patio horse farm

We decided on our last day on Faial to do a trail ride. The folks here were very welcoming and the horses in great shape. One of us had never ridden and I had some experience but many years prior. We appreciated the Italian saddles with their springy base and comfortable cushion. The ride lasted about 90 minutes through pastures, along the cliffs overlooking the ocean, through a bit of the town and back to the farm. The pace was just a walk due to the one inexperienced rider but that was perfect because who would want more than a easy ride under the sun with cool ocean breezes at your back? We loved the fact that one of the dogs from the farm came with us. Brownie trailed along like a champ. Our guide was observant and friendly. Helmets were given and we were offered beverages before and after the ride. A nice way to spend a few hours on Faial with truly beautiful scenery.

Very nice experience with horses and careful team at Patio. Anja came to take me and my friends directly at the hotel, we enjoyed an almost all-day long trip with wonderful panorama and relaxed mood. After the trip with the horses a lunch was served to me and my friends in the main house: we finally had a great day.Horsebackriding is a great alternative way to visit Azores: I only had this experience in Faial but hope to have the opportunity to come back and visit also the other isles this way!

The main aim of my trip to Faial was whale and dolphin watching however I asked my agent if there was any trail riding as I am a keen though not an experienced horse rider. I need not have worried, Anja looked after me well, offered me a choice of horses, listened to my needs and provided a delightful picnic as well. The ride was forward going over varied surfaces and although there was some roadwork, there was no difficulty with any traffic. Such a wonderful day. Real care was taken of the horses and everything was clean and tidy. I hope to visit the Azores again and will definitely revisit Patio Horse Farm. I will be recommending this establishment to all my friends!

I just came back after a wonderful week of horsbackriding, thanks to Victor, Anja and Morits. During this week, I have been able to discover Faial. And not only with horseback riding, but also with a wonderful boattrip, and went whale watching and swimming with the dolphins.Victor knows all the good places around the island and have a lot of contacts. Patio is a beautiful place, overlooking the sea and the 10 beautiful horses.They are very well trained and taken cared of. The material used is perfect with much attention to the welfare of the horses. Victor and Anja are very welcoming and have great attention to the holiday feeling. From the transfer from the airport, they make sure that you de-stress, and experience the island-life the right away! We had Lisa the whole week as a guide during the tours. She also contributed to the relaxed holiday feeling, where the welfare of the horses is an important factor! Overall a wonderful week with wonderful people and their horses!

I live on Faial and took one of our younger visitors riding with Patio at her request. We both enjoyed the ride very much indeed. We took things at a leisurely pace, but enjoyed several canters - and the views of the island were superb. I didn't take a camera with me, but wished that I had. However, Victor came to the rescue; he took photos of us as we were returning to the yard and emailed them to us to provide us with a reminder of our wonderful experience.I would definitely recommend Patio to visitors to Faial!

I only had a days riding at Patio, but am an experienced trial rider and thought the quality and condition of the horses was fantastic, the horses were well respected and well treated , very rideable. The scenery was fantastic and the picnic lunch wonderful. the tack was comfy and the weather was perfect, only wished I had more time to spend with these lovely and interesting people.

We took our two teenage sons and 11 year old daughter for a day's riding with Patio Horse Farm last week and trailed through lovely old tracks and pastureland with the smells of wild thyme and the blue of hydrangea hedges all around us. It was both leisurely and stimulating as the views of Faial changed from ocean to crater. Victor is a marvellous host - we don't know anything about horses, but they managed to give us a great day anyway.

Lovely day spent in the Faial countryside on beautiful horses which were well looked after. Our guides were very safe and matched us up to our horses according to our personalities skill levels and their temperaments. All round a great experience of Faial!

Since it was my birthday when we were staying in Horta, I wanted to do something special. I’ve never been on top of a horse, but I love animals, so we booked a trail at Quinta do Moinho. The owners are very nice, someone came to pick us up at the hotel and after a short try-out we got a private tour along the coast, in the fields and the small village of Cedros. We really enjoyed the experience and the horses are so well trained that you don’t need any experience to drive them. When we returned, we had a lovely (indoor) pick nick in their lovely home with local food and made a toast on my birthday. On our request, instead of taking us back to Horta, Victor brought us to the botanical garden and even gave us some vouchers. I definitely had a great time, thank you!

