H I P P I K O S - Horse Riding Vacations Portugal

SOME feedback from our guests:

September 2011 (25^th September to 01^st October):

“Hi Antonio,

Just wanted to say thank you so much for a fabulous vacation at Hippikos, it was fantastic.

You have a fantastic facility with great staff and horses, and I will be sure to tell as many people as I can how wonderful it is.

Hopefully Wendy and I will be able to return in the not too distant future, it is certainly in our plans.

Thanks again,

Susan”

Susan Finch & Wendy J. McLaughlin & Pamela Ross

SCOTLAND & USA

September 2011 (11^th to 17^th):

“Dear Antonio, Heather, Denis, Joao and all of you at Hippikos,

Thank you for your warm and generous hospitality, for excellent riding instructions (if only we could do as you say....), fantastic food and drink and the friendly atmosphere that all of you together create at Hippikos.

I really enjoyed my stay - this year even more than last, and I want to come back soon! Perhaps it will then be time to promote me from Nodoso, as Heather said, but it´s just so magical to ride a horse that makes you think you CAN ride. =) (I did have many Hallelujah moments on the other horses too!)

Also, thank you for giving me such a great birthday party!

Love from us all,”

Katarina Huss

Saltsjö-Boo

SWEDEN

August 2011 (28^th August to 03^rd September):

“Just had my best week of holiday, Hippikos is amazing, and I love every second of it.

Improved my riding sooo much, and not to speak about my feeling. I don’t think I could be much happier than I am over how much I progressed during this week. It was such an amazing feeling specially on friday, on my favorite boy Uzifur ♥ I've never had anything like it.

Thank you all for making this happen' and be the place I love. Hope to see you all very soon again, miss you a lot already.

Lots of Love Xxxxxxx”

Anne-Charlotte Syversen

Skollenborg

NORWAY

May 2011 (22^nd to 28^th):

“Hi!

Just wanted to thank you all for yet another FANTASTIC week!

We had a GREAT time and are missing you all already!

Can't wait to try all our new learning on the horses at home (poor them.. ;)

We wanted to thank you all; you Antonio for all your friendliness and opening your place for us.

Heather, Denis and Joao for sharing all of their knowledge and (really) pushing us out of our comfort zones!!! The grooms for taking care of the horses and making them so pretty for us on the friday!! And the chef for ALL the AMAZING food!!!

Coming to Hippikos is like a week in heaven for us! And we are so happy we already have booked for next year - it is easier to go home knowing that we are coming back!!!

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!”

Christine Lange

Fyllingsdalen

NORWAY

April 2011 (03^rd to 09^th):

“Dear Team Hippikos!

For our Finnish group Hippikos is truly "a place in the sun". Everything is so perfect and above all the opportunity to ride such high-quality horses in small groups under the incredibly professional, friendly&patient instruction of João, Heather and Denis gave our riding a real boost. The accommodation, food and wines are exquisite and Antonio the nicest host you can imagine. And we can't praise enough the cosy atmosphere at Hippikos.

Some individual comments:

Raija:

It was great to feel the sunny and warm (hot!) Portuguese spring after the cold, dark and long Finnish winter! The Hippikos facilities offered us the first hints of the lovely summer pleasures: sun bathing and swimming. And the horses then… Being a dressage fan I fell in love with the Lusitanos Uzifur and Rehedição... It was my first time to try piaffe and passage and I need to say that the teacher horses were wonderful! And also the normal exercises shoulder-in and travers were so enjoyable with these horses. Great thanks to Heather: do as little as possible is an advice I will remember from now on!

Hannu & Outi I:

Our instructors gave us lots of valuable hints and tips during lessons. They've been proven effective here at home ground as well... We are waiting to see You again in October and hope that the wine season will be excellent this year... :-)

Outi R:

Last September Katri, Maija, Bitte, Heli and I had a wonderful week at Hippikos and learned a lot. This time they weren't able to attend but they all will definitely return, sooner or later! Heli is coming to Hippikos with our team "Friders" in October. And I guess there’s going to be a fierce duel between Heli and Hannu to decide who will get Venturoso :D

It's nice to know that You have one Finnish member in Your crew: Riverfield! He is "hieno poika" as we say in Finnish; however this time it was only Gill from Scotland who rode him.

http://www.sukuposti.net/hevoset/115072

Warmest regards to all of You - except the roosters ;) - from Your friends on the diagonal edge of Europe!”

