Brecon Beacons and Beyond, Wales
Horses
Type of horses:
Welsh Cobs and Cob Crosses
Nature of horses:
Forward-going, well schooled and sociable. These horse are fit, intelligent and strong, ideally suited to the hills and mountains.
Height of horses:
14.1 - 16.2hh
Weight limit:
85kg (180Ibs)
Tack type:
English endurance saddles
Weather
Current Conditions:
Mostly Cloudy, 18 C
Forecast:
Fri - Light Rain. High: 18 Low: 14
Sat - AM Rain. High: 17 Low: 10
Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather
(provided by The Weather Channel)
Pricing
Trail Riding Weekend
June, July and August:
£313 per person
Rest of the year:
£281 per person
Cost includes 2 nights of accommodation, all meals and 2 full days of trail riding. Not included is flights and transfer (if applicable), travel insurance and drinks during the pub lunches.
Trans Wales Trail
£1095 per person
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Black Mountains Trail
£700 per person
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
National Park Trail
£895 per person
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Availability/Booking Form
Ride Description
This destination offers world class trail riding over the Brecon Beacons and beyond. These riding holidays are set in some of the most beautiful and undiscovered part of Wales and run by a family with over 40 years experience, they have a good reputation for offering some of the best trail riding the UK has to offer. The riding centre is situated in a hidden valley in the Brecon Beacons National Park and it breeds and breaks fit, fine and mountain friendly Welsh Cobs.
There is a choice of trails available including a riding weekend and their most spectacular trip, the Trans Wales Trail, which takes riders across the entire breadth of Wales. Each trip offers spectacular scenery and the companionship of a wonderfully sure-footed horse. Although cobs, these Welsh horses are not uncomfortably wide or 'ploddy' as some might think, they are compact, intelligent and most definitely not slow! They are ideally suited to the hilly terrain which includes open moorland, thick forests, picturesque mountain lanes and narrow mountain ridges and they will give you a thrilling gallop when the time is right. There is also the chance to jump logs and ditches (optional!) and to enjoy the balance and strength of these admirable horses.
Guests stay in the comfortable 17th century farmhouse with cosy log fires, home-cooked food, goose down duvets and their own spring water on tap. During longer trails, nights are spent at country inns and pubs which provide a welcoming and friendly atmosphere in which to make new friends and to relax with a drink. These holidays are a wonderful choice for the competent adult rider looking to explore the stunning scenery and delights that Wales has to offer. The horses ensure a safe but thrilling ride through some challenging terrain and will give you a memorable gallop across green fields or along the beach. Some of the best trail riding around!
See Programmes.
Food & Accommodation
Accommodation varies between the trails but is either at the farm itself (a comfortable and welcoming farmhouse) or at inviting hotels, inns and B&Bs.
The farmhouse has a mixture of single and twin rooms with some en-suite and some shared bathrooms. There is usually no single supplement charge as you can be allocated your own room. However, if the farmhouse is full and you do not wish to share with someone of the same sex, you may be charged a small extra fee.
There is a jacuzzi at the farmhouse to help ease your muscles after riding - don't forget your swimwear!
When staying at the farmhouse you will experience some of Maria's wonderful Bavarian cooking. This is reputed to be some of the finest food available on riding holidays and vegetarians and special dietary requirements can happily be catered for. Wednesday nights is the night off for Maria and other kitchen staff and dinner on this night is the only one not included (during a farmhouse stay). Guests are able to eat in a nearby pub instead.
High quality products that are locally grown or ethically sourced are always used where possible. All the meat comes from Billy George, an acclaimed butcher in the nearby town (who has been mentioned in the Guardian!). Billy has an abbatoir attached to the butchers so this meat is fresh and has never known packaging. Eggs come from a farm across the road, fruit and vegetables come from the local farmers' market and potatoes and onions are bought from a nearby farm. When in season you may find raspberries, blackberries, green beans or fresh herbs on your plate which have been picked from the farmhouse garden. This destination even has its own spring water on tap!
