Eight Great Equestrian Center Holidays

There can be few more romantic places to learn to ride than Masseria Torre Coccaro, a white-washed 16th-century small luxury hotel located in Italy's beautiful region of Puglia. Set in an expansive olive grove, with views to the Mediterranean Sea, the hotel's lovely riding center has a small stable of Murgese and Sauro horses, certified instructors who can teach all levels from beginner to advanced, a couple of ponies for younger children, and a selection of boots, caps and other riding gear. Once you're up and comfortable in the saddle, the instructors take guests on fabulous rides in the surrounding countryside, through olive groves dating back more than a thousand years, across rolling farmlands, and along almost deserted beaches. The riding center also has some historic carriages which you can take out for a leisurely picnic for two or with the kids. The boutique hotel is an eclectic mix of historic charm and rustic chic with 37 farmhouse-style guest rooms and suites decorated with white-painted limestone walls, arched ceilings, hand-painted furniture and antiques. There's also a pool, spa, health club, and beach access and the Masseria's organic farm produces an array of fresh fruit and vegetables for the dining room and cooking school. Closest airports are Brindisi and Bari.

The majestic Lusitano horse and classic art of dressage reign supreme at Morgado Lusitano, arguably the best and most beautiful equestrian center in Portugal. Expert horsemanship is woven into the fabric of Portuguese culture, and nowhere is it more apparent—or celebrated—than at this delightful ranch and riding school, located just outside Lisbon. Two of Portugal's top riding instructors, Rodrigo Matos and Charlotte Wittbom, offer lessons for all ages and skill levels with a stable of nearly 35 Lusitano stallions and programs lasting three or seven days. Each day includes a morning and afternoon lesson to learn the finer points of dressage—counter canter, halfpass, piaffe, pirouette, flying lead and tempi changes, passage and Spanish walk—as well as other disciplines. (Note: the Morgado riding style is English tack, so if you ride only Western tack, you should consider lessons at your local center prior to arrival; you can also opt for only one lesson a day and observe the other or simply relax). While the equestrian center takes only six riders at any one time, Morgado has room for 16 guests in eight delightful cottages—all recently renovated to a high standard and scattered around the estate's main house, the 18th-century Quinta de Portella. With a 180-degree view of the Rio Tejo, the family-style homestead is the social hub where guests dine on traditional Portuguese meals and local wines, and can enjoy a heart-starter morning coffee and a reviving post-ride beer. The cottages are close enough to all the estate's activities but far enough to be peaceful and relaxing. Morgado's riding programs are all-inclusive of accommodation, lessons and meals.

If you want to get some riding in on your next trip to Punta del Este, head out to Haras Godiva in Jose Ignacio—the Montauk of Punta—a less developed, more natural region of the extended resort area, with wide open spaces and lovely beaches. The small riding center was opened in 2005 by its Austrian owner Carolin Mallmann—who happens to be a cousin of one of Uruguay's most famous chefs, Francis Mallmann, who himself has a restaurant and hotel in nearby Garzon. Carolin's wonderful horse ranch offers the chance to learn to ride in a spectacular coastal setting. The riding school provides group or private tuition for all levels and experience, with a stable of well-trained horses, eight fresh-grass paddocks, and a Chivas bar and riding shop located beside the stalls. Once you're in the saddle, you can head off on an array of riding trails along the beach to the upscale resort town of Jose Ignacio, across country to Laguna Garzon, or a memorable night ride to watch the moon rising over the sea, followed by drinks and a barbeque by a campfire. The horse program is run by Argentinian Leonardo Silbert, who has extensive guiding experience in Argentina and Patagonia; his daughter Carolina is a professional chef and serves up gourmet snacks in the Chivas bar. There's no accommodation, but there are several fine boutique hotels nearby, such as the very stylish Casa Suaya, close to Jose Ignacio. NB: You must rent a car to get around everywhere in Punta.

Good horsemanship lies at the heart of Middle Eastern tradition and culture, so it's no surprise to find a top-flight equestrian center in Dubai. Located about 10 miles from the International Airport, in the less developed Nad Al Shiba area of the city, the Emirates Equestrian Center has helped kick-start the riding careers of many Emiratis and expats. Established in 1983, the center has the approval of the British Horse Society and has a team of instructors qualified to teach all levels from beginner to advanced. The 80-acre center stables around 200 horses, has a dozen arenas, a cross-country course with 21 fences, and various trail rides. The season runs from September to June with a program of scheduled and tailor-made courses, clinics and lessons as well as a busy calendar of tournaments and events. There's no upscale accommodation close to the center, but no shortage in other areas of the city—we love One&Only Royal Mirage near Jumeirah.

