Horses have a particular place in Polish culture and tradition: they are treated as 'friends and partners' and are very popular animals. Stables are located from the Sudetes to the Baltic Sea also in the vicinity of Gdańsk, Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw.
Equestrian centers all have different breeds: from tiny ponies and graceful Huculs to pure blood Arab and English horses. They organize horse-back riding courses, gymkhanas or western cow boy film style meetings. Periodic equestrian events enjoy great popularity: rodeos in Western City near Kozia Skała (Karpacz area) in August, the Indian Summer in Puszczykowo (near Poznań), bathing with horses in lakes and night treks in the Masuria National Park. Each year on November 3, on St. Hubertus Day – the
patron of hunters – horse riding events called 'fox hunt' are organized.

horse-riding mountain trails

Bieszczady Mountains
(south-eastern Poland)
Stay in the saddle enthusiasts appreciate the Bieszczady Mountains for the wonderful landscapes, mountain trails and those extraordinary ponies called Huculs. The Bieszcaady National Park is the only strictly protected nature reserve where mountain equestrian tourism is allowed on marked trails. In the summer season (May through September) equestrian meetings are organized regularly – 2 to 6 days long. The Bieszczady trails are over 150 km long.

Huculs – a strong and gentle pony
This is a mountain pony, bred in the austere climate of the eastern Carpathians. They have an iron constitution and a tough but gentle character. They are often used in therapy. The surmount obstacles higher than themselves (140 cm) and are champions of mountain expeditions. They are known for their intelligence and caution: they can find their way home in the biggest blizzard and before they step onto a footbridge over a mountain creek they tap the logs with their hoofs to check if the bridge is solid.

Sudeten Equestrian Trail
(Sudetes Mountains, south-west Poland)
This route is over 360 kilometers long from Lądek Zdrój to Karpacz through picturesque valleys and passes in the Sudetes Mountains. There are 13 mountain horse tourism hostels en route where excellent food and comfortable accommodation are waiting for travelers. One, or a few days excursions are often organized on the trail.