You are welcome to take wine or beer to enjoy with your evening meal.
Meals in hotels, inns and pubs on the trails are traditional fare.
Activities
Guests are encouraged to get involved in horsecare (grooming, tacking up etc) in order to build a nice relationship with their horses. Other than this and plenty of riding, the holidays are spent relaxing (maybe in the farmhouse jacuzzi!) and socialising with new friends.
Further Details
Languages: English
Health requirements: Fit & Healthy
Age limit: Competent teenagers and above
Tuition: No
Included: Riding, accommodation, all meals (except dinner Wednesday night on the Black Mountain Trail).
Not included: Flights (if applicable), travel insurance, transfers, dinner Wednesday night on the Black Mountain Trail, alcoholic drinks with dinners (you are welcome to take your own) and drinks to accompany the pub lunches.
Travel Information
By Air:
International guests can fly into London Heathrow and a pickup service is available Saturdays at 1pm. This cost is £100 per person return or, if travelling in a pair or group, £80 per person return. Other options from Heathrow are:
By comfortable coach to Chepstow - see www.nationalexpress.com. The coach takes just over 2 hours, and leaves every 2 hours from Heathrow. A return ticket costs approx £38 (but do check online). We can then arrange a transfer from Chepstow for you (about an hour's drive, for which we charge £35 each way).
By rail - get the Heathrow Express www.heathrowexpress.com to Paddington - it takes 15 mins and costs approx £15. Then get a train to Abergavenny, and a taxi from there (see below).
Or you could consider renting a car - it's nice to have the flexibility when you are there, especially for longer stays, and the farmhouse is an easy 3 hour drive up the M4 from Heathrow.
You can also reach the farmhouse in the following ways:
By Rail:
The nearest station is Abergavenny. From London Paddington, via Newport, the journey can be as short as 2 hrs 20 minutes. See www.nationalrail.co.uk for timetables and fares. The farmhouse is a short taxi ride away from the station (about 20 minutes, £20-25) - there are usually plenty of taxis outside.
By Car:
The destination is easily accessible by car. Please contact us for directions.
By Coach:
Plenty of details about the coach trip can be provided. Please ask for more details.
Airport: London Heathrow
Programmes
Trail Riding Weekend
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This is the perfect weekend getaway in the stunning Brecon Beacons. This weekend package offers two days of trail riding in the mountains and surrounding commons with two nights of warm and welcoming accommodation. Thrilling riding and tasty pub lunches during the days with delicious dinners and jacuzzi dips (or pub visits!) during the evenings. Weekend breaks start Friday evening where guests usually arrive around 6pm in time for dinner, although your hosts keep a welcome in the hills far into the night. On Saturday morning, after a hearty breakfast, everyone participates in catching, grooming and tacking up their allocated horse; a few useful tips on technique are offered and you leave the yard. 5 miles of valley trails brings you to a friendly village inn for your lunch stop, where you relax and enjoy some good food, while the horses rest outside. In the afternoon your horse will teach you a thing or two about hill climbing as you head up into the mountains. High above the tree-line the views are staggering as you explore the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, and return home via Pengenfford Common. You arrive back at the farmhouse for a well-earned cup of tea and one of Maria's fantastic home-cooked dinners. A visit to one of the local pubs or a dip in the jacuzzi rounds off the day nicely. Sunday is designed to be a more adventurous ride, maybe totalling 20 miles. Frequent canters soon cover the distance to another friendly rural inn before a superb gallop on the way home taking routes along more open mountain tracks. After your ride you round off the weekend with a cup of tea before you head home. You can be away from the farmhouse by around 5-6pm. Your hosts guarantee that you will feel physically tired but mentally refreshed, and hopefully you'll be keen to return for one of their longer trail rides soon. Please note: *During the summer season (June, July, August) the Trail Riding Weekend runs from Saturday evening to Monday evening and generally can only be booked 2 weeks before the holiday date. This is because most of their bookings at this time are for week-long holidays. The rest of the year, weekends run from Friday evening until Sunday evening. |
