... I was paired with a small lightweight chestnut called Rhys, who was friendly to humans but quite ferocious towards other horses, so I spent much of the ride terrified that someone was going to lose control of their horse behind me and end up with a hoof in their face!
The ride started ... Read review
Advantages: cheap, beautiful countryside Disadvantages: groups are too large (although I did go on Bank holiday)
...GENERAL BACKGROUND
Cantref has been running as a trekking business for over 40 years, so put your faith in that. As with any riding school you will see signs pointing out that riding is a risk sport and that the stables will not be held responsible for any accidents, unless negligence in the choice of horse for the level of the rider can be proven. All standards of riders are accepted here, but no unaccompanied children on short rides ... ...As a random trivia fact, Cantref are one of the only riding centres in Britain to offer Gold, Silver and Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions
on Horse back
OTHER FACILITIES
Cantref is becoming a more ambitious business. Having been a mere farm and trekking centre for decades, they have recently successfully branched out with a café and small Welsh souvenir shop. There is an adventure farm, with organised farm ... more
“Nah, we’re used to it, we do it all the time,” was the nonchalant response to my friend’s slightly apprehensive questioning on the wisdom of allowing a group of 20 riders, (mostly beginners) loose into the open Welsh countryside with only 2 guides to keep control! I’m an experience rider ,so not nervous, but was still sceptical about the likelihood of this 5 hour ride being chaos-free!
However, we had chosen this place because we wanted to see the Brecon Beacons and it was cheap. £25 for five hours. You’d pay more than that for an hour's ride in many places in South East England. However, some people are never satisfied. “It’s too cheap”, moaned my boyfriend, "that means it's bound to be dodgy"" To be fair he did fall off last time we went to the Brecons. He’s a beginner but his unsympathetic horse decided about half a mile from the yard that galloping would be a much quicker way of getting home. I assured him that the centre was approved by leading equine safety organizations and so off we went on the Saturday of the last Bank Holiday weekend. Three friends of ours had joined us on a well needed long weekend escapade from stressful London.
We were a group of five; 3 experienced riders, 2 novices, but we were joined by a large group of touring South Africans, all trying riding for the first or second time. Maryanne and Sian were our ‘tour leaders and sorted out riding hats for those without, then a brief instruction was given to the beginners on the very basics of getting on and holding the reins etc, before we were matched up with our mounts for the day. I was paired with a small lightweight chestnut called Rhys, who was friendly to humans but quite ferocious towards other horses, so I spent much of the ride terrified that someone was going to lose control of their horse behind me and end up with a hoof in their face!
The ride started over Cantref’s own farm land, 15 minutes of riding through meandering lanes and picturesque villages followed before we got of the road and into forest land. As it was such a big ride chaos reigned, as predicted, almost continually. Yelling Africaans gripped tightly as their naughty Welsh mountain ponies decided to take a shot at getting to the front in a brisk, bouncy trot, or dived for the temptingly rich grass on the side of the road. By the time we reached the forest it was time for lunch. You are told beforehand to take a packed lunch and given saddlebags, so no need to bring back packs.
We stopped in a forest clearing and took a leisurely, to give the horses and their muscle weary riders a rest and allow time for those who needed to go deeper in the woods to find a loo spot. There are no public conveniences on the route, so drinking too much of Brecon Carreg water or anything else is not really to be recommended!
After an hour, fully rested and eager to get back onto the mountains, we re-mounted. The horses and ponies were mostly very patient during this activity and didn’t attempt to move away while their stiff riders fumbled for the stirrups and hurled themselves heavily onto their backs. We rode through the peaceful forest for a further 10 minutes or so and then passed through a narrow gate onto open moorland and hills.
The Brecons Beacons National Park covers approximately 520 square miles over half of which is 1,000 ft above sea level and contains caves, rushing rivers, deep gorges and pretty waterfalls, as well as the highest mountain in Southern Britain, Pen Y Fan, which tops an unspectacular 2,907 ft above sea level (886 metres).
This is roaming country, just meant to be explored by foot or on horseback. The lush green open moorland, lakes and mountains, forests and valleys are all interlaced by numerous marked footpaths and bridleways. This area is famed for its abundant waterfalls, caves, and gorges. It’s a contrasting landscape with windswept moor land and modest mountains nestling with sheltered valleys scattered with quaint market towns and sprawling farm land. And yes before you ask, the sheep population does vastly outnumber the human one!! They roam freely everywhere you go, but tend to stay well out of the way of the horses.
