Le Cheval Autrement

The setting is lovely and the staff are very friendly, though their English is rather limited. The riding feels down to earth and hands-on, not like the usual riding experience. There are different animals to look at while you wait for the kids to come back from their ride.

Really enjoyed the show!

The horses were lovely and well trained, so I had no complaints about them. The instructor gave us the basic directions before we set off, but then barely spoke or explained anything during the ride. When we asked questions, her replies could be curt, and we got the feeling we were bothering her or asking something obvious. That made us uncomfortable and put us off asking more. It's a shame, because a ride should come with at least some friendliness and shared enthusiasm, rather than feeling like an assembly-line service.

The trail was beautiful and varied, the horses were endearing, and we were well supervised. The spacing between horses was explained clearly too. But the instructor was impatient with the people in the group who were scared, which is normal on a beginner ride. Instead of reassuring them, she hurried them along. One frightened little boy didn't even dare get on his horse because she was impatient and didn't seem to have the teaching skills for it. The horses were nervous, apparently because of the instructor's behavior, and didn't seem suited to beginners in those conditions. Mixed experience.