With 45 holes on four championship courses, Grand Cypress is one of the top golf resorts in the United States, but it's also home to a fine equestrian center where you can learn to ride Florida-style. Set in 1,500 acres of private grounds in the Lake Buena Vista area of Orlando—close to Disney World—Grand Cypress is an accredited British Horse Society training school providing expert English-style instruction, Western trail rides, shows, gala events, and summer horse camps for all standards and experience that make for a terrific family vacation with a difference. With a 44-stall stable, indoor and outdoor jumping and dressage arenas, grass and sand paddocks, washing and grooming stalls, instructors offer everything from private or group lessons and clinics to horse care tuition, leisurely trail rides and more challenging cross-country excursions. Accommodation is in the stylish 146-room Villas of Grand Cypress or the sister-hotel Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.

You're guaranteed to ride high in the saddle at Scotland's iconic Gleneagles Hotel. Its equestrian center was designed by Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Phillips and is an accredited British Horse Society training school. World famous as one of the holy grails of the golfing world, Gleneagles is also home to an outstanding equestrian center, a 50-acre facility featuring two covered and heated arenas, a fenced open exercise and practice arena, two stable yards with 48 horses, and a crack team of instructors teaching all levels of horse riding, carriage driving, cross-country riding, trail riding and dressage. Accommodation is at the 5-star Gleneagles Hotel, with 232 luxury guest rooms and suites, gourmet dining, and fabulous new Spa by ESPA—the perfect retreat after a long day in the saddle. The equestrian center has a busy and varied annual program of scheduled and tailor-made clinics and lessons (courses generally run for five days from Monday to Friday), often with high-profile champions such as Lucinda Green, Jessica Kurten and Emile Faurie. Captain Mark Phillips, former husband of Britain's Princess Royal and father of current world champion eventer Zara Phillips, will hold a five-day clinic from November 14-19, 2008 (all-inclusive packages start from US$3,995). Gleneagles is about an hour from Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Take a picture-perfect, 18th-century water mill, one of Spain's most accomplished riding instructors, a stable of handsome Andalusian thoroughbreds, the breathtaking Castilian countryside, and you have the makings of an equestrian holiday made in horse heaven. Investment banker and former manager of Spain's Olympic Equestrian Team, Salvador Fabregas, offers outstanding residential programs at Molino de la Umbria—his home near the medieval town of Pedraza, about an hour from Madrid—including one-on-one riding lessons each day and the opportunity to take your pure or cross-bred Andalusian mount on a ride through stunning mountain and hilltown scenery. The mill sits on 25 acres of private grounds and the historic building has been carefully restored to be the country-chic private home of Salvador and his wife, Augusta, where they welcome a limited number of guests. They've redone a few charming guest rooms in the main house and there are three more guest rooms in an adjacent cottage, all with exposed wood beams, wrought-iron beds and antiques. Augusta acts as the chef, using fresh-picked ingredients from her vegetable and herb garden, and also offers cooking and Spanish lessons. Friends tell me Salvador is a superb riding instructor for all levels, although most guests at Molino have intermediate or advanced riding skills.

It would be hard to find a more idyllic place for an equestrian vacation than Castle Leslie, one of the most beautiful family-owned castle estates in Ireland. Set in 1,000 acres of rolling countryside, with miles of trails, bridleways and jumps to explore, this lovely retreat welcomes riders of all levels to take part in equestrian programs, from a gentle two-hour hack to week-long residential courses. Tucked behind Castle Leslie's Hunting Lodge, the new Equestrian Center is a state-of-the-art facility located around five courtyards with 56 stables, 30 working horses from ponies to hunters, a mile-long gallop track, indoor arena with cross-country fences as well as a unique “virtual horse” feature for beginners. All of the programs are taught by expert instructors and take full advantage of the private estate's glorious riding trails. A recent upgrade has turned the original castle hotel into a private members' club, while the historic Hunting Lodge has re-opened with 35 guest rooms, a brasserie, bar and spa. Alternatively, you can book one of the estate's pretty self-catering Village Cottages, ideal for families or a group of friends. There's also a fun cooking school. Located in Glaslough, County Monaghan, about 90 minutes from Dublin Airport, Castle Leslie is still owned by the Leslie family which has lived here since the 1600s.