About the Centre

Welcome to Slieve Aughty Centre in Western Ireland! We are a family owned and operated equestrian and activity centre set on 35 rolling acres. Remote and peaceful, the centre offers excellent hiking, horse riding and cycling tracks in more than 2,000 acres of the adjacent Kylebrack Forest. Slieve Aughty Centre has been serving beginner to advanced equestrians of all ages for more than 20 years and offers everything from quiet forest treks to challenging gallops on the cross country course. Set away from the stress of the city, our guests enjoy beautiful natural surroundings, relaxed evenings in cosy accommodation, organic meals and lots of time with our wonderful horses and ponies. Our riding holidays offer everything from long scenic rides in the countryside to intense lessons twice daily in the large all weather sand arena. English Language instruction is available from the Shannonside Language Centre, making Slieve Aughty one of only 7 equestrian centres in the country with an approved language programme. Combine riding and cycling, walking or sightseeing for a custom tailored holiday with something for the entire family. All guides and instructors are highly qualified and the Centre is AIRE (Association of Irish Riding Establishments) and Bord Failte approved.

The Slieve Aughty difference is in the personal quality and care we provide for humans, horses and the Earth. We invite you to book a week or an hour with us and experience the Slieve Aughty difference yourself.

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About the Activities

Slieve Aughty Centre offers several riding holidays, non-riding holidays or a combination of the two. Explore the scenic Irish countryside by horseback on an adult and family riding holiday, or venture even further afield to picturesque lakes on a Lake and Forest Trail holiday. Improve your riding with an intense training holiday, or focus on riding uneven terrain on a cross country training holiday. Prepare for hunting season with a pre-hunting holiday, or combine riding and working on the farm with a reduced cost working holiday. If you enjoy hiking, check out our walking holiday, where you can go for leisurely day hikes or post to post and bring a pony or donkey to carry your things. For the non-rider in your family, the trails are great for walking and cycling, and we can organise fishing, golfing and sightseeing excursions nearby. English language lessons are available with all holidays.

If you are visiting for the day, we offer hourly guided treks, day tours (a full day ride with a picnic), pony rides, riding lessons, lunch or dinner and self-guided nature trails. If you are in Ireland during a special holiday such as Christmas or Easter, check out our web site to see what is going on! There’s almost always a festival, pony camp, charity event or other holiday fun to be had.

About the Horses

At Slieve Aughty Centre, our horses are family. The centre owns 33 horses and ponies, 5 donkeys, 1 cow and 1 sheep. All are friendly and well cared for. Many of our dependable mounts were either born at the centre or were purchased as 1-2 year olds and have been with us most of their lives. They work hard in the summer, carrying guests during the day and grazing in the lush fields at night. In the winter they have a few months off to relax from their busy summer schedule. Most visitors are impressed by how healthy and happy our horses are, and this is something that is very important to us. We have a natural philosophy to stable management, and many of our horses and ponies even go in bitless bridles. Our orientation at the beginning of a riding holiday is an essential ingredient to our horses’ care as we introduce each horse to new guests and explain how we expect our horses to be handled and cared for by each rider. We also have a variety of horses and ponies to suit every size, shape and ability of rider, from 10 hand ponies to 17.1 hand Irish hunters. Although most of our horses are Irish sport horses and cobs, we also have Connemara crosses, welsh ponies, gypsy or hairy types, Arabians or half Arabians and thoroughbreds.

• Frisky is the first pony to be a part of the riding centre and was purchased as a yearling. He is 20 years old this year and enjoys treks and pony rides.
• Stormy is the centre’s second pony and in his almost 20 years of service he has done everything. If you look carefully, you will see Stormy vaulting, being painted, in lessons, on treks and jumping cross country on the web site.
• Collin is one of the centre’s best horses. The youngest of 3 siblings born and bred on the farm and standing 17.1 hands high, he competed with Merel Zyderlaan at the 1 star event level before joining the riding holiday programme. He is calm and gentle and also does vaulting with children and adults.
• Harry is a gypsy or tinker horse with lots of thick, “feathered” hair on his legs. He is always a favourite with his smooth, sure-footed stride and comfortable back, and he is an enthusiastic cross country jumper.
• Pearl is Collin’s eldest sister and also stands 17.1 hands high. She is a gentle giant and has taught many novice or nervous riders over the years.
• Billy is another veteran pony who loves to jump but is quiet enough for a beginner.

About the Facilities and Accommodation

Slieve Aughty’s riding centre features temporary and loose boxes for the horses, large tack room, wash area, 30 x 50 metre all weather sand arena, full course of show jumps and extensive and varied cross country course. Beside the riding centre yard is a toilet and locker room for guest convenience, and both are connected to the English classroom. Just around the corner, the full service restaurant serves organic meals and fresh tea and coffee for those just passing by. Beside the stables, you can check out the fruits, vegetables and flowers in the organic garden, as you’ll probably see them on your plate later!

For guest accommodation there are a variety of options. The centre has 2 chalets and a country cottage on site. Within less than 2 km there are 2 other country cottages, and Cartron House B&B is only 5 km away. All unaccompanied teenagers stay at Cartron House and the centre provides transport to and from the centre. Under construction is a 9 bedroom ensuite guest house on the property which promises to be a luxurious option for adults and families. The variety is wonderful as there are options to suit all needs and group sizes, with a maximum capacity of 35 people when all accommodation is full (which it usually is in summer!)

Customer Testimonials

We had a great time with everyone, the horses were very nice and we really enjoyed being able to feed the horses, to be involved in the life of the riding center, spending hours on horse back, going to the pub with Geri, eating very good food...

Stephanie Plantard, France

My absolute dream holiday, completely perfect. Gorgeous scenery, brilliant facilities, a wide choice of horses and friendly staff. Loved how there was freedom to vary what we did depending on how we felt. The food was brilliant, and we even got a tan which was a nice surprise.

E.P, United Kingdom

It was very nice to stay here, ride, work, eat, laugh all together. It was a very nice and good experience. I think I’ll remember for a long time my “sensation” about riding in a river, smelling wood scent, looking at crazy clouds in the strange sky, listening to the soft horses walk in the quiet forest, eating a very special Esther’s apple crumble and jumping for my first time in the forest with Ruby. Thank you for all.

Silvia, Italy

Directions to Centre

Directions from Shannon Airport to Slieve Aughty Centre From the airport, follow the signs for Ennis (N18) on the N19. Take the N18 North to Ennis. Continue on the N18 past Ennis into Gort. In Gort, turn right onto the N66 to Loughrea. Follow the N66 into Loughrea. You will come to a large intersection in Loughrea where you will turn right. The road ends very soon where you will turn left. You will pass the Loughrea Cathedral and take your next right onto the Woodford Rd (R351). This will take you south out of Loughrea, passing the lake on the right. After about 10 km you will come up a hill with a pub called The Hill Bar on the left side. Go down the hill and after about 500 m you will meet a crossroad with a shop and small filling station on the left. Turn right opposite the petrol station. There is a little green and white sign for the Riding Centre just before this intersection. Travel about 1⁄2 km and turn left across from the first house on the right (white). This is a narrow lane and there is a small round sign with the Slieve Aughty logo at the top of the lane. Follow the road to the car park on the left.

GPS Coordinates:

• North 53_ 8.011
• West 008_ 28.344

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