Je Suis Polyglotte, a language stay organisation based in France, places you with an English teacher in Ireland: full board, one-to-one lessons at the teacher’s home and three horse riding sessions a week, each lasting one hour to an hour and a half, at a riding centre your teacher chooses near home. Beginners and experienced riders, adults and teenagers, Sunday to Saturday, all year round, from one week. From €1,715 a week for adults, €1,790 for under-18s.
At a glance
| Who it’s for | Adults and teenagers. Under 18, general activities or cultural visits are always booked with the lessons; under 16, we organise the airport transfer; under 13, closer supervision. No fixed minimum age for the stay; for the riding, the riding centre sets the minimum age. |
|---|---|
| Lessons | 10 to 30 hours of one-to-one lessons a week, at your teacher’s home. |
| Riding | 3 sessions a week of 1 hour to 1 hour 30, all levels, one-to-one (in a group on request); accompanied transport; equipment, helmet included, and riding insurance provided by the riding centre; bring your own riding trousers and boots. |
| Regions | The regions of our programme in Ireland: Dublin, Munster around Cork and Limerick, Connaught around Galway, Sligo and Mayo, and Ulster; other areas on request. |
| Length and dates | One week minimum, Sunday to Saturday, all year round; the riding centre’s availability is confirmed for your dates. |
| Accommodation | Private single room, three meals a day with the family; private bathroom as an option (€180 a week). |
| Transfer | From Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock or Belfast depending on the region, from €135 each way; for under-16s we organise it, unless you travel with your child. |
| Price | From €1,715 a week for adults, €1,790 for under-18s. |
| Not included | Travel and your personal insurance. |
Programmes and prices
| Who for | Programme | Price per week |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | 15 hours of lessons + 3 riding sessions | €1,715 |
| Adults | 20 hours of lessons + riding | €1,940 |
| Adults | 25 hours of lessons + riding | €2,165 |
| Adults | 30 hours of lessons + riding | €2,390 |
| Adults and under-18s | 10 hours of lessons + 5 hours of accompanied activities + riding | €1,790 |
| Under-18s | 15 hours of lessons + 5 hours of accompanied activities + riding | €2,015 |
Prices are per week with full board at your teacher’s home. In the Dublin area (Leinster) the week costs €150 more. Under 13, closer supervision adds €150 a week; under 16, the airport transfer costs from €135 each way. The 5 hours of activities can be replaced by 3 cultural visits for €55 more (€155 more in the Dublin area, where the visits have their own supplement).
How the riding sessions work
Your teacher chooses the riding centre: one near home and, above all, able to offer sessions suited to your level. You ride three times a week, and each session lasts one hour or an hour and a half, depending on the centre’s timetable and your level; the exact length is confirmed after booking, when your teacher arranges the sessions with the centre.
Sessions are normally one-to-one with an instructor from the centre, and in a group if you ask for it. Every level is welcome, from complete beginners to experienced riders, and the journey to the centre is accompanied.
The riding centre provides the equipment, helmet included, and the insurance for the riding. For hygiene reasons, you bring your own riding trousers and boots. The minimum age and any weight or height limits depend on the riding centre and its safety rules: we check them with the chosen centre once we know your profile and your level.
Riding usually runs all year; availability depends on the centre, the weather and seasonal timetables, and is confirmed for your dates. It is available in the regions described on our page about English stays in Ireland, and in other areas on request. Riding is one of the sport options in Ireland, alongside fishing, rugby, tennis and golf.
A typical week
A typical week often looks like this, with the exact timetable set with your teacher: lessons in the morning, lunch with the family, and three afternoons at the riding centre. For under-18s, the hours of accompanied activities or the cultural visits fill other afternoons, out with the teacher. An adult has the rest of the time free, or spends it in the life of the house, where English is used without even thinking about it.
“In my spare time, I love spending time with the dogs or giving the horses treats and seeing the chickens run around and we have a lot of fun.”
— A participant, 15, Valence (France)
Who comes on this stay
The stay works just as well for someone who has been riding for years as for someone who has never sat on a horse. An adult can take twenty-five or thirty hours, or fifteen, because much of the talking happens outside the lesson: in the car on the way to the riding centre, at the family table, in a country pub in the evening, which is for over-eighteens.
