Trail Riding The Dingle Peninsula

To follow are examples of daily trails; the groups are kept small – no more than 6 people; On the five day trail you will cover all example routes, with shorter holidays routes will be chosen that best suit the tides and weather on the day. Most rides take approximately 5 hours, stopping for a break half way and a good breakfast is imperative.

Example 1.
From base we trace the coastline overlooking Dingle Harbour, following the stony beach at Burnham, before veering inland, following part of the Pilgrim’s Route through the bohareen at Cathair bó Sine overlooking Lord Ventry's Estate. From the harbour village of Ventry we head for a gallop on the beach before a stop in Páidi O'Sé's Pub. Afterwards we return along the strand for a canter before making our way home through the beautiful countryside of the West Kerry Gaeltacht.

Example 2.
Today we head to the most westerly mainland point in Europe. Leaving the stables we ford the river at Milltown and cross the hills, heading towards Smerwick Harbour (the sight of much of the filming for Ryan’s Daughter). Here we have our first gallop of the day on Muiríoch beach with fantastic views of the Three Sisters. From here we head towards the village of Ballyferriter for a stop before making our way home, pausing on the way to visit the ancient Gallarus Oratory (a 12th Century church).

Example 3
This morning we head inland across the Brandon
Mountain Range via a section of the Pilgrim’s Route. Mount Brandon is the second
highest peak in Ireland, and as we climb you can see spectacular view of the Dingle peninsula, as far as the Blasket Islands and Skellig Rocks, as well as the Iveragh Peninsula and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The terrain is challenging; at the highest point we cross the pass at 400m, but the horses are surefooted and take it in their stride. We continue down the mountain enjoying the vast panoramic views of
Brandon Bay and its massive beaches. We head towards the quiet villages of Cloghane and Fermoyle before stopping for lunch after which we shall be collected and driven home via the narrow, winding, steep Conor Pass which was carved out of the cliff face during famine times. Today there will be a fair amount of trotting but the steep climb up and down means this ride is at a slower pace as the terrain is taxing on both horse and rider.

Example 4
The most beautiful beach riding day: the beaches around Castlegregory were made for horse riding. We spend the
day cantering along many miles of unbroken (and largely deserted) wide sandy beach, stopping for lunch en route at a local pub. In the afternoon there will be more beach riding before we cross back over to the southern side of the Peninsula from Camp to Inch, passing through Gleann Na Gealt (the Valley of the Mad). Today we shall have covered many miles at a fast pace and both horse and rider will deserve a well-earned rest.

Example 5
This morning we set off with a gallop on Inch beach, made famous by it’s part in the film Ryan’s Daughter, Inch is a world renowned beach that attracts all types of water sports, surfing, snorkelling, fishing, gliding and of course horse riding. We continue up through quiet lanes and bohareens, enjoying spectacular views of Inch, Dingle Bay and the Ring of Kerry; heading towards Annascaul village for lunch at the South Pole Inn - birthplace of Tom Crean, the Antarctic explorer. The ride home to Dingle Horse Riding via Minard Castle exhibits stunning views of the valleys around Lake Annascaul, carved out by glaciers and giants over millions of years! In a week we will have covered many miles, had some fantastic riding and enjoyed the most spectacular views Ireland has to offer.