Seniors Have Chance at Horse Play

FITS Equestrian, a Solvang-based agency that has specialized in horse-riding tours around the world for six years, is looking to corral some mature travelers.

These tours are not for travelers whose experience is limited to the carrousel at Santa Monica Pier or an occasional canter through Griffith Park. The trips will appeal to people who really know--and enjoy--riding on a regular basis.

“The typical one- to two-week tour we offer now is shared by riders of all ages, including some in their 80s,” said Peggy Hallauer, who runs the agency with her husband, Wolfgang, a retired Los Angeles surgeon.

“Once at the destination, be it Ireland, Egypt or Southern California, all travel is by horseback, four to six hours a day. Overnights are spent in a comfortable inn or hotel, maybe a castle or two in Europe, or, on more rugged tours, in tents.”

Open to All Types

But travel is not limited to the more adventurous kind.

“We’ve found that older riders often prefer a more leisurely paced riding tour, with comfortable accommodations and the companionship of riders of similar age and interests,” Peggy said. “So Wolfgang has decided to form the 60+ Club, with tours specifically planned for their age and riding level.”

The 60+ Club is in its formative stage right now, though FITS Equestrian sells riding tours to many seniors on an individual basis.

Their “Riding Vacations Around the World” brochure lists horseback trips to such exotic destinations as the Pyramids of Egypt, deserts of Morocco, the game plains of Kenya and Tanzania, and the jungles of Belize.

Different Levels of Skill

All rides note the amount of daily time in the saddle and the pace to be expected, from slow to fast. Having been on all the tours they offer, the Hallauers know that not all are for the average mature traveler with only modest riding experience.

The Hallauers hope to have some 60+ Club senior riding tours ready by midsummer.

“These could be anything from a three-day ‘Gourmet Ride’ in Southern California, with easy-gaited horses and ‘luxury camping,’ to tours of one week or longer (about 12 riders) to the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, Alsace in France or around Siena, Italy, escorted by a horseback-riding art professor,” said Peggy, who along with Wolfgang has checked out all the trips they offer.

“Seniors might also be interested in leisurely paced riding trips in Jamaica. Or, during the winter, maybe the Outback in Australia, perhaps New Zealand, or down to South America with the gauchos of Argentina.”

Special Dates Arranged

Special dates are arranged just for the senior groups. Tour members will be matched with horses according to their riding ability.

The cost per tour ranges from about $600 to $1,200, depending on destination and length of tour. This does not include air fare, which the Hallauers can arrange, from the most economical to first-class.

Tour prices include all accommodations, most meals, horse and gear, plus escort-guide and transfers of baggage from stop to stop.

For more information on either the 60+ Club or one of the more than 50 tours already set for all age levels, contact FITS Equestrian, 2011 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang, Calif. 93463, (805) 688-9494.

Correction: In a recent column an error made it appear that Great Western Travel in Pasadena operated tours to East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Great Western has just one inclusive tour to Eastern Europe; this includes all those countries and is set for Aug. 27 to Sept. 17, for $3,495 per person, based on double occupancy. For information: (818) 578-1161.