Fancy a roll in the hay?

Potentially one of the most obscure beauty treatments that we have ever stumbled across, but the hay bath is fabulous for miraculously freeing up those niggling aches and pains. The treatment is famous in South Tyrol, Italy and just as luck would have it, riders booking at least a four night break with The Riding Company at the gorgeous 4* Post Tolderhof Hotel in Italy, can now sample the treatment there for free this Autumn.

Lying in a bed of hay is all the rage in the Tyrolean Alps of Italy, where they swear by its curative and energy-giving properties. But it’s not any old hay, it’s full of the herbs and flowers which are unique to the surrounding high alpine meadows. What’s good enough for your horse must be good enough for you!

The hotel, famous for its ride and spa packages, lies in the heart of a popular mountain village, with an alpine backdrop that is glorious to see during the Autumn months. But the offer is only available up to 19th October, 2008, so get booking.

For four nights on ¾ board with five hours of riding and transfer (Innsbruck), it's £420 per person or £340 without transfer. Or why not stay for seven nights with 10 hours of riding with transfer for £632 or £525 without?

Popular for centuries, the hay is sourced from the local meadows which are full of herbs and Alpine flowers. The practice stems from the days when farm workers would follow their cattle to the upland pastures to harvest the summer grasses. After a day of backbreaking work, they found that if they slept in the fresh hay, they would wake miraculously free of aches and pains. During a hay bath, the body is wrapped in soaked hay. By the heat, the valuable elements in the herbs and plants are released and stimulate the body.

It is said to cleanse the pores and stimulate circulation. The organic juices also help to produce natural cortisone; the texture of the grasses act as an exfoliant scrub; and the whole process gave the workers' immune systems a boost while keeping their weight in check.

For more information and bookings, log on to theridingcompany.com.