A link to reset your password has been sent to your email

 

Change currency

Currency

 

Change currency

Currency

Ireland Horse Riding

This listing has one of the 10 most popular offers available in in Ireland

Join Country Cottage Stables for a luxury seven-day horse riding adventure set in Wicklow, along Ireland's Ancient East. They offer a blend of different horse riding experiences combined with cultural excursions, and award-winning dining experiences while staying at four-star luxury accommodation.

Key information

  • Rider Weight Limit: 215 pounds / 95 kilograms
  • Tack Type: Top quality English tack
  • Horse Breed: Sport horses, Irish cobs, Irish draughts, and Connemara ponies
  • Tailored itinerary to suit your riding level and preferred riding experiences.

Meet the instructors

Kieran & Sophie
Read more

Highlights

  • 7 riding days
  • Approximate daily riding time: 3 - 5 hours
  • AIRE riding instructors and professional guides
  • Excursions
  • 6 nights accommodation in 4 star hotel (upgrade to five-star Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa available)
  • Daily meals and dining experiences (including whiskey tour and tasting, and traditional Irish Hooley evening)
  • Transfers to and from the airport, and private chauffeur each day.

Skill level

  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced

Styles


7 days with instruction
Group size: Minimum of 1 participants
Airport transfer included: Dublin Airport
Hide all

Accommodation

Check-in Time:
15:30
Check-out Time:
12:00

Facilities

  • Spa
  • Dining area

Six nights will be spent at a four-star country house hotel. The hotel has just been awarded a four-star rating which highlights their commitment to exceptional quality and providing their guests an unparalleled experience.

Rooms are spacious with an en-suite.

They are located only four minutes from the stables and beside the picturesque cozy village of Enniskerry. Powerscourt Estate is only a short walk away. You can also book a nice relaxing massage at the neighbouring award-winning spa. In the event of the hotel being fully booked for your requested dates, an alternative hotel will be suggested.

Program

Ride along quaint Irish country lanes, across rolling green hills and mountain trails with stunning views of Ireland’s largest waterfall (Powerscourt Waterfall). Explore enchanting forests and feel the freedom of galloping down the long golden sandy stretch of beach at Brittas Bay. Enjoy lessons with top-class instructors who will help you work on your flat work, dressage, and jumping. Also, experience fun days at cross-country courses and show jumping at Ireland’s premier facilities.

Country Cottage Stables' diverse array of activities showcases Ireland’s vibrant traditions and flavours, providing an enriching horse riding holiday experience. They offer cultural experiences of beautiful historic estates and gardens, agricultural shows, country fairs, award-winning restaurants with seasonal local cuisine, and traditional Irish Hooley nights with music and dancing, and a whiskey tasting tour.

There will be three to five hours in the saddle each day. The top-class tack type is English tack and upon request, they can provide a McClellan saddle (a hybrid between an English and a Western saddle. 1 available).

They take pride in looking after guests in a fun, safe, confidence-giving environment. Their horses are very well-schooled and are happy, level-headed, and sensible souls. They can tailor the vacation to match your needs.

Check-in at the hotel is 3.30pm and if guests wish they can make the most of their horse riding experience by taking their assessment that evening. Time permitting, guests can also enjoy a trek on both your first and last day. Lessons include flat work, dressage, and jumping activities, but guests can decide their preferred lessons.

This holiday offers a fantastic Irish foodie experience with much locally sourced food and a variety of fabulous dining experiences from picnics, lunches at Avoca handweavers and dinners at award winning restaurants, to a traditional Irish evening with a pint of Guinness.

The holiday is not just about horses and amazing scenery, it is also the best of Irish food and culture.

Arrival day is Sunday. Please contact Country Cottage Stables if you need to arrive on an alternative day. Shorter holidays are available, so please send an inquiry if interested.

Kieran and Niall will go through the following sample itinerary with you upon your arrival and you can decide what activities suit you best.

Daily itinerary

Day 1

Pick up from the airport and drop off at the hotel for check-in. Hotel check-in is at 3:30 p.m. Country Cottage Stables can make arrangements for early arrivals. Meet Kieran and get a show around the stables. Meet Bear and Wolf, their friendly German Shepherds, and Harvey, the terrier, their little sidekick.

Get to know your new companion. You are more than welcome to groom and tack your horse. This is always a nice way to get to know each other. They believe in forming a nice partnership with your new friend. Of course, if you would prefer to relax, they will do the work for you.

At CCS, their motto is safety first so they always take the best care to match you to the best horse that suits you. The horses are honest, sensible, and sure-footed. You head down to the arena where you and your horse can get to know each other. Their assessment lessons allow you to get to know your guide and allow them to evaluate your current riding and fitness level before matching you with an appropriate horse. They have plenty of horses so you are welcome to try different horses during your stay.

