I'll start by saying that I have ridden from the mid-60's until I was in my 40's. We had a horse in the '90's so the fam rode.
WHAT I EXPECTED: I expected a 'meh' ride.
WHAT I GOT: I got much, MUCH more. The beauty of the ranch, the obvious care and love for the horses, and the quality of the entire operation left me in awe and gave me such a GREAT energy and feeling. WELL worth it.
Guest riders, from beginner to intermediate, due to the care and compassion the ranch folks' had for the riders and their horses, had a great time.
I chose the earliest ride time, 0900, when the horses were freshest. We started from the ship right on time (it was a cruise excursion, and I wanted to play it safe and not go independent) with Miguel.
When we arrived at the ranch, I was immediately impressed with the grounds and the view. I knew I found the right place.
Rita Gerrity, a Southern gentlelady originally from Virginia and the owner of the ranch greeted us. She'd lived in Mexico for 30+ years. I really liked her from the start. Personable and professional. She knew her horses, she knew riders, and her horses were VERY well taken care of. They were groomed well, not fat, not thin, not dejected, they looked and 'felt' very contented. You can sometimes tell when a horse is happy, spirited, doesn't like to be ridden, sad, etc. These guys were happy puppies.
We went into the main receiving barn area and started getting fitted for helmets. (For fitting, getting a riding helmet is like a motorcycle helmet. It should fit snug and shouldn't move at ALL when you shake your head.)
We couldn't take backpacks on the trail due to bouncing, so the others had to leave them in the receiving area. They were perfectly safe. Things in pockets weren't a good idea either, because they'd work their way out of the pockets during the ride.
Rita and Miguel asked us about our riding skills and comfort levels around horses, and picked certain horses based on each participant's answers and size. I got Hidalgo, who was a great pinto with a mohawk.
I walked over to Hidalgo, put the top of my hand by his nose so he could smell me, and his nose touched my hand. This is the equivalent of the horse handshake and 'hello!'.
They had a 'mounting block' for others with shorter legs like me.
Rita took pictures of us while we were mounting in the ring, which were available for $10 each after riding. IMO this was a VERY reasonable memento of our experience!
Then we were off!
We started at a walk, then occasionally trotted. We didn't trot enough for me to 'post', but enough to get the feel for the horse, his gait, his very few quirks.
It was a beautiful ride.
It was uphill, level, downhill, level, rocky, sandy, a nice trail in the Ensenada hills. The horses totally knew it.
Hidalgo was VERY easy to guide, and he responded truly well and easily with just the barest touch of neck-reining.
Since I had one of those waterproof lanyard things around my neck and in my shirt with my ID and phone in it, I was able to pull it out, give my phone to Miguel, and he was able to take pics of me on the trail. I highly recommend taking that large plastic lanyard holder to put inside the shirt.
We returned to the ranch after around 90 minutes of continuous riding, and were treated to chips, HOT spicy homemade salsa, and punch. Alcoholic drinks were available so I had a celebratory beer.
The big barn reception area was SO cool, with bar stools that were saddles! There were hats and purses to purchase as well. Prices were very competitive.
I left there with so much energy and joy, it was an amazing experience. read more