Riding into a Different World

Carolyn has been on numerous riding vacations, but their allure never seems to fade for her. She recently returned from a one-week riding tour in Spain.

"It was wonderful," she said. Carolyn, in her 50s, was joined by several women around her age. Most were experienced riders; one was not. They stayed with a Spanish couple, who treated them to three full Spanish-style meals each day. The husband assigned the horses, and Carolyn rode one of his stallions as well as an Andalusian/Thoroughbred cross. The less experienced rider was given the owner’s retired event horse, a gentle mount that took care of her.

"They were absolutely lovely," she said of her hosts. She describes the husband’s warm, charismatic style and said that you just couldn’t help but like him.

"When we went out riding at night, it was like riding into a different era," Carolyn recalls. She described riding into quaint little towns, through cobblestone streets, under windowsills with geraniums flowing out of their planters. The clip-clop of the horses’ hooves on cobblestones signaling their arrival as the children rushed out to greet them.

Riding tours of Spain are offered in several different venues and locales, providing views of dramatic landscapes, towering castles and ancient villages. Destinations include the mountains of Andalucia; the Valley of the Gredos, passing through the Iberian Peninsula; and the Epona Riding Center, which offers classical dressage clinics aboard its Andalusians and Pure Spanish horses. At the Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestra, visitors are entertained by the classical dressage show involving Andalusians performing piaffe, passage and ‘airs above ground’ in a beautiful 18th century riding hall.

Though a fantastic opportunity for her (Carolyn owns an Andalusian back home), she notes that some riding tours aren’t necessarily geared toward the less experienced or faint of heart. The riding was vigorous on this tour. When shopping for tours, keep your ability level, as well as the intensity in which you desire to ride, in mind when selecting your location. Some tours are developed for the more experienced rider; whereas others can cater to the less experienced, beginner rider. If you take those considerations, you’re bound to have some happy trails!

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