Les Juliannes

The timeless Tarn on horseback

• riding for all levels & abilities • normally suitable for children aged 10 or older •
• shared outdoor pool • plenty for non-riders to do • 7 nights' dinner, B&B •

Horse riding for all the family at Les Juliannes

With great-value riding to suit all abilities, Les Juliannes has received excellent feedback over the years. Whether you are still a beginner or have been riding for several years, you will enjoy a relaxing, fun holiday here, mixing riding with sightseeing and sunbathing. The sunny climate makes for a long season, and the extensive grounds and outdoor pool provide an ideal setting for a memorable family holiday that non-riders will thoroughly enjoy too.

Accommodation

You stay two minutes from the riding centre itself at a 17th-century farmhouse. Nick Hudswell and his French wife, Marie-Christine, are charming hosts, and each evening guests gather with them round the refectory table at 7.30pm (sometimes later) for leisurely, informal dinners of authentic regional cooking during which the conversation tends to be an amusing mix of French, English and the native tongue of any other guests. Throughout the summer, you dine out of doors, from where you can admire the great views as you eat. Wine is included with dinner, and vegetarians do not miss out - Marie-Christine will prepare you tasty meat-free quiches and vegetable stews. For lunch, you can head out in your car to a local restaurant, or ask Marie-Christine to prepare a salad or a sandwich for you (pay locally). Laundry facilities are available.

The pool

The comfortable twin or double bedrooms (with bath/shower) sleep up to three and are decorated in an attractively rustic style. There is a large communal lounge, complete with TV, DVD player, books and board games. Below the farmhouse is an outdoor swimming pool (10 by 5 metres), usually open from June to September. Les Juliannes’ extensive 200-hectare (480-acre) estate provides enough space for children to roam around and for adults to find a quiet corner in which to relax.

Horse riding

The first-rate facilities include indoor and outdoor arenas (both of which are used for local horse-ball competitions), show jumps and cross-country fences. You can choose how much riding you wish to do - included in our arrangements are ten hours of riding, to be taken as ten 1-hour lessons or five 2-hour hacks through the surrounding meadows and woodland, or a combination of the two, but you can also arrange and pay for additional riding once there. On the Sunday after your arrival, one of the qualified, English-speaking instructors, either Fabrice or Gabriel, will discuss your aims with you and help you to decide which sessions and hacks to sign up for (one-to-one lessons are generally not available during school holidays).

The garden, Les Juliannes

Depending on your level of experience (and the schedule drawn up by the instructors for the week), you may decide to start the week with several sessions in the indoor school, building up your confidence for a couple of short hacks in the second half of the week, or you may want to alternate jumping lessons with longer rides out into the countryside. You may also get an opportunity to try horse-ball, a fun form of basketball on horseback. Whatever you decide, the first session is usually in the indoor arena, where your instructor will ask you to demonstrate various skills so that he can assess your level accurately and also ensure that you have been paired with the right mount. At the end of each week guests are encouraged to join the convivial picnic ride, a 4-5 hour hack which includes a lunch break by a lake. This can be taken as part of your week’s riding or as an additional four/five hours.

Please note that, for safety reasons, it is always at the discretion of the on-site instructor as to who can ride and when.

Les Juliannes is home to sixteen or so friendly and well-schooled mounts with excellent temperaments. They range from Shetland ponies (on which parents can walk younger children out using a leading rein) to large horses (the maximum weight limit is 16st/100kg). The smallest pony used in the school is around 14.2 hands high. You are free to visit the horses any time between 9am and 5pm - indeed, it is part of the fun of the holiday to groom and tack up your mount each day, and you will be shown how to do this if need be.

The panoramic view from les Juliannes

The minimum age for lessons or hacking is normally 10 years; younger children who can already ride may be accepted, but please contact us to discuss your requirements. Although the centre does have a limited range of hats that you can borrow, we recommend taking your own so that you can be sure of having one that is a good fit. For any extra items of equipment you may need, there is a well-stocked and good-value tack shop on site.

Other activities

Between lessons you can team back up with any non-riding family members for leisurely time by the pool or in the grounds, or for excursions into the surrounding countryside. There are numerous interesting villages to explore, not least Ambialet, which is built on an oxbow isthmus, and famous, hill-top Cordes with its atmospheric cobbled streets. The small city of Albi is also well worth a visit for its imposing, brick-built cathedral and Toulouse-Lautrec museum. You can also explore on foot. We provide notes for two walks, and Nick will provide you with details of a nature walk too.

Ridges & Rivers (16km, 5.5hrs): this pleasant circular walk explores the hills and valleys south of Villeneuve-sur-Tarn, with a fine section along the crest of a hill that offers views in all directions. You return to the village along the banks of the meandering River Tarn.

Curls of the Tarn (9km, 2.5hrs): a circular route leads westwards from Ambialet, returning along the riverbank. You can combine the walk with a visit to the village's 11th-century priory.

Prices & travel 2009 :

We are currently updating our prices - please call for details.

Ride price includes: 7 days' category D hire car (e.g. Peugeot 407)
Self-drive includes: P&O Ferries Dover-Calais return Channel crossing for your party and one car Driving time from Calais: 10h
Recommended airport: Toulouse
Driving time from airport: 1h45
Book your flights through us and we’ll find the best route and times to suit you
Start: Saturday

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