Even late April brings snow squalls and cold winds to northwest Wyoming, so it was a pleasant change to arrive in Georgia for the South Appalachian Trail Ride, April 29, 2012. The abundance of lush green vegetation was so inviting. The rhododendron, spirea and mountain laurel were blooming and the magnolia trees were just getting ready to flower.

View from Lookout Mountain

The riding for the week was based out of the Valley View Ranch, a 600 acre ranch on the peninsula of Lookout Mountain. The Chattanooga Valley offers the “view”. The horses are well-mannered, sure-footed and fit. Riding areas for the week were on Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management area, the Little River Canyon National Preserve and the Valley View Ranch. Each location offered trails through magnificent forested areas with flowing streams and incredible views into the valleys below.

One guest sent letter after that ride and said, “I had a terrific time. I had almost forgotten what a joy it is to ride and to be around horses and horse people. The rides were challenging and enjoyable through beautiful landscapes. The companions, both 4-legged and 2-legged were wonderful. The guides inspired trust allowing for a relaxed ride.”

Our group stayed at 2 different accommodations. The first part of the week was at the Mountain Grove B&B near the Valley View Ranch in Georgia. The second was the Mentone Inn B&B in Alabama. Both were charming, quaint and welcoming. The food we enjoyed during the week was prepared by a local lady that really showed us what southern cooking was all about. Some of the best dishes were grits, tomato pie, fried chicken, fresh fruits, beautiful salads and fried okra.

Sharon's picture from Pepe in the Little River Canyon National Preserve

Of course, riding was certainly the highlight of the week. The owner of the horses was very good at selecting just the right mount for each of the riders. I rode three different horses: Shadrack, Black Jack, and Roscoe. They were all fabulous with no bizarre traits. We had some long canters where the terrain allowed, but for the most part walked and trotted through the forests.

All in all, the company of the others, along with the riding, food, and accommodations made for a great week and a welcome retreat from the Wyoming winter.

Louise showing off her muscles with the kiddos at the local preschool.

The Tuli Safari is a classic point-to-point horseback riding safari covering over 120 miles of the vast Mashatu Game Reserve in the Tuli Block of south eastern Botswana.  Aptly named the “Land of the Giants” for its baobab studded plains and large herds of elephant, the area is home to a wide variety of wildlife species including lion, cheetah, leopard, African wild dog, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and over 350 species of birds.

Mpho competing on one of the "bush ponies".

Both the Tuli and Border Crossing riding tours are led by long time guides, Cor and Louise Carlesen.  Cor is a dedicated conservationist with a diploma in Nature Conservation and a passion for horses. Louise, a skilled equestrian, spends time schooling the horses and also volunteering with 3 to 6 year olds at the local preschool.

Each week, Louise sends a few words to keep us up to date with the horses, wildlife, and whatever else may be going on in her area of Botswana.  This April, she has already reported in brief on the weather, wildlife, preschool, and riding competitions.  Here’s her latest:

This picture was taken by one of the guides during the safari.

“It’s been a lovely week with perfect weather… sunny days and cool nights…sightings of leopard/cheetahs and a new born elephant baby so far…it continues to be dry and dusty and no rain in sight yet so the elephants are walking far to find food and water … we can feel winter is on its way. Also Mpho (a fellow guide and trainer) and I did manage to go for a quick one day event the previous week-end, two good dressages and a double clear each and we were super pleased with our two “bush “ponies!”

Louise’s updates have proven enticing enough to inspire Bayard Fox (owner of Equitours) and a group of long time clients to join the Tuli Safari this May!  Recent photos indicate that they will not be disappointed in their riding adventure!

While horseback riding can be strenuous for the rider, the sport is without a doubt more trying for the horse. Sports Physical Therapist and Anatomist Gillian Higgins has a unique approach to develop a deeper understanding between horse and rider called “Horses Inside Out”. Whether you are interested in riding dressage, show jumping, or western pleasure this is an eye opening look into the anatomy of the horse.

