A six-day journey to the studs, horses and people who made the Lusitano.

Every Lusitano carries its story in its pedigree. A select few studs appear again and again on the papers. Few riders ever stand in the yards where those names were made, meet the families who still carry them, or see the old lines living on in the horses of today.

In February 2027, we're taking ten people to do exactly that.

This journey is led by Teresa, founder of Lusitano Heritage. For fifteen years she has travelled Portugal finding Lusitanos for riders around the world. She has visited breeders, walked their yards, and earned the trust of the families behind the great lines. Hundreds of horses later, those relationships open doors that are usually closed to visitors. On this journey, you walk through them as her guests.

Our trainers Nuno Cavaco and Mike Ferreira bring the other half of the story. Back at the farm, they show you what those bloodlines feel like under saddle.

You'll leave able to read a pedigree, and a horse, with new eyes.

Our days move between the great studs and our own yard near Ericeira.

At the studs, we'll make private visits connected to four breeding traditions. We'll meet the people and the horses, and the stallions and mares whose influence still runs through the breed. We'll ask each breeder to tell us their story through their horses:

• Which horses changed their breeding programme?

• What qualities were they trying to preserve, or to develop?

• Which crosses proved most influential?

• Can we still recognise those horses in their descendants today?

Back at Lusitano Heritage, we bring those discoveries into the living, ridden horse. Through riding, demonstrations, hands-on assessment and conversation with Nuno and Mike, we'll look at:

• morphology

• character

• functionality

• classical training

• Portuguese tack and disciplines

You'll learn to look beyond the names on paper when choosing or developing a Lusitano of your own.

And throughout the week, we'll keep returning to one question, perhaps the most important one facing the breed today:

As the Lusitano evolves, what must we be careful never to lose?

Who this journey is for

• Owners who want to truly understand their own horse's lines

• Riders thinking about buying a Lusitano, before they invest

• Breeders and professionals who want to see the source for themselves

• Anyone who loves Portuguese horses and wants to understand them at a deeper level

This is an intimate journey into Portuguese equestrian heritage, the Lusitano breed, and the breeders who have kept the old bloodlines alive.

• Six full programme days in Portugal

• Private visits to studs connected with four great breeding traditions: Andrade, Veiga, Coimbra and Alter

• Conversations with the breeders and families behind them

• Influential stallions, mares and their descendants, seen in person

• Two classical riding lessons each with Nuno Cavaco and Mike Ferreira

• Practical sessions on morphology, functionality and horse assessment

• Classical training, and how breeding and training shape each other

• Portuguese tack and traditional disciplines

• Talks from special guest horsemen and speakers

• A private fado lunch with local musicians

• Five lunches, and refreshments throughout

• All programme transport between Ericeira, the farm and the studs

• Your own copy of Foundations of the Lusitano, Volume I, our companion publication created for this journey

Strictly limited to 10 participants.

€2,900 per participant

This covers the full six-day programme, all stud visits, lessons, talks, lunches, programme transport and your companion book.

Secure your place with a €1000 deposit, with the balance due by February 1st. A payment plan is available at checkout.

Where you'll stay

Most participants stay together in Ericeira. It's a fishing and surfing town on the coast, just a short drive from the farm.

• Stay with the group in our recommended accommodation, with breakfast included:

  • Twin room: €490 per person for 6 nights

  • Single room: €880 for 6 nights

  You can add either option at checkout.

• Or arrange your own stay in Ericeira. There are lovely options for every budget. Simply join us at our Ericeira meeting point each morning for departure.

The finer details

We're confirming the individual stud visits and guest speakers now, and will announce each one as it's settled. Booked participants will hear first.

What is already certain is the heart of it: we are going back to the source, to understand the horses, breeders and decisions that created the Lusitano we know today.