Horse Travel Blog

horseback riding on the island of aruba was an exhilarating experience. we got to explore our beautiful countryside and check out natural wonders like the natural bridge (pictured above). unfortunately, this bridge has since collapsed, but aruba still offers plenty of sites to see.

i also rode at rancho del campo, where i got a tour through “arikok” the national park. this ranch has moved up in the rankings to number one in aruba. it has won many awards and been featured in many papers, magazines and shows.

bottom line, riding in aruba makes a great outing, whether on the hills or beach. it is one of the most popular visitor attractions on the island. right after those sugar white sand dunes, of course!

there are lots of horseback riding stables, rentals, trail rides, and equestrian academies in the busy city of boston. i know, horseback riding doesn’t really jump to your mind as the number one thing to do in boston. i enjoy riding so much, though, that i try to do it wherever it is offered. some day i will have taken a trail in every country.

so back to boston, horseback riding allows you to take in the sites 100x better then speeding along the mass-pike. i’m not gonna lie, i love to drive fast drinking a starbucks, but sometimes you have to break out the water bottle, hop on your horse and slow down to enjoy the scenery. boston provided quite a bit to see.

while the picture above is riding along the charles river in the heart of boston in october, i’ve also rode during the winter months. one december it wasn’t too icy for the horses, we got to gallop through the snow! you can choose to ride english or western. i went with a group of friends who wanted to take a lesson, so i wondered off on my own while they were taught a few things.

lake opinicon is off the historic rideau canal, which is surrounded by beautiful properties. out of all the activities, biking, hiking, fishing, boating, horseback riding topped my list. we rode through lots of parks with gorgeous gardens and along the canal that had locks and outlets.

the picture above is of the locks near the opinicon resort. this is one of the oldest resorts in the quiet area. it gets busy in the summer with families, most of whom have summer homes up north. the weather isn’t as humid in the summer and makes for perfect riding.

there are some shallow streams that are fun to cross and check out islands that aren’t built up at all. there are round stone beaches and cliffs for jumping if you choose to tie the horses for a bit and allow them to rest while you enjoy some fun. picnic lunches are a good idea for rides in this area, it’s so quiet, you really get to enjoy nature.

horseback riding is definitely the way to see the small town of cesky krumlov in the czech republic. taking a train ride down from prague to cesky krumlov proved to be quite breath taking, but it didn’t prepare me for what i would see from the saddle. being submerged in fields and fields of beautiful plants, which i believe to be mustard plants.

we rode along the river and many small streams, which many other tourists were found canoing or rafting in. we choose to take try dry path and enjoy the ride. many of the trails we went on aren’t suitable for beginngers. there’s a lot of hills and rough terrain in the country side of cesky krumlov, so it leads to long rides. great for the experienced riders.

a lot of the town can be seen on foot in the course of a day, but riding allows you to see more of the country. just in case the rides leaves you tired or a little sore, there is a spa, the historic trebon spa, that is a train ride away. here you can refresh and gear up for another day or riding, or just plain site seeing!

the horses and equine options in maine astounded me. there are tons of riding stables, horse rentals, trail rides, equestrian academies and even dude ranches. there are tours, training classes, clinics and weekend getaways! you can ride through the beautiful woods, open meadows and down quiet dirt country roads.

maine also has therapeutic horseback riding. this is a form of riding that started in europe over 50 years ago. this type of riding combines the rythmic movement of the horse with the powerful dynamic of human/animal bond to effect change. this is a great thing for state agencies, rehabilitation centers, group homes and schools.

it was really peaceful riding along the coastline of maine. the sound of the ocean was so clamming, that you could escape from the world and enjoy some peaceful solitude. it provided time to relax the body and heal the soul.

horseback riding around the different rims of the grand canyon is probably one of the best ways to take in all the sites. you can also navigate down the trails and see some breathtaking views that could easily be missed with a quick helicopter ride through.

the grand canyon had the most options for riding out of any place i have been thus far. they have horses, ponies and mules available to ride. if you’re not into riding, wagon rides are also provided. there are 1-hour rides or 2-hour rides. there are campfire trail rides and campfire wagon rides.

i went riding twice when i was in arizona. once was with a guide that took us through the kaibab national forest before seeing the canyon. that was good for something different. then one night i also did a campfire ride. the best part of the campfire rides are that you can bring your own marshmallows for roasting!

unfortunately, turks and caicos wasn’t one of the best vacation spots i have been to. give it another 10 years to grow though and then hit it up. there was only one paved road on the island and it wasn’t a good idea to leave resort property.

the islands did, however, provide some pretty decent horseback riding. you could go on guided horseback rides or trail rides. they even provided pony rides for kids! if you happen to be a beginner, lessons are also available.

since turks and caicos has some pretty warm climate, i thought morning sunrise rides were the best. i took one along one of the east coast beaches and the scenes were breathtaking. the picture above was taken at the end of the ride leading back to the stable on the ocean.

i’ve rode in one of the most premier places in prague. velkostatek tetin equestrian centre. they have an all weather arena, a large outdoor arena w/ jumps and even changing rooms and showers. from beginners to advanced riders, this is the place to go!

you can choose from a variety of activities: children riding camps, workshops for adults, half day and day rides, birthday parties, children parties and grown up parties. activities may include skeet shooting, paintball or a treasure hunt. you can get food and beverage there as well.

the horses are very well taken care of. they have 14 hectacres of pasture, a shower box, spacious box stalls and a professional tack room. the aim of their program “is to teach students how to ride, handle and groom horses with confidence and to the best of their ability.”

i personally enjoyed rides along the river the most. the picture is taken riding along the vltava river at night. gorgeous view and just the perfect temperature in june for a sunset ride.