Our regular tours are arranged for intermediate to experienced riders in English saddles. These are group tours so one needs to adequately meet with the following guidelines to ensure the quality of the ride for all riders. 

Very important : In order  preserve every rider’s safety and comfort, riders used to ride mainly Quarter Horses in Western saddle or Gaited horses are strictly considered as English Novices, and will be asked for a video of them riding English on a « classic » horse, including walk, posting trot and canter standing in the stirrups before any group tour booking confirmation. 

Should you not adequately meet the minimum riding skills required,  we will be happy to create a made-to-measure ride.

RIDING LEVELS DESCRIPTION :

Level Beginner : You are never been on a horse before or only tested walking. You are unable to control horse’s pace and direction autonomously in outdoors. You don’t know about posting trot or balance on stirrups. You must hold on the mane most part of the time.

Level Novice : You have been riding many years ago or you have attended a few lessons in a riding school. You may not be comfortable with the three gaites : walk, trot, canter/gallop. You have only limited experience riding outdoors. You require to hold on the saddle or the horse’s hair while trotting or cantering. You have only ridden Western.

Level Intermediate : You ride experienced horses, in all gaits including posting trot and canter. You can manage yourself and your horse ethically and safely, you are comfortable with riding outdoors.  You ride English regularly but enjoy technical advices and may be sometimes stressed (gallop, difficult situation…) 

Level Strong Intermediate : You ride different types of horses, in all gaits. You can manage yourself and your horse ethically and safely, you are comfortable with riding outdoors and you enjoy cantering or galloping. You may not be used to spend long days riding.

Level Experienced : You are a seasoned rider and ride different kinds of horses, in all gaites. You can manage yourself and your horse ethically and safely and can spend long days in the saddle. You can ride difficult terrain and you enjoy a good canter and a fast gallop. You are physically fit and accustomed to even difficult trail rides.

WHY RIDING ENGLISH IS STRONGLY DIFFERENT THAN RIDING WESTERN OR GAITED HORSES ?

English riding requires more balance and physical condition than Western, due to the difference of saddles which are more flat and less enveloping. English requires for the riders not to stay seated at trot or canter, but to systematically posting-trot and stand in stirrups with balance and flexibility while cantering (during various minutes). Also English saddles do not provide horn to hang to. 

Gaited horses such as Islandic, Paso, Rocky were specially bred and sorted to provide smooth, non-bouncy paces. They can be ridden by Novices riders at fast paces with significant long stirrups very easily because of this absence of bounce. However « classic » horses come with « regular » paces including bouncing trot and canter, which challenges a lot more rider’s balance and physical condition, and requires adjusted stirrups to Malleolus. If you are used to ride only gaited horses, you won’t be able to ride properly a classic one and will endangered yourself at every canter while struggling to balance.

SUFFICIENT ENGLISH RIDING SKILLS INCLUDE : 

- Light and balanced posting trott (mandatory) without being rough on the horse’s mouth or her/his back, for long period (5-10 min). You must be confident while post trotting with sufficient balance without pulling the mane in outdoors. 

- Stand up on stirrups safely and comfortably while cantering. We do not fast gallop or jump but we do canters in great outdoors each day. Riders cannot stay seated like in Western, or bumping on saddle during these long canters to preserve horses’ welfare and health.

- Efficient pace and direction control with soft hands : you must be able to slow down your horse to insure safety distance, or make her/him faster to stick with the group. You can lead her/him precisely to avoid obstacles (trees, wholes, ditches…) you may encounter.

- You are happy to spend 2 to 3h on saddle pacing, post trotting and cantering, and you are reasonably fit to ride a multiple days tour.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU BOOK A TOUR AND, YOUR RIDING SKILLS HAPPEN TO NOT BE SUFFISIENT ON SITE ?

On the first day, your guide will proceed with a quick assess of your knowledge and technic. Should your riding skills not match with the previous guidelines, he/she will decide wether you can follow the tour safely and comfortably or not.

The group comfort is a number-one priority and you won’t be allowed to follow the tour if he/she thinks you may endanger the group, your horse or yourself.

In these kind of situation, you won’t join the riding sessions and will enjoy hotels, visits and meals. Please notice that every extra cost generated will be charged (late check-out, extra taxis…etc) and no refund will be issued on the total cost of your booking.

Our horse are kind, respect-worthy, long-term colleagues. Cheval & Chateaux horses are worldwide renowned by our customers for their mind, energy and kindness. We can only preserve those qualities if riders adequately meets the previous guidelines. 

Should you have any doubt or hesitation regarding these guidelines prior to your booking, please contact our team. We will be happy to advise !