Horses and your Mayo Horse Drawn Caravan Holiday 

During your horse-drawn caravan holiday, you will inevitably develop a special relationship with your horse.

He has been tested for his temperament, health, road behaviour and many other qualities, before being entrusted to you.

Experience
Like people horses have personalities (horsalities?). Some visitors are more active, some taller and some more confident than others. This is taken into account when we are choosing a horse for you.

You may have little experience of horses but the horse has plenty of experience of people! The horse-breed used can vary but it is generally Irish Draught, with a strong influence of Tinker Cob, Shire and Clydesdale.

Training

The horse has been specially trained and tested to be suitable for this work. The welfare of the animal will be entrusted to you. You will be shown how to inspect the horse-shoes and the areas on the horse underneath the harness. Should a shoe be loose, broken or cast, or should the harness leave marks on the horse's skin, you will be asked to inform us immediately.

 Size

 Both mares and geldings are used to pull caravans. The average height  of our caravan horses is 15 hands - approximately 1.51 metres.

 Preparation

 As part of the preparation before leaving our base, you will be shown  how to water, feed and  care for the health of the horse as well as  harnessing and unharnessing, yoking and unyoking.

 Travel Time

 Visitors travel between 5km and 12km per day. This takes between two  and four hours, depending on the speed of the horse.