Moon landing

Horseback riding in Africa is a fascinating and exhilarating way to experience the vast and diverse continent. Riders often come back with stories and pictures from their journeys that tease the imagination and seem to border on the realm of fiction-from heart racing gallops in Kenya’s Masai Mara to swimming horses in the aquamarine waters of Mozambique-Africa is a wonderland for the adventurous spirit.

This year, Mel Fox and a thrill seeking group of Equitours clients will embark upon our newest riding adventure in Botswana. The Kalahari Ride promises wonderful opportunities to explore the landscape and the wildlife of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans on the eastern edge of the Kalahari Desert. Leading the expedition will be long time horseman and profession guide, David Foot. I would like to share his comments and pictures from this past February:

“I absolutely love riding out in the Pans and did not think it could get any better but on the last safari (mid February) it could not have been more perfect. Rain had been scarce for the previous two weeks so many of the flooded pans had dried up allowing for superb riding. But some of the Pans still held water and around these it was like riding through Eden (I imagine!).

The centre of the pans were pink with flamingoes and these were surrounded by the endless herds of zebra and wildebeest with some walking in single file one way through the Pan and others walking through single file in the other direction. And for the birding enthusiasts huge flocks of ruffs and sandpipers and more black winged stilts than I have ever seen in one place. Magical!

The only downside was that none of us had a camera good enough to capture that image! But there are some wildlife images that stay with you forever and that will be one of them. As will be the moment a mummy meerkat carried one of her young from one burrow to another climbing over all our legs in the process!”

Please contact bfox@wyoming.com for more information about riding holidays in Africa.

My trusty steed Apollon

Sabine detailing the Trail of the Gods

Exploring Avdou

Herding sheep on the way to the Church of St. Fotini

Just Riding a Donkey

Riding throughout the week followed suit with good honest horses, quality tack, a variety of trails, a variety of food, and Karen, our knowledgeable trail guide. If I wasn’t asking questions, I was taking pictures of the sheep standing on the tops of the trees (I swear) or collecting my reins for some long canters along the roads that crisscross the olive groves.

Having not visited the ride for quite some time, we did have some surprises. The itineraries were not as structured as advertise in our brochures, the progressive ride comes back to the hotel more nights than expected, stays can be shorter than a full 8 days, and Sabine has not been guiding as often, as her hands are full with her two beautiful little girls. I didn’t expect the weather to be cloudy this time of year, but that didn’t stop me from taking a quick dip into the Aegean Sea. Karen complained of the cold, but I told her that the water was perfect compared to swimming in the rivers formed by glacial melt in Wyoming.

And during the riding lessons that I took with Manolis, I discovered how terribly awkward I can be in an English saddle. Apollon, my trusty steed, was incredibly forgiving, despite the fact that I was behaving something akin to a jackhammer on his back as we did a walk, trot, and canter series around the arena with our feet out of the stirrups. Shoulders back is my new mantra.

But my overall impression of this riding vacation is that it is far from just getting by. Sabine and Manolis are constantly working, improving, building, envisioning, and creating their dream. It’s a lifestyle. That seems to be the difference between a good operation and one that is mediocre. They have a beautiful hotel set in a beautiful location overlooking valleys of olive groves and small whitewashed villages. The food is all homemade and delicious. Their horses are fit and well cared for. Eighteen new Wintec all purpose English saddles are being shipped in within the next few weeks, and Sabine and Manolis are in the process of creating a stage for outdoor entertainment, a larger dining room, more trails, a new progressive ride, and a possible ride along the lake that will fill in the valley within the next few years.

