Get to Know Snaffle Travel founder – “Tania Huppatz”…..
I thought I would take the time to let you know a bit about myself. My name is Tania Huppatz and I am the Snaffle Travel Founder, and I wanted to share a little about me as I host many of the Snaffle Travel tours. You can learn about what makes me tick as well as learn a little about my past travel experiences and escapades from starting life in New Zealand through to exploring some of the world’s most amazing travel destinations and top equestrian events and best horsey places to visit.
Where did it start
Growing up in the South Island of New Zealand my childhood was spent surrounded by horses which led me to compete in show jumping, eventing as well as hunting. This is where my love of horses started. I have been a Travel agent for 20+ years in New Zealand, the UK and Australia. I started Snaffle Travel in 2015 after receiving many enquiries from clients wanting to attend horse riding holidays and equestrian events overseas. I opened my own travel company in 2015 with a tour to Badminton Horse Trials and since then we have slowly added more tour destinations as well as including more riding holidays. Snaffle Travel is a licensed ATIA & CATO Travel Company based in Australia. We also offer independent travel to different events/locations including cruising on the high seas and travelling to exotic and exciting destinations all over the world.
My first holiday memory is…
In Year 12, I visited Western Samoa on a School programme called “Friends of the Pacific”. We spent 2 weeks at a local High School painting the School and were lucky enough to stay with some of the families. There was no age limit for drinking over there and being 16 years old’s, we would visit the famous Aggie Grey’s Hotel most afternoons for a beer and sit and interact with the local community. This holiday memory will be something that will be etched in my mind forever.
Next holiday is…
More of a work trip is in November as it will be hectic and I will be checking out places. I am heading to Portugal to visit the Golega Horse Fair and meet up with some riding centres, London to meet some suppliers at the London Travel show, Italy to see the Fieracavalli in Verona, Stuttgart for the German Masters to see the World Cup events in dressage, driving and show jumping and lastly the Global Show jumping champions final in Prague. I love to explore and look at possible new tours and check out all things equestrian, horsey properties and horse riding holidays. I love all types of travel and I am ticking off a bucket list destination and visiting Madagascar in 2024.
Favourite Horse Event..
I love going to Badminton Horse Trials and have been six times now. The pomp and the pageantry, the excitement of the event, so much shopping and just everything is nothing like we have here in Australia. I visited the New Zealand Horse of the Year in March 2020 as an exhibitor and I was very impressed with the show and the organisation. They had over 200 exhibitors which is pretty amazing for the size of the country and it was a big show with loads of events. I visited Falsterbo Horse Show in Sweden which was a lovely laidback show with some of the best European Show jumping and Dressage riders competing there.
Best piece of travel advice for others…
Always plan your holidays as if you don’t you will arrive and sometimes tours will be fully booked or you will lose a day trying to work out how to get around. Always try and get off the tourist trails – go offbeat, create your own path, get lost, eat local and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Try and pack light as you can always buy extra clothes when you are away if you need to.
The place I’ve visited the most is…
Great Britain is the most visited place for me as I lived there in the early 90’s and I have taken numerous tours here and have many friends live here too. I have always loved the English countryside and the quaint villages. Italy is second as I worked as an Aupair in Perugia for six months and had the opportunity to travel all over Italy and have been back a few times since.
Place that most surprised me…
Romania was totally not what I expected. I went there on a riding holiday and flew into Bucharest and it was like any big city although quieter than most with lots of buildings in disrepair. It was a very inexpensive destination and the countryside was beautiful and it was like stepping back in time. King Charles has guest houses there and I stayed in his beautiful country retreat which was so peaceful with pretty antiques and meadows full of wildflowers. It was truly an amazing experience and the people were very friendly. I lay in Prince George’s meadow surrounded by flowers. The meadow was given to the real Prince George as a Christening present by Count Kalnoky. One of the highlights was being there in hay season and seeing the workers cutting the grass by hand with a Scythe and drying it on a stoop. Afterwards, they loaded it on a horse cart to be taken to the barn to store for winter.
My packing style is….
I am a terrible packer. My friend used to call my suitcase packing like Mount Vesuvius with this big mound and I always had to sit on my case to close it. I have improved as I bought a really good suitcase with compartments and discovered packing cubes. It is impossible for me to travel light as I always have my laptop, SLR camera and all my work gear with me. It is especially hard if I have to include my riding helmet and boots too. I don’t take a hairdryer or many shoes, but I may be away for 5 weeks at a time and may need to carry clothes for all seasons. One year I was in Europe with 30 degrees most days and then visited Iceland which was freezing and had all my riding gear with me.