If it is your child who is going, you receive the host family’s profile before anything is confirmed. Your child is the only student in the house, looked after day to day by the host family, and since the activities or visits come on top of the riding, the other afternoons are spent out with the teacher rather than upstairs with a phone. Under thirteen we always add closer supervision, so that an adult is there at all times; if you prefer, you can keep it until eighteen.
Ireland is one of the two countries, with New Zealand, where the farm activities exist: the harvest, the fruit picking, the animals to feed — a second reason to be outside for a teenager who comes for the horses.
Before choosing, you can also read what our clients wrote after their stay on our client reviews page.
“I would recommend it because I think it’s really important: learning about new cultures and doing it in host families is probably the best way, because you kind of learn about their rhythms and you get to appreciate things you might not have appreciated before.”
— A participant, 15, Valence (France)
“You’re always out for new adventures and every single one is very special and different. I think everyone should have a chance to do that or experience it once in a lifetime.”
— A participant, 15, Valence (France)
Frequently asked questions about English and horse riding in Ireland
How much does the stay cost, and what is included?
From €1,715 a week for adults (15 hours of lessons and three riding sessions) and €1,790 for under-18s, whose lessons always come with accompanied activities. The price covers your room, three meals a day, the lessons, the riding with accompanied transport, and the equipment and riding insurance provided by the riding centre; travel and personal insurance are not included.
From what age? Can a teenager travel alone?
There is no fixed minimum age for the stay: adults, teenagers and children are welcome. Under 18, general activities or cultural visits are always booked with the lessons, and the riding comes on top of them; under 16, we organise the airport transfer unless a parent travels with the student; under 13, closer supervision (€150 a week) means an adult is present at all times. For the riding, the minimum age depends on the riding centre.
How many hours of lessons a week, and who sets the timetable?
You choose 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 hours a week of one-to-one lessons at your teacher’s home. The 10-hour option always goes with general activities or cultural visits, and the riding does not replace them. The timetable is agreed with your teacher, around the riding sessions.
Do I need to know how to ride already?
No. Every level is welcome, from complete beginners to experienced riders. You tell us your level when you book, and your teacher chooses a riding centre able to offer sessions suited to it.
How many sessions, and how long in the saddle? Where do I ride? One-to-one or in a group?
Three sessions a week of one hour to an hour and a half, confirmed after booking, at a centre your teacher chooses near their home. Sessions are normally one-to-one with an instructor from the centre, and in a group on request.
Do I need to bring my own equipment? Who provides the insurance?
Only your riding trousers and boots, for hygiene: the helmet, the rest of the equipment and the riding insurance come from the riding centre. For the trip itself, take out your own insurance before you leave.
In which regions of Ireland? All year round?
In every region of our programme, from Dublin to Munster, Connaught and Ulster, and elsewhere if you ask us to check. The centre’s availability can vary with the season and the weather, so we confirm it for your dates.
What is the minimum length, and which days do I arrive and leave?
One week at least, arriving on Sunday and leaving on Saturday, so six nights. You can stay several weeks, and an extra night costs €130.
How does the airport transfer work?
We can arrange for you to be met at the airport nearest your host, Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock or Belfast depending on the region, from €135 each way. For under-16s we always organise the transfer, unless you are travelling with your child.
What about my room, the bathroom, allergies and pets?
You have your own room and share three meals a day with the family; a private bathroom is available as an option, for €180 a week. Tell us about allergies, special diets and pets when you book: we take them into account when choosing the family, and a special diet costs €110 a week.
How do I book?
Write to us from the contact page or call +33 6 51 74 42 74, with your dates, your level in English and in riding and, for a child, their age. We then send you the host family’s profile with the proposal, so you can see where you will live before you confirm anything; payment comes one month before arrival, by bank transfer or card.
What if I cancel, or the family isn’t right for me?
If you cancel 28 days or more before arrival, it costs €250; from 27 days to one week before, half the price; in the last week, the full price. Once confirmed, the riding sessions are not refundable, because the centre has to be paid anyway. If you don’t feel at ease with the family, tell the regional manager during the stay and we arrange a change.
What is the weather like in Ireland?
Mild, wet and changeable, sometimes within the same day. A waterproof jacket is useful in every season.
Horse riding in our other destinations
Horse riding is also possible during our stays in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Malta, the United States and South Africa.
