Circular walk between Le Tail and the Pouzay dovecote

Park at the junction of two vehicle-accessible tracks to the north-west of the village of Le Tail.

(S/E) Follow the GRP® de Sud Gâtine, marked in yellow and red, heading east. Walk to the Croix de Berge.

(1) Continue straight ahead on the GRP® until you reach the junction with a white track.

(2) Leave the GRP® here and turn left onto this uphill track.

(3) Continue through the woods until you reach the D745.

(4) Take care when crossing this road here : there is frequent lorry traffic, although visibility is good.

(5) Turn left towards the Route de Xaintray.

(6) Turn right onto the road; be careful: this is a bend where vehicles can travel at speed; take the^first track on the right. Enter Xaintray.

(7) To cross Xaintray: turn right onto a path between two buildings – this should only be used with calm horses that do not panic on very narrow sections (the stirrups may graze the walls on slightly wider horses). It is possible to take the main street in Xaintray, which lies below this path.
Head towards the Servantière district.

(8) Carry on straight ahead along the grassy track for a short canter. Then pass Bénette and rejoin the GRP® Sud Gâtine trail.

(9) Turn right onto it to reach the D126.

(10) When crossing this road: be careful – visibility is poor on this bend; you can immediately follow the verge to the left to turn right onto the GRP®. You’ll come to a ford.

(11) The ford is shallow and concrete-lined for tractors; be careful with shod horses as it can be slippery – cross at a walk. The path continues and is pleasant for a canter. You’ll reach a section made up of fill consisting of lots of stones and pieces of roof tile.

(12) Cross at a walk again; note here: you may wish to stop for a break (there is little traffic on the path); a table is accessible to walkers, situated higher up than the path. You will then reach another ford.

(13) Cross it – it is about 20 m long and shallow. Keep to the left on the GRP®. Continue to Montay.

(14) Follow the road to the left down a steep slope; watch out for horses with horseshoes – it can be slippery. Cross the Rochard ford: in winter, this ford can be quite deep (check beforehand); during heavy rain, the ford can be dangerous due to the current. However, barring exceptional conditions, it is passable. It can look daunting because the banks are steep, but the riverbed is flat, and the depth is the same at the edge as it is in the middle. You will then reach the Rochard crossroads.

(15) If you’re planning a break, you can take the track on the right (dismount to avoid slipping) to reach the Pouzay Pigeon Loft park.

(16) Return in the opposite direction to the Rochard crossroads. Take care here: there is a short uphill stretch which should be walked up to prevent the horses from slipping.

(15) Remount and head off to the right along this wide track until you reach a bend.

(17) Start a long gallop here, passing several clusters of houses before reaching the hamlet of La Règle.

(18) Take the small track leading down to the left to reach a ford.

(19) Be careful here: horses are always tempted to go up onto the footbridge on the right, which must be avoided due to the risk of slipping and the fence close to the footbridge. Continue along the Fenioux road to the right; vehicles may approach quite quickly with no visibility. Turn sharply left onto the wide track. Reach Fougère.

(20) Take a narrow passage on the left – though not as narrow as the one at Xaintray. You could go via Rue du Liseron and Place Pintet, but it’s less scenic. Continue due north to reach the GRP® Sud Gâtine.

(21) Turn right onto it, passing some contemporary sculptures which may unsettle some horses. Stay on the GRP®, which continues along a road; take care here as vehicles may approach quite quickly from the opposite direction.

(22) Leave the road, continue to the right on the GRP® until you reach the D745.

(23) Take great care at this junction: cross the CD745, watching out for lorries and other vehicles that may be travelling at high speed; however, visibility is good. Continue straight ahead to reach the car park to the north-west of the village of Le Tail (S/E).

This walk can be completed without a lunch break, depending on the horses’ pace.
There are no particular difficulties apart from a few slightly slippery patches on the tarmac (steep inclines).
In winter, it is best to have horses that are used to fording streams, as there are three fords with a depth ranging from knee to belly level (of the horse, not the rider).
In summer, a good half of the ride is in the shade.
Some sections of the path may be a little tricky for horses with sensitive hooves (unshoed), but this only applies to a few sections (2) – (3), (12), the dry ford (15), and the path from (18) to (19).
In summer, the only ford with water is the point (19); there is a cemetery with water at Xaintray not far from the route (Le Breuil) and another in the commune of Béceleuf not far from the point (18).

Between (8) and (10): the view over the Autize valley.
Between (15) and (16) Pouzay Pigeon Loft Park: this park has plenty of trees to which you can tie up your horses. The whole park is shaded – you can only dream of finding places like this on every ride.
(16) The dovecote: do have a look inside the dovecote; the roof has disappeared, making way for an oak tree growing right in the middle of it.