After the session, they provide refreshments. Transfer back to the hotel where you can relax before they pick up and accompany you for dinner at a top restaurant with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and Wicklow mountains.

Day 2

Morning ride in the forest and venture out towards the Wicklow Way with its wonderfully unspoiled spectacular mountain trails. Lunch at Country Cottage Stables where you can try Niall's popular egg sandwiches sourced from his own flock of happy hens and homemade soup and brownbread. Lesson after lunch; try some flatwork, dressage, or jumping. Transfer back to the hotel and dine at a well-known restaurant this evening.

Day 3

Start the day with an early snack and tea/coffee. Transfer you to Brittas Bay beach where you meet your horse. Brittas Bay is a five-kilometer stretch of powdery sand and dunes on the Irish coast. Ride according to your level, so either a relaxing ride or if you prefer an exhilarating ride well, they are only happy to accommodate. The horses love the beach and especially love having a splash in the water. Brunch is a beach picnic.

Transfer back to your hotel to freshen up and then take a scenic drive to Avondale Treetop Walk and Avondale House, or Glendalough, a stunning glacial valley and old medieval monastic settlement. Late lunch is at Avoca Handweavers.

Dinner this evening is at the hotel. Guests always appreciate a relaxed evening after an early start.

Day 4

Trek out towards the Sugar Loaf mountain this morning and take in the beautiful sea views (two or three hours). A light snack and refreshments will be provided. The afternoon is spent exploring the fabulous Powerscourt House and Gardens with a tour of Powerscourt House and a very special tour of Powerscourt Whiskey Distillery with a unique whiskey and food tasting. Arena lesson this evening; guests can choose to work on their flat work, jumping or dressage.

Dinner is at a local neighbourhood restaurant that showcases the best of local organic produce.

Day 5

Leisurely breakfast and pick-up from your hotel at 11:00 a.m. Today is cross-country day at Devil’s Glen in Ashford at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. Enjoy a fun morning at the vast 40-acre course with a combination of field and forest jumps, water features, and banks. They, of course, match the course to your ability, so if you would just like to explore the surrounding area on your horse or try some jumps they always accommodate. Guests can also try the gallops and learn what it is like to canter or gallop along the race track. Lunch is at Avoca in Ashford where you can explore the gardens.

Afternoon at leisure or enjoy a lesson.

Dinner this evening is in the affluent seaside heritage town of Dalkey, one of Ireland’s wealthiest suburbs and home of Bono and many famous writers and artists. En route to dinner, you drive around the area spotting celebrities’ houses. Take time by yourself to wander around Dalkey village with its beautiful narrow streets lined with fancy delis and old architecture; you will understand why so many famous residents call it home. Dinner is at a fabulous welcoming restaurant that is decked out in deep reds and mahogany wood. Choose between tasty grills and seafood specials.

Day 6

This morning, the arena will be set up for some fun Le Trec - a horse and rider obstacle course. Everyone always really enjoys this. A trek is also an option. Lunch is at Avoca in Kilmacanogue followed by an afternoon trek or lesson. This evening, your final night, immerse yourself in an unforgettable experience in the highest pub in Ireland, in the Dublin Mountains. Experience traditional Irish craic agus ceol (Irish for ‘fun and music’): The Irish Hooley includes hugely experienced, traditional Irish musicians, and the world-famous, talented Irish Dancers, plus a four-course meal of delicious Irish Fayre.

Of course, The Hooley may be too lively for you and you may prefer a quieter experience at the restaurant in the same venue. Menus can include Irish seafood chowder, wild Irish mussels, tempura crab, seasonal oysters, blue cheese salad, lamb shank, beef and Guinness pie, and more. Menus vary between the Hooley experience and quieter dining options.

Day 7

Today, they bid you farewell and if you have an early departure, they can take the opportunity to take you on a Dawn Chorus ride. The last trek is one to two hours. Departure from your hotel after your trek.

This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change depending on your preferences, weather conditions, schedule change and events that might be out of their control. They will always offer the best options to make your holiday with them the most memorable trip.

Your host

Niall will be your holiday chauffeur for the duration of your vacation. He will take you to and from the stables, riding locations, excursions, and restaurants. He provides exceptional service to the guests, beginning with their airport pickup and continuing throughout their entire stay. He is the heart of the operation.

Niall is an electrical engineer by trade and a Dublin man. He owned and ran a successful business before retiring to the “Good Life” in The Garden of Ireland with his partner and a menagerie of animals. Niall’s passion after horses is his free-roaming hens and of course his Irish terrier Harvey. He has been the National Riding Club Showjumping champion two years in a row and now competes regularly on the dressage circuit.