Hannu Kauppinen & Outi Impivaara & Tiia Impivaara & Raija Hätinen & Outi Räisänen

Espoo

FINLAND

October 2010 (10^th to 16^th):

“Hi Antonio!

Sorry it has taken me so long to send you this letter, but I just wanted to tell you what an excellent time I had at Hippikos! It was really great especially after going through a tough time with my family.

The hospitality, horses, and instructors were incredible! My dressage has really improved. Heather was such a great help all week she is a definite asset to your program. The food was incredible and I loved my room. I hope I can return next year around the same time.

I hope the holidays (Christmas & New Year) are wonderful for you!

Thank you so much!”

Jessie Richards

Santa Fe, Texas

USA

September 2010 (12^th to 18^th):

“Hi

Firstly I should say I am struggling to think of a week when I have had so much fun and leant so much.

I came on the holiday with a some reluctance because I have been only one ride from quitting for a couple of years. I found the reason why I love ridding again and that is not something you can measure.

The quality of the horses and staff was excellent and was only matched by the company, food and alcohol free wine .. !!

Specifically I would like to say a big thank you to Joao. Jump training is not easy because it carries with it a significant risk as even the best of riders will testify. Joao’s approach was well thought out, very professional and designed to match fun with a degree of technical training whilst still keeping everyone safe. I was also very aware that Joao had a good eye for how I was riding and what I was doing wrong. This is not always the case with quality riders because it requires a deeper and different level of understanding. It was the knowledge that I had a good judge of the horse and rider watching over me that gave me the confidence to trust his judgment completely an essential element of good coaching.

I have been taught by some of the best jumping coaches in the UK who have represented their country on numerous occasions and count some of them as my friends and from this experience I know that Joao would fit very well in that company.

I would happily recommend Joao to anyone who wants to learn how to jump a horse properly.

When I struggled Joao took the time and sometimes went beyond what was required to get a good outcome you cannot ask for more from a coach.

I will ask Louise to send a note on her experience as she spent more time with Heather and Denis. From my experience both riding and watching I was impressed by the standard of the horses as well as the professionalism of the instruction. As with Joao they did not hesitate to work with the clients beyond the necessary to get a result. I would happily recommend the instructors to anyone in the UK.

I should apologise to Heather who probably thought I was wilfully ignoring all the helpful encouragement she gave me. I wasn`t ignoring her and I am very pleased she managed to coax me and the horse to try some of the more sophisticate dressage movements. At heart I am a jump jockey and only a closet dressage rider !!

I should also like to thank Denis. Unfortunately I had only one excellent lesson with him and yet I leant so much from his quiet style as so many things seemed to slip into place when I was being taught by him.

Loved the food and the setup, the surroundings were magnificent and the in truth I felt I was being welcomed into a family.

Could say more ....but you are probably bored by now !!

Ta Keith”

Keith S Richards

Staffs

ENGLAND

September 2010 (12^th to 18^th):

“Hi

+ both Denis and Heather are incredibly knowledgeable and have the skill of passing on that knowledge

+ although English is not Denis' first language, his teaching is in no way hampered by this. I was impressed by how he taught relatively complex concepts to a range of riders

+ Heather is demanding in her sessions but I would have expected at least this as we were all there to learn not just hack around an indoor school

+ both were very very patient with my incompetences (even if Denis did go selectively deaf at one point when I asked for a rest! Justified as the horse was improving!) and worked with me to improve these and build on the better aspects of my riding

+ my observations of other peoples lessons are that both flex their style and language to suit the audience and get results. If you had told me at the start of the week that Keith would do “travers” I would have fallen about laughing!

+ Heather also offered helpful comments on my own horses and suggestions on how I could work them differently which was much appreciated and out of the job spec!

As an aside I was also impressed with the jumping tuition. The slow build was just what Keith needed and the learning is holding now he's home.

....My only request from Antonio would be a hot tub, much needed to soothe those aching muscles!!!

Lx”

Louise Baker

Staffs

ENGLAND

August 2010 (29^th August to 04^th September):

“Hi again!!

We just wanted to thank you all for an EXCELLENT time! When we came last sunday you told us to feel at home and during the last week that is exactly what we have done :) But Hippikos even feels a bit like a better home than home - With all of you guys working so hard to make it the best place for us!

