Ride along miles of sandy beaches, trek the lanes of the hinterland and mountains, spot waterfalls and lakes and explore the historic castles and houses. Ireland's beauty and history is simply magical from the back of a horse! On this trip you will stay comfortably at a charming guesthouse near the beach while enjoying relaxing horseback riding each day in the lush green north of Sligo. The guided riding trails take you along the pretty beaches and through shady forest groves. If you want to test or improve your skills a cross-country courses with over 50 obstacles is situated on the 300 acre farm nearby. This facility is available to visit for your training or curiosity. Our partner can provide enjoyable horses for all level of riders and all the horses are well mannered, experienced, and sure-footed. Both rider and horse will have plenty of time to get to know one another - riders stay with their horses for the duration of the holiday.

Accomodation

You will stay at a comfortable and clean B&B guesthouse for the duration of your trip with us. Breakfast is included each day. Your lunches and dinners will be at extra cost. For dinner each night there will be a shuttle to take you to the nearby village restaurants and pubs!

We provide you with strong and experienced horses, which are used to carry you safely through all kinds of open country.

Our Irish hunters are known for easy handling and safe riding - and they love a lively gallop on the beach.

Our horses are well taken care of, graze on green pastures and are friendly and reliable and friendly towards their riders. At the moment we have almost one hundred horses in our stables! You will find that "your" horse truly becomes your friend during your riding with us.

Our equipment such as bridles, saddles, blankets and cleaning tools are practical and well looked after. Our saddles are general purpose saddles made especially to suit the business – they are extremely comfortable and built on the old military style tree by a firm in France and also now in Ireland by O’Callaghan Saddlery.

Itinerary

Please read over the following day trip options to create a custom itinerary perfect for you!

Day Trip Options...

1) Streedagh Beach and Dernish Island
Ride from the farm directly to the Atlantic coast, crossing to Dernish Island and on to Streedagh Beach for the gallop of a lifetime!

2) Farm to Cliffoney Beach and Dunes
Travel from the farm to Cliffoney beach and dunes, along the perimeter of Classiebawn Castle to the fishing village of Mullaghmore, ride around the cliffs and return by Cliffoney Beach.

3) The Cross Country Ride
Country lanes to our inland farm, through rivers and the limestone hills of Tawly, viewing our young stock and for those who wish to have a go at our cross country jumping course!

4) Lissadell and Forests
Ride the country lanes along the coast to Lissadell Beach, through forest and to the foot of Benbulben

5) The Horseshoe Valley
Ride the country lanes to the Gleniff Valley, around the Horseshoe with spectacular views to the Atlantic Ocean and return by Cliffoney Beach.

6) The Deer Farm
Winding ways inland to ride the perimeter of the Deer Farm, see the Red Deer herd and return by Cliffoney Beach.

Notes:
* Wednesday is the horses' day off; this is your chance to go shopping, sightseeing, fishing or golfing. We can help arrange these extra activities for you.
* Arrival days are Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
* There is a free bus service each evening to take guests to the local villages for dinner (meals not included in price!)
* Program is suited to intermediate riders, children must be over 12 years old and accompanied by a riding adult.
* Program subject to alteration due to tidal changes.

Other Info
Meeting: Grange at 10 am
Airport: Sligo or Knock
Transfer: Sligo- Airport, Train or Bus Station

Ireland, is famed for its luscious green terrain split up by rocky mountains and rolling hills. The saying goes in Ireland that you can tell the difference between summer and winter by measuring the temperature of the rain- so by this you can gauge that rain is a dominant feature and there isn’t a lot of temperature variation across the country.

The weather is mild but changeable and rain can be expected at any time of the year. Parts of the country are oceanic, and as you move further away from the coast the conditions become slightly more temperature- however the prevailing factor across the whole country is that few temperature extremes are experienced.

Ireland is affected by the North Atlantic Drift, so this has a moderating affect on the climate and keeps winter in Ireland warmer than places of similar latitudes. Its northerly location, however, means that summers never get particular hot either. The climate is generally fairly typical of an insular climate and is moderated by the moist winds that blow across the island, these winds prevail from the south west, off the Atlantic, and can reach particular high speeds at times of the year.

On the whole the west coast is much wetter than the east coast, so this should dispel common belief that Dublin is the wettest city in Ireland. Lying on the east coast, Dublin sees almost half as much rainfall as parts of the west coast.

Inland Ireland gets warmer in the summer months than the coastal region, though on the flipside it also gets much colder in the winter. These temperature differences are not that great, with central Ireland only being a few degrees cooler than the coast. In the centre of the country across the year will record about 40 days below freezing, however on the coast the mercury will only fall below 0 degrees on average 10 days per year.

The country is made up of a ring of coastal mountains, with low lying central plains in the centre. Due to Ireland's mild climate and significant rainfall this has lead to luscious green terrain and plentiful vegetation which makes for very scenic and pleasant landscapes, which has lead to the island being called the ‘Emerald Isle.’ Home to rolling hills, mountainous rocky areas and dramatic green vistas, Ireland is a picturesque place to visit any time of the year.

DUBLIN-Dublin is the capital of Ireland and sits upon the east coast where it is sheltered from the heavy storms that the Atlantic coast is subject to. The climate in Dublin is a maritime, temperate climate that (like the rest of the country) lacks major temperature extremes and has cool summers and mild winters. Although popular belief leads many tourists to believe that Dublin is a very rainy city, it in fact sees fewer days of rain, on average, than London.

The average maximum temperature in January, the midst of winter, is about 8 degrees while July sees average maximums of about 20 degrees. From May to June will see Dublin basking in the most hours of uninterrupted sunlight as this is when the sky will be the clearest and before the more overcast weather sits in. Because of its northerly latitude, in the height of summer the days will have about 19 hours of daylight before the sun sets. On the flipside the winters days are short and in the peak up winter there are only 9 hours of daylight.

December and August in Dublin are generally the wettest months and record 74mm of precipitation on average for the month. April is, on average, the driest month of the year recording 45 mm of precipitation for the whole month.

Occasionally Dublin is hit by strong winds that blow from the Atlantic, though the storms are much less severe here than they are in other parts of the country. If Dublin is to be hit my strong winds it is most likely to occur in the height of winter. In 1997 on December 24, a region just out of Dublin was hit by winds that gathered speeds of 151 km/h!

There are plenty of things to keep you busy if visiting Dublin and find your self in the midst of a rainy windy day, take in the city streets or take a visit to the original Guinness Brewery- don't worry it'll be here for awhile as it as a 9,000 year lease on it's property.

Dublin is affected by the urban heat phenomenon which means the inner city is a few degrees warmer than more regional areas. The heat is stored up in the city centre and will keep it warmer throughout the days.

Any variations in rain or temperature are due mainly to varying altitude and proximity to the Atlantic. The east coast sees about 750mm of precipitation, on average, across the year while the west coast sees 1500mm. In the mountains at higher altitude about 2000mm of precipitation will be recorded, before falling to 800-1200mm in lower lying areas.

Though it has been stated that Ireland does lack temperature extremes, it is hit by the occasional heat wave. Historically the highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3°C at Kilkenny Castle June 26 1887. During the 20th century, the record high is 32.5°C at Boora, Co. Offaly which was recorded on 29th June 1976.

For your comfort you will need to bring the following items: Riding hat, riding boots, breeches, gloves, a warm sweater and good quality raincoat, (preferably waxed). Ponchos are not suitable rainwear for riders - which we sincerely hope you will not need - but better to be prepared.

RIDERS MUST WEAR A PROPERLY SECURED HARD HAT WHEN MOUNTED. The riding center has several models to choose from, but you might be better off to bring your own that fits.

The saddlebags are waterproof, however bring some plastic bags to put clothes etc. in- just in case!

All the equipment for your horse will be provided by the riding center.

Riding by the Sea

Rates include:

Packages and Options

Transfer and Other Options:

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