On a horse in Tuscany

Horse riding in all its forms, from show jumping to dressage, cross-country to trekking is an integral part of the activities of the country estate where our Villa della Pia and Borgo della Pia are located. Not only do visitors enjoy luxurious surroundings in the villas, but a newly inaugurated facility within walking distance of the villas allows your horse too a fantastic holiday in the beautiful Tuscan countryside – in the Maremma to be exact, an area well known for equestrian traditions and activities.
The Maremma has its own variety of horse, the Maremmano, a large and powerful horse still used today by the “Butteri”, the horse-borne herders of cattle in Tuscany and the area north of Rome. If you’re lucky, you may be able to join in one of the festivals taking place in various towns and villages where these can be seen in their distinctive historical outfits. There’s a livery stable to cosset your equine friend and if you don’t bring your own, there are horses of all kinds available for hire by the day, together with the compulsory hard hat too, of course.
A large sand arena beckons those who favour show-jumping and dressage, and kilometres of trails are available to those who just want to picnic. There’s a guide on hand (notice please!) for the explorers, and even though the estate is 30 kilometres away from the sea, there’s even a trail that takes you to the famously beautiful and not too crowded Tuscan coast between Follonica and Castiglione della Pescaia. If some of your party (and that party can be as large as 30 in the two villas) are not such keen horse riders, then there’s a tennis court and of course the incomparable beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea not too far away.