In Chinese astrology, 2026 ushers in the Year of the Fire Horse, a symbol of freedom, passion, and untamed spirit. For those who find their truest selves in the saddle, this feels less like coincidence and more like an invitation. The Fire Horse burns bright, moves fast, and demands landscapes worthy of its energy. With that in mind, we have curated our most inspired equestrian travel recommendations: journeys where the ride is not merely an activity, but the very soul of the experience.
From the volcanic plains of Iceland to the fynbos-covered coastlines of South Africa, from the terracotta hills of Umbria to the wild shores of Sumba, these are the retreats where the horse takes centre stage, and where every detail of the stay rises to meet that promise.
Castello di Reschio, Umbria, Italy
Where the Renaissance meets the ride.
There are equestrian estates, and then there is Reschio. Nestled within a 1,500-hectare private estate in the hills of Umbria, Castello di Reschio is, for many of our most discerning clients, the defining equestrian luxury experience in Europe, perhaps in the world.
The estate’s stables are home to more than 30 horses, and the riding programme has been developed with a seriousness of purpose that matches its beauty. Guests may join guided trail rides across the rolling estate landscape, work with experienced trainers in the arena, or simply spend an unhurried morning grooming and bonding with their horse before the rest of the day begins. The horses themselves are impeccably schooled, as responsive and refined as the architecture that surrounds them.
Accommodation is within the lovingly restored castello itself or in one of the estate’s stone farmhouses, each transformed by Count Benedikt Bolza (architect, aesthete, and custodian of Reschio’s vision) into a private world of antique furniture, handcrafted detail, and absolute stillness. Evenings at La Bandita, the estate’s restaurant, are an exercise in rustic Umbrian excellence.
Best for: Serious riders seeking world-class horsemanship in one of Italy’s most romantic settings.
George Scott Rides, Sierra Morena, Andalusia, Spain
Where old cattle routes lead to the lost corner of Spain.
For the equestrian traveller who wants true immersion, George Scott Rides is something of a revelation. Operating deep in the Sierra Morena, the wild and largely unexplored northern reaches of Andalusia, George Scott leads intimate riding safaris along ancient cattle-driving routes and bridle paths, accompanied by a team of expert local caballeros who know every fold of this storied terrain.
The Sierra Morena is a Spain few visitors ever encounter: dense woodland, sweeping dehesa (meadows), cork oaks, and an almost medieval sense of space. Days are spent in the saddle covering real ground through real countryside, and evenings are spent at a luxurious camp in the heart of it all. It is the kind of travel that feels genuinely adventurous without sacrificing comfort, and it suits the Fire Horse year perfectly. This is riding as it was always meant to be: purposeful, physical, and deeply connected to the land beneath you.
Best for: Experienced riders and adventurous travellers seeking authentic immersion in one of Europe’s most underexplored landscapes.
Airelles Le Grand Contrôle, Versailles, France
Where you can trace royal riding routes.
For those who prefer their equestrian experience to come with a certain theatrical grandeur, there is nowhere quite like Airelles Le Grand Contrôle. Occupying a beautifully restored 17th-century building within the grounds of the Château de Versailles, this is one of the most coveted hotel addresses in France, and the horseback riding experience it offers to guests is unlike anything else in Europe.
Louis XVI was a passionate hunter who rode regularly through the woodlands of Versailles. Marie-Antoinette, famously, refused to ride side-saddle. Equitation was an art form here, a visible expression of aristocratic prestige, and guests of Le Grand Contrôle can follow in those royal footsteps: riding the same hunting paths through the majestic parklands of Versailles, taking in views over the gardens and the Grand Canal that have changed very little in three centuries.
The experience is available exclusively to hotel guests, arranged through the property’s butlers, and it pairs naturally with an evening at the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant or a private visit to the palace itself. In the Year of the Fire Horse, riding through Versailles carries a particular charge: the sense of power, beauty, and history converging in a single morning canter.
Best for: Guests seeking a culturally rich equestrian experience combined with one of France’s most storied hotel stays.
Coworth Park, Ascot, England
Where polo meets the English countryside.
For those crossing the Atlantic with England on the itinerary, Coworth Park is a destination that earns its own flight. The Dorchester Collection’s pastoral retreat, set across 240 acres of Berkshire parkland, is one of England’s most beautifully considered country house hotels, and its equestrian credentials are impeccable. The on-site stables offer everything from private lessons to woodland hacks through the surrounding estate, with experienced instructors on hand for riders of every level.
Come summer, Coworth reveals its most spectacular offering: polo. The hotel’s championship polo grounds are managed by the Guards Polo Club, one of the most renowned clubs in the world, bringing nearly six decades of world-class sport and expertise to the estate. For guests who have always been curious about the game, individual lessons and bespoke polo days are available between April and September, with the remarkable opportunity to play alongside members of the world’s most famous polo club. There are very few places on earth where that experience is possible, let alone paired with a Michelin-starred dinner and a country house bedroom of this calibre.
And for those who time their visit well, Coworth Park sits minutes from Ascot Racecourse, home to Royal Ascot, one of the most celebrated fixtures in the global racing calendar. Hats, horses, and the very best of the English summer, all within reach of the same address.
Best for: Transatlantic travellers, racing enthusiasts, polo newcomers, and anyone seeking a quintessentially English country house experience with genuine equestrian depth.
Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection, Costa Rica
Where the cowboy tradition runs as deep as the roots.