It was a pleasure to stay and ride in such a lovely place and experience Greek hospitality at its finest. I look forward to speaking with clients about this trip. Right now, we offer The Crete Star Trail, The Trail of the Gods, and the Unguided Lassithi Trek in Crete. For more information about any of these rides, please get in touch with me at traci@equitours.com ]]> http://www.ridingtoursblog.com/2011/11/17/land-of-the-gods/feed/ 1 http://www.ridingtoursblog.com/2011/11/17/land-of-the-gods/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RidingToursBlog/~3/IwJ0klm4d60/ http://www.ridingtoursblog.com/2011/10/07/from-sicily-to-the-isle-of-crete/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:10:34 +0000 traci@equitours.com http://www.ridingtoursblog.com/?p=734 As we turn towards fall, our ride consultants have a little bit more time to go out and explore some of the riding vacations that we currently offer and to search for new ones. This month, I will travel to Greece to visit our outfitter on the isle of Crete, where we currently offer three different horseback riding vacations. While the Trail of the Gods Ride and the Lassithi Trail Ride are progressive rides from the northern region of the island to the Libyan Sea, the Crete Star Trail departs daily from a gorgeous little hotel near the Valley of Kastelli.My goal is to explore an itinerary that can combine quality riding with other fun activities in the area like biking, climbing, caving, and paragliding. Cooking classes with the head chef will also be a plus for this former restaurateur and hopefully for our clients interested in visiting the Greek isles.

In the mean time, Roz will be exploring an island of her own on “The Monti Madonie Ride” in Sicily’s Madonie National Park. I asked her why she chose Sicily and this was her response, “This location is very unique with incredible Mediterranean History and architecture. The price is right and the food is always good, so I can’t imagine why we wouldn’t consider this ride for our 2012 brochure.”

Clients who wish to participate in our exploratory riding tours will receive a reduced rate and can contact roz@equitours.com for more details.

Traci

Rolling hills of the Sicilian countryside

Greece is famous for its windmills

Riding through a village in Sicily

Traditional Cretian cuisine, which I hope to learn to make!

Meadow with Wild Flowers-Tuscany

While awaiting a report from Sarah and Mary Alice, this letter was delivered to Nancie from Margaret Edwards, a long time client of Equitours and a participant on one of our most recent equestrian vacations: Discover Tuscany.   Her letter captures the essence of horseback riding in Italy far better than our own literature, and she has given us permission to share excerpts of this letter with you.

…I’m pleased to tell you that my two weeks in Italy were all that I had hoped and, at certain moments, even better than I had let myself imagine.  The weather was perfection–most of the time it was sunny, breezy and cool.  No bugs, no heat, no dismal cloud cover or chilliness.  I needed my windbreaker in the mornings but was in shirtsleeves during the afternoons and wore my light coat at night out to the Florentine restaurants and walking back to the hotel at near midnight.   Yet I had intimations that Italy could be very hot.  There was a certain look to the way the plaster in fresco surfaces was deteriorating–and there was a distinct odor to the pavings inside light-deprived cloisters–that made me aware I was fortunate in my timing.  Other tourists were determined to be fortunate also, and to the astonishment of most store clerks I asked, the streets of Medieval hill towns along the RR line from Florence and of the city of Florence itself were jammed with tourists.  The “high season” used to start in late April, but it was “full on” this year by April 8.  But no fact of my being part of the hoard could cloud my enjoyment of all that I did and saw.

Sunset in the Valley Near the Farmhouse

During my week of riding in Tuscany, of course, I was not surrounded by crowds.  As you know, I was part of a small group of guests and pleased to be in the company of Jenny and her staff.  Jenny, let me say right off,  was the best leader of a ride I’ve ever experienced–and my experience of such rides is by now fairly extensive, since ”Discover Tuscany” was my 7th taken under the auspices of Equitours.

The horses were lovely and very well cared for.  There were 15 of them–plenty to choose from.  I was given a sweet, tall, grey Polish warmblood named “Merlino” who was forward-going but not a bit spooky.  We rode English tack.  The other women (as I think you know, my group was all women, mostly middle-aged and I was the eldest by about 10 years) were mostly horse owners themselves, and we got along well. ..  Exceptions were made gracefully whenever called for, and there was no shoe-horning everyone into the same schedule.  Jenny gave us suggestions, and never orders.

