Horse riding for Children and teens in Aix en provence
May 7th, 2009
Here’s my limited experience with horseback riding establishments near Aix en provence, notably North of Aix:
- Les Pinchinats:
in les Platanes, 10 minutes from Aix. 1811 Route Pinchinats 13100 Aix En Provence
Téléphone : 04 42 23 26 97 - For a laid back, slightly unkept riding experience, but a lot of cautions is taken with the children, at least the beginners. For the more advanced, caution is still the rule but the teacher-owner has a taste for shouting and bad words… As we say : ‘ Au Pinchinats ça sent le caca – mais on aime ça!’. I’ll let you translate…
– > So a good place to start I’d say.
- Domaine de la Garde – Eguilles
I haven’t found a specific address for them. They’re not far from the Set Club, but on Route de Berre, on the left after the big Bovero store. Turn let onto a tree lined dirt road. Its at the end. - The Domaine de la Garde has just changed management in 2009, for the best. Its also planned to be completely renovated during the summer of 2009. The young woman who manages it now is great, cautious, attentionate. They’re not equipped yet with any leaflets and to reach them the best thing is to call Severine’s cell phone, which I can provide if you comment on this post.
– > My favorite so far. Its a club good for all levels, with a true interest in teaching, unlike the one below, where horses are given more consideration than students…
- Les Ecuries de venelles: In a very different style, set more north of Les Pinchinats, between Venelles and St Cannat, are les Ecuries de Venelles. Once you’ve managed the terrible, pothole-filled dirt road that constitutes the last 1.5 kilometers to reach it, the setting is gorgeous. Its a wide open space with horses quietly eating or running in the grass fields. The stables are spotless. But the feel is not as warm as Les Pinchinats. Its more competitive in a way and more pricy than les Pinchinats.
– > I’ve heard a few stories of children falling unnecessarily, because of the carelessness and irresponsable attitude of some of the teachers there. My own child fell quite hard when a teacher had her galop outside, on a horse ( she’s been on poneys before), and asked her to jump over a branch and then magically stop her horse, I stopped going there.
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