Experience Classical Horsemanship at its best! Morgado Lusitano takes great pride in the fact that it has two of the highest calibre Classical riding instructors available anywhere in Portugal.

Here, you will have the opportunity to improve your understanding and riding techniques on the centre's beautiful and majestic Lusitano stallions and horses. The emphasis is on performing beautiful horsemanship, under the watchful eye of experienced instructors.

The movements these horses can teach you are the shoulder in, halfpass, pirouette, counter canter, flying lead changes, tempi changes, piaffe, passage, Spanish walk and other High School manoeuvers!

Classical Riding is interwoven in the culture of Portugal and considered an Art to which riders dedicate their entire lives perfecting. Visitors wishing to understand and learn a higher level of horsemanship, taught in the Classical manner, will find a warm welcome and some of the finest riders on earth - who understand your desire to learn and are keen to instruct you, regardless of your current riding level.

At the same time, you will enjoy a wonderful holiday experience, staying on the estate, in lovely accommodation. Delicious meals are prepared and served family style. There is much to see and do in the surrounding area and lessons are arranged to ensure that plenty of time can be spent relaxing by the pool or sight-seeing.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience the Classical Riding holiday of a lifetime!

Established in 1775, the Morgado Estate has recently undergone extensive refurbishment to create a beautiful custom designed facility to host one of the finest Classical Riding centres in Portugal. Great care has been taken to provide top quality riding facilities, instructors, staff, accommodation - and highly trained horses.

This region is one of the most productive agricultural areas surrounding the Port City of Lisbon and the forest and hills surrounding the estate reflect this beauty. Overlooking the Rio Tejo river, with a 180 degree panoramic view, the main house is known as Quinta de Portella - and it is here that you will be a guest!

While the exterior of the house reflects its historic heritage, the interior has been fully modernised for the comfort of the guests. Foot thick walls insure cool temperatures in the summer and a warm interior in the winter. The main house features a dining room and a cozy library, where guests can gather to enjoy meals and socialise. Breakfast is provided in the inviting kitchen, and during the day the common areas are always available for relaxation.

Scattered around the main house are individual guest cottages that are close to the activities, yet far enough to be peaceful. You'll find relaxing lobbies, spacious rooms with queen size or double beds and private baths. Outside you can enjoy the beautiful, manicured garden, as well as a large swimming pool for cooling you in summer, or working out the aches of riding.

A gracious staff is always available and on hand at the Quinta.

Although the setting is peaceful and private, Morgado Lusitano is located only a short taxi ride from either the small town of Alverca, the rail link to Lisbon, or the airport. This convenient location makes access from the nearby highway easy if you prefer to self drive.

Head instructor of Morgado Lusitano and Principal Rider of the Escola Portuguesa d' Arte Equestre (Portuguese School of Equestrian Art)

Rodrigo Matos is a gifted rider who was born in a county where exceptional horses and talents are recognised and nurtured. Rodrigo began riding at an early age, and his skills quickly became apparent to those who watched him communicate with horses. His training began in earnest at the Morgado Lusitano facility in Lisbon, where he was schooled under the talented Mr. Nuno Palma. It was under Mr. Palma's guidance that Rodrigo's talents grew, and when a position at the esteemed Escola Portuguesa d' Arte Equestre (The Portuguese version of The Spanish Riding School of Vienna) became available, Rodrigo was selected.

In the fourteen years since then, his talents have matured under the watchful eye of modern day Masters. He currently trains under Maestro Dr. Filipe Figueiredo (Graciosa) and works with stallions from the Altar Real stud farm. Classical training methods require the utmost in tact, patience, and skill. Working with a young horse for an hour a day for several years is not uncommon, and by the time Rodrigo has a horse ready for the exhibition, he may have thousands of training hours invested.

The Stallions he works with are used in the equestrian exhibits at the Palacio National, and shown at the highest levels. Rodrigo Matos is proficient at teaching and riding manoeuvers such as the Piaffe, Passage and Long-reins-in-hand. He also performs the most demanding high school airs, including the Capriole, Levade and Corvetta. During these shows Rodrigo also works with the other Picadores as part of a ten rider Quadrille.

“I ask riders of the educational clinics that I host world wide to bring what ever problem you may be having with their horse to the clinic and we can work together, the three of us, to bring the horse and rider into a more harmonious relationship.”

Rodrigo Matos has a wealth of experience teaching horses and is responsible for the training of up to 35 horses a day. He manages the trainers and student trainees at the facility - and also personally teaches guest riders who visit to improve their riding skills. To more effectively communicate with them, Rodrigo has become fluent in English and in other languages. This broad base of experience assures that when he is involved with a client he is able to work with both the rider and the horse to achieve the desired Classical goals.

In addition to his work in Portugal, Rodrigo travels worldwide offering classical horsemanship clinics to discriminating riders. (ET Editor's note: "In June 2008, Rodrigo taught at a series of clinics in the South West of England, to which I took two of my horses. It was an outstanding clinic and I cannot recommend Rodrigo highly enough to anyone wishing to improve their understanding and riding.")

