Normandy Horses – Saint-Lô Haras & the Equestrian Life of Coutances, Mer & Bocage 🐎

Normandy isn’t just famous for horses — it breathes them. Lives them. Builds entire communities around them. And nowhere is that more true than here in the Manche, especially around Coutances and our peaceful Mer & Bocage countryside. Even our own tiny village of Nicorps — just 361 inhabitants and 124 families in the latest census — is quietly packed with elite breeding farms, therapy horses, competition yards, coastal stables, and more equestrian expertise than you’d ever expect from a village with one bar and no traffic lights. 🐎

If you’re an equestrian lover — whether you ride, breed, compete, photograph, admire, or simply melt at the sight of a velvety muzzle 🐴 — this corner of Normandy is pure heaven. It’s a working horse culture deeply rooted in tradition, proudly rural, and quietly elite. This is the land of Selle Français champions, Cob Normand workhorses, sandy coastal treks, competition stables, equine therapists, horse rescue sanctuaries, and serious sport-horse bloodlines hidden behind humble stone farm buildings. Horses aren’t a leisure activity here — they’re simply part of life.

Life in Nicorps – Where Horses and Llamas Share a Fence Line

Nicorps mornings are a full countryside theatre: soft horse snorts drifting over hedgerows, the sound of hooves in dew-soaked fields, and the occasional opinionated commentary from Didier’s donkey braying in response to Roger the cockerel’s early morning cocorico 🐓. It’s peaceful, grounded, and unmistakably Norman.

Behind the gîte, our llamas share a stone wall boundary with one of the neighbouring horse fields. They often lean over the top to inspect the horses — and vice versa — hosting a daily interspecies council meeting that feels surprisingly serious. The horses take their time. The llamas judge them. The donkeys provide commentary. Rural diplomacy at its finest.

Our Neighbour Louis Robin – Former Mayor, Master Breeder, Gentle Gentleman

We’re incredibly lucky to live beside Louis Robin, former Mayor of Nicorps and a lifelong horse breeder with a rare instinct for animals. Louis is a gentle gentleman — soft-spoken, thoughtful, and a true horse guru. In the early days of our llama-wrangling life, he even took us in his Élevage du Hamel horsebox to collect Ursula and Janet, offering quiet guidance with that intuitive understanding of animals only years of experience can give.

Louis often lets us know when the llamas are content or unsettled — he reads them (and horses, and dogs, and donkeys) with effortless calm. He runs Élevage du Hamel with his grandson, Louis Clément-Robin, producing respected sport horses that reflect the region’s strong Selle Français heritage. Their breeding programme emphasises temperament, movement, and soundness — values that define the Manche’s equestrian pride.

Saint-Lô Haras – The Beating Heart of Normandy’s Horse World

Just 25 minutes from the gîte is the powerhouse of equestrian Normandy: the Haras National de Saint-Lô (Pôle Hippique). Founded by Napoleon in 1806, Saint-Lô helped shape some of Europe’s most successful sport-horse lines. Today it hosts major events, national championships, international showjumping, elite riders, educational programmes, and one of the strongest Selle Français breeding networks in France.

What You Can See at Saint-Lô Haras

• Elite competitions: Jumping International, Normandie Horse Show, Selle Français finals.
• Guided tours through historic stables and artisan workshops.
• Foals and mares in the breeding season — pure Norman charm. 🐴
• Artisanal harness and leatherwork demonstrations.
• Training sessions in world-class indoor and outdoor arenas.

Nicorps – A Quiet Village with Serious Horse Credentials

Despite its small size, Nicorps hosts several respected equestrian operations. Visitors who come for llamas often end up fascinated by the depth of horse culture tucked into the landscape.

Équestrian Valley – Competition Horses in Nicorps

Équestrian Valley trains and competes sport horses at national level, including participation in the FFE Grand National circuit. Their riders and horses regularly appear in top-tier events, yet their base remains quietly nestled in our village — a reminder that rural Normandy often hides serious talent behind modest barn doors.

Mobile Horse Care – Performance & Recovery

Mobile Horse Care provides equine balneotherapy, massage, magnetic pulse therapy, and recovery treatments used by competitive riders. Their techniques help keep sport horses supple, sound, and competition-ready.

Écurie Mathilde Martel – Le Vot

Écurie Martel – Le Vot is both a reputable stables and a professional training yard. They stable quality horses, including competition-level and champion horses, and offer dressage lessons, jumping instruction, and countryside hacks tailored to adults and children.

