This is a good question!  I guess the most important reason is the fun you will have while riding quality horses. The culture of Portugal has somehow been infused with a gentleness that seems to define their character. Because of this they are able to guide your learning in a way that is non-threatening.  Contrast this with other countries methods, where strictness and discipline are the rule, and you can see why learning in Portugal makes for a decidedly better riding holiday. Many experts agree that to improve your riding skills you need to ride many horses.  Ideally, these horses would be trained above your current level; however, in many countries this is often difficult to find.  As students we are often learning to ride and at the same time trying to teach our horse what we want them to do!  It is a bit like tuning a grand piano at the same time you are being taught to practice scales.  This makes the learning process very complicated and clearly it would be easier to learn a new movement on a horse that was already trained to deliver it.  In Portugal, the opportunity to ride highly trained horses is a real possibility. Since the horses we supply are already trained, you can concentrate on having fun while improving your riding. 
 "Portugal is a lovely, friendly country with a proud and impressive history.  The horses were certainly well trained and taught me more than I could have learned here in the states in the same amount of time.  I have already started to talk to my fellow riders about making a rider-only pilgrimage back to Lisbon as soon as we can organize the trip."

What is it that makes this facility that I work with special? The primary reason is the Lusitano breed of horse and the classical heritage of horsemanship that they represent. Classical horsemanship seems to have endured in Portugal without many modifications. Until recently, cultural changes must have either come through Spain or across the ocean, and this has created a culture that has been resistant to fads in horsemanship. The consistent training of these horses, enables you to experience a horse riding holiday in a way that isn't possible anywhere else. Another reason is that this facility is not just a riding school for students. Their main purpose is to take young horses and train them through High School movements.  This means that good horsemanship is practiced every day at virtually all levels.  The instructors that teach you are the same trainers that work with the horses, and this complete knowledge is what makes the time you spend here so insightful and valuable.  Some of the horses you may ride are used in shows; some are for sale; and some exceptional ones are permanently stabled as school riding mounts.  But all offer the aspiring rider a chance to ride different horses, and most of them are trained to a degree that is unavailable as a school mount in other countries.
  "THANK YOU for such a very, very wonderful time at Morgado. It was such a joy to meet all of you and to experience the horses of Morgado and all of the lovely traditions you uphold there.  The riding was a great learning experience!  Where can you go to have the opportunity to learn from such beautifully trained, exceptional horses with the help of such classically correct and very patient instructors? It was a lifetime dreamed fulfilled but now it can be built upon!   Thank you so much for your warm hospitality, for making us feel so welcome, and for helping to make our first (of many, we hope) trips to Portugal a DREAM!  Enclosed is a  photo of the sweet and handsome Senhor!"

It's not only the riding that counts.

Another important factor is the treatment of the client.  From personal experience I can tell you that few other training stables will make you feel as comfortable.  You can trust your hosts to ensure that you are safe, have secure clean housing, good food, reliable transportation, and are able to communicate in English.  Without these basic necessities, any learning you hope to do becomes far more difficult.  In general, Portugal is a very friendly country, and although the facility I represent goes out of their way to make riding the priority, they also understand the stresses that visiting a foreign country can induce, and work hard to reduce these effects.
  

Isn't it expensive?

Some final thoughts...

There is one other factor that makes your riding holiday in Portugal especially productive.  This is the immersion factor.  Portugal is just remote enough that you will find yourself leaving your normal daily routine at home.  When we are in a foreign environment our normal routines are missing and so we are much more receptive to "fill in the gaps". It seems easier to focus without all the distractions of making a living at home. This freedom allows you to experience and learn what the riding holiday is really about, and that is to feel the magic and oneness with your equine partner.  And isn't that the point of your riding holiday in the first place?  

So what do I do next?

The specific information about Morgado Lusitano is contained on their website.  Please visit www.RideinPortugal.com where the web pages explain about their venue, the housing, a sample schedule and their prices. Review the site and then call or write to me.  You can contact me by clicking here or by visiting the "contact me" links of the respective facility once you visit their web pages.  Either way I will contact you as soon as I receive your e-mail and begin the process of helping you take the first leap of your journey.  Joseph Berto