Equestrian Escapes Traveller Reviews

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Equestrian Escapes for an amazing trip to Portugal I have recently been on. Antonio and his wife are outstanding hosts and the horses were amazing to ride! The hotel with Ingrid was also perfect and made for an altogether perfect few days… my only issue being that I didn’t book to stay for long enough! I will be 100% be booking with Equestrian Escapes on a regular basis and am trying to work out dates to be able to go back to Portugal before the end of the year!

I found the tour operator to be incredibly easy to contact and always on hand to answer any questions I had about the holidays they had - there were a lot of questions!

Having got back into riding this year, I have always wanted to ride on a beach and googled it, Equestrian Escapes caught my eye because of the pure range of holiday that they offer - plus the reviews were great. Having lost 7.5 stones I wanted to treat myself and indulge in a horse riding passion The holiday itself was epic in every sense of the word and my dream of riding on the beach was fulfilled - not surprisingly I have booked again for next year.

I contacted via the website and I got an speedy reply from Chessy. Chessy was fantastic in explaining everything and organising each element for me - a real asset to your team. The whole process was effortless from beginning to end and it was really reassuring that I could just ask any question, no matter how silly it may have seemed - nothing was too much trouble. As I was travelling alone it made me feel very relieved and worry free.

I am a non horse riding dad with a horse mad teenage daughter - so organising horse riding holidays for her are challenging - or at least was until I discovered Equestrian Escapes! Sarah and her team have now been arranging fantastic trips for us for nearly 10 years and each one seems better than the last! Great locations, first class horses and trainers, superb variety of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets. Sarah will only offer trips to places and people they have been to and got to know themselves, and that level of care shines through. Her passion is contagious and clearly percolates throughout her knowledgeable team. Always happy to bespoke trips and cater for all levels of ability from expert (my daughter) to useless (me!). This time we went to Northern Spain, but we have been all over with Equestrian Escapes and as well as the horse experiences have loved discovering interesting new places and the non riding events Sarah so cleverly weaves into the holidays to make them even more memorable. Here's to the next 10 years, and beyond!

I am a non horse riding dad with a horse mad teenage daughter - so organising horse riding holidays for her are challenging - or at least was until I discovered Equestrian Escapes! Sarah and her team have now been arranging fantastic trips for us for nearly 10 years and each one seems better than the last! Great locations, first class horses and trainers, superb variety of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets. Sarah will only offer trips to places and people they have been to and got to know themselves, and that level of care shines through. Her passion is contagious and clearly percolates throughout her knowledgeable team. Always happy to bespoke trips and cater for all levels of ability from expert (my daughter) to useless (me!). This time we went to Northern Spain, but we have been all over with Equestrian Escapes and as well as the horse experiences have loved discovering interesting new places and the non riding events Sarah so cleverly weaves into the holidays to make them even more memorable. Here's to the next 10 years, and beyond!

After a break of a few years I discussed with Sarah what were the best options for me and the few days I had to take a break. After thinking about it I went for a 3 day break at Ride and Escape just north of Lisbon, Portugal. The team at Equestrian Escapes were excellent and organised. They advised on many aspects even the recommendation to take the train back to Lisbon - I did and it was the right choice! As for the holiday a definite 5 stars. The stables, instruction and horses were fabulous. Antonio was an great instructor plus the rides out in the river or in the hills were amazing. The pictures you see are exactly what you do I've got my pictures of myself with a splashing grey horse! In 3 lessons I felt an improvement and anyone would benefit regardless of your riding level. Antonio and his wife Marisa took us to different local restaurants for lunch and dinner. We learnt a lot about horses and history of the area. The accommodation with Ingrid and Hans is excellent just a 5 minute walk from the stables. Nothing is too much trouble for them. One of the reasons I chose here was Sarah and the team plus all the repeat visits Antonio's clients make I now understand why!

Organised, friendly and extremely honest and helpful. They listened to what your riding ability was and advised. They also took into account where you wanted to go. Their match for me was spot on. Thank you!

