Home / Europe / France
Last Update: 25 Jan 2012

Riding Holidays | France

France has a great tradition of long distance trail riding. The country is criss-crossed by a multitude of bridleways and riding routes.

French riding holidays can be along paths adorned with wild flowers, exploring tracks that criss-cross through fields of corn and wheat, fording streams as the scent of wild garlic fills the air and clattering with your horse through small villages as the residents fling open their shutters to bid you good-day. Sound idyllic? It really is! All of these delights lie ahead of you when you book a riding holiday in France.

There are a range of centre-based riding holidays and trail rides to choose from depending on your preferences and riding experience level. The horses range from Selle Français, Anglo-Arab, Barb Arab, Spanish horses, Quarter Horses, Haflingers, Fjords and some local French breeds. All are well-schooled, active, reliable and ready to show you the delights of rural France!

Begin your day with a delicious breakfast of croissant, homemade jam, coffee and fresh bread. Head out on your well-trained mount to explore the surrounding rural landscape, stopping only for a magnificent picnic of salads, cheese, ham, bread, wine and coffee by the edge of a river or perhaps in the shade of a tumble-down castle. After a rest under the shade of a tree, move off again on your horse for some gentle canters along grassy tracks, then into the forest – watch those low branches - before clip-clopping through a small village still sleepy after a good French lunch!

Toulouse and Poitiers are only a short flight away with British Airways, Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2, FlyBe from a range of UK airports. Alternatively you may prefer to reduce your carbon footprint by taking the ferry and driving, or taking the Eurostar.