Experience total immersion into the Land of Legends on this farm-basedhorse riding holiday. Enjoy daily trails 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 with your guides Olle and Anette, who love to tell tales of the ancient folklore from this area. Natural Horsemanship is used extensively with these horses and you are given some tution in this fascinating method of training. The quality of the food, riding and the attention paid to detail makes this a top quality holiday in stunning natural surroundings.
2012: The transfer from Tranås railway station is included in the price. Approx time 30 minutes.
A transfer from Linköping Airport costs SEK 500 or €55 each way
No supplement if willing to share. Otherwise:
2012: £139/€169/$219
SAMPLE ITINERARY - FOREST AND LAKES
Day 1 Saturday Arrival at the farm during the day. Time to get your bearings, meet your riding companions for the week, settle into your room and go meet the horses in the paddock. You arrive by train to Tranås railway station, from where you will be collected at 18:15.
Dinner is served in the evening, and the bar stays open – it is Saturday night after all, and sometimes the locals stop by for a drink or just to say hello.
Day 2 Sunday After breakfast you will get a thorough briefing from Olle, your host, on how the horses are ridden and handled here. The horses are all trained/handled according to the philosophy of Natural Horsemanship, which means that communication is based on their way of communicating and reacting. Olle uses release of pressure for all riding and handling. During the introduction he will also show you some of his methods of training – one of the most appreciated features by othe guests is how to de-sensitise a horse from fear of the sound of rain clothes. The result is that you can sit on your horse and take on or off all noisy garments as you please, or even ride in a huge flapping rain-poncho without problems.
After lunch you will get the horses, and before mounting you get to try out some of the things you discussed in the morning. Olle likes everyone to be able to control his or her horse from the ground first - like lateral movements, backing, stopping and giving both neck and head without resistance – before you sit up in the saddle. This is both fun and quite easy once you get the hang of it – and most of all, it presents you as the leader of your horse.
When everyone is in the saddle, you try the same things out again – showing leadership also from the saddle. Then you are off into the forest!
Day 3 Monday
You take off on horseback in the morning, along small forest paths and deer trails straight out into the huge forest. You will ride past shimmering lakes and gurgling streams. You are in the country of the moose, lynx and Golden Eagle, but the forest horses are a natural part of this environment; they are safe and full of energy. Stop for lunch out in the open and take a rest. Later you will ride over a ridge and through the soft, green mossy pine forest. Dinner at home.
Day 4 Tuesday
After breakfast you are taken by car to some local artisans to see, and maybe buy, some genuine, local craft. Lunch is at the farm, followed by a long, beautiful ride that will end up down on the beach of one of the many lakes. Here you can go swimming and then jump into the Viking-hot tub, wood-fired and huge – space for everyone inside! Together you cook a wilderness dinner in the soft light of the Swedish summer night; in case of bad weather there will be a traditional Sami tent as shelter. At the end of a long day, saddle back up and ride home – horses can see better in the dark than cats…
Day 5 Wednesday Today you will ride up to a fabulous view point up on a mountain, where you will enjoy a picnic lunch. Leave the horses in a paddok nearby and relax and feel the sun. On the way back home you might pass by a wolf pit, and Olle will tell you about what happened there in the old days. You will also ride through an interesting pine forest which looks and feels a bit like a cathedral. Here you can practise your slalom riding around the pillar-like trees!
Day 6Thursday Everyone is well-aquainted with the horses by now, maybe you had a change of horse during the week to get that perfect fit? But today is a day for long, gorgeous canters and gallops, through the green, green forest. You will bring your lunch with you in saddle bags, and partake of it nearby an old thorpe, a farm house.
Day 7 Friday
Departure after breakfast to Tranås at 08:00.
Please note: This itinerary is given for your guidance only and it may be altered in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.
NOTES - FOREST AND LAKES
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.
The weight limit for this ride is 17 st/242 lb/110 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.
FURTHER DETAILS
As we are specialists in our field we have extensive knowledge of all our products from details of accommodation and meals to number/size/type of horses to pace of riding ... and much more.
Should you wish to receive further details of this ride please click here.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Full board accommodation from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7; transfer from Tranås train station, all riding and guiding
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Alcoholic drinks, transfers from Linköping, travel insurance, massage.
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What you see on our web site is exactly how much your invoice will come to and this will not change once booked. Unlike some other companies the prices on our web site are fully inclusive of often hidden extras such as: VAT, Sales Tax, state taxes, city taxes, service charges, non-optional tips, fuel surcharges which can add 20% or more to the advertised cost. Prices are available in £ sterling, Euros and US$. Once invoiced, prices are guaranteed against adverse currency fluctuations. Contact us for package prices which include flights from the UK and see each ride for exact details of all items in individual itineraries.
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