Coastal Riding – Hauteville-sur-Mer, Montmartin & the Dunes

Nothing beats riding by the sea. The coastline near Coutances offers some of the best seaside equestrian experiences in Normandy, with long open beaches and dramatic sky-scapes that make every ride feel cinematic. 🌊🐎

Centre Équestre de Hauteville-sur-Mer

A respected, long-standing riding centre offering lessons, dune rides, pony activities, and holiday courses. Its access to coastal paths makes it a favourite for riders wanting sea breezes and open space.

Seasonal Coastal Riding (Écuries de la Mer style)

In high season, pop-up and seasonal centres run gentle beach and dune treks, perfect for beginners and relaxed family rides.

Centre Équestre de Montmartin-sur-Mer

A friendly, popular stables offering riding lessons and coastal treks. Particularly appreciated by families thanks to its gentle school horses and relaxed atmosphere.

Trails, Treks & Rural Riding in Mer & Bocage

• Les Cavaliers de Bel Air – countryside rides with sea views.
• Attelages des Grandes Marées – carriage rides facing Mont-Saint-Michel.
• La Sienne Valley – glorious green riding routes from Gavray to La Baleine.
• Gratot Castle loop – perfect combination of heritage and countryside.
• Montchaton dune paths – a mix of forest, dunes, and coastline.

Equestrian Centres Around Coutances

• Centre Équestre du Bocage (Gratot) – lessons and scenic hacks.
• Les Écuries du Parc (Coutances) – family-friendly and long established.
• Haras du Bocage (Courcy) – breeding, training, and lessons.
• Haras de l’Yserhof (Cametours) – respected breeder.
• Les Sabots du Bocage (near Cambernon) – ideal for younger riders.
• Marianna Ranch (Saint-Pierre-de-Coutances) – western riding centre offering lessons, training and themed western experiences.

Agon-Coutainville Racecourse – Racing by the Sea

The closest racecourse is the Hippodrome d’Agon-Coutainville, famous for its lively summer racing programme and holiday crowds. Trotting and flat races take place by the beach, creating a festive, energetic atmosphere that’s unique to the area. 🐎

Equine Therapy & Wellbeing in the Manche

The wider Manche region is home to a remarkable number of qualified equitherapists and equine-assisted wellbeing specialists. These centres support children, adolescents and adults through emotional development, sensory therapy, confidence building and calming interactions with horses. They are not based specifically in Coutances – Mer & Bocage, but are all within easy reach of the gîte and form an important part of the equestrian culture across the Manche.

Julien Cochet – Équithérapeute (La Manche)

Providing equine-assisted therapy rooted in ESF counselling, Julien works with children, adolescents and adults focusing on emotional development and sensory awareness.

See Julien Cochet – SFÉquitherapie Listing

Bérénice Lebreton – Equine Therapist & Psychotherapist

Bérénice offers equine-assisted psychotherapy, adapted riding and supportive recreational riding experiences. Her work blends mindfulness, emotional wellbeing and the grounding presence of horses.

Contact – Equitherapie Normandie

Grangenet Bénédicte – Psychomotricité & Equine Therapy

Bénédicte provides psychomotricity sessions supported by interaction with horses — ideal for sensory development, motor coordination and emotional grounding.

Facebook Page

Victoire Équithérapie – Champeaux

Located close to the coastline, Victoire offers structured equine-assisted therapy combining nature, gentle horses and an attentive therapeutic framework. Popular with families and visitors seeking calming outdoor wellbeing sessions.

Victoire Équithérapie – Attitude Manche

Pegasus Sanctuary – Rescue, Rehabilitation & Second Chances

The Pegasus Sanctuary is one of the most meaningful equestrian organisations in the Manche. They rescue vulnerable horses, offer rehabilitation, and successfully rehome many of them 💚. Some arrive from difficult situations — including a few saved from the “meat man” — but Pegasus focuses on recovery, compassion and giving each horse a new beginning. Visiting supports their vital work and provides a hopeful insight into equine welfare.

Final Thoughts – Normandy for Horse Lovers

Whether you’re here for sport, breeding, trekking, beach rides, therapy, sightseeing or simply to admire horses grazing in Norman fields, the Coutances – Mer & Bocage region is a paradise for equestrian travellers. Horses shape the rhythm of life here — from elite competitors training in quiet villages to donkeys braying at dawn, from foals in spring to windy coastal hacks in autumn. It’s authentic, rural, and unforgettable.

And if you stay at our gîte, you’ll be right in the heart of it — with llamas on one side, Louis’ fields on the other with sometimes horses with and without foals, sometimes cows, and the tranquillity of real Normandy all around you (unless Roger is having a sing because the cat walked past 😏).

Reference Links (All Verified & Local)