About – La Volee

Hello and welcome!

I am Erica, and I am fortunate to live in a beautiful part of south west Normandy. Our ten hectares of rolling pasture, woodland and spring fed ponds are home to a herd of rare Rocky Mountain horses, living a natural life on the land. Everyone who comes here agrees that this place has a special magic, and we offer our comfortable 12 bed gîte, plus workshop and meditation spaces, to groups and individuals who would like to experience it.

We are an affordable venue (with or without catering) for teachers and facilitators who wish to host a small group workshop or retreat, and we also offer our own programmes. I facilitate a deeper connection with horses. In addition, we welcome those who would simply like to stay here without a programme, to relax and reconnect.

Come and meet the people

Erica bought La Volée in 2017 when she left the UK for France with her horses, and Sarah and David loved it so much that a year later they decided to join her. La Volée was their home too for five years and we formed a partnership to own the farm. They deciced to go back to the UK after five years ans luckily Erica met Kris and Elisabeth who fell in love with the place on first sight and decided to join the partnership.

We love our farm, the horses and each other and we want to share it with like-minded people and spread the joy!

Kris, Elisabeth Anémone and Auralyne

Erica

“Sarah, David and Erica are simple, authentic people. In their home, you can find peace and quiet thanks to the setting but also to their way of being, open and generous.”

laurie, france, 2018

We live in a magical place

La Volée is both embedded in the community of Ger and a very private place. In walking distance of the little town, the farmstead is set back from the road, behind its traditional cider apple orchard. We are situated in the “bocage” countryside of Lower Normandy, which is characterised by small pastures surrounded by wooded banks; the mossy, exposed tree roots lend a fairytale quality to the landscape.

Behind the old stone houses, barn, and large open horse shelter the land drops away into a secret valley with woodland, ponds and abundant nature – a world that is quiet and hidden from public view. The valley is the heart of La Volée and the special place that is so restorative to us who live here and to our visitors – everyone finds their own favourite part to walk or sit in and to find peace. Read more

Our equine family

A stay at La Volée offers the rare opportunity to spend time with an established herd of horses living a natural life on the land. They are an extended family of eleven, several of which were bred by Erica. They are all pure or partly Rocky Mountain horses, one of the few breeds in the world able to move at a “gait” (or “tolt”) – a kind of running walk which is very comfortable and enjoyable for the rider.

The Rockies were originally bred by Appalachian hill farmers to be sure footed, hardy and amenable. These qualities mean that our herd can live outdoors (with a run-in shelter) all year round, and are well suited to being ridden barefoot and on rough terrain. Although they each have their different personalities, they are all very friendly and human-oriented.

We offer all levels of engagement with these beautiful animals- from simply being with them, observing them and how they interact, to grooming and caring for them, to gaining confidence and sensitivity in both handling and riding them.

We can make our herd available to teachers and facilitators whom we feel are in sympathy with our way of relating to and working with horses. We welcome those who wish to experience the therapeutic benefits of interacting with horses – so long as the horses are respected and their needs are always put first.

Read about the story of our herd

Find out about horse activities

Our location

Ger is situated on the western edge of the Normandie Maine natural park, in the bocage region whose rolling wooded terrain is rich in birds and other wildlife. Tracks or ‘chemins’ traverse this landscape, usually with tree lined banks on either side, providing excellent walking and riding, and generally open to all. A chemin leads off the side of our farm providing access to kilometres of off-road walking, some of it alongside the winding Egrenne river, and leading into the Ger forest. We are close to some long distance paths, notably the Voie Verte pilgrim’s route from Paris to Mont Saint Michel.

A short car journey will take you to various local places of interest, which include the Ger pottery museum, La Fosse Arthour – a rocky gorge of Arthurian legend with a lake and woodland walks, the Mortain waterfalls, and the Musee du Poiré which celebrates the local tradition of apple and pear cultivation (and its alcoholic products!)

Mediaeval Domfront offers picturesque streets, a castle and wonderful views, and the abbey at Lonlay is worth a visit. Within easy reach for a day trip are the chateaux of Falaise, Lassay and Fougères, the Normandy landing beaches and the world famous Mont Saint Michel.

We are within easy reach of the channel ferry ports of Caen, Cherbourg and St Malo (Brittany Ferries). The nearest station is Flers, with regular direct trains from Paris (2-3 hours). We are usually able to collect guests from the station