through National Parks, on forest paths, through valleys and meadows in peaceful,
tranquil surroundings.
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
of horsemen, primarily because the Ancient
Hungarians lived in the Euro-Asian nomadic pastoral
region, where the keeping and use of horses
played an important role in their lives.
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, home to the National Lippizaner Stud
Farm.
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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.
We use both western Saddles
and English saddles for our
trails.
We can accommodate 4 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.
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!).
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
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.
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.
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.
