Equestrian Escapes Traveller Reviews

"Dream holiday" is an over-used phrase, and everyone will have their own idea of what that holiday might be. For me, it has to involve horses and riding. Then (as I live in Scotland and am used to putting up with vile weather!) a good climate and an appealing place. It's good to meet other people, too, and have tasty meals and a comfortable place to chill out. My recent holiday ticked all these boxes. A genuinely luxurious hotel, good food, and a charming and welcoming Spanish rural retreat only a short ride from the fabulous city of Seville. I chose this holiday because I wanted to improve my riding and get top-class tuition; I reckoned that if the rest of it was hit-or-miss, that would be ok. But I got everything and the quality of the tuition was very, very fine by any standards. I feel so privileged to have been taught on a one-to-one basis not only by the Olympian medallist Raefael Soto, but also by the staff at this centre, who were highly qualified and excellent. I dream of going back...and I will, one day.

Equestrian Escapes were good throughout. They respond quickly to requests and questions, are friendly, and I found them to be very efficient.

My husband, daughter and I -plus our dog Cally - had a lovely short break at Witherslack Equestrian Centre in the lake district for my 50th birthday in September. The riding was fantastic - lovely horses and such picturesque scenery. Accomodation was brilliant in a lovely cosy farmhouse. Plenty for non riders to do too - exploring the area on foot or by car. It the second time my daughter and I have ridden at Witherslack and I can't recommend it highly enough - very professionally run and a great selection of horses to suit every size and level of experience. Thank you Equestrian Escapes for organising this holiday for us.

I'd highly recommend Equestrian Escapes - its the third time we have booked through them. Twice at Witherslack and once before in north Yorkshire. Very professional and good value.

This is the first time that I've booked with Equestrian Escapes and will definitely be doing it again - my experience from start to finish was absolutely fab! From the initial call with Lindsey where she helped to tailor my requirements, to the excellent teaching and the well schooled and cared for horses. Everyone on the yard made me feel really welcome and the hotel accommodation was lovely and old fashioned in a good way. My riding has really progressed and the Cheshire countryside is soooo beautiful! Thanks so much and see you again for sure!

Really felt that they understood what I was looking for and designed the perfect package. All of the admin was really slick and the holiday ran like clockwork.

We had two most wonderful breaks through Equestrian Escapes so far. The first one was our honeymoon in Spain in October 2016, two weeks of utter riding happiness, first at a beautiful riding centre (really a small ranch) with hacks in olive groves in the morning and riding lessons in the afternoon (and swimming pool in between!), and then going through the spectacular Sierra Nevada mountains, staying in beautiful mountain villages. The people who looked after us (all hosts, riding instructors and guides) were excellent and friendly throughout the journey - and the horses, well, they were Spanish - among the kindest and most willing animals on the planet! The second one was more recent (August 2017): a Cheshire riding weekend, with lessons and hacks, and time to explore the beautiful countryside (and discover the Shire horses sanctuary - great fun!). Both lessons and hacks were excellent - in the standard of instructors, small group size on the hacks and the horses we got.

Equestrian Escapes were excellent throughout - even though organising a honeymoon must have been somewhat pressured, particularly for people who only had about two years riding experience at that point yet wanted to ride as much as possible! Sarah and Lindsey were great in suggesting the itinerary and organising the trip itself extremely efficiently despite it involving transfers between the trip's two legs. The itinerary and standard of riding were exactly right for us - we were challenged enough but had great fun and overall relaxed in the best possible way. The Cheshire break too was lovely- once again everything ran like clockwork, we were made to feel very welcome at both the hotel and stables, and the horses we were given suited us to a tee from the first lesson to the last hack. Equestrian Escapes made everything so easy for us here once again. We are looking forward to the next Equestrian Escapes break suggestion :)

I just wrapped a 3 day Equestrian Escapes holiday in Cheshire and had the most amazing time. When I contacted EE on Monday morning, I had some fairly specific requests - novice lessons, traveling solo, no car so need be able to get there by train and/or taxi and availability for the upcoming weekend. EE responded right away and by that afternoon the whole trip was arranged with a very detailed confirmation. The whole experience was was pitch perfect - from the lovely hotel to the stables right next door to the fantastic instructor and gorgeous horses. I’m fairly new to riding and to the UK so I really appreciate feeling so looked after. Can’t wait to do this holiday again and also see where else I can go with EE.

Equestrian Escapes was very quick to respond to my initial inquiry and just as fast to offer a spot on suggestion for my last minute request. I had no idea where I wanted to go - I just provided my wish list and they delivered. I really appreciated the destailed confirmation and all check ins went smoothly.