Tucked into the highland mountains of southern Costa Rica, Hacienda AltaGracia was, in its former life, a fully functioning working ranch, and that heritage is written into every corner of the property. Managed today by the Auberge Resorts Collection, the first Auberge resort in Central America, AltaGracia sits on 865 acres of cloud forest and coffee plantation terrain, and it takes the horse seriously in a way that few luxury resorts anywhere in the world can match.
The stables at Los Establos house a remarkable collection of Peruvian, Andalusian, Quarter Horse, and Iberian breeds, noble and gentle in equal measure. Guests can join the daily Vaqueros de la Hacienda trail rides, exploring the property’s forests, pastures, and mountain paths as Costa Rican cowboys have done for generations. The riding ring is the largest in Central America. In the evenings, El Grill hosts traditional horse shows alongside a Costa Rican pig roast, where the gaits of each breed are displayed by firelight and local musicians play alongside.
Laura first visited AltaGracia at its opening and has championed it ever since. Her account captures the property’s spirit with characteristic warmth:
Read Laura’s blog: A Costa Rican Ranch Holiday — Something Special in Perez Zeledon
Best for: Families, couples, and serious equestrians seeking an all-immersive ranch experience in one of Central America’s most under visited regions.
NIHI Sumba, Indonesia
Where horse and rider run free.
On the remote Indonesian island of Sumba, where the land meets the Indian Ocean in a series of dramatic cliffs and untamed beaches, NIHI Sumba has built something entirely its own. Repeatedly named among the world’s greatest hotels, NIHI operates with an almost fierce commitment to its landscape: raw coastline, powerful surf, free-roaming horses.
The Sumba Horses programme here is unlike any other. Guests gallop along the surf’s edge at dawn, this is the kind of ride that exists, truly, nowhere else on earth. The Sumbanese horses are small, sure-footed, and spirited, bred for this terrain over centuries. Riding here requires a willingness to surrender to the moment, to let the horse read the tide and the sand, and to simply feel, which is, of course, exactly the point.
Beyond the stables, NIHI offers an outstanding wellness programme, exceptional cuisine, and a philanthropy model that supports the island’s local community at every turn. The resort’s Nihiwatu Foundation underpins everything from healthcare to education, making a stay here feel genuinely meaningful, not merely indulgent.
Best for: Adventurous spirits and those seeking a ride as a transformational experience, combined with barefoot luxury.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Cape Peninsula, South Africa
Where the fynbos meets the sea, on horseback.
Laura has long championed the Cape Peninsula as one of the world’s most underrated luxury destinations, and Grootbos, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World perched near the southern tip of Africa, remains one of her most treasured personal discoveries. Her full account of the experience is worth reading in its entirety:
Read Laura’s blog: Grootbos — Cape Peninsula Luxury Eco-Reserve
Eighteen expertly trained horses carry guests through the ancient fynbos (the most biodiverse floral kingdom on earth) before descending toward sweeping dunes and the coastline of Walker Bay. The rides are calibrated for every level, from the novice who wants to take a gentle trot through wildflowers, to the experienced rider who wishes to canter down to the sea with salt on their face and an entire ocean before them.
For those seeking a Cape Peninsula experience that combines riding with the full sweep of South Africa’s natural offerings: whale watching in season, shark cage diving, wine estate visits, and marine safaris in search of the ‘Marine Big Five’. Grootbos offers a rare completeness. In the Year of the Fire Horse, there is something particularly apt about riding through one of the world’s oldest landscapes toward the meeting of two oceans.
Best for: Multi-generational groups, active travellers, and those weaving the Cape Peninsula into a broader South Africa journey.
Skeiðvellir Horse Farm & Skalakot Manor, Iceland
Where the Viking horse carries you across fire and ice.
If any destination was made for the Year of the Fire Horse, it is Iceland. A land of active volcanoes, geothermal springs, and glaciers calving into black-sand seas, Iceland has been shaped by elemental force, and so have its horses. The Icelandic horse is one of the purest and most distinctive breeds in the world, isolated for over a thousand years, bred for endurance across lava fields and mountain passes, and possessed of a unique fifth gait, the smooth, gliding tölt, that makes riding here feel almost otherworldly.
Laura’s experience of Iceland beautifully captures this spirit:
Read Laura’s blog: Iceland — The Land of Fire and Ice
For the equestrian traveller, we recommend pairing a visit to Skeiðvellir, a family-run horse breeding and training farm home to around 100 award-winning Icelandic horses, with a stay at Skalakot Manor, the charming South Iceland country hotel from which Northern Lights viewings and trail rides are equally within reach. Skeiðvellir offers everything from introductory sessions to full-day excursions for experienced riders, led by the farm’s knowledgeable owners who speak of their horses’ bloodlines and global accolades with deep pride.
Best for: Riders seeking a rare breed experience, and those who want nature’s most commanding stage as their backdrop.
A Note from Laura
The horse has always been a symbol of journeys that matter: journeys of discovery, of courage, of connection with something larger than ourselves. May the Year of the Fire Horse encourage you to try something new and ride with the wind!
Each of the retreats above has been personally researched and experienced. We curate these recommendations not as a list but as a conversation, one we would love to continue with you.
Whether you are a lifelong equestrian/equestrienne or someone simply drawn to the idea of a morning ride through remarkable landscape, we are here to design an experience that is entirely and uniquely yours.
For an expertly guided travel experience, Resort to Laura Madrid offers full-service itinerary planning for a select group of clients. We keep our client list intentionally small to ensure every journey receives the care and attention it deserves. Please click here for more information.
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