Riding holiday in Andalusia

[diamondlil]

My holiday didn't start smoothly, in fact thanks to an oversight by me it didn't start at all! I had convinced myself I was flying out on Friday, despite the booking confirmaions and my calendar saying otherwise.
So I didn't get my flight Thursday evening, blissfully unaware of my mix-up until Friday morning, when I got a call from my friend Kim. As my designated emergancy contact, she'd been rudely awakened, then rang me. Whoops!
So, as soon as the booking agents office opened, I called them, explained the problem and asked for help. After I'd assured them I wasn't upset, because in my head I was always flying out Friday, the whole office was hooting with laughter, but shortly afterwards they rang me with new flight details and I was set to go.
I made the airport in plenty of time to check in, had a nice meal on the plane and arrived before midnight. And waited, and waited, and waited, with no sign of my transfer to the Finca. Calling the contact number just got me a Spanish answerphone message. There was no-one around meeting the descrption of my driver.
Finally, after nearly 2 hours and just as I was getting quite cross, I spotted a man who looked like he could be my driver! He'd been waiting patiently in an area of the airport I'd been told by the stafff was closed for the night. So into the jeep and off through the night, up into the hills of Andalusia...........

 

[diamondlil]

The next morning I awoke early to the sounds of the Finca's routine, with the horses clip-clopping into the yard for their feeds, the dogs Michael and Fifal coming to say 'good morning', the finches playing in the tree outside my apartment. The air was so clear it was beautiful, I could see the mountains that stretched all around and it was time for a lovely breakfast on the terrace.
I met my room-mate (she'd been fast asleep the night before) and the lovely dutch couple who were staying in the cottage.
We were to have a gentle ride out to a bar along the mountain pass. This meant a 4 hour ride in all, with cantering uphill and careful riding downhill on slippery dry gravel and sand, with steep drops at the sides of the paths. I was reassured that the horses were sure-footed and trained only to canter uphill, for safety reasons they would slow down as soon as they felt they ground level and slope downwards unless urged on strongly. Due to the severe bits I was to keep minimal contact through loose reins, use weight aides and neck-reining to keep the horse away from the edge of the path.
I was to try Huerfano ('Orphan', because he was bottle-fed), a very nice 17 hand bay Spanish horse, forward-going but sensible.

 

[diamondlil]

So we rode out, with Huerfano's big trot and canter action really suiting me, the Spanish vaquero saddle really comfortable, and his eager but steady personality helping a great deal in quelling my apprehension as we had 1,000 foot drops at the side of the narrow track very soon after setting out. First we climbed up and along the mountainside, being chased by a pack of dogs belonging to a local eccentric 'rescuer' (43 or so at the latest count in a tiny finca), then steady canters to reach a bar for cool drinks and a rest from the blazing sun. One of the horses, a grey PRE (Pura Raza Espanol) called Duende sat on the bonnet of a jeep to rest his hooves, but the jeep owner thought it was a great joke.
Then a lovely ride back to the Finca for sunbathing, a swim in the lovely pool and a beautiful tapas style lunch with Spanish rose wine.

 

[dionythicus]

Looks so nice!! Sigh, wish I could be there...

 

[The_Thunderer]

Beautiful, J9! I hope the rest of the time is fun and that you can share more pics and stories of your adventure!!!

 

[kathylove]

Wow - what a great vacation!

And "relatively" close to you (compared to the US, anyway).

BTW, whatever happened to your Arizona horse vacation?

 

[diamondlil]

I was too excited to have a siesta, so I spent the afternoon exploring the gardens, seeing my first wall lizards (Podarcis) the colourful little super-charged lizards that make visiting Spain so much fun for me!

 

[dionythicus]

Is it the angle of the pic or is Huerfano's neck that odd looking in real life?

 

[zamora]

I'm so jealous...simply pea green with envy! I've always wanted to go on a riding vacation, preferably to Ireland. Looking forward to more posts and pictures from you!

 

[diamondlil]

BTW, whatever happened to your Arizona horse vacation?

I decided my first solo riding holiday (In fact first ever solo holiday) should be in Europe

Is it the angle of the pic or is Huerfano's neck that odd looking in real life?

