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AROUND THE MONT SAINT MICHEL BAY - 2 days / 1 night OR 3 days/ 2 nights -

Day 1
Meeting at the guesthouse around 9.30am. We saddle up the horses and go and discover the seashore areas of Dragey and St Jean le Thomas, made of beaches and sand dunes. We get to know our horses and we visualize better the size of the Bay and the stakes of the crossing. We go back to the riding centre for lunch. This afternoon, we cross the Bay at a walk, because the ground is too unreliable to canter safely. We stop at the feet of the walls and we have one free hour to visit the site. Then, we ride towards Courtils, where horses and riders stay for the night. The House of the Bay can open its doors (depending on the opening days) so we can learn more about the Bay in the museum. Tonight, we have dinner in a restaurant.
Night at the guesthouse.

Day 2
Today, we ride in the grasslands. We will ride 35 km today and leave at 10am. We have a packed lunch between Pontaubault and the Epine ford. From Roche Torin, famous for the observation of the tidal bore on the Selune, we catch a glance of the opposite bank, the South Grouin where we are heading to. The salted-meadows sheep are all around us today, as we ride to the estuaries of the Selune and the the See. When we arrive at the riding centre, we realise that we have not left the sea shores for the past two days !

Day 3 (depending on the chosen date)
This morning, we ride uphill to discover the Mont Saint Michel and its bay from the Champeaux cliffs. This view point inspired Churchill who said it was "the most beautiful kilometer in France", and, to be honest, we cannot get bored of seeing the Mont appear and disappear behing the Tombelaine outline, eaten by the sea... Beaches, dunes and hollow paths are the essential of the day, but also crossing small villages, St Jean Le Thomas for exemple. This village enjoys a nice climate at the feet of the cliffs, which gives a wonderful mimosa blooming in February ! Then, we have to say goodbye to the group, the guide and the horses after a really nice ride, around 6pm.

Warning : depending on the tides and the weather, we may have to change the itinerary to make sure we can ride safely.

 

LANDSCAPES OF THE BAY - 2 days / 1 night OR 3 days/ 2 nights -

Day 1
Meeting at the guesthouse around 9.30am. We saddle up the horses and leave from La Gohanniere to discover the See Valley, one of the three rivers flowing to the Bay. The See Valley can be characterized by soft hills covered in woods and meadows. A few villages and isolated farms make it a quiet rural landscape. Following the GR22 (pilgrim path to the Mont Saint Michel), we cross the woods to Avranches. The way down to the Bay leads us to the Epine ford. Then, we stay in the grasslands, huge green area dotted with free black or white sheep. We have lunch near Pontaubault, where the old stone bridge still stands, remembering the second world war, when no bombing could destroy it, allowing the Allies to cross the Selune. The last part of the day leads us to Roche Torin, famous for the observation of the high tides : there, the Bay becomes more narrow to split into two estuaries. The wave of the tidal bore runs on the rivers. We are now close to the guesthouse and leave the horses in a meadow. We share a nice dinner in a restaurant close to the guesthouse.
Night at the guesthouse.

Day 2
We meet at 9.30am at the meadow to saddle up the horses. We ride to the Mont Saint Michel, where we can get free time to visit the site. On this itinerary, we do not cross the Bay and enjoy the visit without worrying about going back on the continent before the tide ! Then, we ride to Beauvoir for lunch along the Couesnon river banks. On our way back, we ride along the Couesnon banks, this time with a nice view on the Mont Saint Michel. We cross the grasslands again. In Spring and Autumn, the sun sets and the light is wonderful. The sheep are going back to the sheep barns... The ride ends in Courtils, where a truck and vehicles are waiting for us to go back to our departure point.

Day 3 (depending on the chosen date)
Meeting at 9.30am at the meadow to saddle up the horses. Today, we enjoy a ride depending on our wishes, the weather and the level of the riders.
Then, around 6pm, we have to say goodbye to the group, the horses and the guide to go home...

 

FROM MONT SAINT MICHEL TO CANCALE'S BAY - 4 days / 3 nights -

This four days ride invites us to the discovery of the Mont Saint Michel Bay to Cancale.
We cross the Bay and its amazing diversity of landscapes... We ride together from the majestic "Wonder of the West" to the Grouin and the pirate City of Saint Malo.

