A timeless land of wild beauty. Famous for its spectacular scenery. This is a region of contrasting landscapes. Dramatic mountains, silent lakes, rust coloured bogs. The countless colours of the landscape change constantly beneath the shifting sky. It is a wilderness of extraordinary beauty, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The Connemara and Coast Trails bring riders right into the hidden heart of this landscape.
Your adventure through Connemara will be guided by Willie Leahy, quintessential Irish horsemen. Willie Leahy was the first man to lead a vacation trail ride, anywhere in the world. Willie is the largest breeder of Connemara ponies in the world and is also the Field Master of the famous Galway Blazers Hunt. For over 30 years the Leahy family have enjoyed introducing visitors to this very special part of Ireland. Their friendly care ensures that every rider goes home with special memories of a wonderful holiday

The Horses:
Experienced or novice riders alike can enjoy this holiday. Riders spend four to six hours a day on well-mannered, surefooted Irish hunters and Connemara ponies. Your mount for the week is selected with a caring and experienced eye to ensure that equine and rider are well matched.

Connemara Trail:
Willie Leahy, quintessential Irish horsemen, guide the Trail ride through the Highland of Connemara to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Connemara Trail began over 33 years ago.
It is the oldest trail ride in the world.The trail crosses the most wild and beautiful scenery that Ireland has to offer.
Riding is available from May to October.
Riders are in the saddle for four to six hours per day.
Experienced or novice riders alike can enjoy this guided Trail Ride.

Connemara Coast Trail:
Willie Leahy, quintessential Irish horsemen, guide the Trail Ride along the Connemara Coast from Clifden to the aerea near Galway.
The Coast Trail began over 20 years ago to compliment the Connemara Trail.
The trail rides through the most wild and beautiful scenery that Ireland has to offer.

"Connemara has always been a wild place, too barren and bog-ridden for agriculture but good for ponies, sheep, fishermen and ghosts. Men earn their living by fishing and gathering seaweed and by breeding horses. The annual Connemara Horse Show in Clifden is world famous. You'll hear Gaelic, the native Irish language, spoken here more than anywhere else in Ireland.
The people of this rugged coast have an aura of toughness about them." (by Viginia Westbury)

Aille Cross Country Trail:
Ireland's winter climate is idealy suited for cross country riding.
The Aille Cross Cross-Country Ride provides cross country jumping and trail riding at a pace that can be varied to suit riders of different abilities.
The ride will take you cross country from one farm to another , and at each farm, if you wish, there will be opportunities to jump a variety of very varied cross-country courses.

Foxhunting:
Ireland is known the world over for its hunting.Aille Cross is in the Galway Blazers country. This is ideal hunting country, open, level going divided by the stone walls for which the hunt is so famous.
The Irish hunting horse is as unique as the country itself.
We pride ourselves on being able to match your ability to one of our horses to ensure that your hunting holiday is the experience of a lifetime.
Aille Cross offers riders, experienced or novice, the opportunity to hunt in the Galway countryside. Willie Leahy, your host at Aille Cross, is the Fieldmaster of the Galway Blazers Hunt.
Riders should be secure at all paces and over fences. However, unlike many other hunting holidays, riders have a chance to get to know their hunters and the country beforehand. The package includes six days of riding with one to three days hunting.

Guided Connemara Walking Trail - Hiking Connemara:
The Connemara Walking Trail offers a unique opportunity to explore the landscape of this spectacular area in a beautiful tract of private land filled with history and spectacular views that will delight the walker. The Connemara Walking Trail is for those who savour isolation and want to get away from well-trodden footpaths. Although we are alone in the mountains the remains of a long forgotten human presence is in evidence for us to explore and marvel at. The long hard walk to the uppermost reaches of the trail is rewarded by the most awe-inspiring views. At the top, the sea can be seen both to the west and to the east and in the distance the famous Connemara mountain range, The Twelve Bens brood over a landscape that seems to go on forever.

Aille Cross Equestrian Centre
Connemara Trails
Loughrea, Co. Galway
Ireland

Enquiries - Reservation

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Tel. No. 00353 91 841216

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Fax No. 00353 91 842363