ABOUT THE RIDING

Style of Riding: Classical English.

Type of Riding: Centre based. Morning or afternoon trail rides and equestrian lessons.

Type of Tack: English, although one can also try the traditional Portuguese bullfighting saddle.

Hours in the Saddle: 3-4 hours daily (stopping for a siesta midday). There will normally be 2 x 60-minute flatwork lessons, which mainly concentrates on outline, transitions, lateral movement and flying changes (depending on your ability). There will also be a one or two hours trail riding, although the duration of the trail ride will depend on the route chosen. Additional lessons can be booked at a supplementary cost (payable locally), and lessons can also be upgraded to private lessons for a supplement.

Riding Ability Required: Beginner upwards.

Maximum Weight: 95kgs (15st)

Number of Guides per Ride: 1 or 2 per group. On trail rides there is normally 1 guide per 3 guests.

Your instructors: Miguel Magalhaes (2007 Vice-Champion of Portugal) and David Alves. Miguel is an extraordinary dressage rider, who has obtained excellent classifications in dressage competitions from Young Horses to Grand Prix. He has trained with several internationally renowned riders, such as Georg Heyser and Heike Kemmer and has numerous victories in national and international dressage competitions.

Minimum/Maximum number of riders in group: 1/6

Looking after the horse: Guests are not required to groom or tack up their horses but are more than welcome to assist.

ABOUT THE HORSES

Hippikos have 25 horses including a number of Lusitanos as well as some Hanovarians, Holsteiners, Oldenburgs, Bradenburgers and Selle Francais. In addition they have 2 ponies for inexperienced children. They are all skilfully trained horses that can do flying changes, tempi changes, Spanish walk, lateral work, extended trot, half pass, and work on the long lines.

Subject to your ability, you can also have the chance to ride the competition horses like the amazing "Donatello" and the magnificent "Luderitz" (the first horse in the history of Portuguese Dressage that competed for Portugal in a European Championship Final - Junior's European Championship Final in Nussloch, Germany in 2007).

The Lusitano horse originated in the hilly and rough areas of the Iberian peninsula. The mountainous terrain moulded him into an agile horse, able to leap and keep his footing like a mountain goat. He had to learn not to panic - no use running blindly over a 1000 foot drop! He also had to be hardy, to survive the extremes of weather and the rough surroundings.

Man noticed these characteristics and began to prize him as a war horse. He could out-manoeuvre the opposition and could be relied upon to keep his head. The mountain horse was refined into an animal that could anticipate his rider's wishes and, crucially, keep his rider as far as possible out of danger, whilst exposing himself to the risks of battle. He was used as a dignified and responsive mount upon which courtiers refined their equestrian skills in the movements of the High School.

The Lusitano fell somewhat from favour when cross-country pursuits became popular in the nineteenth century. He was used less as a war-horse as battle tactics turned to flat out charges rather than tricky close contact warfare. Instead, he became deployed as a mount in the bullfight - a stylised form of battle, still requiring the same characteristics of bravery, intelligence and agility from the horse. Accordingly, he has continued to be selected for these qualities until the present day.