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/2011/10/07/from-sicily-to-the-isle-of-crete/ http://www.ridingtoursblog.com/2011/10/07/from-sicily-to-the-isle-of-crete/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:10:34 +0000 Traci McClintic 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!

Fall comes early in Wyoming, with winter fast on its heels.  I imagine here in a few weeks we will have snow dusting the mountain tops and my sunflowers will still not have bloomed.  With our short summer already coming to a close, I have my eye on our riding vacations in Crete -Greece’s warm and light hearted culture, and the spectacular beauty of the Mediterranean.

We’ve sent quite a few clients horseback riding in Greece on the Trail of the Gods and the Crete Star Trail over the past couple of years, despite the country’s less than impressive reputation in the press.  Our riders have all come back with great reviews and stories, and some have been kind enough to send us their photos.  So here’s a little video set to music from a classic Greek collection.

Our riding facility in Crete has also been selected   to receive subsidies for improvements that include replacement of all tack, updates to the outdoor riding arenas, new pavement, equipment and additions to the stable building.  As you can see in the video, the grounds are already well cared for and beautiful, but the promise of continued improvement during the off season is a positive for horses and clients on any of our equestrian vacations.

Raz'z First Jump

When people think of horseback riding in Wyoming, they probably think of cowboys and cattle drives, but I drug myself out of bed before sunrise last Saturday to join my friend Meredith’s cross country jumping expedition in Worland, Wyoming. Worland has a population of just over 5000 people and is home to one of the only government funded cross country jumping courses in the country. In the middle of the high desert sits a series of rustic, yet gorgeous jumps for beginner through advanced level riders.

Raz, my handsome roan quarter horse, was dwarfed by the gorgeous thoroughbreds on scene. I had cobbled together my gear, trading in the full chaps that I use on the trail for half chaps and a bulky violet chest protector and borrowed black velvet covered helmet. Meredith even provided me with a set of paddock boots just for the occasion-hers. Apparently my finely tooled Tony Lamas wouldn’t cut it on the cross country course, but as awkward as all the new gear seemed, I recognized the importance when I eyed the “beginner” level jumps.

The deal about falling off on one of your first jumps during a riding lesson is this-its great. I’d never fallen off my horse before. While this might be a feather in the cap for some, I had always felt anxiety. I imagined the following: A. being terribly injured B. Raz would run away and be impossible to catch C. I would be afraid to get back in the saddle. D. Everyone would laugh at me and ride away E. none of the above

Raz Jumping the Railroad Tie After the Fall

E. never really crossed my mind, but what happened was this. We tried jumping over a railroad tie and I didn’t give Raz enough direction, especially since he is asked to walk over logs and such on the trail. He took a strong left and I took a strong right and landed on the ground. Meredith had said, “if you fall off, try not to land in the cactus!” earlier on and I had stored this bit of info in the back of my mind to be used for just this occasion. I landed half on my feet and half on my butt, and my trusty steed stopped quickly, mildly bewildered, and looked at me with what I could swear was embarrassment for the both of us… But by the end of the hour and a half long lesson, we were getting it and Jen, one of Meredith’s very talented clients, took some time to take pictures of our horse riding adventure.  Raz and I are officially hooked on cross country jumping and I’m eyeing our brochure to see what kind of exotic locations can offer more instruction for this inspired beginner.

North Fork Falls Wyoming

Its finally summer in Wyoming and time for our annual pack trip into the mountains.  Besides horseback riding in California this past July and a possible trip to Crete in the near future, Bayard and Mel have been kind enough to give me time away from Equitours Corporate Headquarters to adventure into the wilderness with my family and friends.  There’s a reason why so many people return to the Bitterroot Ranch year after year.  Riding vacations in the mountains here are definitely something to write home about, like meadows filled with wildflowers, roaring rivers and glacier streams, campfire stories, and horses grazing peacefully in the evening light.  There’s something about a pack trip and a quiet escape into what is to us, reality and what visitors consider “unreal.”  And of course, there’s always the unforeseen adventure…

Before I started working for Equitours, I owned a little restaurant in town.  This kept me very busy, but I would occasionally hire out as a trail cook on pack trips so that I could get into the mountains in the summer. One time, early

Family Pack Trip

in the morning, I was cooking bacon while the rest of our guests slumbered peacefully in their frost covered tents.  The daybreak was gorgeous and I was enjoying the quiet when suddenly all of the mules turned, like sentries guarding camp, to look West.  Seconds later the roar of a bear filled the valley and I immediately dropped all of the fragrant slices of bacon back onto the griddle and ran for my bear spray and the lead wrangler.  As I rounded the corner, he was just coming out of the tent clad only in his skivvies, trying to pull on blue jeans while balancing both his bear spray and his rifle.  We were more concerned about the bear than our mutual embarrassment, but soon found that the roar originated over a mile away and the sound had reverberated through the quiet valley as if they were standing just outside of camp (while I never wanted to see a bear close up, I didn’t mind watching two large grizzlies interact through binoculars from the safe distance of a knoll just above camp).   I finally got my heart rate back to normal and the bacon nestled safely into a

Riding Raz and Dylan at North Fork Falls

warm Dutch Oven, and the wrangler and I have been dating ever since…

While Equitours can’t promise grizzly sightings and whirlwind romances to all of our clients, we can promise a longstanding and everlasting romance with the west for those of you who might be interested in a wilderness pack trip adventure.  Have a look at Wyoming’s Washakie Trail, The Navajo Land Ride in Utah, and The Grand Canyon’s Winter Pastures in Arizona.  Bayard also has us exploring rides for the 2012 catalog.  California’s Sierra Nevadas, Hawaii, and the coast of Southern Oregon seem to hold a lot of promise, and we hope to create some new riding vacations that offer the same level of adventure and quality that our clients have come to expect and appreciate over the years.

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.

Mozambique Rescue Horse Playing in the Indian Ocean

Equitours offers an array of horseback riding adventures worldwide, but also tends to focus energy on rides and causes that contribute to the places that our clients know and love well.  Here are just a few of the rides in Africa that, with the help of our clients, make a difference in local communities each year.

An inspirational story that I think will speak to the hearts of horse lovers everywhere concerns Mandy and Patrick Retzlaff’s flight from Zimbabwe to Mozambique with a herd of over 100 rescued horses.  All of us here at Equitours, feel honored to help promote the Mozambique’s Volunteer Work Program where guests can choose to stay for a month or ten days; helping train, exercise, saddle, feed and care for horses as well as assist with various local community projects.  Keep watch for a more detailed article about this organization.  Mandy is quite a character and I look forward to sharing some of her stories with you.

The Flying Doctors Team

Every rider participating in the Masai Mara and Lakipia horseback riding tours in Kenya contributes to AMREF’s Flying Doctor Service, one of the most comprehensive air ambulance services in Africa.  While a membership helps to ensure our riders’ safety and provides peace of mind, the proceeds benefit the important work of the AMREF and the whole continent full of people that they help.

School Children learning about baby elephants at the David Scheldrick Wildlife Trust

Equitours also donates to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, dedicated to embracing all measures that compliment the conservation, preservation and protection of wildlife. These include anti-poaching, safeguarding the natural environment, enhancing community awareness, addressing animal welfare issues, and providing veterinary assistance to animals in need.

As a new ride consultant, there seems to be a barrage of information about our riding tours streaming in daily, and it all grabs my attention and curiosity, but I find myself truly interested in, and even proud of, the positive impact that our company and our network of outfitters and riders has in the world.