Riding Stables Opening At Naturhotel Forsthofgut

Unceasing in its efforts to improve and extend its offer, Naturhotel Forsthofgut’s latest venture is a riding stables, opening in October. The stables are in the hotel’s forestry and farm estate, beneath the breathtaking Leogang Mountains in Austria’s SalzburgerLand region: www.forsthofgut.at/en

Naturhotel Forsthofgut is a 5* family-run, family-friendly luxury hotel situated in the heart of nature beneath the Asitz mountain in Leogang, SalzburgerLand, Austria. One of Austria’s top destination hotels, developed by generations of the Schmuck family from a forestry station dating back to 1617. Exquisite dining - sustainable, organic (produce from the hotel’s farm), vegan and Japanese menus. Speciality cocktail bar. Wine tastings twice weekly. The world’s first forest Spa: Lakehouse Spa for adults and waldSPA Family & Kids for families;  extensive water features, multiple pools, saunas, treatment rooms; Onsen bath and washhouse, infinity pool, natural chemical-free swimming lake, floating Finnish sauna and natural plunge pool. Riding Stables with mini zoo and guest-stables. Kids’ playground with petting zoo. Animal feeding visits every week. Ski-in/ski-out in winter, 200m from the nearest lift. Ski nursery and in-house ski shop/equipment hire. Daily complimentry childcare from 9am to 9 pm.  Programme of weekly excursions, year-round. Hotel open all year.

Facilities include a large indoor arena (20x40m), an outdoor manège of similar size, a spacious working yard, a comfortable riders’ lounge and, above the arena, a new studio exclusively for children and teenagers. There are 6 horses and 4 ponies for riding morning and afternoon, Monday to Saturday, year round. Two guest stables are available for those who prefer to bring their own horse.

The Forsthofgut Stables manager, Elke Hechenberger, has a team of multi-lingual instructors offering 50-minute group and private lessons in pony and lunge riding, cavaletti and pole work, and trekking and hacking. Longer rides with an instructor are available, and a dedicated children’s programme will include pony rides for little ones, romantic carriage rides, and starlit campfire nights for all the family. 

The stables complex has its own mini-zoo where two adorable alpacas, a friendly donkey, babydoll sheep and rabbits all live as part of Forsthofgut’s growing menagerie. Pygmy pigs, rabbits, shetlands and goats already enjoy a happy life in the miniGUT, the hotel’s miniature replica of a traditional Pinzgau farm. Younger guests are encouraged to help with caring and feeding.

Forsthofgut plans to offer riding for disabled guests, working with an equine therapist skilled in hippotherapy techniques. These specialised therapeutic treatments are particularly beneficial for people living with cerebral palsy, autism, MS or ADHD. The warmth and rhythmic movements of the horse relax muscles, helping to reduce spasms, improve balance, co-ordination, strength and posture. Hippotherapy techniques also reinforce confidence, wellbeing and rehabilitation processes.

At Forsthofgut, the welfare of the animals ranks as highly the happiness of guests. Not only is Sunday a rest day for the horses, there is also a horse solarium with infrared waves to warm them up in winter, stimulate blood circulation and relax muscles to prevent or relieve cramp and pain.

The owner of Naturhotel Forsthofgut, Christoph Schmuck, believes he is as much farmer as hotelier. ‘Riding is a complete bond between man and nature,’ he says; ‘it is entirely natural to have horses working on the land. I’m happy to have closed that circle by bringing them back’.

The Riding Stables is yet another top-of-the-range facility to add to Naturhotel Forsthofgut’s hospitality, spa, and culinary facilities and the range of activities on offer. Every detail has been considered and no expense spared. It is the perfect Alpine retreat, for a wonderful experience and indelible happy memories.

• Forsthofgut offers a 5-night Riding Happiness package priced from €1290. It is valid 7 Oct - 30 Nov, and includes either a ride with an instructor or a lesson for the less experienced (ability is assessed) as well as a sack of food to feed the animals.
• Double rooms are priced from €550 per night based on 2 sharing ¾-board for a minimum of 5 nights; family suites from €660 (£556) on the same basis.
• Forsthofgut’s wide-ranging guest services, including free daily childcare (9 am to 9pm) with supervised lunch and evening buffet, are included in all room rates quoted.
• Horse riding sessions starts from €35  per person for group (maximum of 5) and from €75  for private lessons for pupils as young as 2 years (2-5 years must have a parent present).

Prices are subject to availability