Equestrian

Horse-lover Jenny Biver gives the lowdown on riding schools, pony clubs, taking a pension, and where to get tack or clothing

What better way to enjoy Luxembourg’s beautiful landscape than from the horseback?

Whether you are looking to get back in the saddle or discover a new passion, there are many ways to participate in the equestrian community in the Grand Duchy. Here’s a selection of riding schools and stables, tips on how to lease a horse at a pension and where to get your tack and clothing.

Riding schools & pony clubs

The cost of riding lessons varies between stables and type of lesson but lies around 20-40EUR for half hour and 30-70EUR for one hour lessons. Beginner lessons are typically offered in the lunge or in group settings, however private lessons are often offered upon request. Schools provide horses and ponies including tack, incorporated in the price.

With around 120 stalls, the Centre Equestre Kandel Frères in Strassen is one of the biggest stables in the country, established in 1980. It attracts many young riders from the age of 8 years who are guided in their learning of everything from the basics to their first competitions. Several riding instructors give lessons in Luxembourgish, German, French and English. Next to the riding school, they also accommodate regular private riders who can board horses at the large facilities.

61 Chau. Blanche, 8014 Strassen, Luxembourg

Baybees Riding School is an international riding school in Canach run by a British expat. Baybees provides a fun and safe learning environment for adults and children from the age of 2 years, who want to learn about the world of horses as well as how to ride. They organize multiple events throughout the year, such as sleepover pony camps, forest rides and birthday parties, and accommodate corporate events upon request.

Rue Hiel, 5415 Lenningen, Luxembourg

Surrounded by lush nature and forests, Equinox in Lintgen is part private stable and part pony club. They offer riding lessons in multiple languages for beginners through to more experienced riders from the age of 5, as well as pony club activities and games during the holidays.

201 Rte de Fischbach, 7447 Lintgen, Luxembourg

Bricher Päerdsstall is an educational family farm where the core philosophy is learning centred around horses and other animals. They offer regular riding lessons and lunge sessions for kids and adults from the age of 4, as well as birthday parties with a farm theme. They also provide remedial riding and animal-assisted therapy for children and adults with special needs, such as autism, ADHD or movement disorders. These sessions are offered in individual and group lessons where, on a guided horse, the rider can follow the relaxing and stimulating rhythm of the animal’s movements and carry out gymnastic exercises in a safe environment. Equine therapy has proven to be effective in creating an emotional and healing bond and can help with both physical and emotional healing and building confidence.

15 Am Zeep, 7415 Helperknapp, Luxembourg

If you are looking for something with a little more speed, check out Roude Léiw Polo Club. They regularly organize Polo Cups that are open to the public, but you can also try out polo with one of their trainers or join the club and rent a polo pony to join the trainings regularly.

Rue des Celtes, 1318 Luxembourg

Cowboy for a day

Looking to enjoy just a couple of relaxing hours in the saddle? Head up to camping & Bio Farm Toodlermillen in the heart of the Luxembourgish Ardennes, where you can go on a guided trek with Icelandic horses across the Upper Sûre valleys. This experience is offered to adult riders with experience only, but kids can also enjoy time with four legged friends, cleaning, combing, and patting the farm’s ponies. In addition, Toodlermillen is also a horse trekking station, offering a place to sleep for horse and rider who are hiking longer distances.

1 Toodlermillen, 9181 Géisdref, Luxembourg

There are numerous local riding schools and places where you can enjoy some mindfulness with horses. Check out the FLSE website for more information.

Leasing a horse

In some stables you can take a school horse in pension, but the most common is to lease from a private person. To do this, it is best to contact the stable you are interested in to let them know you are looking for a lease and they can help you get the word out. Like most things in Luxembourg, the equestrian community is quite small with an everyone-knows-everyone atmosphere. Once you talk to a few people about wanting to lease a horse, there is usually someone who knows someone, especially through Facebook communities.

The cost of leasing varies and depends on how many days you are willing to take on and is an agreement between you and the owner of the horse. In some cases, you can help out with stable chores in exchange for riding, but it is usually appreciated if you can contribute to covering costs. The most common is a demi-pension, where you take responsibility for a horse 3-4 days a week, or a quarter-pension where you take on 1-2 days a week.

Online communities

Flourmaart fir Reider and Verkaaf vun Reitartikelen are the biggest equestrian Facebook communities where you can buy and sell second-hand clothing and tack, look for pensions, find the occasional horse for sale or ask for recommendations on vets or farriers.

Where to get your riding equipment and tack

If you can’t find what you are looking for second-hand, there are a couple of options to get you outfitted. Equiva Mersch has everything for horse and rider and any additional supplies for the stable. Citabel Golf & Horse in Howald has a curated selection of exclusive equestrian brands and the Gardencenter+ next to Cloche d’Or has quite a large selection of necessities for both horse and rider. Basic clothing and tack can also be found at Decathlon. 

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