Rodrigo Matos encourages students to question him about his teaching methods and is genuinely interested in helping his students learn. He is keenly aware of the many different backgrounds his students have, such as with Natural Horsemanship ideas, and Rodrigo embraces this as an important part of a students learning process. He respects and has an open mind toward the ideas of others, because he feels that there are many different levels of horsemanship. Although he is a somewhat quiet man who is most comfortable around horses, this trait ensures that the words he speaks are meaningful. Best of all, while you will benefit from what he says, you will also learn by watching him ride!

Rider for Apassionata and Assistant Instructor at Morgado Lusitano

When it comes to teaching, few are as qualified or as passionate about Classical riding as Charlotte Wittbom. Charlotte was born in Sweden and started riding as soon as she could say "Horsey". She competed in three day eventing as well as show jumping before settling upon dressage competitions.

Her desire to be a teacher first led her to London, where she completed a full time instructor program, and it was during this time that she became especially drawn to Classical riding. In order to be the best, you must learn from the best, and she found her way to Portugal. She was soon working for one of the acclaimed Classical teachers, Master Luis Valenca, where she blossomed into one of his most talented riders. Her hard work and dedication finally earned her the award of a Diploma of Merit from Mr. Valenca - a certificate that few in the world have ever achieved.

Charlotte is an expert horsewoman and is a performer in the Apassionata horse show, a European horse extravaganza similar in scope to Cavalia in the USA. Apassionata tours all the major cities in Europe, and with over 650,000 visitors it is one of the most successful equestrian productions in the world. While riding for Apassionata, Charlotte demonstrates amazing horsemanship and does it in an artistic manner that only a very few of the most talented and skilled Classical riders can display.

It is considered an honor to be asked to perform in this production, and Charlotte Wittbom, your instructor at Morgado Lusitano is one of the talented few. In addition to exceptional credentials, Charlotte brings the patience and skill and empathy that makes learning from her a joyful experience.

International Clinic Update: In 2008, Rodrigo will be visiting the USA - Maine, Boston, Florida, Los Angeles and Santiago in California - and following that he will visit Australia. In November, he will return to the UK.

Classical Horse Riding Holidays at Morgano Lusitano are available for either seven day or three day stays. Additional nights are also available and individual requirements are catered for wherever possible. www.morgadolusitano.pt

Your first rides at Morgado Lusitano will demonstrate (to you and the instructor) your level of ability. Several different horses will be prepared for you to determine your suitability for each level. Since few clients own Lusitanos, these initial rides will help you become accustomed to their endearing qualities. You are not being judged, our goal is for you to have fun! We will instruct you into high level movements, regardless of your prior experience.

Here are some pointers to help you assess your Riding Ability.

Novice Ability
In order to be considered a novice rider you must have basic horsemanship skills, including mounting and dismounting unassisted from the horse. You should have knowledge of the basic rein and leg aids. You should have at least an aware seat, meaning you must be able to post a trot, sit a trot without bouncing excessively, and ride a short canter. Most riders who visit here are novice riders who wish to improve their abilities and to experience horses that will help them to do so. We WELCOME novices, and appreciate your efforts to become a better rider. Attitude is more important than aptitude at this stage. To become a proficient novice will generally require 300 to 500 hours riding time, and on your horse at home you should be riding at least a couple of times a week.

Intermediate Ability
Intermediate riders should be have a very comfortable sitting trot seat with steady hands. You should be able to ask accurately for transitions between gaits. You should be comfortable on either lead or diagonal and be able to ask for either. You should be able to perform a Level Two dressage test, including the shoulder in, halfpass and flying change of lead. Riders at this level are often surprised at how easy advanced riding can be, the horses here are light, willing and sensitive. Riders who visit here at this level usually spend considerable effort learning what "light" contact really means. Humility and patience are the most important traits at this stage. To become a proficient intermediate rider requires a substantial commitment of time and effort, most students at this level find that riding every day is necessary. Generally requires 500 to 2000 hours riding time.

Advanced Ability
The only way to become an advanced rider is to totally commit to the art, either as a working student or full time horse rider as your profession. Even then, for some, years of riding does not translate to an "Advanced" level! It takes superior intellectual knowledge, great skill, and an indefinable quality called "feel", which requires untold thousands of hours on horseback to achieve. To be considered an advanced rider you should be accurately riding Third Level dressage tests. Riders with advanced abilities will be instructed on how to use each horse to their full potential and are welcome to participate at all levels. They may be offered mounts that are younger and more spirited as well as other more refined and challenging horses. If you have begun down this advanced journey, the stallions at Morgado will help you to find your "feel".

How to get the most out of a riding holiday at Morgado Lusitano
Are you prepared to learn? While this is a holiday, it is also going to require a level of personal effort for you to benefit. If you can prepare by reading appropriate books or take some similar instruction at home, the benefits of riding our trained horses will be greater.While it is impossible to train a novice into an intermediate in one week, what we can offer are the horses and instructors who will guide you to feel what the next level might be like if you have the dedication and perseverance to spend the necessary hours to get there.

Simply email or telephone Morgado Lusitano (details below) and visit www.morgadolusitano.pt

CONTACT
MORGADO LUSITANO



email geral@morgadolusitano.pt