I booked a 2 night 3 day riding break in Cheshire, with accommodation on site. The trip was simply faultless. The country house hotel is beautiful and offered very comfortable rooms and good food. The staff were outstanding, making every effort to make a single traveler like me feel at home. For someone traveling without a car, this place is perfect. The stables are literally around the corner, barely a 5 minute walk. I really liked that the riding school has an indoor arena, very useful for the 2 out of 3 days I was there as it was wet. The riding experience itself was exceptional. I needed to progress on to cantering and I simply could not do it back in Singapore. Sandra's team of instructors got me to canter in only 3 lessons! I could hardly believe I was able to do it but everyone at the riding school was so encouraging. The quality of instruction and the horses I think allowed me that breakthrough. The icing on the cake was being able to go on a hack and actually practice the canter - simply amazing!! A big thank you to Sandra, Chris, Laura and of course the priceless darling Red.

It was at the suggestion of Sarah and Matt at Equestrian Escapes that I ended up in Cheshire, as they said the standard of instruction was very good. Indeed it was. They tailor made the break for me to suit my standards and what I wanted to achieve, and I really appreciate that aspect of this tour operator. They gave me specific instructions on how to get to the hotel, allowing me a very smooth journey from London. Would not hesitate to use them again.

Fantastic mix of really exciting hacking, including through the local town with a splash in the river, with in depth and informative lessons delivered by the owner who has more than 30 years of experience and always seemed to push us to just exactly the right level. The horses are beautifully presented and very well mannered. They have buttons to push that I did not know existed. Their lateral work was to die for, if we applied the correct aids, the horses instantly responded. The owner personally takes you out for the lunches and more impressively to dinner every night as some wonderful places. We have had the best fun trying out his recommended Portuguese dishes. We have already booked to return which is very unusual for us.

We have used this company 4 times now and on every occasion they have delivered everything asked of them. Very friendly to interact with. They recommended our Portugal holiday only after a lengthy discussion as to our riding abilities and what we wanted from our holidays. They were very impressive when they helped us out after our flights were delayed. They ensured that the riding stables were kept informed as to our tardy progress across Europe. I would be very happy to recommend them to anyone looking for a riding holiday.

Had a lovely time, very impressed with the riding stables brilliant instructers learnt so much and the accommadation was lovely too cant praise them highly enough for their friendliness and great service

All questioned i had were answered well.

I couldn't have asked for a better break. All members of staff was so thorough, friendly and approachable. What sets this break aside from other companies was they wanted to make your experience one to remember. When going out on hacks we was given pointers and filled us with confidence. The views was breath taken. I hope to go back end of summer.

Very thorough and actually offered me a package to suit.

My 14 year old horse mad daughter and I have just returned from a 4 day trip to Cheshire. We stayed on a farm B&B, complete with horse, dogs, cats and chickens and a very warm welcome. The yard was equally welcoming and highly professional. Over the course of the 4 days my daughter had nearly 8 hours of riding and a stable management lesson, all of which were agreed in principle in advance but then tailored to her specific requirements on the day. We were after the next level up from your average riding school, looking to extend her experience of lateral work and work to understand stride length coming into fences - technical stuff which also requires horses regularly worked to a good standard to be able to comply. In both the teaching and the horses we were delighted and the short break more than exceeded our expectations.

I had phoned Sarah after hours of trawling online and not finding what I wanted - she had us sorted within the day, and with the right balance of professionalism, knowledge and also empathy for what we were after. I would have no hesitation whatsoever about recommending her after this experience to anyone looking for a holiday with horses - the calibre of the horses, yard and accommodation was all first rate and spot on with my original brief. The only problem now is that having had such a good time in Cheshire we now want to try the other holidays Equestrian Escapes has on offer!

Equestrian Escapes organised a 4 day, 5 night trip for my wife and I to Jerez, which included riding at a fantastic stables 10km from Jerez, trips to the Riding School, National Stud and the Gonzales Byass bodega and two wonderful 5 star hotels, one in the country and one in Jerez. Sarah and Lindsay organised everything really well, including a late change of accommodation dates which they handled superbly. I recommend them to anyone who's organising a riding holiday!

Equestrian Escapes were fantastic at organising the trip and they obviously know how to select excellent riding stables. Their advice and guidance before the trip was also invaluable.