Royal School of Art Equestrian

• Short Tour
The visitor enters the Recreo de las Cadenas through the main gate: a semi-circular entrance with a small gatehouse on either side, decorated with the chains (Cadenas) which give the property its name. Then visit the Museum of Equestrian Art, opened in 2005 and devoted to the art of horsemanship, its appreciation, preservation, study and promotion.
Lastly, visit The Carriage Museum, located in an early 19th-century winery. This Museum is the only one of its kind which is composed of carriages, harnesses, horses and equestrian costumes all together.

• Thematic Visit
An audio-visual presentation, training sessions in the indoor arena and a visit to the Royal School facilities, including the Recreo de las Cadenas (Harness Workshop, Palace and Gardens), Museum of Equestrian Art, the Carriage Museum, and a guided tour to the Stables and Saddlery.

• The Equestrian Show
The show is broken up in to anything between six and eight splendid sections (depending on the day) and lasts for an hour and a half.
Quintessential Spanish music fills the air in this truly Andalusian arena. Doma Vaquera kick-starts the show and this is based on cattle herding. The horseman rides his horse around the arena using just one hand, beginning with a trot which becomes a gallop and showcasing perfect pirouettes and amazing arreones.
Then comes: Classical dressage. The horses perform top notch tricks and exercises to beautiful classical music. The Colts, Airs on Horseback, Pas de Deux, Passage and Piaffe, Domino on Horseback, Airs above the ground and Fantasy are just a few of the different types of choreography that are on offer.
Up next: Carriage driving. Originally intended as a means of transport, this art form is one to be marveled at. The drivers conduct the coaches with such care and eloquence it is a real treat to share such an experience with them.
Next on to: Work in hand. Levades, caprioles, courbettes, piaffe (between pillars), the Spanish walk and long reins are all to be seen in this section of the show. It’s remarkable that the hoses obey their riders with utmost respect even when the riders are not in the saddle; this section best showcases this discipline.
To top it off: Caroussel. Top quality skills are demonstrated in unison by the horses and riders simultaneously. This really puts the icing on the cake!