Many of those who choose to holiday at Gleneagles’ Glorious Playground each year are attracted to the estate for its abundance of active pursuits in the picturesque Perthshire countryside. Behind the scenes, an expert team of outdoors professionals oversee a well-oiled operation that provides guests with plenty of first-class facilities to help them make the most of their stunning surroundings. Never is this truer than at the Equestrian School, whose six instructors are on hand to introduce guests to the joys of exploring Perthshire on horseback.
For Rebecca Kennedy, Head of Equestrian at Gleneagles, two factors make the school truly unique. “Firstly, it’s the countryside around us here – perhaps I’m biased but Scotland really is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and that really sets us apart,” she says. “We also have very good coaches with a high standard of knowledge so when you book a lesson with us you know you’re going to get good quality tuition and wonderful horses.”
Kennedy, who has worked with horses for more than 20 years in eventing and racing, runs a busy weekly roster of indoor and outdoor coaching, horse riding lessons and experiences for guests at all levels, with the school’s 27 horses and ponies all receiving expert care and attention. “We treat all our horses here as competition horses, which means they get the highest level of care,” she says. “They all see physiotherapists, they all have a nutritionist and we have a world-champion farrier and equine specialist vets.