WELCOME
TO BODMIN MOOR!
The
T.M.International School of Horsemanship is situated right in the heart
of one of England’s most ancient, magical and unspoilt landscapes. Our
rides take us past Bronze Age stone circles, burial cairns and quoits,
through copper and tin mine workings from long ago and past prehistoric
settlements. The views from Bodmin Moor reach right across Cornwall
to Devon, Dartmoor and the sea beyond. This is spectacular riding country,
mile upon mile of open moorland to explore and only cattle, sheep, moorland
ponies (often with foals at foot), your companions and a guide for company.
Buzzards and skylarks and other rare birds are frequent sights. The
rides are usually of at least 2 hours duration during the afternoon,
unless it is very hot. Then our guests may choose to go to the beach
and ride in the cool of the long summer evening instead
OUR
HOLIDAY OPTIONS
During the
school holidays the majority of our guests are unaccompanied teenagers
to whom we can offer personal attention, as the maximum we can accommodate
is 8 females and 3 males. Adults looking for a quiet “get away from
it all” holiday may prefer to come during term time or stay nearby. Our premises are fully equiped with smoke detectors alarms and emergency lighting to the latest Fire Safety Regulations. All equipment (e.g. fire extinguishers etc.) is regularly maintained and smoking is strictly forbidden throughout as, in England, it is now illegal to smoke in buildings to which members of the public have access. Ideal for
families who are not all riders, one can stay at a local “B & B” or self-catering
cottage and just ride with us when one wishes, paying for ones riding
by the hour and for any meals which one may choose to have with us.
LOCAL
PLACES OF INTEREST
There are plenty of fascinating places and attractions to choose from
– all within easy reach of our Centre. You can explore the wonderful
EDEN PROJECT, which attracted thousands of visitors even before it was
officially open! There are also the remains of King Arthur’s Castle
at Tintagel to examine and Dozmary Pool, where Excalibur was received
by a hand rising from the water, is also nearby. A popular hack will
take you past a Bronze Age stone circle. The Monkey Sanctuary for Amazon
woolly monkeys is also worth a visit. Carnglaze slate caverns, the Bodmin
Steam Railway, canoeing on the sheltered rivers of Looe, the Kart Centre,
fishing trips, surfing, scuba diving…. the possibilities are too numerous
to mention. It is an ideal location for family holidays when not everybody
in the family rides.
LANGUAGE
TUITION
This is an optional extra. All lessons are in English, so our overseas
guests will automatically improve their knowledge of the language. However,
should you wish, special tuition can be arranged, usually for an hour
each day, Monday to Friday. The proprietors are fluent in Scandinavian
languages and have a limited knowledge of French and German.
OUR
HORSES
We have about 2 dozen horses and ponies, part breds, cobs etc. including
two stallions, one being a pure Arab. They are of exceptional
quality and variety of temperament to suit all levels of riding experience.
Capable riders can enjoy long rides out on the moor on fit forward-going
mounts. Less experienced riders can gain confidence on the lunge. At
all times we try to ensure that riders of similar standard ride together.
Our guests have a daily lesson of approximately one hour to ensure continual
progress throughout their stay.
TUITION
We are a B.H.S. Approved Training Centre and also a satellite training
centre for Cornwall’s Duchy College. We train students for equestrian
careers and are particularly proud of our high pass rate. We offer tuition
in flat work, show and cross-country jumping in our all-weather manege and cross-country course. Our lessons are always targeted at
individual needs, whether you are looking for a private lunge lesson
to eradicate a particular fault or brush up on your general skills with
a series of lessons. Group lessons seldom include more than 6 pupils
of a similar standard, often only 3 or 4.
EQUIPMENT
Riding helmets to an approved standard (e.g. BS EN1384, PAS 015
or ASTM F1163) MUST be worn at all times when mounted. They are available
on loan if yours is felt to provide inadequate protection. Guests must
have suitable footwear, either jodhpur boots with half-chaps or riding boots, worn with
jodhpurs or breeches as appropriate. We cannot guarantee sunshine every
day, so please bring waterproofs. Bedclothes are provided but guests
are requested to bring their own towels, dressing gown, and (very important)
slippers or "house" shoes as boots are removed at the entrance door.
ACCOMMODATION
We offer comfortable farmhouse accommodation for visitors within
a friendly and welcoming family atmosphere. Meals are home prepared
using fresh Cornish produce and the main meal is in the evening, (the
menu is “table d’hote” but there are vegetarian dishes available).
A glass of wine for adults is included. Self-catering units in tastefully converted Henwood Barns are
available nearby - click here for details. All the comforts and conveniences
are available for riders to relax after a long day in the saddle. We
are a truly international centre, with guests from all over the world
including America, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway and Switzerland,
so learning about life in other countries is a popular evening pastime!
