Riding Tours Blog

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