Favourite accommodation…
For me, the best accommodation doesn’t necessarily mean the most luxurious. I have had the incredible privilege of staying in some of the world’s most stunning properties – with infinity pools and rooms with private plunge pools, butlers, Chefs etc… in the Caribbean, Abu Dhabi and Kenya. For me, the best accommodation is all about the experience. I always love the rustic country accommodation with the view and I love the riding holiday experience. I enjoy sharing a dinner table with new people I would not normally have the chance to meet. I like to chat and meet people from different backgrounds and nationalities and share experiences.
Souvenir I always buy…
When it comes to souvenirs, I don’t tend to buy much anymore. If I buy something, it must have meaning and significance to something I experienced or something I know I will use. I have started buying Christmas tree ornaments from each destination. It is lovely to open up the Christmas box each Christmas and start decorating our fresh pine tree. It brings back so many travel memories. Iceland had the best horsey Christmas baubles with hand-painted horses. I purchased a Badminton jacket a few years ago and that was a great purchase and it was so warm. I see so many amazing horse shops all over the world and if I bought everything I liked, I would be broke.
Favourite horsey destination…
I love Spain and Portugal as they have centuries-old horse traditions and they are not just horse destinations but they also have wonderful food and wine with so much history and amazing sightseeing. I like visiting Seville and Jerez and I have been to the Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez several times now and still love visiting. A few years ago I visited the Jerez horse feria which was spectacular with the ladies in their flamenco dress and men in their finery.
What breeds of horses have you ridden…
I have ridden a few different breeds and I have owned warmblood crosses and Irish sport horses. In my hunting days, I owned a few Clydie ¼ crosses.
My most comfortable ride was on an Icelandic horse. They are so easy to mount and the Tolte was such a smooth pace just like sitting in an armchair. I have also ridden Andalusian and Lusitano horses in Spain and Portugal. Lipizzaners and Shagya Arabs in Romania, Thoroughbreds, Selle Français (French Sport horse) and Quarter horses. Another different gaited horse I rode was the Peruvian Paso in Peru. They are known for their four-beat, lateral gait called the Paso llano which is also very smooth.
Bucketlist destination….
I still have many destinations I wish to visit and Morocco, Mongolia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Argentina are just a few countries on my wish list. I also want to explore more of Eastern Europe. I have recently discovered River Cruising and love it as it is so relaxing and not crowded, unlike the Ocean cruises. I hosted a group after CHIO Aachen this year and travelled from Amsterdam to Basel and we all absolutely loved it. I have another French River cruise booked in 2024. A Christmas market river cruise has always been on my wish list and I had one booked in 2020 from Vienna but sadly that was cancelled.
How many countries have you visited…
I have been to more than 65+ countries and lost count. I have been to most places on every continent except Antarctica. My favourite trips were our two family trips to Africa and our trip to Peru with a visit to the Amazon and to Machu Picchu. I recently visited Slovenia and found this to be an incredibly beautiful country and enjoyed visiting the Lipica Horse Stud.
Best thing I’ve ever eaten…
Fresh crab with Swahili sauce in Lamu, Kenya. We went on a family trip to Kenya and we stayed at this gorgeous holiday house in Lamu off the coast of Kenya. The house came with a Chef and he was the most amazing cook. He cooked Crab with a Swahili sauce and also used the sauce with fresh fish and it was to die for. All the seafood came fresh from the sea and the fishermen would knock on the kitchen door and ask the Chef if we needed any fish each day.
On a riding holiday in France, we were spoilt with all the beautiful French cheeses, bread and delicacies. The one thing I remember was having Duck which resembled lamb and it was mouth-watering and not like any Duck I had eaten previously. I also love Ploughman’s lunches in the quaint English pubs, preferably outside in a garden, in the summer with an apple cider.
We also stayed at a gorgeous B&B in Sri Lanka and the owner/Chef took me to the fish markets early one morning and I chose our fish for dinner. I am also partial to crème brulee, and when I was on a Celebrity cruise, I ordered crème brulee for dessert every night. PS: I forgot the sardines and custard tarts in Portugal…
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