Equestrian Experience on an Alentejo Family Farm
Herdade Dagosto & Herdade da Carapuca

For over 100 years, the Moura Tavares family has raised Alentejano cattle and bred Lusitano horses on these two heritage estates. Today, the farms remain a living tradition where cattle are still worked from horseback, in harmony with the land and in the spirit of Portugal’s rural culture.

Set in the rolling Alentejo hills, dotted with cork oaks and stretching toward the Spanish border, the landscape is breathtaking. Days end with vast golden sunsets, and nights bring velvet-black skies filled with stars — untouched by urban light.

Your holiday here is not just a visit, but an immersion in authentic farm life. Ride fine Lusitanos, learn how they are trained, and experience working with cattle using traditional Vaquera-style methods and the garrocha pole. This approach, still practiced by farm manager and trainer Bernardo Tavares Moreira, is deeply respectful of both horse and cattle. Calm, precise movements allow daily tasks — from moving herds to separating calves — to be carried out with the least stress, while showcasing the agility and intelligence of the Lusitano horse.

Highlights include:

• Riding Lusitanos trained for cattle work, the roots of modern Working Equitation

• Hands-on cattle work guided by Bernardo, an expert trainer and horseman

• Experiencing Vaquera-style horsemanship with garrocha demonstrations

• Learning advanced horse movements essential for farm work (lateral work, canter pirouettes, flying changes)

• Living the rhythms of authentic Alentejo farm life in a small, exclusive group

“You’ll stay in a beautifully converted Alentejo barn, designed by Ana Tavares Moreira, blending rustic charm with modern comfort.”

This is more than a holiday — it is a rare opportunity to connect with Portugal’s equestrian and agricultural heritage, guided by people who live it every day.

We invite you to step into the real life of the Alentejo — wide skies, fine Lusitanos, and the quiet rhythm of farm work done in harmony with nature. This is not a tourist show but an authentic, personal experience where you’ll ride, learn, and live as part of a family tradition more than a century old.

Each morning begins in the arena with a lesson guided by Bernardo Tavares Moreira, the farm manager and trainer whose life has been dedicated to Lusitano horses and traditional cattle work. These sessions are designed to prepare you for the unique experience of working cattle from horseback, while also deepening your understanding of classical dressage principles.

You will be introduced to the working Lusitanos — intelligent, sensitive, and agile horses trained to respond with precision and calmness. Bernardo’s approach is rooted in the Vaquera and Garrocha traditions, where respect for both horse and cattle guides every movement. Through carefully structured exercises, you will develop the skills that make these horses exceptional partners on the farm.

Lessons focus on key dressage elements such as lateral work, shoulder-in, travers, flying changes, and canter pirouettes — all movements that are not only beautiful but essential in real cattle work. You will also practice transitions, accuracy, and responsiveness, building the harmony between horse and rider that allows for quiet but effective communication.

By the end of each morning, you will feel more attuned to your Lusitano partner and confident in applying your new skills in the fields, where dressage meets its true purpose: practical, living tradition.

In the afternoons, you will ride out with Bernardo and the Lusitanos into the wide-open pastures of the Alentejo to work with the cattle herds. This is not a staged activity, but authentic daily farm life, where you will assist with real tasks such as moving herds to new grazing, checking animal health, worming, vaccinating, and tagging calves. Each day brings a different challenge, offering a true insight into the rhythm of cattle management on a traditional Portuguese estate.

Here, the dressage skills developed in the morning sessions come to life. Movements like lateral work, collected canter, and quick transitions become practical tools for guiding cattle calmly and efficiently. Riding with the traditional garrocha pole, you will experience the methods of the Spanish Vaquera and Portuguese Garrochista traditions, still used today to ensure that the work is done with the minimum of stress to the animals.

The bond between the cattle and the Lusitano horses is remarkable — the cows willingly follow the horses’ guidance, accepting them as natural leaders. As you ride alongside Bernardo, you will witness the harmony between horse, rider, and herd, and feel what it means to carry forward a tradition where horsemanship serves both purpose and beauty.

The Lusitano breeding project on the farm involves pure bred and a few part bred Lusitanos. The mares all have ancient bloodlines and exhibit the qualities highly valued in the Lusitano breed

The Alentejana is a cattle breed from Portugal that was the main breed raised for meat in Southern Portugal historically. The Alentejana breed is a the protected Breed. Genetics show that it contains DNA from Africa that may have arrived during the era the region was under Muslim control. It is closely related to the Spanish Retinta breed.

The breed region is circumscribed almost exclusively to the Southern Portuguese Region of the Alentejo in both, High and Low Alentejo. There are 3 herds on the farm.

All Lusitano young horses at the farm lives out in herds. The colts live in bachelor groups until 3.5 years old when they come into the stable to begin ridden life.