HOBBIES : HORSES : Travelers Can Find Ride of Their Lives

It’s an equestrian’s dream: galloping through the countryside as fog rises off the moors, with turrets of a castle looming in the background.

Orange County riders would have to travel far to have such an experience--and some have. Marianne Frank of San Juan Capistrano and her husband, Tom, are gearing up for a wild and woolly ride late this spring in Europe.

The Franks, who own the jumping facility Monarch Crest Farms in Rancho Santa Fe, spend their vacations (how else?) riding horses. Veterans of several overseas riding excursions, their favorite trips have been arranged through FITS Equestrian.

Among the Franks’ favorite rides was an eight-day excursion to Ireland at the legendary Greystones Equestrian Center near Dublin. Vacationers spend four or five hours a day riding well-trained Irish hunters across meadows, along winding wooded trails or, for the more accomplished, more than 25 miles of cross-country jumping courses.

After a long day of riding, vacationers enjoy a hearty European meal and lounge about the environs of Castle Leslie; their rooms are nearby in a large, Gothic-style hunting lodge. Some linger about the fireplace and nurse their tired muscles, while the hardier trek to a favorite pub in the village and mix with the locals.

With excursions to more than two dozen foreign countries and domestic riding trips from New England to Alaska, FITS offers outings for riders of varying abilities. Most participants are age 25 to 60; all must be solid riders.

“But you don’t have to be an expert or know how to jump,” said Peggy Hallauer, who has owned the equestrian travel agency for 10 years.

The only requirements are that a rider be able to handle a horse at all gaits (walk, trot, canter and gallop), be able to ride on all types of terrain and be able to sit in the saddle for up to six hours a day. Some newer programs this season are geared toward the novice rider.

Although Ireland and France are among the most popular destinations, Hallauer is especially fond of the trip to Exmoor in southwest England, which is known as the “riding playground” of England.

“There is a lot of good, fast riding, and the terrain changes constantly,” she said. “You go from open moors to green meadows to riverbanks. It’s breathtaking.”

Prices for the trips vary with location and length of stay. An eight-day Mexican ride at Rancho Esperanza starts at $800, while a 16-day horseback safari through Kenya costs close to $4,000 per person, double occupancy. Prices include meals and lodging, but not air fare.

All the riding tours have been sampled by Hallauer or a member of her staff. The agency focuses on matching riders with trips. “Before we book a trip, we ask clients about their riding ability, their likes and dislikes. The ‘right’ trip depends on whether you like to rough it or have luxury accommodations, whether you prefer gourmet food or campfire cooking, whether you want to learn the history of the country or learn to ride better.”

Riding lessons are offered at some locations, such as Castle Sindlingen on the German-Swiss border. The “saints and warriors” ride in Italy is led by Marco Tanganelli, an art historian who offers humorous glimpses at Italian art, ruins and culture while hacking through Tuscany. “If you want to meet the locals and go to places tourists would never find, this is the ride for you,” Hallauer said.

For more information about the riding trips, contact FITS Equestrian at 685 Lateen Road, Solvang, Calif., 93463, or call (800) 666-FITS or (805) 688-9494.