France, Provence - Exclusive dressage studfarm
In the heart of Provence, just over half an hour from Marseille and the sparkling Mediterranean, you will find our fantastic stud farm and dressage oasis. You drive through beautiful iron gates, along an impressive driveway shaded by majestic plane trees, and at its end, the estate appears. It is a 18th-century style house, nestled within a sculpted garden, where the large pool is guarded by stone lions.
On the extensive grounds, there is a renowned stud farm with around 60 horses, founded by Catherine 50 years ago. Initially, the focus was on breeding highly rideable Lusitanos. In the past 15 years, she and her daughter Alicia have chosen to further develop the breeding to include crossbreeding with active warmblood Grand Prix stallions. Now, there are offspring from, among others, the two-time world champion Glamourdale (successfully ridden by Charlotte Fry) and Jovian (ridden by Patrik Kittel).
The goal is to breed horses that, in addition to being highly rideable, also have excellent gaits to compete with world-class dressage horses.
Proof of their successful breeding is liberty rider and world artist Alizée Froment, who has performed all over the world in big arenas with her two stallions, Sultan and Mistral du Coussoul. Both come from the stud farm, and Mistral still contributes to the birth of more fantastic individuals.
Enjoy great hospitality, learn about their successful breeding concept, and have lessons on their offsprings. All this, together with fantastic accommodations in an exceptionally beautiful environment, makes the stay unforgettable.
Accommodation & Food
A magnificent estate near Arles, Les Baux de Provence, Aix, Avignon, and St Rémy de Provence awaits you! Experience luxury in a fantastic 18th-century style house with 6 elegant bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a spacious living room with a charming veranda, and a beautifully designed kitchen with an adjoining dining room.
Located in the peaceful and picturesque Alpilles Nature Park, this idyllic retreat is just a half-hour drive from the sparkling Mediterranean, the iconic Luma Foundation designed by Frank Gehry, and the pristine beauty of the Camargue. You will also be close to the enchanting Lubéron, ancient Ro-man ruins, and world-class gourmet restaurants.
If there is time between dressage lessons, you can explore local markets, historical sites, Roman museums, the enchanting Les Baux de Provence and Carrières de Lumières, lively antique shops, and the charming old towns of the region. Or simply relax and enjoy the tranquility by the pool.
The refrigerator will be stocked with a generous breakfast, fresh bread will be delivered, and you are welcome to serve yourself and enjoy it indoors or on the terrace. Lunch consists of a cold buffet with wine, water, and coffee. For dinner, your local chef will prepare 3-course meals, which also include fresh bread and a cheese platter. This meal can also be enjoyed with good wine either indoors or by the pool.
Honesty bar: If you are thirsty between meals, you can help yourself from the refrigerator and the "bar" and note down what you take.
Horses & Riding
On the extensive grounds, there is a renowned stud farm with around 60 horses, founded by Catherine 50 years ago. Initially, the focus was on breeding highly rideable Lusitanos. In the past 15 years, she and her daughter Alicia have chosen to further develop the breeding to include crossbreeding with active warmblood Grand Prix stallions. Now, there are offspring from, among others, the two-time world champion Glamourdale (successfully ridden by Charlotte Fry) and Jovian (ridden by Patrik Kittel). The goal is to breed horses that, in addition to being highly rideable, also have excellent gaits to compete with worldclass dressage horses.
Proof of their successful breeding is liberty rider and world artist Alizée Froment, who has performed all over the world in big arenas such as Friends Arena in Stockholm with her two stallions, Sultan and Mistral du Coussoul. Both come from the stud farm and have contributed to the successful breeding results.
At your disposal are about horses of various ages and training levels. You will focus on what is needed for you to develop your riding. Your seat and balance is, of course, the most important thing for the horse in order to understand your signals. Then you can move on to more advanced movements. You can also exchange one or more riding sessions for liberty work.
All horses here are worked by hand first until they are ready to be ridden. This takes as long as needed, there is no rush to meet various young horse tests, and each horse develops and matures at its own pace. All horses go out in big paddocks every day.
From a young age, they are trained to become confident riding horses. Alicia often takes umbrellas and tarpaulins out to the large paddocks where they have a wonderful upbringing. This is so they get used to handling new things early on and become confident individuals. The horses are raised in large paddocks with companions so they can develop their muscles and tendons, all to create the foundation for a sustainable horse. About 10 foals are born each year, so if you are interested in buying a young horse, there are great opportunities here.
The facility has a smaller indoor arena and two large outdoor arenas.
Program
Weekly Program: Begins with a review of your goals and wishes. Then you ride one to two lessons per day (a total of 8 lessons of 50 minutes each).
Onsite, you can choose to exchange lessons for liberty work. If time allows, it may be possible to book extra lessons onsite.
Weekend Program: Begins with a review of your goals and wishes. Then you ride two lessons per day (a total of 4 lessons of 50 minutes each). Onsite, you can choose to exchange some lessons for liberty work. If time allows, it may be possible to book extra lessons onsite.
Arrival and departure times:
Weekly program - arrival afternoon noon/evening in time for dinner, departure day after breakfast.
Weekends - arrival Thursdays afternoon noon/evening in time for dinner, departure Sunday after breakfast.