For experienced riders on this very mixed ability ride, it was fairly frustrating seeing all the potential galloping and natural obstacle jumping opportunities and being restricted to the odd canter, when the beginners group went on ahead and we caught them up in a steady canter. Mind you, the ground was pretty boggy at the time, so that was probably partly responsible for the lack of faster paces. Off the roads we didn’t even trot much, as one attempt to go a bit faster led to several of the less experienced riders coming close to muddy tumble onto the sodden grass, since the ponies were bucking at the prospect of a bit of a race. Luckily the group leaders, blasé as they appeared, were in complete control of their own mounts (believe me I have been to a few trekking places where the tour guides seem less in control than their followers!) and so their abrupt halts settled down the excitable ponies behind.
It was the perfect weather for riding – about 22c and sunny. Warm enough to be pleasant but cool enough to prevent the horses sweating buckets and therefore attracting swarms of infuriating black flies. All in all it was quite uneventful, despite the large group and nobody actually lost contact permanently with the saddle. I think most of the novice riders said they would definitely be up for going riding again which is quite a good result, seeing as we did go over some quite hairy landscapes where you had to put complete trust in your horse to get you down the steep, stony paths without stumbling. These are amazingly surefooted horses though, bred for their surroundings and are far less likely to trip or fall than humans, thankfully.
GENERAL BACKGROUND
Cantref has been running as a trekking business for over 40 years, so put your faith in that. As with any riding school you will see signs pointing out that riding is a risk sport and that the stables will not be held responsible for any accidents, unless negligence in the choice of horse for the level of the rider can be proven. All standards of riders are accepted here, but no unaccompanied children on short rides and none at all on longer rides (as the proprietor got fed up in the past of them whinging they wanted to go back half way up the mountains!)
PRICES AND STUFF
As well as the full day ride that we went on you can do one hour ‘hacks’ around the farm land (£9), half day rides around country lanes and the foothills of the Brecons (£15) or even go trail riding, 2 – 5 days, staying in different accommodation every night. These trail rides are priced according to your particular requirements so I can’t quote a cost here but if you are interested visit the website ‘trail rides’ page: http://www.cantref.com/trail.htm or call 01874 665 223. In the summer adults can also take 2 day weekend or midweek holidays at Cantref, returning to the centre every night, staying, for between £80 and £89 per person including 2 nights bed and breakfast accommodation, packed lunch and 2 full days riding. There is a café on the farm and self catering facilities in the bunk house. Or if you have a long way to travel back, you could do a 1 ½ day break for £10 less. I think this is an absolute bargain and might give it a go sometime, hopefully in a smaller group though! These breaks are not available during bank holidays and school holidays. As a random trivia fact, Cantref are one of the only riding centres in Britain to offer Gold, Silver and Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions on Horse back
OTHER FACILITIES
Cantref is becoming a more ambitious business. Having been a mere farm and trekking centre for decades, they have recently successfully branched out with a café and small Welsh souvenir shop. There is an adventure farm, with organised farm trails that incorporate river walks, badger setts and wildflower meadows. take part in our Regular shows with the rabbits,guinea pigs, cow,baby lambs etc. There is also a playzone area for kids with lots of toys and activities to keep them entertained, with nearby indoor and picnic tables for relaxation for for enjoying a home made lunch, ice cream or afternoon tea from the café. Finally they can offer bed and breakfast in a guest house, or bunk house accommodation, ideal for groups wanting a cheap active outdoors weekend as it can accommodate large groups. For more information on all these ‘extras’, visit their website: http://www.cantref.com
DIRECTIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION Cantref is signposted of the A40 B4558, 2 miles east of the town of Brecon. There is a map on the website: http://www.cantref.com/map2004.htm. Cardiff is 38 miles for the centre, Swansea 40 miles and Bristol 60 mile. For more information ring 01874 665 223 and ask to speak to Colin or Gwen, or email cantref@btinternet.com (but don’t expect an instant response). You can also book on line, but considering the wait I had to get a response by email, I’d suggest using the traditional telephone method!
MY VERDICT
It’s rough and ready and you do run the risk of having to ride out in large groups, but as long as you’re not expecting glossy Thoroughbreds or individual attention, Cantref offers excellent value for money. The horses are all happy and healthy and the people friendly. Moreover, horse riding is a fantastic way to see the countryside, you have an elevated view to see things you’d never notice while walking and wildlife like deer and birds are less frightened of horses than people so you get to see more of that too. If you’re heading towards Mid Wales and fancy a day out, Cantref could be the ideal choice for you.
