I would want to go on an African safari and see the wild animals that I love?especially lions!
Meghan Katherine Cline, Massachusetts
I’d definitely go to the 2012 Olympics! I’ve always wanted to attend the Olympic Equestrian Games and see my idols compete. It’d be just absolutely amazing to be in a place with so many incredibly talented horse people! That’s more of a chance of a lifetime than a vacation, but I can’t pick anything else.
Kaitlynn Wallace, via Facebook
Ireland, hands down.
Joyce Harrison, Ohio
I would love to go to Ireland or follow in my trainer’s footsteps and travel Europe to continue my riding education and learn EVERYTHING there is to know about horses!
Lisa Ryan, New Jersey
I would love to ride in Ireland. I’ve never been, but the scenery is amazing and the equestrian culture is even better than it is here in Virginia.
Lindsay Berreth, Virginia
I would go to England and ride. I would go on trail rides in the countryside because the saddles fit the horses, they have good tack, and the horses are nice and are local to the area: Highland “pony” in Scotland, Dartmoor pony when riding on Dartmoor. I would take lessons from John Lassetter and Jennie Loriston- Clarke because they offer everything a person could ask for in a lesson. Their schoolmasters are fantastic. At Jennie Loriston-Clarke’s I rode Catherston Dazzler. Yes, the top sire of eventing horses in the world (at the time of my lesson) and Jennie’s ex- Grand Prix horse. And I rode a piaffe that was show quality. I was so excited! I never hoped to ever ride a piaffe in my life and I did it! Amazing! After seeing in the mirror that was show quality (not just a shuffling of feet) and not what you see now that passes as piaffe, but the true, piaffe. I am still excited about it.
Also, another reason for riding with Jennie Loriston-Clark and John Lassetter is that I will be riding the “correct” classical dressage… not what passes for dressage that is seen in the ring now. Not only were the lessons fantastic, they were reasonable… if you think $100 (40 pounds) reasonable to ride with people that have top credentials (Spanish Riding School, Saumer, gold in dressage, etc.) and on top of that they were really nice people. The people in the yard were really nice. And I won’t talk about the countryside. Huge old trees, history everywhere, grass, good footing. Ok, so I have had my ideal riding holiday… I would do it again tomorrow. Trail riding and dressage lessons in England, that is my ideal riding holiday.
Barbara Kinsey, British Columbia
My dream has always been to go to all three Triple Crown races in one year. It would be perfect if there were a Triple Crown winner, too!
Jaye Fisher, Alberta
Through the highlands of Scotland!
Linda Frost Alvey, Ohio
I would love to trade my California for a riding adventure in Spain or Portugal. I love those Baroque horses!
Liv Gude, California
Riding a beautiful Spanish horse on the beach in Andalusia.
Edee Weigel, Montana
We’d take our horses to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and camp with them along the trail.
Renelle Devenport Cadena, Texas
I’d love to take a riding vacation in Canada for 5-7 days and ride through the mountains!
Madelynn E. Hamilton, California
I would choose Ireland. It is one of the big horse countries in the world, and I would love taking a trail ride to see the castles, beaches and wild ponies.
Dee Sousa, Illinois
I had the opportunity to visit the Cadre Noir in Saumur, France, but at the time, I did not fully appreciate its significance. I would love to return to visit and ride there and through the French countryside. I’ve always loved that Cadre Noir includes Thoroughbreds among their horses, performing high-level dressage and other pursuits.
Laury Marshall Parramore, Maryland
Read more answers to this question in the February 2012 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.