The best Riding Clinics in Germany

By: Natalia Imberti Posted: 22/07/2022

Germany is one of the European countries with a long horseback riding tradition.

German riding schools are world famous, producing many world champions in jumping and dressage events.

Due to the growing importance of riding events and horse-related activities, several German associations have set out to promote horsemanship nationally and internationally.

One of them is the German Equestrian Federation (FN), a national organization of breeders and riders of different equestrian disciplines.

The FN offers training for riders and trainers, promotes equestrian sports, promotes riding clubs and equestrian tourism centres, and coordinates the actions of horse breeders.

If you are interested in learning to ride a horse or improving your riding skills, Germany is your destination. Besides, a horse riding holiday in Germany is an opportunity to experience the country’s beauty and history.

In this article, you will find information about two horse riding centres located in two very different areas where you can do both.

Nordmann Sport Hotel

Located in the town of Stangerode (Southern Harz) offers you first-class service and accommodation. It is a good option if you want to improve your riding skills and, at the same time, discover the beautiful countryside of Harz, in Lower Saxony.

The resort is family-run and its lovely staff offers you an all-rounded service so that you can feel cared for in any of the activities that you choose to do here.

Amid the picturesque landscape of the Harz Leine Valley, Nordmann Sporthotel is set within a private wildlife park where they offer safari activities, hiking tours, carriage rides or riding lessons for all levels.

History of the hotel

In the early 1990s, Manfred Nordmann, forester by profession, bought the local sawmill, founded the "Forst und Sägewerk Nordmann" with a handful of employees and thus laid the foundations for a family business.

Since time immemorial – even in GDR times – the Nordmann family as bred warmblood horses and rented a small holiday apartment.

The Nordmann family has always had the desire to host riding guests, hunters and nature lovers in a hotel in the Harz valley and to bring them closer to the beauty of the Harz landscape.

The family built a riding stable with indoor and outdoor riding arenas. And, starting in 1997, the hotel began to be built.

Two years later, in 1999, the Nordmann Sport Hotel was opened, with 23 hotel rooms, a restaurant, a wellness area and a sports hall.

In the following years, they started to breed wild cattle such as bison, wisent, highlander, Galloway and indigenous wild animals, besides the existing horses.

Since this is also a working cattle ranch, they have their own slaughterhouse and they market the meat they produce.

Horse boarding

One of the services that riders can find here is horse accommodation.

They have modern stables and are responsible for horses’ care and feeding. They also offer all the necessary equipment and horse tack, such as saddles, and a horse wash area.

The boxes are individual. Inside boxes (3 x 4 m), outside boxes (3 x 5 m). With self-drinking troughs and lots of daylight and fresh air.

Their facilities also include:

• Indoor riding hall: (60 x 20 m) with separate lunging compass, grandstand and rider bar.
• Outdoor riding arena: (80 x 50 m) with associated riding arena.

You will also have an unrestricted riding area to enjoy with your horse, through forests and fields of the valleys of Lower Harz.

Their riding programs

If you don’t know how to ride or want to sharpen your riding technique, you also have several options:

• Clinic for beginners with the basic course "How to do it". You will receive basic knowledge of cleaning and guiding, handling and saddling. Then, practice in the hotel’s surroundings, under their instructors’ supervision.
• Guided cross-country rides through the Leine Valley, with a duration ranging from 20 to 40 minutes.
• Riding lessons lunge, with jump belt or in saddle.

If your riding level is advanced, you can take the following courses, with your own horse or one from the centre:

• Private one-on-one lessons.
• Jumping lessons.
• Individual dressage lessons.

Wildpark Nordmann

One of the biggest attractions for Nordmann Sport Hotel guests is Nordmann Nature Park, which is part of the hotel.

There are 1000 hectares of wild forest that you can explore freely on horseback along well-marked trails throughout the whole park.

Wildpark Nordmann is the largest bison reserve in all of Germany.

Bison is an endangered species. The Park’s breeding project aims to reintroduce these animals under scientific supervision.

In addition, the game park is home to native game species such as red deer, fallow deer, wild boar and mouflon. Those who like something a little more exotic will also find ostriches, camels and alpacas.

Learn more about them on their web site: https://www.nordmannharz.de/

Schloss Sindlingen

It is located near the city of Herremberg, on a ridge between the Schönbuch and the Black Forest.

the Gäus offers wonderful countryside for riding and walking.

TYou will stay in a rural manor approximately 500 years old, with modernized rooms, but maintaining the original style.

Sindlingen was once an agricultural manor house belonging to the Württemberg Royal Family, as the summer residence of Franziska von Hohenheim, wife of Duke Carl-Eugen.

This castle is surrounded by a moat and lined with old trees forming a part of the park which opens to the south and continues on to include our spacious riding arena.

It is both a holiday hotel and a riding school.

Riding Clinic Programs

They have three intensive courses:

• Basic Program: Your goal is improvement of equine and riding knowledge.
• Programme d'amélioration du dressage: Your goal is, among other things, improvement of dressage seat, half halts, leg yielding and canter changes.
• Programme d'amélioration au saut: Your goal is, among other things,learning the correct jumping seat, mastering individual jumps and combinations.

Besides these intensive programs, they offer regular riding weeks, vacation courses for young people and two-week courses to polish up your riding skills.

Their horseback rides

With them, you can go for daily 2-hour, full-day rides or one week. You can bring your own horse or use one of the beautiful animals from their stable.

Let's take a look at their Black Forest program:

• First day: Arrival on Sunday afternoon or evening.
• Second day: PThe first short tour around the surroundings of the Hotel Castle to adapt yourself to the horse. LIn the morning there is a ride of approximately 6 hours into the heights of the Black Forest, you will arrive at a field near Freudenstadt, which is nearly 1000 m high. Accommodation in a local inn.
• Third day: Riding in the Black Forest. Ride to Heights and Besenfeld, where you stay until the fifth day.
• Fourth day: Horseback trip to Murg Valley. Return to Besenfeld
• Fifth day: Ride in the old wine route always at an altitude of approximately 1000 m and retour go Grünhütte. In the afternoon you will continue to Enztal and from there, back to the starting point at Sindlingen.
• Sixth day: Departure after breakfast.

The jumping tournaments in Sindlingen

Depending on the time of the year you visit them, you are invited to attend their famous jumping tournaments.

• Indoor Eventing in February. Eventing test in the hall, open to Baden-Württemberg and guests. Class A and L tests.
• Versatility Tournament in June. Baden-Württemberg youth team championship. Class A tests: versatility, pony versatility and group terrain riding, open to the whole of Germany. Sighting for youngsters’ championship in Warendorf, exams from class E to L.
• Youth Tournament in September. Exams in jumping and dressage for juniors and young riders with beginner versatility VL for over 50 riders.
• Sindlinger Versatility in October. Internal versatility for Sindling riders, guests and course participants
• Erwin Pape Jumping in December. Internal jumping competition for all riders around the Erwin Pape challenge cup.

MYou can find more information about this place and Schloss Sindlingen’s riding offer, visiting their web site: http://www.schloss-sindlingen.de/de/hotel.html

/ Photos: www.nordmannharz.de and www.schloss-sindlingen.de /

Are you also passionate about the idea of travelling the world on horseback?

Argentina is a country with a long-standing tradition of horses. Exploring the country on horseback is something unique – a highly recommended experience. In our eBook "Discover Argentina, the Land of the Gaucho, on Horseback" you will find our options to enjoy Argentina on horseback.

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