The perfect riding holiday for the dressage lover or for those who wish to discover this magnificent art. Just outside Lisbon, stay at this dressage centre and have lessons on their highly schooled Lusitano horses from one of three experienced instructors.
- Plan your week to allow time to visit some of the surrounding area such as local monasteries, Lisbon city or the Portugese School of Equestrian Art at Queluz.
Your flight to Lisbon can arrive at any time, although please note that there is no discount if your late arrival means that you miss dinner on the first night.
You will be met on arrival at Lisbon airport and transferred to the equestrian centre which is located just 25km from Lisbon. Alternatively you may prefer to hire a car and drive yourself to the centre - we can provide driving directions.
You will have pre-booked either one or two lessons today.
Each lesson comprises 2 - 4 riders and lasts between 1 hour and 1h30.
The morning lessons start around 09:30 and the afternoon lessons start around 16:00, although this can vary depending on the time of year and weather.
Lessons usually start in walk with the chance to practice shoulder-in, leg yielding and travers before moving onto trot and canter. For those with prior dressage experience if may be possible to practice Spanish walk, piaffe, passage or pirouettes. Classical dressage is particularly focused on lightness, beauty and expression.
If you have chosen only one lesson today, then this could be either in the morning or the afternoon and the rest of the day can be spend relaxing at the centre, by the pool or perhaps off-site visiting Lisbon or Queluz.
Please note that over the duration of your stay, you migh take lessons with different instructors, depending on your riding abilities and language preferences.
Again you will have booked either one or two dressage lessons for today. It is not always possible to request additional lessons once you have arrived so you should be certain to book enough in advance.
Provided your flight time allows you will have a final lesson this morning before being transferred back to Lisbon airport. Flights are not included but we can book these for you on request.
- Dates are flexible and you can arrive/depart on any day and stay for as long as you like with discounts for longer stays. The riding centre will confirm for one person and all departures are guaranteed. Please contact us for a personalised quote.
- If you return to the dressage centre a second time during the same year then there is a discount of 5% off the ride price (not including flights/transfers).
- There is a single supplement unless you are willing to share with another rider - c. £225 for the week.
- Transfers can be arranged from the airport or Lisbon city centre to the dressage centre at extra cost. From the airport to the centre costs c. £90 return for the vehicle (1-3 passengers); from the city centre to the dressage school costs c. £95 return for the vehicle (1-3 passengers). These will be invoiced to you before your departure. Alternatively you may prefer to hire a car and drive yourself - we can provide driving directions.
- On the first day, if you arrive before 2PM to the riding school, you can attend a training session. If you arrive after 2PM, no lessons will be offered and you will not be refunded. On the last day, if you leave before 12AM of the riding school, no dressage lesson will be offered and you will not be refunded.
- Departures on the 24/12 and 31/12 - £35 discount on programme 1 (1 lesson/day) and £77 on programme 2 (2 lessons/day). This reflects the fact that there won't be any riding on 24/12 - 25/12 - 1/01.
- Riders from 12 years are welcome if they have the required riding level and a good level of concentration, and if accompanied by their parents.
- A driver is available during your stay if you wish to take a local excursion, such as to the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, Mafra or Lisbon - these excursions are at additional cost and payable locally.
Tips are appreciated but not expected. You should give what you feel is appropriate and you feel comfortable with.
There are approximately 20 horses available for guests and they are all pure-bred or part-bred Lusitano's. Some are stallions but mainly they are geldings. The horses are at varying levels of training, so there are schoolmasters for intermediate riders or those just starting out in dressage as well as horses capable of producing high school movements for experienced riders.
You should be able to walk, trot and canter and be a confident rider.
Riders who have some prior experience of dressage will get the most from this holiday. An understanding of some basic terms, such as shoulder-in is required. The centre cannot cater for beginner riders. You will be expected to wear a hard hat when mounted and please note that we can not guarantee that your lessons will be with a particular instructor.
Rider weight limit - 89 kgs / 13.5 stones. Heavier riders please contact us.
Depending on your experience you will work in all three paces and may include movements such as shoulder-in, travers, half pass, piaffe etc.
You will be expected to assist with grooming, tacking up and untacking your horse each day but grooms are available to assist you if necessary.
No special difficulties, but a prior knowledge of basic dressage is required. You will get more out of the tuition if you have some experience of basic dressage terms, such as shoulder-in.
Spurs and sticks will be made available to you if the instructors feel you require them.
The guesthouse at the dressage centre has four twin rooms on site, each with private bathroom and located close to the stables. There are also an additional three twin rooms just over the road. The dining room, communal living area with TV and bar, as well as the unheated swimming pool are all available year round.
There is rarely rain during the summer months, but rain is common in winter and can occur in spring also.
You eat all your meals in the dining room at the riding centre, which overlooks the indoor arena.
Breakfast is continental and buffet style.
Lunch is light such as quiche and salad.
Dinner is usually fish or meat with salads and vegetables. The focus is on traditional Portugese cuisine and all is prepared locally by the chef.
All drinks and wine are included.
There are three main instructors and it is likely that you will have lessons with one of them throughout your stay for continuity and consistency in your training.
- Georges speaks English, Portugese and French and originally trained under Nuno Oliveira. He has been passionate about dressage since childhood and is a joy to watch.
- Paolo is a former student of Georges and he speaks Portugese, French, English and German. He is passionate about teaching dressage and gets very involved in his lessons.
- Renato is the 3rd teacher. After graduating from the school Alter Real Professional with excellent results in dressage, cross-country and showjumping, he is now specializing in Dressage. Renato trained and sold his first horse when graduating, and is now continuing his passion for developing fine horses by breeding his own Lusitanos in Alentejo, while teaching classical equitation and training the horses at our shool.
- Helmet is mandatory. Equus Journeys strongly recommend that you take your own to ensure a correct fit.
- Comfortable riding boots. We recommend short boots with half chaps but you may wish to take long boots, particularly if you are used to riding in them.
A passport valid for three months beyond the length of stay and issued within the past 10 years is required by British, Australian, Canadian and all other EU nationals.
Nationals not referred to above are advised to contact their embassy for visa requirements.
Make sure you take your EHIC card with you.
Portugal has adopted the Euro (EUR, symbol: €) as its official currency. One Euro is divided into 100 cents, which is sometimes referred to as eurocents, especially when distinguishing them with the US cents.
Nuno Oliveira (1925-1989) was a Portugese riding instructor, considered as the most important master of equestrian art in the 20th century. Fuelled by a love of equestrian culture and opera music, he approached riding as a true art and devoted his time to learning and teaching lightness and the love of the horse through his clinics and writing. Hypersensitive, quick-tempered, generous, independent and a genius he is still revered amongst lovers of classical dressage.