Horse Riding in Cusco

Hot to Trot

Of all the things to do on your holiday I pick horse riding, horse riding for 6 hours. Not sun baking on a beach, not swimming in a pool sipping cocktails as I glide about on my lilo, instead I pick sugar cubes, a saddle and one clapped out horse.

Cusco has a whole of places that offers horse riding - tailor made for your needs, 3 hrs , half a day , even a full day for those wanna be champion jockeys. Those not fitting any of those categories and who just fancy ticking it off the list of things to do can squeeze a quick 1 hr jaunt around the charismatic town, just to get a feel for the place. My friend Sam and myself in a moment of madness chose the full day excursion.

So i rock up at the stables early in the morning and i say to the guy "id like a sturdy horse please, something that looks the part, goes like shit off a shovel and can take fences like a true equestrian winner - No sooner have i said this when good old Edgar, the stable hand wheels out what can only be described as a decrepit , shabby looking steed. At first glance the 4 legged beast could have been mistaken for a hurried audition in a Christmas pantomime.

Needless to say i scrambled upon the thing bracing myself for its collapse and got taken round Cusco and the surrounding landscape for what seemed like an age. The dozy mare had two speeds, reverse and parallel park and at the first sight of a bus the wretched thing went potty. One hour in and i encountered my first real scare of the day; something to beware of when walking or riding a horse around Cusco are dogs, raby ridden, fully diseased hormonally unbalanced K9’s everywhere and they aint shy trust me they aint! This particular drooling mongrel came at me like a recently sprayed terrier and proceeded to champ the ankles of my horse... Fortunately good old "Apple" as he was so aptly called (?) managed to muster up a frenetic trot and within seconds had left the yapping dog trailing up the hill.

When things quietened down a little and i built up a steady rhythm i actually found some valuable time to take in some of the magnificent Inca sites. As you plod along the northern outskirts of Cusco you really do see some impressive views. At Sacsayhuaman - a suprisingly well preserved site you will be swept off your feet by remarkable scenery and imperious craftmanship. Make sure if you are visiting this area that you have organised your own visitors pass called a Boleto Turistico Unificado, costs around $10 and can be purchased at the OFEC office in Cusco. Otherwise you will find yourself cantering around on your horse all day like the lone ranger and being left to the mercy of a pack of scavenging dogs.

After about 4 hours of plodding along like Joseph on his little donkey, myself and Sam who was riding a mule called it a day and found sanctuary in some of the relaxed pubs that Cusco has to offer (try Los Perso for a truly chill vibe, good ambient music and excellent food, Tecseccocha 436) - there's no better way to wind down and to reflect on a days horse riding than gulping down a goblet of mulled wine as you slump exhaustibly into the couch. Just bear in mind that after a full days lope on Apple you’ll be walking to the bar like a banded legged rodeo and that's never a pretty sight to behold.

Fact file

*Horse riding in Cusco - Kantu Tours, Portal Carrizos 258 - US $10 for 6 hrs, take sun hat and lots of water if trekking in summer as it gets very hot even at 3700 meters altitude.

*Archaeological sites - Buy your pass when you arrive in Cusco @ OFEC ( lets you into all the main sites and is valid for 5 days from date of purchase - 50% discount for students).

*For info, map's and what to do in Cusco check out this web site before you go - www.cuscoperu.com