Finally booked your dream trip to sunny Italy? Maybe you’re even joining us on one of our equestrian meet-ups! The horse riding holiday season in Tuscany runs from May to October. Italian weather in summer is sunny and every now and then very hot! In this blog post I’ll tell you about everything you should pack when you’re going horse riding in Tuscany with Hooves Around The World.
Our next equestrian meet-up in Italy is from 26 June to 3 July 2023, hosted by Hanna Rogers.
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The hottest months of the year are July and August. However, the beginning of September, May and June can still be very hot. It will be dry in these months, until the rain comes at the end of September. October is quite a wet month. Make sure to take lots of strong sunscreen and aftersun. If your skin quickly dries out, make sure to bring a sunscreen with moisturiser. To limit the amount of sunburn, and to keep cool on the horse rides, make sure to bring long sleeves such as these blouses by Jessie Kidden. I’ve mentioned them before in The packing guide to being comfortable on your horse riding adventure abroad and absolutely love them.
Make sure to bring a light rain jacket at the end of the horse riding season. You could also opt for a warmer, long rain jacket such as this one. It will keep you dry longer, but you might also get hot as temperatures do still get to around 22 degrees celsius.
A large suitcase will be essential on your trip. That is if you’re not on a backpacking trip and continuing your travels afterwards of course. This is a place you’re going to be able to really relax and live in a bit of luxury, so make sure you stuff your suitcase full of self-care essentials and treat yourself! Do make sure to leave some room for the souvenirs, crafts and beautiful clothes you’ll buy at the local markets.
Besides bringing your essential dozens of socks and underwear, pyjamas, and of course horse riding clothes, you’ll need an outfit to go out on the town! The little village close to the hotel has a bar and a pizzeria and it’s lovely to hang out here at night. Of course, also bring your bathing suit, even in October, and some comfortable evening clothes for sitting at the fireplace.
If you aren’t using Wise yet, make an account here. Besides getting the benefit of cheap online transfers between currencies, you can also apply for a card from Wise so that you can make card payments in the local currency. At the hotel you can also pay with American Express (use the link to get twenty thousand free miles!) so you can earn miles! Always make sure to get a little bit of cash as well in case you want to buy some things at the markets.
There are no mosquitos at this incredible place, as it is too high in the hills. The staff has mentioned that they have only seen a few mosquitoes the entire season, so no need to bring mosquito spray or a net. There also won’t be any use for your solar charger here, but do bring an adapter if you don’t have a European plug! Don’t bring your own towels, as they provide them at the hotel. Given the fact that this horse riding holiday is not point-to-point, a lot of the amenities are provided at the hotel throughout your whole stay. They also provide wi-fi in every part of the hotel, so no need for a sim card!
If you quickly run hot and are not too attached to your horse riding leggings, I would recommend riding in light horse riding tights. They won’t come home with you in one piece though. During your horse rides you’ll be going deep into the stunning forests, meaning you'll encounter more than enough branches that will immediately rip a hole in your leggings. If you are not too worried about getting too hot on your horse, for example during a sunset ride, I highly recommend wearing jeans such as these by Wrangler.
Also read: How many pairs of horse riding jods do I need?
The saddles you’ll explore the Tuscan countryside on are mostly English style, and during the ride it’s very likely you’ll never have to get off and lead your horse. The best option is to bring some light jodhpurs by Ariat. Of course, the hotel in Tuscany also offers fabulous hiking opportunities, so if you’re interested in hiking during your stay, bring your hiking boots! I did ride in my hiking boots the whole trip and besides slightly sweaty feet it was perfect. However, I would bring jodhpurs for ultimate comfort.
My personal favourites: Chisos No. 4 boots!
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They do have small saddle bags available, to put in front of your saddle. You water bottle and your phone easily fit in, but if you do want to bring anything extra I highly recommend bringing your own fanny pack.
Helmets are compulsory during this horse riding holiday. If you don’t have one, or don’t want to bring your own, they do have quite a few to choose from that you can borrow during your stay. I didn’t bring my helmet so I borrowed one while I was there and was easily able to find one that fits. It is however always nice to have your own helmet on, especially if you’re in the saddle for quite a few hours. Don’t have one? Get a cheap and easy to clean helmet by Troxel.
If you’re joining me on a meet-up, don't worry, I’ll film lots and lots of the rides so you have those memories forever. If you are heading to Italy on a solo trip, make sure to bring a phone case with a cord so you can easily capture those incredible moments. If you’re planning on filming the fantastic canters on the forest roads, you could also consider bringing a gimbal to make your videos super steady! A GoPro or maybe even a drone could also take your videos to a whole other level, but do take into account that you’re going to be in the forest most of the time so in this case I would opt for the GoPro over the drone.