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| Accommodation: | Accommodation is in the farmhouse. |
| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 6 |
| Ability description: | Strong Novice and above. Guests must be comfortable at walk, trot and canter but you do not need a lot of technical skill. If you have not hacked out before but are comfortable in canter then please contact us. You should also be reasonably fit to deal with long hours in the saddle. |
| Type of ride: | Day trails returning to base each night |
| Total riding time: | As detailed by programme (approx 3 - 6 hours per day) |
| Departure dates: | All year round - during June, July and August these weekends can only be booked 2 weeks in advance. NB: From 1st November 2010 until the New Year this destination will be closed. This is so that the horses can be turned out to grass without shoes for a well earned rest. |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Trans Wales Trail
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A world class trail covering almost the length and breadth of Wales. This holiday is a chance to experience historic, beautiful and undiscovered countryside on a trusty native horse. The challenging route passes through four mountain ranges (The Black Mountains, Mynydd Eppynt, the Elan Valley and over Plynlimon) and ends with a final gallop on the beach near Aberystwyth. The routes are mostly forgotten bridleways, open moorland crossings and trails over private land and the guide (Paul) has over 20 years experience of riding these routes. The trail covers 6 days and 7 nights, running Saturday to Saturday, and is only suitable for more experienced riders. Saturday: Guests arrive after 5pm, settle in, meet the horses and get to know one another over a home-cooked dinner. Sunday: You start with a local trail of around 12 miles, so that riders can get a feel for the horses and riding style. The group stops for lunch in a local pub, and afterwards heads up onto the mountain where the hill-riding really begins, and you earn spectacular views of Llangorse lake and the Brecon Beacons. You head back to Cwmfforest Farm for dinner, a dip in the jacuzzi or a visit to the local pub, or perhaps an early night! Monday: You set off in the direction of the coast. 8 miles of rolling farming country followed by 12 miles of fast open moors - without doubt a horseman's paradise. You stop at 2 inns along the way for refreshments before arriving at the comfortable 16th century Caer Beris Manor Country Hotel in Builth Wells on the River Wye for the night. Tuesday: You keep west of the river Wye and take lunch at a 13th Century pub, (the oldest inn in Powys). The night is spent in a comfortable hotel in Rhayader, where one can normally do some souvenir hunting! Wednesday: Today you cross the Lakeland of Wales - following the Elan Valley for 15 miles before stopping for a picnic lunch. The final 5 miles through a pine forest. The night stop is at the Blue Bell Inn, where you can relax with a drink, hot bath and a good dinner. Thursday is a marathon day - 26 miles to the sea, crossing mountains with no trail to follow. Luckily your guide has been riding this route for over 20 years and knows his way! After a refreshing paddle in the waves and a gallop on the firm sand, you and the horses will be glad of the 90 mile lift home, stopping en-route for dinner at the Blue Bell Inn. Friday: Depending on how your legs feel, guests can either enjoy a full day riding locally with lunch at a country pub, or a half day ride in the morning combined with an afternoon's visit to one of the nearby towns - Hay-on-Wye (world-famous for it's second-hand bookstores), Abergavenny or historic Llanthony Abbey. Saturday: Bid farewell to your horse and fellow riders. Guests leave after breakfast. |
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| Accommodation: | Several nights are spent at the farmhouse with other nights at comfortable hotels and inns. |
| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 6 |
| Ability description: | Strong Intermediate - Experienced: Riders will be crossing from the Black Mountains to the Irish Sea, covering great distances, mostly off road. Riders must therefore be fit, have good stamina, and be comfortable riding at speed. |
| Type of ride: | Trail |
| Total riding time: | Long hours in the saddle. |
| Departure dates: | 2010: Sept 4 - 11, Sept 25 - Oct 2, Oct 16 - 23. |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Black Mountains Trail