Yep, Huerfano has a fallen crest, probably due to overdevelopment of his neck before he was gelded

 

[diamondlil]

So on my first afternoon I carried on wandering about, then watched some of the horses being shoed.The littlest dog on the finca, Pip, made sure she got her share of hoof trimmings to enjoy

 

[diamondlil]

Before a late dinner out on the terrace I had the chance to find more lizards, meet some more of the horses and enjoy the sunshine

 

[diamondlil]

After breakfast the next day, I met the new English cob, Caspio, then out for a challenging ride up very steep tracks and down rocky hillsides, again on Huerfano. I was very glad of his big, steady canter as we went uphill, and of his sensible manner on the descent. In places we had to get off and lead the horses as the terrain was too rough for riding.

 

[diamondlil]

In the most difficult areas (and during the cantering, obviously) I couldn't take photos, but I think you'll get a flavour of how steep the terrain was!

 

[diamondlil]

After cold drinks and ice cream in the lost village of El Acebuchal it was steady trotting and cantering to get back to the finca. A dip in the pool and I was ready to enjoy the sunshine, finding sloughed snakeskin, lizards and cicadas in the garden

 

[diamondlil]

I found a Moorish gecko sitting on my case in my room, then another sloughed snakeskin in the garden. I watched the horses coming in for their supper in the yard, before heading up the mountain tracks to get signal on my 'phone.

 

[diamondlil]

I enjoyed the sunset, ate another fabulous dinner, then heard the wild boar rooting around in the paddocks next to the finca (hence the random photo of prickly pear in the dark, that's where the boar were rootling around)

 

[diamondlil]

Up early again the next morning, and I had a wander about watching birds around the finca. I saw Spanish sparrows, long-tailed tits and red-legged partridges, plus this bird that I still havent ID'd yet.
After breakfast I met my horse for the day, Faraon (Pharoah), a 15 hands or so grey gelding, who seemed nice enough at this point. We set off to Frigliana, and within an hour or so I was not enjoying the day.
My Roommate set off in the lead at faster canters than I was happy with, which affected Faraon who was fighting to go faster and keep up. Faraon had a choppy, short stride that I couldn't get used to in trot but in canter I was being bounced out of the saddle. As I tried to settle and bring Faraon back to a steady pace, we'd turn a corner, the other horses would be shooting off, so Faraon would charge after them again. The finca owner was quite far behind at points because the cob couldn't keep up.
With a 1,000 foot drop, a horse I was losing control of, and the slippery conditions - he actually tried to overtake the horse in the lead at one point and his feet slipped out sideways - I am just glad I survived the ride. The ride home was steadier because it was downhill, but I'd lost confidence and really didn't enjoy it at all.

 

[diamondlil]

I had a shower and got changed, and had a quiet day off around the finca seeing more lizards and soaking in the pool. My back was aching from being jarred during the ride and I wasn't in a good frame of mind.
I felt my safety had been compromised, my roommate was in some emotional turmoil about her circumstances back home, she was on her 4th visit to the finca and planning to go back in the New Year for them to help her buy a horse in the area, so when I said I'd felt scared and worried on the ride I felt my thoughts were just brushed aside.
Now, I'd researched the holiday, filled in detailed questionnaires about my level of fitness, riding ability and confidence, spoke further to my booking agent and then to the people running the finca. I know that horse-riding is a high-risk sport, I knew I'd be on mountain trails, but I'd been reassured that I'd be on well-schooled, forward-going but sensible horses.
If my first day's riding had been on a horse like Faraon I'd have probably wanted to come home.

 

[diamondlil]

The next day my back was still aching and my madleg was playing up, so I decided to take a day off from riding. My Roommate had moved out into the cottage and been replaced by another woman, who seemed nice enough but I just wanted a day by myself and wasn't physically or emotionally ready to get back on horseback that day.
I feel I made the right decision, because my new roommate's description of that day's riding sounded like a repeat of my experience, fast cantering with gravel hitting her face all morning!
So I wandered around, finding ibex poop just at the area I had to go to get a signal on my 'phone, swam in the pool, sunbathed and read a book