Day 1
Meeting at the guesthouse around 9.30am. We saddle up the horses and leave from La Gohanniere to discover the See Valley, one of the three rivers flowing to the Bay. The See Valley can be characterized by soft hills covered in woods and meadows. A few villages and isolated farms make it a quiet rural landscape. Following the GR22 (pilgrim path to the Mont Saint Michel), we cross the woods to Avranches. The way down to the Bay leads us to South Grouin, where the Bay disappear in the sand. We end the day ride in a small village that used to be important because it is where the pilgrims began the crossing of the strands to the Archangel rock. We are now close to the guesthouse and leave our horses in a meadow for the night. We share a nice dinner in a restaurant.
Night at the guesthouse.

Day 2
Meeting at 9.30am to saddle up the horses at the meadow. If the tide time allows us to do so, we stay on the Norman side of the shores this morning. This area is perfect for race horses training. We go back via Brion Manor and we can see that the region has also a nice historical heritage. Then, we ride to the Mont Saint Michel, where we have time for a visit and lunch. A local guide tells us the stories of the Mont and Tombelaine... Depending on the tide time, we may have to cross the bay in the morning, so, in this case, we would have lunch on the Couesnon river banks, in Beauvoir. Then we ride to Courtils where the day ends.
Dinner in a restaurant and night at a guesthouse.

Day 3
Today, we ride to Brittany. We cross the grasslands and ride on the seawalls around the polders to St Anne Chapel in Cherrueix. We enjoy a wonderful view point from the sea walls on the Bay. Fruits and vegetables grow here and feed the local economy on the West side of Couesnon river. We have lunch near the Chapel dedicated to the Duchess Anne de Bretagne, and take some time to rest under the shade of nut trees. The second part of the day offers nice views on Cancale harbour.
Dinner and night at a guesthouse.

Day 4
In Brittany, today, we ride in a completely different landscape : after Richeux castle and Cancale, we are now far from the Mont Saint Michel Bay and admire the cliffs and beaches of the Emerald Coast. We ride around Cancale peninsula towards the pirate city, enjoying of course the most beautiful view points : South Grouin and the way downhill through the gorse bushes towards the orchard beach, Du Guesclin Fort, Meinga, and the best thing, if the tide is low, the crossing of Rotheneuf haven in the afternoon. This wonderful day takes us to Saint Coulomb, 7km away from Saint Malo. Transfer to our departure point in the evening.

Our guides are from this region and are all qualified horse riding guides. They know perfectly the area. The logistic team will bring your luggage from one accommodation to the other for your comfort and autonomy on the ride. They will also bring the packed lunch at the lunch break places.

Mont Saint Michel Bay - 2013
April 13 to 14 - Around the Bay	280 €	guaranteed > book it
April 20 to 21 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
April 27 to 28 - Around the Bay	280 €	2 places left > book it
May 04 to 05 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
May 09 to 12 - Cancale - 4 days	550 €	available > book it
May 18 to 20 - Around the Bay - 3 days	400 €	guaranteed > book it
May 25 to 26 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
June 15 to 16 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
June 22 to 23 - Around the Bay	280 €	guaranteed > book it
June 29 to 30 - Around the Bay	280 €	guaranteed > book it
July 13 to 14 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
July 20 to 21 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
July 27 to 28 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
August 03 to 04 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
August 15 to 18 - Cancale - 4 days	550 €	available > book it
August 24 to 25 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
September 14 to 15 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
September 28 to 29 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
October 12 to 13 - Around the Bay	280 €	available > book it
October 19 to 20 - Lanscapes of the Bay	280 €	available > book it
November 01 to 03 - Around the Bay - 3 days	400 €	available > book it
October 19 to 20 - Landscapes of the Bay - 3 days	400 €	available > book it

 

All these trails are confirmed with 4 riders.
It is possible to confirm the departure with only 2 riders with an extra cost except in July and August where the departures are always confirmed with 4 riders.

Small group supplement:
- 2d / 1n Week end : + 25 € per person
- 3d / 2n Week end : + 30 € per person
- 4d / 3n Week end : + 50 € per person

Options:
You can arrive the day before the ride. Extra cost : 40€ per person, to pay directly at the guesthouse, including breaksfast.

Meeting point at the guesthouse in Genêts or La Gohanniere.
Transfers can be organized in Avranches train station.