B&B for horse riders

[water rat]

Does anyone provide this service? For riders and their mounts. We are ideally set up for this and have experience with horses.

W Rat

[Swissie]

Sounds like a brilliant idea - I know somebody who does this in Tuscany.

See   www.ilpoggio.net             She also organises riding courses at all levels, with their own or your horse. Have a great manège, riding-instructor, stables, etc- and set in superb Tuscany countryside. Accom is in apartments or suites, and the restau is superb. We own a timeshare week there and go every year, but we don't ride. Can't wait for our mid-June week.

[water rat]

Thanks for the advice ,Swissie. We've been sent a form to fill in by GdF so hopefully they've had some enquiries. I would be tempted to offer myself and steed as a guide ,but they'd be too much work to do with the B&B. Can't leave it all to the manservant!

[Swissie]

If it takes off, you might be able to employ a domestic to do the chores, whilst you go off guiding - like my friend Enrica does in Tuscany. Her place is run as an Agroturismo. It is possible that your area will have some subsidies, etc, for Agrotourisme?

[water rat]

def no subsidies round these 'ere  parts!

[Swissie]

The EU subsidies were, I think, for farmers who wanted help to diversify - Enrica's place was her parents' farm (they still farm her husband's family's farm - making superb Cinta pork, wine, olive oil, pecorino cheese, etc).

[Cathyw]

Hello. We have been welcoming horse riders since last year, as we also have horses. It has been really great fun. We do it as well as a 'normal' B&B. We have had a lot of help from the local CDTE (local equestrian tourism organisation which is in each department) who also bring out a brochure. I also visited a few other gite equestres in the region and we send riders to each other and swap good routes. We even visit each other off-season. There is also someone who runs riding holidays who has made here part of some of his itineraries through the year.

I too was thinking of doing riding holidays but now it is not easy at all to get your accreditation to be an equestrian guide and you have to go through the equivalent of a normal instructors degree which is daft but there it is.

The only thing to note really is that most riders are looking for pretty cheap accommodation so it depends if its worth your while or not.

[Swissie]

That sounds brilliant. BTW if anybody is interested, Enrica's place is called Il Poggio, in Celle sul Rigo, next to San Casciagno Bagni     www.ilpoggio.net

[water rat]

The form we filled in was from the CDTE and we have just got our first booking for 2 in Aug. Much like yourself, Cathyw ,we have a "normal" B&B so it's just another way of broadening our market. I wasn't looking to becoming a paid guide ,the idea was to just accompany our guests on their next leg. I usually hack out solo ( apart from the dogs) so it would be nice to have some company and give them a bit of knowledge about the route.

[Gardengirl]

There was a big spread in a local newspaper about 'à cheval d'étape en étape' around the Vidourle area this weekend. It featured 10 places, some taking people out on rides and others offering stabling, B&B (or camping) and meals. Formule cavalier was mostly around mid-50 euros. One mentioned overnight stay in a gite, evening meal, breakfast and stabling for 58 euros, which seemed a bargain!

[water rat]

Our tariff will actually work out a bit less than that as .we will provide free stays for the horses in our field.