts on the south coast can be as hot as those in Southern Europe. The summers in Sweden may be rather short but north of the Artic Circle is the land of the midnight sun where it never gets dark. Midsummer's Day, June 21st, is well celebrated throughout Sweden. Winters may seem long and dark but they are also very beautiful with crisp snow, frozen lakes and air so clean and, if you are lucky, regular sightings of the spectacular Northern Lights. Swedish winters provide a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts - particularly cross country skiing and ice skating.

Sweden's capital, Stockholme, is a collection of islands. It is a very beautiful city and well worth a visit to take in its old Baroque town and its excellent architecture. But it's in central and northern Sweden that you'll find the landscape of huge pristine forests, sparkling lakes and even mountains.  You may be lucky enough to spot bears, lynx, moose, golden eagles and reindeer here. 

 Currently Unicorn has three superb horse riding holidays in Sweden to offer you.  

Forest and Lakes Trail - Sweden
This is a farm-based equestrian holiday in the Sámi region of Sweden with daily trails. The Sámi are the oldest indigenous people of Scandinavia. The North Swedish Horses are all ridden in side-pull (bitless) bridles. Natural Horsemanship features extensively on this riding holiday and it is essential therefore that riders must either believe in, be willing to learn about or be open-mided to the principles of Natural Horsemanship. You will receive tutorials, demonstrations and lessons in natural horsemanship  methods. On this holiday you will ride out in small groups with one or two guides. Your steady, safe and powerful North_Swedish coldbloods will take you along lingering paths and small roads, through pristine natural forests, past glittering, deserted lakes and up majestic mountain ridges. 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 for hundreds of years. Experience the local culture. On one evening have a wilderness dinner under open skies using cooking 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. 

This horseback holiday offers many other outdoor activities suitable for non-riders such as canoeing, cycling, swimming, walking, wildlife watching. Therefore it is an ideal vacation for mixed groups of horse riders and non riders.

Lapland Summer Trail - Sweden
This Swedish horseback holiday is even further north than the Arctic Circle. It is a magical trail ride in the Kebnekaise mountains of Lapland - in the far north of Sweden and Norway. Very few people venture to this remote but stunning location. Trails are a bonus for single riders as it's a great way to holiday, join in and make new friends. The focus of this riding vacation is the horse, riding, nature, weather and food and to transport you physically and mentally a long way away from the stress of everyday life. Here you will ride even tempered Icelandic horses. This holiday is perfect for adventurous riders, happy to camp out in the amazing nature that will surround you. Sit around a campfire, learn about the Sami culture and sleep in a lávvu which is a Sami tent.  Ride up in the mountains with great views. You will ride mainly in pathless terrain or on small paths which means the riding is quite slow. If you would like a day of riding faster then we can offer the Grand Lapland Summer Trail - where we have added an extra day to the Lapland Summer Trail.  On this first day, before we start the standard holiday, we ride west in the direction of Kebnekaise with fast riding and ideal places to tölt. Accommodation on this first night is a cabin in Nikkaluokta.

So if you don't mind foresaking luxury for true adventure and exquisite nature then this equine holiday in Sweden is waiting for you.

Winter Wonderland - Sweden
Spend an adventurous and varied week on your hosts beautiful farm near lake Kalix, in the pristine natural landscape just west of Kiruna. This is the land of the Sami people, with whom you will spend part of the week as they guide you through their homeland and share with you their culture and knowledge passed down by their forefathers. We also offer this ride as a short break.

 At Unicorn we group our holidays into several categories to help you find the rides that best suit your riding level and your requirements. Below we have listed the ride categories that you find on at least one horse riding holiday in Sweden:

  trail riding holidays
  centre based horse riding holidays
  singles horse back holidays
  riding holiday suitable for the heavier rider
  horse riding holiday suitable for families
  horseriding holidays with an element of tuition
  natural horsemanship riding holidays
  equestrian vacations with camping
  riding holidays suitable for accompanying nonriders