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Riding level guidelines
Prior to your booking, we kindly ask you to read carefully these informations : riders security and horses' welfare are a priority
Our regular tours are arranged for intermediate to experienced riders in English saddles. These are group tours so one needs to adequately meet with the following guidelines to ensure the quality of the ride for all riders. Should you not be Intermediate to Experienced rider, we are happy to create made-to-measure rides on request with only slow paces.
Our horse are kind, respect-worthy, long-term colleagues. Cheval & Chateaux horses are worldwide renowned by our customers for their mind, energy and kindness. We can only preserve those qualities if you take good care of them during your stay.
Level Beginner
You are never been on a horse before or only tested walking. You are unable to control horse’s pace and direction autonomously in outdoors. You don’t know about posting trot or balance on stirrups. You must hold on the mane most part of the time.
Level Novice
You have been riding many years ago or you have attended a few lessons in a riding school. You may not be comfortable with the three gaites : walk, trot, canter/gallop. You have only limited experience riding outdoors. You require to hold on the saddle or the horse’s hair while trotting or cantering. You have only ridden Western.
Level Intermediate
You ride experienced horses, in all gaits including posting trot and canter. You can manage yourself and your horse ethically and safely, you are comfortable with riding outdoors. You ride English regularly but enjoy technical advices and may be sometimes stressed (gallop, difficult situation…)
Level Strong Intermediate
You ride different types of horses, in all gaits. You can manage yourself and your horse ethically and safely, you are comfortable with riding outdoors and you enjoy cantering or galloping. You may not be used to spend long days riding.
Level Experienced
You are a seasoned rider and ride different kinds of horses, in all gaites. You can manage yourself and your horse ethically and safely and can spend long days in the saddle. You can ride difficult terrain and you enjoy a good canter and a fast gallop. You are physically fit and accustomed to even difficult trail rides.
Please notice riding English is strongly different than riding Western.
Joining long rides in English requires more balance and physical condition than Western, due to the difference of saddles which are more flat and less enveloping. Sufficient English riding skills requires :
Light and balanced posting trott (mandatory) without being rough on the horse’s mouth or her/his back, for long period (5-10 min). You must be able to let go of a hand or do not pull the mane while posting trotting without hardly disturbing your balance.
Stand up on stirrups safely and comfortably while cantering. We do not fast gallop or jump but we do long « Endurance-type » canters in great outdoors each day. Riders cannot stay seated or bumping on saddle during these long canters to preserve horses’ welfare and health.
Efficient pace and direction control with soft hands : you must be able to slow down your horse to insure safety distance, or make her/him faster to stick with the group. You can lead her/him precisely to avoid obstacles (trees, wholes, ditches…) you may encounter.
What happens if you book a tour and, your riding skills happen to not be sufficient on site ?
On the first day, your guide will proceed with a quick assess of your knowledge and technic. Should your riding skills not match with the previous guidelines, he/she will decide wether you can follow the tour safely and comfortably or not.
The group comfort is a number-one priority and you won’t be allowed to follow the tour if he/she thinks you may endanger the group, your horse or yourself.
In these kind of situation, you won’t join the riding sessions and will enjoy hotels, visits and meals. Please notice that every extra cost generated will be charged (late check-out, extra taxis…etc) and no refund will be issued on the total cost of your booking.
