Adventure Horse riding in the heart of Tuscany
Some great pics of one of our October weeks riding last month.
This year we have had some truly international clients. American, Brazillian, English, Norwegian, Finnish and German just to mention a few.
The horses are now on their 5 month winter rest in preperation for next season.
Last year we made a photo excursion down to the south of Tuscany, to photograph some very special horses. The Maremmani. The group of riders we photographed were passionate Tuscan riders, who kept alive the Butteri style of riding, and the love of the hardy and strong minded Tuscan cowhorse, the Maremmano (and one adorable rare Tolfetano mare).
Below are some of the photos. It was an amazing day, with really wonderful people, and the horses were something out of this world.
If you ever have the chance to ride one of these horses (there are many trekking centers in the south of Tuscany) and try the fantastic traditional tack, you should jump at the chance.
 
The reason why Tuscany is so eternally popular  is simply because it has the best of everything – fantastic weather, spectacular natural beauty, top wines, world famous cuisine, and in every direction, pretty medieval hill towns surrounded by ancient stone walls.Â
This summer we have another reason to visit Tuscany. 20% off your holiday’s price.
If you book your Castellare di Tonda apartment before the 1st of March, you will recieve a 20% discount on the stay. This discount applies to holidays taken between our opening date of 28 March right through to the end of season closure on the 4th November.
Yes that includes high season too! This is the first time we have offered an early booking discount to our busy summer period, so dont miss the boat. Book early and save £ € $!!!
Nothing helps to cure the winter blues more than the excitement of an upcoming holiday, and we require only a 30% deposit on the apartment to guarantee the booking.
So start imagining your Tuscan holiday. Here are a few images to inspire you. If you have a non horsey friend or family member, remember we are located right in the middle of all the top Tuscan art cities. Florence, Pisa, Siena, Volterra and San Gimignano are within an hours drive. San Miniato with its medieval tower is only 20 mins drive, and Montaione; our own medieval walled town, should not be missed. Especially for a sunset aperitivo in the piazza!!
Get in touch with us info@castellareditonda.com and we will send you a proposal within 24 hours (Monday to Friday) or alternatively check out the booking link on our website for an idea of pricing http://www.castellareditonda.com
Last month we had our Autumn Christiane Slawik photo/riding workshop. It was again a really fun week, with a great mix of people from all over the world. The uniting factors being a love of horses and photography. The weather started out fabulously, but we did have one terror storm midweek, causing us to change the liberty shoot in our top arena to a ‘wild west in Tuscany’ session out in the 25 hectare turnout field, using our semi wild retired horses and breeding stock.
Again we visited the Murgese farm in La Spezia to photograph these magnificent black horses in liberty. It was a highlight of the course, and the horses seemed to remember the drill from last year, and put on a fabulous show. A special feature of this course, is the excursion up to photograph Murgese horses (the only Italian baroque breed, and very rare in northern Italy.. even rarer outside of Italy). Our friends at Gottero ranch have an amazing selection of some of the best Murgese horses in the country, and an amazing location where we can photograph them.
Marco and Hidlago made a great team in the riding/sunset shoot.
The morning view from the stables after the storm the night before.
On our lake shoot we expected a day of rain, instead the weather suprised us all. It was spectacular, sunny and warm – and our bbq in front of the stables was a great success. Here we all are post photo shoot enjoying the Castellare wine while Alessio and Jawad prepare the bbq.
Liberty shots in the fondo chiuso with Franco and Marco. Our horses had a great time chasing around their buddies in the name of photography.
Shakir showing off in the dust bowl shoot.
Sunset shots above the vineyards with Antonio and Hidalgo.
In the end, great people, great riding, and a whole lot of lovely photos at the end to remember it by.
If your keen to join us next year, we will be holding the course the same week (Septemeber 2015).
Get in touch if you are interested in joing us!
We have been busy busy at the stables this past couple of months, with some lovely riding groups and interesting trail adventures. We had a new arrival (pic below) who is just as gorgeous as her daddy the sadly deceased Gemini Pine who we had to put to sleep last year. This little filly’s mum is Snapper, the fabulous reining school horse so many of our clients have enjoyed riding. With a mum as nice as Snapper, and a famous father (Gemini was one of the best reining horses in the world in his prime) this little filly is set to be a great prospect. Shes super cheeky too, and already loves to do sliding stops in the sand!
Last month I managed to get over to the Badminton horse trials to meet visitors old and new on the In the saddle stand. It was great fun meeting so many interesting people, discussing western riding, and watching some of that fantastic horsemanship at the event. Tonight I will be picking up our favorite equine photographer Christiane Slawik for next weeks photoworkshop.
Here are a few picks taken the past couple of months, and as soon as we have some new picks of the workshop I will load them up too!
One of the similarities between horses and humans is the desire to be part of a group.  For both our children and our horses, this desire to be part of a community supports feelings of safety and connection.
Our horses are specially selected for their friendly and social personalities. At Castellare di Tonda children can experience safe and successful interaction with these magical creatures, watched by professional instructors.
Motor skills are developed as children learn to ride, groom and tack up their horses. Our covered tondino and arena offersa safe and secure environment where experienced instructors are always close at hand as new skills are learned. As children learn the skills required to prepare and ride a horse,  their own self-confidence increases which in turn transforms into a willingness to learn skills in other areas of life.
Learning to ride at Castellare is not a scary experience, but rather an interesting and rewarding one.
The restaurant and outdoor terrace at Castellare di Tonda is the hub of the estate during the summer. It is here that breakfast is served every morning, and where dinner is served every night.
Once a week there is live music or a dj in the summer season, and our guests can sit outside and enjoy the balmy weather and beautiful view of the medieval church and surrounding Tuscan countryside.
The restaurant also organizes cooking classes in the kitchen once a week, where guests can learn some of the culinary secrets of our local chefs.
This is the place to meet for a cold beer or wine after a days riding, and where we all sit down for dinner through the evening.
Pietrafitta is one of the more isolated farmhouses, located very close to the litle village of Sughera, and overlooking the horses 20 acre turnout field, our lake, and the medieval village of Tonda. The stone building has been divided into 6 superior style apartments and is furnished in a contemporary-style with natural, warm Tuscan tones. This is the perfect villa for families or groups looking for private outdoor space and views, or even for those looking for a picturesque wedding cerimony. This is always one of the first farmhouses to book up, so we reccommmend getting in quick if you would like to stay in this very beautiful villa.
The Castellare di Tonda setup is different to many other smaller agriturismi, and can seem confusing on the website.
Rather than having simply one renovated farmhouse, we have 12. Each farmhouse has been divided into apartments, and since not all of the architects were the same, each farmhouse is particular in its own way.
The houses are all part of the historic farm that surrounds the village and medieval castle of Tonda. Some of the houses are located near the Castellare reception and restaurant, whereas others require a car (or bike) to get back and forth from the main hub.
Since the purpose of renting a holiday appartment in the Tuscan countryside is often more about relaxation and enjoying the rural tranquility of the area, many clients actively search for the more isolated farmhouses. Others, looking to base themselves near the horses or the reception, stay in the farmhouses that are a little busier.
Each farmhouse has its own private swimming pool, and is located near a tennis court.
Below is the stunning San Nicola, located near the old village of Tonda and doted with spectacular views and a very private swimming pool.
Castellare di Tonda Quarter Horses 