Great instructors and horses - no wonder our bums are sore ;)

The food and wine so good that we don’t lose any weight even though we trained hard...

Beautiful rooms and surroundings

and most of all YOU all - so beautiful, nice, friendly people all of you!

See you 22 mai - it is already booked :)

Lots of love from

the Bionic Norwegians :) ”

Christine, Charlotte, Brite, Cecilie, Kristin, Hege, Kari and Anni

Fyllingsdalen

NORWAY

August 2010 (08^th to 14^th):

“Hiya Antonio

I'd just like to say I had an amazing time at Hippikos, yet again!, and I can’t wait to come back in October!

Even though this was the 3rd visit to Hippikos it was just as good (or maybe even better) than the other times I have come.

Hippikos is truly fabulous and it is the best place I have ever been to. The accommodation was great and it’s a wonder how Maria can cook such delicious meals.

The horses are all amazing and they have really taught me so so much (especially Sapateria, Isabel & Riverfield). I am going to try to put everything I learnt into practice on my little Connemara :) and hopefully it will help us at the dressage championships!

I'd like to say a big thank you to you, Heather, Joao, Denis, Jilo & the Marias, who make Hippikos such a wonderful place. Missing Hippikos so much and wish I was there!

We will get in touch soon about October.

Lots of love (and big hugs)

From Anna xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx”

Anna Rennie

Aberdeenshire

SCOTLAND

August 2010 (08^th to 14^th):

“Olá Antonio

Espero que estejam bem (OK; that has really and truly exhausted my Portuguese language skills).

I just wanted to drop you a quick line to thank you so so much for our wonderful holiday... I am already having withdrawal symptoms from Hippikos.

So what can I say that has not already been said a hundred times over?

From top to bottom, our entire experience with you was a joy. The delightful room, your amazing hospitality and consideration, the sumptuous food (my target weight went out of the window) and the incredible facilities. And that is without even starting on the riding experience.

Your horses are divine: the very souls of patience and kindness wrapped up in the picture of equine beauty and strength. That they can happily endure my endless bouncing and jerking without a turn of a hair is testament to their incredible natures. And how Heather keeps her sanity I don’t quite know. I will hear her animated instructions in my ear for a while to come – and I mean that in the best way, for the skill of teaching must be that it remains with the pupil long after the lesson. I am sure that her insightful observations will help me communicate more effectively and considerately with my own dear horse.

Denis and Joao showed us how it should be done (making it look so easy) and were perfect gentlemen; Jilo kept us smiling whilst providing incredible care to the horses and amazing service to we visitors. Please thank them again from Henk and me (and my apologies if I have the spelling of their names incorrectly noted).

And Antonio, your passion for your dream and for your beautiful Lusitanos shines through in every conversation: I feel privileged to have had the chance to have lived a little of it with you and hope that you are able to continue for many more years to come. Hippikos and everything for which it stands and brings to we riders is precious indeed. I will keep a special place in my heart for this perfect corner of Portugal and hope one day to return.

Muito muito obrigado por tudo and with the very best wishes and warmest regards,

Emma”

Emma Hyde

Cape Town

South Africa

August 2010 (08^th to 12^th):

“Dear Antonio,

You must be very used to emails of this sort by now but I am quite happy to be one of a long list to tell you what a wonderful time I had this week.

The minute I left for the airport I felt sad to be leaving so early. I could have spent another week, or month let alone the two days. As I type this I am sure you are all sharing another delicious dinner and plenty of ruby port (to better your riding of course) and I am so disappointed not to be there.

Before I came I was expecting a hard week of training and a nice place to stay. Hippikos is so much more though and it is thanks to you all as a team, both people and your beautiful horses, that those of us lucky enough to visit have such an unforgettable experience.

I have told everyone who will listen about You, Joao, Heather, Jiló and Dinis, and of course dear ‘Pinta’ and ‘Isabel’.

I want to thank Heather (and ‘Isabel’) especially for allowing me to fast track to flying changes and a glimpse of piaffe and to Joao for not pulling his hair out at my dreadful lack of 'EN-ER-GY' and awful jumping position!

Not only have a learned so much and improved just a little, I have felt totally welcome and at home. Your farm is beautiful, your horses are priceless and your company fabulous - I only hope I can do you justice in 'Horse' Magazine.