Riding holiday in Andalusia

My first roommate was flying home the next day, and my new roomie was off on a 2-day ride to Jatar, so I was going out on an all-day ride and picnic with the lovely dutch couple and one of the finca owners.
I was back on Huerfano, the ride was at a steady pace and I could really enjoy it. We saw ibex in the alpine meadows, eagles overhead, and the sun was shining. Donna the guide explained the history of the area, the crosses marking graves on the slopes were where bodies had been buried where they were found, as to take someone to the wrong village to bury them (where there might have been history of feuding) would have been a supreme insult. We found mountain springs for the horses to drink and rested in the shade of a ruined farmhouse before pressing on.

After a few hours more riding, we stopped at another spring-fed stream to have our picnic and cool off in the shade. More steady uphll cantering and then a careful descent took us in a huge loop to El Acebuchal for more cold drinks, then the ride home.
7 hours in the saddle altogether that day, but thanks to the vaquero saddle's being built for comfort and Huerfano being such a lovely horse to ride, I had a great time with no aches or pains.

The next day I was supposed to ride out, but there were delays with the horses that had been ridden to Jatar having escaped into the mountains, and naturally enough the hosts were a bit preoccupied with liasing with the owner in Jatar and how the search for the horses was progressing!
So instead I got to go with them to a horse-dealer in Competa, where they were going to try out and possibly buy a new horse.
First some fun in the morning with the big grey Dardar showing his Spanish walk and taking a bow, then off to Competa

First horse viewed was this big bay gelding. He was used to being ridden with a serrata noseband (the traditional Spanish style, which has sharp metal studs inside to stop a horse from pulling) so when ridden without he was not very well behaved. Donna quietly explained that she has this problem every time she buys a new horse, she'd shown me the serreta scars on the horses on the finca. As she refuses to use a serreta noseband each horse has to learn to respond to the bit and to neck-reining after she buys it, so she didn't see his jumpiness as a major problem for the future.

Next this beautiful Pura Raza stallion. He went very nicely under saddle, seemed very steady and responsive to me, but was a little smaller and older than Donna was looking for.

And a Pura Raza mare, not shown under saddle as she was again smaller than Donna wanted.

So then whilst the negotiations began, I got to meet the donkeys and mules at the dealers. I loved the spotty donkey!

And then a visit to the tackroom, seeing traditional donkey and mule harnessess and bridles, banderillas and a mounted boar's head along with photos of ferias. We went to a tapas bar and I did some souvenir shopping, getting a ceramic dish for my sister's birthday and a goatskin cushion for myself.

Back at the finca, the PRE mare that was being sold was washed and ready for collection, the dealers arrived, took her and left the bay gelding.
I helped to wash him down and took out the plaits in his mane which were fixed with electrical tape. He was very headshy so it took time and patience to get them all out.
We got the welcome news that the missing horses had been found safe and well on a blocked trail in the mountains, so we celebrated with quite a bit of cava that night!

Which probably explains how I slept through a huge electrical storm that night! I only caught the end of it when I woke up, Michael the failed hunting dog, terrified of guns and loud noises, was very greatful I let him com in my apartment before I went down to breakfast