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This 6 day 7 night trail will put you and your horse through your paces over the most varied of terrains - mountain and moorland tracks, valleys and pasture land. Your hosts will take you through some of the most beautiful parts of the Welsh countryside. Their home-bred nimble Welsh cobs are ideally suited to the rough and hilly ground. As well as improving their outdoor riding, throughout the week guests learn horse sense and skills. Guests are invited to take part in catching, grooming, and tacking up the horses, and are encouraged to develop a relationship with their horse. By the time you mount up on the first day, riders are likely to feel relaxed and comfortable with their horse. Each day from Sunday to Friday you ride different trails - usually between 8 and 15 miles a day, stopping for lunch at village inns or remote picnic sites high up in the Black Mountains. You return to the farmhouse each night for a well-earned dinner and a comfortable bed. You will ride up and down steep slopes, cross lofty summits, wade through rocky rivers, pass through dense woods and see the best of wilderness Wales. The cobs have fast acceleration, perfect handling and automatic survival instinct! Running on grass and water, they're more environmentally friendly than any machine! At the end of the week, you will be a more relaxed, confident and knowledgeable rider, and hopefully be ready and keen to try one of the longer and more challenging trails next time. |
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| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 8 |
| Ability description: | Strong Novice - Experienced: Riders should be comfortable in walk, trot and canter and must bear in mind that groups will be divided by ability. |
| Type of ride: | Based stay with day trails. |
| Total riding time: | Long hours in the saddle. |
| Departure dates: | Saturday to Saturday. 2010: Sept 11 - 18, Sept 18 - 25, Oct 9 - 16, 23 - 30. |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
National Park Trail
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This is a 6 day 7 night holiday, running Saturday to Saturday. A wonderful combination of a half week of based trails, riding out from the farmhouse, with a three day trail ride to finish. Riders will spend the first few days exploring the Black Mountains before heading out into Brecon Beacons National Park and on to Hay-on-Wye for a challenging three day trail. Not suitable for novices. Saturday: Riders arrive, settle in, meet the horses and have dinner. Sunday - Tuesday: 3 days spent exploring the local Black Mountains, riding between 10 - 15 miles a day, stopping for lunch at country inns or remote picnic spots, before returning to Cwmfforest Farm for a well-earned dinner and comfortable bed. Wednesday: The trail to Hay begins with with an ascent over Rhiw Trumau and then down an old coach road to the Red Lion Inn at Llanbedr for lunch. After lunch you follow a valley path in the shadow of Sugarloaf Mountain to Forest Coal Pit, then ride across Bryn Arw finishing the day at the Skirrid Inn, the oldest pub in Wales, near Abergavenny. The horses are turned out and a cup of tea and slice of delicious cake awaits tired riders! Guests stay in a comfortable B&B and dine at the Skirrid Inn. Thursday: You ride up Hatteral Ridge on 6th Century King Offa’s Dyke path, earning glorious views of the green fields of Herefordshire in England to one side, and on the other the vastness of Wales and the Black Mountains. You may drop down into Herefordshire to visit the Goat Company farm where there is the chance to buy Angora clothes, blankets and rugs - don't miss out on a pair of mohair socks! You then ride up on to Black Hill before descending Hay Bluff and Cusop Dingle towards your bed (and field!) in Hay on Wye. Friday: Friday's route in the Black Mountains takes you into the Wye Valley where you visit the Three Horseshoes in Felindre. After lunch the horses are keen to head back to Cwmfforest, and you will be treated to a sensational gallop across Felindre Common! Saturday: Riders leave after breakfast, having said goodbye (and thank you!) to their horses. |
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| Accommodation: | First few nights and last night are spent at the farmhouse with the nights in between spent at B&Bs and hotels. |
| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 6 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate - Experienced. You will encounter challenging terrain and must be comfortable and capable when riding at speed. |
| Type of ride: | Based stay and then a 3 day trail ride. |
| Total riding time: | Long hours in the saddle. |
| Departure dates: | Saturday to Saturday. 2010: Sept 11 - 18 |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |