Beautiful uninterrupted scenery, stretching for miles awaits you. Ride for hours through National Parks, on forest paths, through valleys and meadows in peaceful, tranquil surroundings.
Hungarians are a nation of horsemen. Hundreds of years ago when the Ancient Hungarians lived in the Euro-Asian nomadic pastoral region, the keeping and use of horses played an important role in their lives and their equestrian skills are still evident in many places today.
Nowadays horse riding is still very popular and here in Northern Hungary there are some great trails to ride, we know because we found them
During the summer months there are many competitions and horse festivals held in Szilvasvarad, a village at the foot of the Bukk National Park. Szilvasvarad is home to the National Lippizaner Stud Farm and during the summer months there are many competitions and horse festivals held here, one of the most spectacular sights is that of the 100-200 Lippizaner yearlings running free with the Hungarian Csikos rounding them up.
A trip to the Puszta is also well worth a visit and it's here that you'll find authentic Hungarian cowboys, Csikos, known across Europe for their prowess on horseback. Many of them are masters of the famous "Puszta Five , a feat of equestrian skill that involves three steeds in front and two in back, on which the Csikos stands, steering with the reins (don't try this at home: it's a Hungarian specialty!).
We offer both package and bespoke horse riding holidays which will be tailored to your requirements and we can accommodate both novices through to experienced riders. We will talk to you before hand about your riding abilities to ensure we plan an appropriate itinerary.
The trails we ride on were discovered by us, we love to ride too, and they pass by small Hungarian villages, through open meadows, along forest paths and even into the Bukk National Park. We spent many months searching for ideal places to ride and we still find new trails all the time. We also ride out with on the beautiful Lippizaner horses from the National Stud farm.
The scenery is breathtaking and it will be uncommon to meet any one else when we are out riding through the valley's and Hills. In the villages we will often come across donkeys and horse and carts.
Carriage riding and driving lessons are also available.
We believe that our riding holidays are great value for money, a fraction of the cost of UK prices and you will be able to enjoy riding in the sunshine.
Our Riding Tours
1 day Rides 1-4 hour riding tours Throughout the whole year
Prices start from apx £15.00
Short breaks Thursday to Sunday Throughout the whole year Include 2 days of riding. 3 nights accommodation
Prices start from £240.00
Week long riding holidays May-September Include 4 days of riding, a get to know your horse introductory session and ride and a trip to the Puszta to see the famous Csikos. 7 nights accommodation
Prices start from £380.00
Carriage Driving / Tuition also available
Kisberi
The Hungarian Horse "Kisberi" is traced back to the original settlers of Hungary, the Magyars. The Magyars inherited a horse culture that began in central Asia 6,000 years earlier. The original Magyar horses were crossed with heavier cold bloods for farming and pulling, then crossed back with the finest Arabs, Turks, Andalusia's and Lipizzans.
During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the Hungarian Horses were heavily crossed to the best English and French Thoroughbreds and half-breeds that money could buy, along with a continued Oriental influence. The result; a horse of incredible stamina, scope and ride ability. The Hungarian Kisberi was recognized as the dominant cavalry horse of Europe.
Walk in Hungary riding holidays Hungary
Notes
We use both western Saddles and English saddles for our trails.
We can accommodate 4-6 riders at any one time as we prefer to ride out in small groups for safety reasons.
All of our horses are very friendly although each has a distinct personality. Your horse will be matched to your ability level.
We can cater for all levels of ability on shorter rides however when booking a short break or a week long holiday we do strongly recommend you have some experience with horses and that you are confident on horseback.
If you are in doubt as to whether a riding holiday would suit you please ask us.
It is quite possible to combine a walking short break or holiday with a riding one. Please contact us for prices.
Hungarian Lippizaner
The breeding of Lippizaner horses in Hungary began in the early 1800s, when the stud was transferred from Lipica to Mezohegyes in order to save the animals from the Napoleonic troops.
As a result of nearly seven decades of Mezohegyes breeding, husbandry and the effects of the field, the characteristics of the species started to change.
The horses started to gain weight, became heavy-boned, and lost some of their physical sturdiness so typical of mountain horses.To solve this problem, the Lippizaner were transferred from Mezohegyes to Fogaras, in the mountains of Transylvania. The transfer took place in 1874/75.
The nearly 40 years spent at Fogaras resulted in a strengthening of the species and in 1912, the Lippizaner stud was transferred from Fogaras to the Hungarian Royal Stud of Babolna, after the Ministry of Agriculture decided to save it from the damages of the 1st World War.
Babolna was also a particularly beneficial period for the species.The Babolna period lasted also for 40 years, but In order to preserve the characteristics of the species based of an order made in 1947, a colt stud was built in 1950 on the Bukk highlands 870 m above sea level, in the town of Csipkaskut. Following this, the continuous relocation of the Lippizaner species began from Babolna to Bukk mountains and Szilvasvarad, which is most similar to the original breeding place, Lipica. The quality of soil, vegetation, height above sea level, and climate guarantee long-term preservation of the characteristics of the species that is also influenced by environmental factors
Nonius
The Nonius is an Anglo Norman line of horses bred in the formal imperial stud farm in Mezohegyes, but which also spread into Yugoslavia, Romania and into southern Slovakia. Nonius was born in 1810 in one of the stud farms of Calvados in Normandy from an Anglo Norman mare and sired by a thoroughbred, Orion.
After arriving at Mezohegyes Nonius became quite a potent sire. When he died in 1838 he left behind 79 stallions and 137 mares. All of his offspring were properly named after him with lineage numbers from which the Mezohegyes Stud founded a line after him that from the year 1817 grew to 284 stallions and 3203 mares by the year 1890.
In 1780 the Austro-Hungarian Empire became the first European power to establish a government breeding plan. Three breeding farms were established, Mezohegyes was selected to procreate the established crosses, Babolna was selected to produce Arabians to use as regenerators, and Kisber was selected to cross Thoroughbreds with the products of Mezohegyes and Babolna, always watching for the characteristics of speed and toughness of the original Hungarian horses. At these farms only the finest horses were allowed to breed. These farms were operated by the Hungarian government without interruption until the Russian invasion at the end of World War II. At that time most of the stock and all of the personnel were evacuated by the German Army to Donnauworth, in Southern Bavaria. Captured from the German Army as an operating breeding farm by our Third Army, the stud farm was used as a remount depot and continued to operate.
