French horse riding holidays in southern France

On the horse riding holidays here, we generally ride in the mornings, so you can enjoy a delicious, substantial lunch. Afterwards, you can either snooze in the gardens - or by the swimming pool - and help yourself to unlimited refreshments. Or you can arrange extra riding, explore this fabulous area of southern France with its many sights, attractions and activities, or - take a relaxing massage which as it proved so popular last year will continue to be available.

Riding holidays in the south of France, lunch at the Château is either al fresco in the delightful gardens, or in the majestic vaulted dining room. On one day - usually Thursday - you will ride out as usual in the morning returning to the Château in time for a quick change before going to a favourite lunchtime restaurant of ours where you will be offered a selection of excellent regional food as approved by Jamie Oliver during his visit to this area when he cooked alongside Monique (the owner) who told us that she didn't know who he was at the time but thought he was "a very nice boy!

Our feeling is that relaxing is as important as riding, so although you'll need to be fit enough for a few good hours in the saddle, you'll also have plenty of time to enjoy all the other aspects of your holiday too!

On that note, you can be as formal or informal as you like on French riding holidays in this part of southern France. This is your holiday and the choice is yours!

Whilst relaxing in and around the Château you are welcome to help yourselves to refreshments at any time - tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer and fresh fruit are always available.

Although the main activity here is horse riding, there are also numerous other activities and many places of interest to visit in the area for the non-riders - all of which we are happy to tell you about, or help you to organise - not least being the excellent fishing nearby.

Please take time to browse around our site, and should you have any queries don't hesitate to contact us. We very much look forward to welcoming you to Château de Laumière!

The option that most people favour (and the one that we recommend) is to ride in the morning and relax in the afternoon after a sumptuous lunch with a little of the local wine. This said, it's your holiday and ultimately your choice and by arriving at this site you have found the perfect setting for horse riding Southern France.

If you have any questions about either the riding or the accommodation please don't hesitate to contact us.

Believe it or not France is the most visited destination in the world by tourists from all four corners of the globe. From the rolling British style countryside of the North to the sun baked beaches of the South this country is often and quite rightly described as God's country. There aren't many people fortunate enough to live in a Château and offer horse riding holidays France as an option, we consider ourselves very lucky and would like to offer you the opportunity to experience the same sort of lifestyle, albeit for a shorter period of time. If you have the time and energy after your horse riding France there are a wealth of other activities within easy reach in which you can indulge to your hearts content, these include but are not limited to: Walking, cycling, canoeing, fishing, golf and for the more adventurous potholing, hot air ballooning and even hang-gliding! In a nutshell there are enough options available to keep you occupied for a lifetime never mind a week or two. To find out about the availability of the additional activities please drop us a line and we will inform you as to the availability for your chosen dates.

The region where our Château is located is steeped in history and some of the major sites are easily accessible when you book a horse riding in France experience with us. This region has been the subject of various wars (usually with the British!) over the centuries and was originally part of Aquitaine. The Bastide at Carcassonne is testament to these wars and when visiting this enchanting area you can almost feel yourself being transported back in time. The unspoilt countryside and relative lack of any modern developments make this a premier destination for horse riding France, there is simply no other place that can compare with the majestic beauty that comes as standard in this part of the world.

Horse riding holidays in France are our speciality and your hosts' expertise in regard to all things equine will become clear to you as soon as you arrive. Our horses are well cared for and not simple Château facilities, they are essentially an extended part of our family and each one has its own very individual personality. Taking into account your existing horse riding in France experience you will be assigned a horse that fits both your own ability and level of experience. If you have limited experience in regard to horse riding we are also able to provide you with the necessary instruction to get you up in the saddle and acquainted with your steed. First time riders or people who ride periodically do find the horse a little uncomfortable at first as you find and use muscles that you never knew you had! Free yourself from the daily 9 to 5 grind and enjoy the great outdoors on horseback, environmentally friendly and hugely enjoyable, what more could you possibly ask of a horse riding South France holiday?

Getting to the horse riding holidays in France Château is simplicity itself and our website is a useful resource regardless of how you want to join us. The area is served by a number of regional airports including Rodez, Toulouse and Bergerac all of which are serviced by budget flights originating in the UK. For the more adventurous it is also easy to drive straight from the ports of Calais, Cherbourg and Dieppe and should take between 8 and 10 hours, an overnight stop en route may be advisable. (You want to save enough energy for your horse riding France!) If traveling by train the nearest mainline station to us is Cahors, a mere 40 minutes away, for details regarding the availability of airport/train station pick ups please contact us. You've got your dates sorted, you know where we are, what are you waiting for? Get on the phone today and take the first steps in attaining that dream horse riding holidays France experience. If you should notice anything amiss with our website please contact us, your observations and feedback are much appreciated.

If you want to get more out of your annual holiday rather than the usual fare on offer you could do a lot worse than bookmark this page. The Château and the French horse riding holidays in southern France that are available here mean that we offer not just our business but our passion. We are committed to providing you with the best possible horse riding holidays in France in combination with other activities and attractions that this wonderful region can offer. Horse riding France is our speciality so you can be assured of receiving the best possible instruction and guidance, we do not run this part of our enterprise in conjunction with anything else and as a result can focus all our efforts on ensuring that you have a holiday to remember for all the right reasons. Our main aim is to relax and rejuvenate you in order for you to feel like you've really had a break. It's your holiday so please feel free to suggest anything else you think of at the time of booking and we will endeavour to provide you with something to suit your requirements. Château de Laumière, giving you so much more than French horse riding holidays in southern France.

In 2002, they decided that a complete lifestyle change was needed and the decision was made to move to France permanently. At first, Lynda’s daughter Tanya was not immediately convinced that she needed a lifestyle change, but she decided to accompany Chris & Lynda on their exploratory visit and - as we hope you will - she fell in love with Laumière on first sight (or to be honest, the stable set-up, complete with mucking out machine!). The fact that the Château came with them was a bonus!!

Falling in love with the Château was the easy part – then followed the rather painful experience of completing the purchase, but this was decidedly easier than transporting horses, family, belongings and five dogs to the South of France in November 2002! Once settled, the fun was able to begin – setting up equestrian riding holidays in the south of France at Laumière! Your hosts, Lynda and Chris, with their passion for the Château, the regional cuisine and lovely local wines, ensure you’ll enjoy a warm welcome and a wonderful holiday. And Tanya takes care of your horse riding.