I booked a very last minute trip 48 hours prior to departure and Lyndsey was extremely efficient and got me exactly what I wanted straight away!! I arrived to an instructed lesson at a gorgeous riding school with excellent horses and had one of the best lessons I've ever had. For the next 3 days I felt pampered in the excellent spa, dined on scrumptious food and adventures around stunning Delemere forest on horseback. I'll be booking the exact same trip very soon as it blew me away really - friendly people and clearly the team at Equestrian Escapes have researched the country for the BEST riding schools, idyllic surroundings and top class hotels. I can't recommend them enough, you are really in great hands... Thanks so much EE team xx

Lyndsey was informative, well researched and prompt with my last minute trip.

Our 14 year old daughter is an experienced rider and was looking for a tailored and more personal riding holiday and this met her needs. She had lost of time on the yard, lots of "hands-on" experience with the horses and plenty of riding. she was well cared for had great fun and was made to feel very welcome. we felt reassured that she was in very safe and caring hands and enjoying herself. Mrs A-T, Harpenden, Herfordshire

Helpful, knowledgeable, professional, a positive can do attitude. Could not have asked for more!

Absolutely brilliant holiday, can not wait to return! Antonio, his family and Ingrid could not have been more welcoming and hospitable. Everything from the moment I enquired about the trip to getting off the plane and returning again was seamless. Equestrian Escapes were very helpful in finding me the right trip to suit a solo traveller and Antonio did a great job showing us the sights of Portugal and teaching us well! Horses are beautiful and well bred and perfect weather topped it all off. As a solo traveller I was worried about being alone, but was well looked after by both the travel opperator and the riding school. Well recommended by me!

Very helpful and friendly, quick to respond to emails and questions and very professional.

Hi Lindsey and the team at Equestrian Escapes. Having just returned from an unforgettable riding holiday in Almeria we wanted to thank you for arranging our trip and opening our eyes to a new adventure! We stayed in a beautiful little Villa which was just five minutes away from the yard and had everything we needed including a lovely pool to cool off in after our rides. Our hosts Erika and Jay were so thoughtful, they went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. We were collected from the airport and greeted by Nick at the villa with lunch awaiting us and a well stocked fridge of food and drink for breakfasts and lunches. After settling in by the pool we headed to the yard for a sunset ride. We were introduced to Erika and the team of horses, dogs and Ronnie the pot bellied pig, who together made our stay so memorable. Every animal had its own story, many involving a sad start but a happy and unbelievable turn around after being rescued by the team and friends of Rancho Luz Del Sol. Erika showed us pictures of some of the dogs and horses and we couldn't believe we were looking at the same animals. It really was eye opening to see. The horses were lovely and we enjoyed coming down everyday a bit early to help groom and feed. Erika let us choose our horses and was very flexible asking where we wanted to ride and what we wanted to do. We generally rode every morning and evening. We chilled in the sunshine by the pool in the afternoons then after our evening ride we joined Erika, Jay and the family for a lovely meal. Jay is a fantastic cook and made some wonderful meals including a BBQ and Sunday roast, and soon caught onto our love of desserts too! We fell in love with the dogs who also all had special rescue stories. 'Blue' and 'Wilma' joined us on many of our rides adding lots of entertainment! We had dinner in the local village on two nights which was great. We also did a lunch ride where Erika took us to Cantoria. We untracked and left the horses to graze whilst we went for a lovely lunch at a Spanish bar, then headed home along the Ramblas (dried river beds). The scenery was spectacular, especially at sunset with endless mountains surrounding us and many panorama vistas! We got some great photos and videos along the way! Some things are difficult for the yard to get in Spain and so if you have extra room in your suitcase I am sure the yard would be extremely grateful for any bits and pieces. Perhaps contact Erika and Jay before you set off to see if there is anything they need. We certainly would have done if we had known and are planning to get some bits together to send. Overall we had a brilliant week and are already missing the whole team at Rancho Luz Del Sol and cannot thank them enough for their kindness and hospitality. We definitely hope to return! We recommend this holiday wholeheartedly, it was a unique and heartwarming experience.

Very efficient at responding to our requests and booking the holiday for us.

Have just got back from a week at Rancho Luz del Sol with my 13 year old daughter. We flew to Almeria airport so that the drive to the ranch was approximately 1h 20. The 3 bed villa (with pool) was comfortable, clean and spacious and had all the amenities we needed. The cupboards and fridge were well stocked with food and drinks for breakfast, lunch and snacks. We ate our delicious (home cooked by Linda) evening meals with Erika at the main house. Erika and her team do amazing work in very difficult conditions. The animals are top priority always. The horses (and dogs) are extremely well cared for and loved. Some have truly been through a horrific time and they receive extra special care and attention to help regain their trust in humans and nurse them back to health. The riding was amazing. We hacked out with Erika morning and evening to avoid the hottest part of the day but the choice was ours to make. The landscape around the ranch is incredible and there is so much variety that we hacked on different routes each time we went out. We hired a car for the week (which I strongly recommend) so that we could explore the Almeria area in between riding. Highlights were the natural thermal lake near Baza and the beach resort of Mojacar. All in all it was an amazing week with wonderful people and we will definitely be booking again for next year.

Quick responses to emails