Friday 24th of April 2026
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Dartmoor film maker embarks on an Austrian snow riding adventure

Winter holidays in Austria are more synonymous with a pair of skis or a snow board and glass of Glühwein to finish of the day. But Dartmoor-based film maker Philippa Waddell has recently been on a trip to the snow covered mountains of the Mühlviertler Alm region of Upper Austria where she went snow riding, an experience she says has touched her with its utter magic.

 

 

 

 

GoPro on ground

Philippa has filmed all around the world, and in some of the most remote and spectacular places, but cantering through deep snow fields on the back of a horse is an experience she says is on a par with the best of her globetrotting escapades.

After seeing a clip of equine frolics in the snow at the Equestrian Park Gstöttner on Social Media, Philippa added it to her bucket list, contacted the Gstöttner family who own the riding centre and a few months later the offer to make a film arrived.

She embarked on the trip with a camera in hand, and a case full of thermals and snow gear at the ready, to record this unusual holiday where fine steeds with their specially shod hooves allow safe cantering across snow covered landscapes to offer an exhilarating and adrenalin-fuelled past time.

“It really is the most magical thing you can do and cantering through the snow is a stunning experience. You ride through hundreds of kilometers of connected tracks through forests where the trees are laden with snow. The scenery is astounding and you ride through these tiny villages, stopping off here and there. It was such a special thing to do and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves riding horses,” she says.

The Austrians embrace the snow, and as soon as it starts falling, the horses are shod with special shoes that have studs and tacks for gripping the ice and silicon to prevent the snow from balling in their hooves.

With over 700kms of forest trails to explore the riding offers a serene-like beauty with nothing but the sound of horses’ hooves crunching on the snow to break the eerie silence which seems to only come when the snow covers the ground.

“There’s such a stillness and calmness about riding in the snow and a lot of the time people are really in the moment and tuning in to the countryside around them. You get a fantastic sense of space,” she says.

Philippa’s company, Wildhorse Film Productions, is based near Chagford on Dartmoor where she has immediate access on to moorland, but despite being familiar with wide open spaces which she rides daily on her own horse, her Austrian experience is still one that she found beguiling. “There was such a magic to it, and riding in snow is such an un-British thing to do. It was an absolute privilege being able to film it for them. All week I rode a horse called Whisky who seem to love it as much as me. All the horses were wonderful, and really knew how to look after their riders while enjoying themselves too.”

Riding in snow

Philippa stayed at the riding park where a range of accommodation is available and where the daily cuisine was typical Austrian fare. Six days of riding, broken up with a day’s sleigh riding, has produced an idyllic film which epitomises Philippa’s Austrian adventure.

“It was such a lot of fun and I feel privileged that I was able to experience and really get to know the Gstöttner family and how they have made snow riding such a popular pastime for those in the know.”

For more information about the Reitpark Gstoettner visit http://www.reitpark- gstoettner.at

 

 

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