There are many horse riding holidays available in Ireland, but few offer this level of luxury with a cultural twist. Time is precious in today's world and this luxury holiday will make the most out of every moment you give it. We want your holiday to be a unique and memorable experience. We have handpicked our accommodation for the quality of service, award winning dining experiences and onsite facilities such as golf, fishing, clay pigeon shooting, tennis. Our selection of Connemara ponies are home bred for their extra height, kind temperament and often quirky character and by the end of your holiday they will be your best friend. Our ponies are lovingly cared for and they demonstrate their payback in the form of trustworthiness. For the taller rider, our Irish Draught horses are often called upon to allow for a more elevated viewpoint!
You will be collected at the tourist office in Galway city to travel to Moycullen, at the gateway to Connemara and then on to Curra Farm, the breeding ground of our Connemara Pony herd.
Before your riding adventure begins you'll have an opportunity to settle in, relax in your room, refresh in the bath or take a walk around the farm.
Once you’ve settled in we will have a quick familiarization with our tack and the English style of riding before being paired up with the Connemara Pony that will be your partner for your holiday. After an initial assessment in the outdoor arena, you will be ready to set off for a short trail ride around the farm before our chef cooks a traditional Irish meal in the comfort of your home away from home. Relax on out boat shaped deck or have a glass of bubbly in our outdoor hot tub..
Today our ride takes us on a quiet country road from the farm house to a local forest that can only be described as a scene from a Harry Potter movie. As we weave our way through the narrow passages in the trees we pass through the remains of a famine village deserted in the late 1800’s. Continuing on to a sand track we have an opportunity to up the pace for a while. We will pass the remains of Moycullen Castle and learn more about the local history and culture before returning to the enchanting woods where we stop for a picnic. After returning to the farm and grooming the ponies down after the long ride, you will have a chance to refresh yourself before we visit the home of Connemara Marble and onwards for a tour of Aughnanure Castle. This evening, we will light up the BBQ and enjoy a relaxing evening on the boat shaped deck in the garden with wonderful views of Lough Corrib.
Today, now that your pony/rider relationship has developed, you will have a chance to improve your English riding skills in the arena with one of our expert instructors. We practice our dressage skills and the grand finale will be our musical group ride. You choose the music and you will be surprised at how synchronized the ride will look when we play it back later on the TV. After lunch we travel to Bridgits Garden for a tour and time to relax in the cleverly landscaped representation of the four Celtic seasons of the year. Tonight we dine out in one of our local award winning restaurants to sample Irish style gourmet dining at it’s best.
Today we pack our bags, horses and tack for the onward transfer to our second accommodation, the wonderful Renvyle House Hotel & Resort. En-route, we visit the hidden treasure of Glengowla Silver Mines where we descend over 120ft in into the mine shaft to witness the hardship of the mining industry that many locals endured to survive centuries ago. The owner Keith will take you on a tour of the onsite “Klondike” film set before he gives us a working sheepdog and turf cutting demonstration.
After check-in at the 4 Star Renvyle House Hotel & Resort, your ponies will be ready for a ride around the 150 acre hotel property, taking in the spectacular views while soaking up the fresh Wild Atlantic Way air. This will work up your apetite for the 5 course meal ahead, to be prepared by Renvyle’s award winning chefs.
After being spoilt by choice with the extensive “cooked to order” breakfast menu, we travel though the Quaker village of Letterfrack, the home of Connemara National Park, to the grounds of the wonderful Kylemore Abbey. We normally allow 3 hours for this tour, taking in the abbey itself, the spectacular gothic church (modelled on some of Europe’s biggest cathedrals) and the wonderful walled gardens. Our ride today takes us around the Renvyle Peninsula. More spectacular scenery and history talks along the way allow us to envisage the life and traditions of the generations gone before us. Later, at the hotel, take a dip in the ocean, the outdoor heated swimming pool or Canadian Hot Tub, of simply relax with one of the many books in the hotel library before dinner.
Today we will load up the horses for our trip though Clifden town where you will have an opportunity to stop and stroll around the town and maybe visit some the Connemara Pony Museum and some of the gift shops and art galleries before our ride at the wonderful Omey Island. En route, we stop off at the home of DK Connemara Oysters for a guided tour of the oyster farm and sample the unique taste of the Connemara oyster.
Omey is a tidal island situated near Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara. From the mainland, the island is inconspicuous and almost hidden. At low tide, it is possible to ride, drive or walk across the large sandy strand to the island by following the arrowed signs. Again, the pace will be your choosing and if you dare, you can even swim with your horse before we stop off at the local pub with spectacular views of the island for a chowder or fresh crabmeat salad to name but a few choices from the menu. Dinner that evening will be served at the hotel.
Today, after a hearty breakfast you will say farewell to the ponies and horses and your private coach will take you from Renvyle House back to the Tourist Office in Galway City for your onward journey.
For your return, you either need to find a flight that leaves late in the afternoon the last day of the trip or fly out the next day. We drive from Renvyle to Galway and will arrive in Galway around 1pm. Of course you might also want to go on and explore more of Ireland before returning home!