Number of riders: Minimum 2 and maximum 4 riders.
Maximum 2 riders per lesson.
Non-riders: Warmly welcome at a reduced price.
Travel Information
Ability description: Dressage level 2-5
Included: 6 or 3 nights, riding described in program, full board incl. wine to meals.
Not included: Flight, transfer, drinks, except wine to meals.
Travel:
Flight: To Marseille Provence Airport (35 minutes), Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (2 hours)
Train: Avignon train station (40 minutes)/ Aix en Provence ( 40 minutes) /Arles( 25 minutes away)/ Saint Martin de Crau (15 minutes away). Find train time table at SNCF
Transfer: Book in advance with HorseXplore and pay on spot.
From Marseille airport:
Price ca: 130 EUR for a big car (up to 6 people) ( 150 EUR night or Sunday) and 110 EUR for a standard car (up to 3 people) one way(140 EUR night and Sundays).
Price ca: Saint Martin de Crau 15 EUR per person
Car: If you would like to have a look around between lessons we can recommend a rental car.
Arrival and departure times:
Weekly program - arrival Monday afternoon noon/evening in time for dinner, departure following Sunday after breakfast.
Weekends - arrival Thursdays afternoon noon/evening in time for dinner, departure Sunday after breakfast.
Optional arrival/departure: You can choose another arrival and departure day, just mail us on info@horsexplore.com
Season: All year except, January, February, July and August.
Single room: Can be booked with a supplement. For price click on” Book on request” under Dates & prices. If there is no one to share a room with, a single supplement will be added.
Currency: Euro
Credit card: Not accepted at riding center.
Tipping: Not required but appreciated.
Wifi: Yes
Electricity jack: EU standard
Electric car: Charging an electric car is available for an additional cost.
Weight limit: 90 kilos
Number of riders: Minimum 2 and maximum 4 riders.
Closest village: Mouriès (10 minutes), Maussane les Alpilles (15 minutes), Saint Martin de Crau (15 minutes), Saint Rémy de Provence (15 minutes)
Beach: About 35 minutes away by car.
Pool: Yes, open April / May/ September/ October
Misc.:
Riding equipment to borrow: None. Bring your own helmet.
Special diet: Inform when booking.
Climate
Golf
This is an excellent destination for families and groups where not everyone rides, as there are several high-quality golf courses within a reasonable distance, including Golf de Servanes, ca 10 minutes by car. Or Golf des Baux de Provence, ca 15 minutes by car.
Feedback from our travellers
A fantastic experience with personalized attention and great service
"Great initiative and communication before arrival, a nice tour on the first day, and the plan for the stay was set up together. Very attentive to requests and experience. Beautiful location, very clean, comfortable beds, and a lovely house. A beautiful garden, terraces, and nice common areas. Well-equipped kitchen and great seating both indoors and outdoors.
An in-house chef came by to prepare dinner. Traditional French food and wine were included, with three-course meals for both lunch and dinner.
We had one-on-one sessions with excellent teaching. Focus on both the horse's and rider's skills, with individual adjustments to the level. A soft teaching style, with a focus on good horse care and rewarding the horse. Amazing horses, some older masters and others young and promising with great movement. A nice variety, and we got to ride different horses during our stay.
An absolutely fantastic family-run place with a passionate commitment to horses from owners who are curious and progressive in their horse care and breeding program."
– Silje Strøm
A stunning estate and beautiful surroundings
"Incredibly beautiful surroundings and a fantastic estate, very French. We each got our own bedroom. Gloria delivered delicious dinners made from fine local ingredients with a constant supply of amazing cheeses. I rode four horses and had the opportunity to try the amazing Matisse, who is being trained for Grand Prix. The other horses were also lovely and well-trained, making for an overall excellent riding experience. Fantastic hospitality and treatment from Alicia and her family, as well as everyone on the estate. They were incredibly attentive to our wishes and really made an effort to ensure we had a top-notch weekend. Alicia drove us around the estate in her ATV and showed us all the foals and young horses at the stud farm. A magical experience!"
– Iva Stepan
A wonderful experience with amazing food and service
"We were met right by the car when we arrived and shown to our rooms, followed by a tour of the entire house. The food was delightful. Every evening we had a three-course dinner made with local ingredients. We also had a lovely lunch waiting in the fridge every day. Carefully prepared and beautifully served. Both the horses and the riding were excellent! The information on the website doesn't do justice to how amazing it really is. It's hard to describe the warmth and joy that everything and everyone gives you."
– Maria Anna Englund
Fantastic hospitality and incredible horses
"Extremely friendly and warm welcome, followed by a tour of the property! The manor house is stunning. Chef Gloria deserves a gold star! Plenty of food, local dishes! Absolutely delicious! Such well-trained instructors and amazing horses ♥️🤩 The owners and trainers are so friendly and open, they really share a lot of themselves! An unforgettable experience!"
– Fredrika Henrietta Selander
Wonderful villa and French home-style cooking
"Alicia is very friendly and speaks great English. A super lovely villa and the bonus of having a single room instead of a double room. Traditional French home cooking by a local chef! Very pleasant and delicious! I learned a lot. Top-notch service!"
– Harriet Maria Udd
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