elvira

Help help!! Since I'm not the outdoorsy type, I have no idea what to look for or how or anything about 1) horseback riding in the Dordogne/Perigord. Anybody have recommendations? What should it cost? How long a ride should a neophyte attempt? <BR>2) renting a canoe on the Vezere or Dordogne River. Has anybody done this? Is it something that a group of women (who are NOT athletes)of varying ages could do? Costs? Recommendations? <BR>Geez, I can arrange every sightseeing tour known to woman (like a day long "Chestnut Tour" from Nontron) but this outdoors stuff has me stumped.

April

I can't answer most of your questions, but I would think a ride of an hour or two would be enough for a beginner. <BR>

Judy

One of the neatest things I've done is to canoe on the Dordogne River. This was a couple of years ago, and I don't remember howmuch it cost, but it wasn't that much, and it was worth every franc. It's easy enough to find the names of companies once you get there, in any phone book, or ask concierge We were renting a house near Sarlat, and just found the info in the phone book. And, do not worry for an instant about danger, or having to know anything; we knew nothing about canoeing, more than just anybody knows, and no problem - the river is fairly quiet, wide and shallow. They send you off with life vests, dropping you at one place and picking you up at another, down-river of course, so there's very little paddling you have to do, just steering, and drifting along - it's a dream! Don't miss it! <BR>

elvira

Thanks, Judy! I found several different canoe companies (boy that sounds dumb) on the internet, in magazine articles and in a couple of guidebooks, but I needed to know I wasn't risking the life and limbs of the Travelling Loons. I feel sooooo much better now! (Life will be grand if someone can help me with the horseback thing)

Beth

just a thought, you should probably try to do a trail ride before you go. If you've never ridden a horse before, you might really not like it. <BR> <BR>As a complete beginner, I did a trail ride in the US (Western saddle), it was about 3 hours, and I was very saddle sore the next day. It doesn't seem like it will hurt as you ride, but you wake up the next morning really stiff.

Martha B

Here are three places in the Lot, convenient to the Dordogne, which rent horses by the hour. They are all open year round.; Etrier du Causse- "Le Segala" in Gramat. Tel: 335.65.33.10.05. (Calling within France, change the 335 to 05.) Au Relais de Bellemire, in Lacave. Tel; 335.65.37.05.85. Club d'Equitation et de Loisirs "Grand Lac" in Martel. Tel; 335.65.37.41.81. Fax; 335.65.37.43.85. This information comes from the Cahors Tourist Office. I haven't personally checked it out. Have you questioned your people on whether they ride English or Western? My husband tells me there's a big difference. (He said this right after trying an English saddle for the first time, and racking up his back!) Western saddles may be hard to come by-- we have fortified castles, fortified mills, and fortified bridges. But fortified saddles, no.

elvira

Thank you ALL for your help! <BR>MarthaB: bless you for mentioning English vs Western...Never gave that a thought (we live in the Southwest of the U.S. Guess which style we ride...) so I'll be sure to ask before I book. <BR>I found a lot of info on the web about canoe rentals and equestrian stables, but the fine points required some help. <BR> <BR>Thank you all, once again!

Dayle

Eliva, I don't think you will find Western saddles in France at all, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Good luck!