Our adventure began by flying into Paris where we stayed the night. The next day, we left the hustle and bustle of Paris and rode the bullet train (125-mph nonstop) south to Aix-en-Provence. The town was founded in 122 BC, and was the first Roman military outpost. Today it is a city of 150,000 people whose celebrated son, Paul Cezanne, immortalized the countryside on canvas. We drove from Aix-en-Provence to Les Cypres de L'Etang in the heart of Provence where our riding adventure was to begin. Les ... ...

What DOESN'T come to mind is trail riding! And Tuscan Trails is hoping to change that. Thanks to Michele and Nicola Dolcetti, the owners of Tuscan Trails, it is now possible to ride through some of the world's most beautiful countryside while enjoying the world-renowned Italian hospitality of Umbria and Tuscany. The Siena Wine Trail ride, a one-of-a-kind adventure which began in spring 2006, is unlike most horse holiday rides - it is a true destination journey following winding country roads andsheep ... ...

The Forest pony was particularly abundant in France, where cave men not only feasted on them, but also immortalized them in their Stone Age cave drawings. At that time England and France were connected by a land bridge, so not surprisingly similar remains are found in England as well. Eventually, as humans became smart enough to domesticate the horse, the Forest-type became used as a pack pony. Its short stature, weight-bearing capacity, and slightly longer back made it ideally-suited for this ... ...

Photography by Elliot Framan

Some of the best horsemen in the world have testified to the outstanding qualities of the Irish horse. The unique qualities of temperament, soundness and ability have been bred into the Irish Draught over hundreds of years of galloping across the Irish countryside. This makes them capable of doing anything you want them to do, from dressage to jumping, from hunting to eventing, and even everyday leisure riding. They are intelligent, quick to learn, safe, reliable, and ... ...

Photography by Elliot Framan

The horse is an integral part of the Icelandic nation. They came to Iceland with the Vikings around 900 AD. It is thought that they were descendents of the Mongolian

ponies that were imported to Scandinavia.

The story of the settling of the island is found in Landnamabok, the “Book of Settlements,” which is a nearly factual account of what transpired. Rather than sailing the dragon ships usually associated with Vikings, the settlers came in deep-keeled knars. ... ...

This was just one of the events that make a visit to SICAB an unforgettable trip. There are those of us who are quite addicted to Thanksgiving in Spain simply because of the thousands of beautiful horses everywhere you turn. Everywhere you see a horse at SICAB you will want to ride it!

Along with all the horse candy to watch is an absolute city of vendors. You can walk away completely outfitted in the latest European riding apparel fashions from dressage to Spanish style riding. The beautiful Spanish ... ...

Photography by Elliot Framan

The riders stopped at the Golden Waterfall, Gullfoss, to rest the horses. They told me that they had been on the road for six days, riding from Skagafjordas in the north over the Rjolur mountain track to the Geyser Hot Spring area.

"We travel as much as eight hours a day to cover the distance," said Ishester trekking guide, Hauhur Hanksson. "We take hand horses along, and change our mounts a couple of times a day, which allows us to travel at a comfortable speed. The ... ...

Photo Credit Spanish Riding School, Vienna

Tradition, history and grandeur reign supreme at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Dating from the 1500s it is the oldest riding school in the world, and home to the world famous Lipizzaner Stallions. The horses are trained and presented according to the highest principles and purest form of the classical art of riding. This extraordinary training has been handed down exclusively in an oral tradition from rider to rider for over 450 years, transforming ... ...