Included excursions

Some afternoons, they offer non-riding activities as you may want a rest from riding:

  • Kilruddery Estate, the ancestral home of the Earl of Meath has over 750 acres to explore
  • Wicklow National Park - Glendalough, an ancient monastic site located in a glacial valley renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement with spectacular views and views and walks through the valley
  • Powerscourt House and Gardens, recently voted No.3 in the World’s Top 10 Gardens by National Geographic. These 47-acre gardens are carefully curated and maintained. There is a mix of gardens from the dazzling drama of the Italian Garden, where oriental features meet exotic plants in The Japanese Garden, to the enchanted Walled Garden and the Tower Valley. The House is a Palladian mansion and has also been listed as one of the top 10 houses globally (Lonely Planet).
  • Powerscourt Whiskey Distillery tour with unique whiskey and food-tasting
  • Avondale Treetop Walk (including Ireland's largest giant slide)
  • Meeting of the Waters - The Avoca Valley
  • Avoca Handweavers
  • Agricultural shows (for example, Bannow and Rathangan Agricultural Show)

Instructors

Kieran Morrin

Sophie Moy

Location

The holiday will take place in Enniskerry, Leinster, Ireland. Country Cottage Stables is a top-class private boutique AIRE (Association of Irish Riding Establishment) equestrian center specializing in treks throughout the beautiful Wicklow countryside, and lessons including flat work, dressage, and jumping, as well as cross-country and show jumping at top facilities.

This is a great holiday for passionate riders who are seeking to improve all aspects of their riding.

They are conveniently located close to Dublin just off the N11 and are only 35 to 40 minutes from Dublin airport and approximately 40 minutes from Dublin city center. Thes stables are minutes from the fairytale village of Enniskerry, where Hollywood movies have been made, and Powerscourt House and Garden and Ireland’s largest waterfall (Powerscourt Waterfall).

Distances

  • Dublin Airport (DUB) - 35 to 40 minutes
  • Dublin city center - 40 minutes

Food

You will be served daily meals at top restaurants as well as water, tea, and coffee at the stables included in the price.

Breakfast

Start your days off with the best breakfast in Wicklow with fine local ingredients. Breakfast is served in the beautiful bright surroundings of The Terrace restaurant at your hotel. Choose from a traditional Irish breakfast, vegan breakfast, eggs benedict, French toast, Irish smoked salmon, pancakes, and more. You may even choose a simple continental breakfast or porridge.

Lunch

Lunch some days will be served at Country Cottage Stables. All lunches are made with the best Irish ingredients. Country Cottage Stables' good friend Janet of Janet’s Country Fayre provides tasty chutneys, sauces, and relishes. And, of course, fresh eggs are provided by their happy flock of hens that can be seen roaming around the stables.

On other afternoons, they will take you to award-winning restaurants and cafes - where you can savour some delicious seasonal food. These restaurants and cafes are set in charming buildings and renovated stables. Pick up some lovely gifts in local shops - maybe some traditional Irish hand-woven scarves and throws, or some artisan jam or delicious Irish chocolate.

Dinner

Ireland's foodie scene has indeed been flourishing with a fresh wave of innovative chefs and producers revitalising the country's culinary landscape. From traditional dishes like Guinness stew and smoked salmon to modern creations using locally sourced ingredients, there are plenty of gastronomic delights to explore. The finest local ingredients and produce are at the forefront of these restaurants.

Whether you are looking for a traditional Irish evening with Irish music and dancing, or wish to dine at trendy new restaurants, there is something for everyone to enjoy and savour.

Dietary restrictions

Vegan and veggie options are available upon request. Please note that changes to menus are outside their control.

The following meals are included:

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Drinks

The following drinks are included:

  • Water
  • Coffee
  • Tea

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
  • Pescatarian
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

What's included

  • 7 days of riding
  • Daily horse riding adventures and lessons
  • Excursions
  • 6 nights accommodation
  • All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
  • Natural fountain water, tea, and coffee
  • AIRE riding instructors and professional guides
  • Airport transfers
  • Private driver - door-to-door daily transfers
  • Hard hats and boots

What's not included

  • Airfare
  • Insurance
  • Alcoholic drinks at the hotel and restaurants
  • Upgrade to Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa upon request

How to get there

Recommended Airports

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive at Dublin Airport (DUB). Transfer from and to the airport is included. Country Cottage Stables will pick you up from the airport.

Please let them know if you will be organising your transfers on the first and last day as some guests hire their vehicle.

Airport: Dublin Airport Airport transfer included: Dublin Airport No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.

Cancellation Policy

  • A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
  • The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
  • The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.

Value for money
Accommodation & facilities
Food
Location
Quality of activity
7 days / 6 nights
from --
Minimum group size

This trip requires a minimum of 1 participants

Select your package:

For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.

Why choose BookHorseRidingHolidays.com

Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price
Don't miss out! Join our mailing list to get inspiration, tips & special offers sent directly to your inbox.
Served by www:8000

Logging out

of Tripaneer websites