I rode with the other 4 women and each of them loved her mount as I did mine.  We were skilled enough together to keep a good pace and to burst into trots or canters whenever the terrain allowed.  Traveling down the long lanes between the olive trees and along the dirt lanes meant we had plenty of good footing.  The horses walked, of course, as we went steeply uphill onto ridgelines and passed ruined castles and admired wonderful views.  Flowers were blooming on the fruit trees, festoons of wisteria abounded, camellias flourished beside tulips and daffodils.  There were wild hedges of white heather plants, which, when cut and dried, were woven, we were told, into hearth brooms.  On various patios and in stone courtyards and near many doorways, I saw potted lemon trees heavy with lemons.  And during my next week in Florence, I delighted in the fact the stone streets were ornamented with pots and pots full of azaleas and hydrangeas.

Riding Near the Vineyards

Oh yes…the food  was terrific–I have to mention that. The coffee, strong everywhere in Italy, was a daily pleasure.  I never found myself drinking watery coffee!  I also amazed myself by not gaining a pound, despite my eating plenty of delicious pasta and risotto, having a dessert each night, and downing each day several glasses of the local wine (we were looking out onto the Chianti hills) as well as a nightly pick-me-ups of Limoncello.

It’s really all too much for me to put into words.  I took way too many photos and purchased way too many postcards.  Even now, more than a week after my return, I am still there at Rendola and in Florence in my dreams.  Each night, it’s as if I’m trying to digest a very hearty meal of many courses, my mind has been inundated with such a deluge of imagery and sensation…

A horse enthusiast through and through, sixty three year old Sarah Stableford views this equestrian vacation as an opportunity to explore. When Mary Alice called with the winning ticket in hand, Sarah says she was “stunned speechless” at the prospect of horseback riding in Italy. Having never been outside of the country, she looks forward to the physical and emotional experience of discovering a different culture. The following is an excerpt from our ride information packet:

“Tuscany, the Cradle of the Renaissance, is a region rich in art, history, architecture, fine cuisine, and natural beauty. It is located on the northwest side of Italy, between Milan and Rome. The hill towns of Tuscany are prized for their essential grandeur while other towns have medieval roots stemming from the time of the Etruscan settlers. Hilltop towns, ancient olive groves and vineyards create the scenery for this ride. In this land of legendary pilgrimage and simple peasant life, the ‘Dolce Vita’ comes alive as you ride through the picturesque Tuscan countryside.”

While I am familiar with the ride, and with our clients’ reviews, I am always curious about each rider’s journey, especially dedicated riders and eventers like Sarah and Mary Alice. These two have been friends for “a decade or two,” and share a similar love for horses and enthusiasm for life’s adventures. I can’t wait to hear the stories upon their return home. Until then, Bon Voyage!

Mary Alice competing on Celeste

Sarah on Princess Erin Fall 2008

Feast of the Conquerors

In 2010 GMHA raffled Equitours Feast of the Conquerors riding vacation during their annual fundraising ball. The raffle winner, 72 year old Mary Allis Brown of Maryland, decided to share her trip with her good friend of more than a decade, Sarah Stableford. The two depart for their riding adventure on May 22 of this year.

As it turns out, Mary Allis is one of the oldest eventers in the US, with over 54 years of experience competing. I have had the pleasure of speaking with both Sarah and Mary Allis over the past few months and look forward to sharing their adventures with you.

In parting, I must pass along these words from Sarah Stableford: “You have to do what your soul tells you to do, and as it turns out, riding is my soul’s fulfillment.”

Look for future blogs on Mary Allis and Sarah Stableford and Equitours Feast of Conquerors ride in Italy, only weeks away.

Eventing at GMHA is going strong after more than 50 years of competition and clinics. Picture by Hoofpix.

GMHA's 65 acre facility provides an ideal location for competition in the five equestrian disciplines of eventing-Picture by Flatlands Photo.

Two riders enjoy a scenic spring ride on GMHA's spectacular trails-Picture by Spectrum Photography

For anyone interested in learning a little bit more about Bayard Fox, the Bitterroot Ranch, and how Equitours began, check out this video “A Man Again” by Jelynne Jardiniano.  If you would like to vote for this film, visit Wyoming Short Film Contest.