Riding holiday in Andalusia

[diamondlil]

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.

 

[diamondlil]

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.

 

[diamondlil]

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

 

[diamondlil]

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.

 

[diamondlil]

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.

 

[diamondlil]

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

 

[diamondlil]

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

 

[diamondlil]

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.

 

[diamondlil]

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!

 

[diamondlil]

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

 

[diamondlil]

The storm clouds were rolling around the mountains, dumping torrential rain in sharp bursts, so I waited to see if the weather would clear

 

[diamondlil]

After breakfast the blue skies seemed to be winning, so I set out with Geoff for a ride. Then the heavens opened and we got soaked. And dried out quickly, then got soaked again! So I decided I'll be getting enough wet weather riding this winter at home, and called a halt. Back to the finca for a hot shower and hot drinks.

 

[diamondlil]

The rest of that day was sunshine and showers as the weather system rolled around the mountains, then my roommate finally appeared after her epic adventure. Of course she'd had no choice but to ride through the rain to get back to the finca from Jatar. The sun was back out so we enjoyed a dip in the pool and relaxed in the sun while she recounted her adventures. The celebrations that night involved shameful amounts of gin and tonics, cava and jagermeister. We whooped and hooted our way to bed and probably scared away any wild boar within miles.
To add to the fun, my insistence that the new gelding looked like an old-fashioned hunter/chaser got him the lovely new name of Cazador! (hunter)

 

[The_Thunderer]

I'm so envious of you right now, J9!!! It looks like an AWESOME time!

 

[diamondlil]

So then the last full day of my holiday dawned, and despite the excesses f the night before I woke up early and hiked up the mountain trail before breakfast to get a 'phone signal. Suddenly a female ibex and her kid stood up in the olive trees right by me, bounding away down and then up the slopes away from me. I moved to see if I could get a decent photo of them and a male scrambled to his feet, faced me, gave an alarm whistle and then followed his familfy.
He was 5-6 feet away from me, a magnificent sight that I will always remember, even if I didn't get any decent photos of the encounter

 

[diamondlil]

After breakdast, a nice ride to El Acebuchal on the cob, Caspio. He was a lovely horse to ride, really eager to work. I'd insisted on a fringed browband for him to make up for his lack of forelock!

 

[diamondlil]

A few hours of lazing in and around the pool, then the final ride of the holiday. First it was suggested my roommate might like to ride the mare Affie with her 4 1/2 month foal at foot, we'd accompany her on very quiet horses across the river to a wooded glade. This sounded ok until we realised the mare was in heat, 'squirting and 'winking' at the gelding I was to ride. So my roommate and I agreed between us that if either of us felt unsafe we'd stop the ride, and more importantly that we'd back each other up.
Then just as we were ready to go, the newly bought gelding was brought out tacked up. It was his first ride out of the finca.

 

[John3:16]

Wow.....Thank you so much for this thread!!!!!!

 

[diamondlil]

So we set off along the track, with the mare and foal in front, Donna on a very slow mare called Nina, myself on Dardar who was being good but had a bigger stride so was had to keep tucked behind, then behind me Cazador is sweating up, bucking and spinning. I was told to totally ignore whatever happened behind, but that's not easy when it's right on the tail of your horse!
When we finally got down to cross the river and into the glade it was a huge relief, except then my left stirrup fell off! The keeper was broken.

 

[diamondlil]

So I'd ridden into the glade without stirrups, and Donna got off her horse to try to sort them out. You can see from Cazador's photos just how sweated up he was from the short ride. The foal was gambolling about in the glade, had a drink from his mother then wanted to see the other horses.
All very charming until the foal got close to Dardar, who did not like it at all, striking out with his foreleg. I had to back him away but there was literally nowhere to go, the mare was screaming to her foal, the foal was making submissive mouthings to Dardar, I was boxed in trying to keep him too busy to kick or strike out at the foal.
In order to let the mare get past and lead her foal out I basically had to push Dardar into the bushes, which is probably when all my riding Merlin through the woods really helped!