I have done multiple horse trails in many different countries, but my best experience was definitely at Faial and Pico with Pátio:The horses are in an excellent state (physically and mentally). This is because the owners take really good care of them and also keep them in a herd, which is the appropriate way to keep horses but is unfortunately not common at the different islands. The horses are robust and calm, but also love to run (if you want them to).The saddles and bridles are not worn out and do fit the individual horse well, thus they are comfortable for both the horse and the rider.All these things result in very relaxing and enjoyable horse trails. But also the very friendly, experienced and considerate staff contributes to a lovely experience. During two trails (full day and half day), I learned a lot about the islands (Pico and Faial), their history, flora and fauna, while being able to enjoy the beautiful landscape.Another great plus: you get to know and taste the great Azorean cuisine!The length, level of difficulty and paces are dependent on the experience and wishes of the guests, in any case, safety comes first (helmets in different sizes can be borrowed).I wish the Pátio team all the best for the future!

If you like going off road, or going faster than a walk, or not having to stay in strict order all the time despite riding horses of very uneven speeds, then this is not for you. I am not even all that experienced, but I nearly died of boredom with hours in the saddle walking in a line (can't even talk really) on tarmac roads. During two "full" days of riding, perhaps our total trotting time was 5-10 minutes, and canter time perhaps 3 minutes. The attitude was too disciplinarian - much more important to coset the horses than ensure guests had fun. The best part - they have excellent quality tack. Much, much more fun was Quinta da Terca on Sao Miguel - strongly recommended.

Went to Faial for a couple of days and was lucky enough to get the chance to discover the Patio Horse Farm. We had a group mixed with experienced riders and first time riders and everyone had a blast! I highly recommend going to the Patio Horse Farm if you are on Faial. The horses are beautiful and the instructors/guides really take care of you and are very knowledgable.

My husband and I were waiting for the birth of our second grandson and decided to take a 3 hour ride with Patio Horse Farm. It was a wonderful experience! The horses were awesome and the saddles were fantastic. We had a memorable experience and hope to return for a longer trail ride in the near future. Highly recommend!

I ride two times 28.9.2013 and 4.10.2013 at this stable horses and I can only recommend. To the stable is easy to go, only stable sign near Chedros village main road should be bigger. But when you arrive to Patio area owners Anja and Victor take care of you, no worries. They really take care of you. Before first riding everything went thru, how to act with horses and farm area. They follow what you are doing and give advises if it is needed. My first trail-riding only try to destroyed by very hard rain. But we did it, one and half hours.. Thanks their good raincoats. Second time even weather was excellent. We ride around around Chedros village area in nice sunshine. Up and down on the hills. Near seaside. It is nice to canter fields near seaside when wind is blowing in our ears. And horses are easy to handle. Nice memories taken in Finland. I can only thank all the working team in Patio Lusitano horse farm, including of course horses. Nice, relaxing two trial riding happening to me in Faial island. I wish all the best all of you.

Als Letzte unserer kleinen dreiköpfigen Reitgruppe kann ich nur bestätigen: tolle trittsichere Pferde(Campina kann sogar piaffieren!), super organisierter Trail mit vielen interessanten Informationen zur Landeskunde und angenehmen Stopps in den Bars zur wohlverdienten Stärkung! Sehr beeindruckt hat mich das super gepflegte Sattelzeug und die artgerechte Haltung der Pferde. Victor und Anja waren sehr kompetent und gastfreundlich und wurden auch unserem Bedürfnis nach regionalen Weißwein gerecht . Einziger" Wermutstropfen": die Labradordame der Familie, Nina, durfte ich natürlich nicht mit nach Hause nehmen.Ich denke ich komme wieder, dann ist noch Pico angesagt! Charlotte B.-K.