{"id":16441,"date":"2024-05-23T23:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T03:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agaaga.khoolbrew.ca\/?p=16441"},"modified":"2024-12-10T17:44:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T22:44:17","slug":"horseback-riding-in-chilean-patagonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agaaga.khoolbrew.ca\/index.php\/2024\/05\/23\/horseback-riding-in-chilean-patagonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Horseback riding in Chilean Patagonia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since we started our year of travel in June 2023, Felix has been asking to do a horseback riding activity. Neil finally found a unique experience that everyone was excited about with Horse Connection Patagonia<\/a>, in the Torres del Paine. Our guide Lynn arranged for our transportation to the starting point, and we were picked up by two taxis at 9AM. Unfortunately, we forgot the carrots and apples we had bought for the horses so one taxi, with Neil, Lara, and Nolan, had to return home for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The horses and gear had already been unloaded at our meeting point.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lynn, our guide and owner of the business, is an equine therapist who used to work with disabled kids. She switched to doing horse tours after the pandemic, but the business almost went bankrupt two years ago due to the drought. Normally, she would pay CLP$4000 (~CDN$6) for a bale of grass to feed her horses, but during the drought, she had to pay up to CLP$13,000 (~CDN$19) for a bale of bad grass with almost no nutrition. She tweaked the business again to what it is today, and things are now recovering. She loves hearing people say \u201cyour horses are fat\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lynn took us through some breathing exercises to \u201cground ourselves to open our hearts to the horses so we can make connection with them\u201d, and then we went and met the horses. The idea is to visit with each horse, and then you choose each other to be partners for the day. You bond with your partner when you’re grooming, saddling and preparing to ride. The horses are all very well trained, which makes the whole process very smooth and enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lara with Keno, a bay Arabian gelding. “Bay” means the horse has a brown coat. Arabian horses are apparently good natured and intelligent; and “gelding” means the horse has been castrated.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Neil paired up with Kai, a chestnut mare. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Felix beelined for Kalem (also a bay Arabian gelding), and stuck with him even though Lynn thought Kalem was too high strung for him. Lynn tried introducing Felix to a calmer horse, but Felix had his mind made up. Lynn said Felix might do more good for the horse than vice versa! She said he was very sensitive, just like Kalem.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Nolan partnered with Carkab, Lynn’s “spoiled boy”). He is her grey Arab gelding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Amable (the Hazelnut Chilean gelding) and I partnered up for the day. His focus all day was snacking on any bush he could get at. We definitely understand each other \ud83d\ude09<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
It was about 3\u00b0C and windy, and it was not going to get warmer – Lynn had two pairs of chaps that Neil and I were able to borrow. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Leather chaps are thought to come from Spain, and were originally worn for protection against chaparral (thorny brush). These helped keep our legs warm all day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
After gearing up with all our layers and helmets, we helped with saddling the horses. Blankets went on first to cover the horse’s withers, which is the most important part of the spine. Saddles went on after.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Felix’s horse got an English saddle while mine a Chilean saddle. We were given panniers with our lunches, and attached them to the saddles. Oscar, the gaucho that Lynn hired for the day, helped Lynn to double check what we did. Neil is ready to go. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Then we learnt how to walk our horses using their halters to guide them. Instructions: be confident, look in front of you, be in front of the horse, though your horse might decide to walk beside you and that’s OK. Lara taught me to hold the rope close to the horse\u2019s mouth for better guidance.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Then Lynn had us lead our horse to a big rock, which enabled us to easily mount our horse.
Hold reins so they are even on both sides, and pull them towards you to stop, keep pulling towards you to reverse, pull to right to have horse turn right, and vice versa to turn left. Nudge with your heels to make them go. Be calm and confident. With these basic instructions, we were sent to the field to practice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Oscar and Lynn leading the way. Oscar arrived on his horse, and went home at the end of the day on his horse. He seemed underdressed for the weather – he was in normal gaucho gear (baggy pants, riding boots, beret, and scarf). Lynn said this was the first time she hired a gaucho – normally, she does everything herself but given the weather conditions and there’s five of us, she thought it would be safer to have help.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
We rode through a number of gates (Oscar getting off his horse to open and close them). They’re there to protect the cattle. Lynn makes arrangements with the owners of the private property to be able to take tourists through.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Amable kept trying to stop to nibble. Lynn said he was testing his boundaries, and I had to show him his limits by stopping him, and being consistent. Huh – just like parenting teens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
We had to cross a few streams, still running but with patches of ice. Lynn told us to “kick kick kick” to encourage the horses to go. They were not keen (cold feet? \ud83d\ude09). The kids’ horses jumped some of the streams and they all managed to stay on.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The higher we went, the windier it got. There was also more snow cover.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
We followed the fence line up the hill – the landscape was strewn with dead tree stumps.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
It was a very desolate landscape. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
At one of our stream crossings, Keno, Lara’s horse, decided to take a different path through the bush to cross the stream (this was his first time crossing this stream) and Lara went right off the back. She just got up, dusted herself off, and Lynn checked her thoroughly before Lara re-mounted Keno to continue on the ride.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
We eventually reached some woods, a good place to shelter from the wind and have lunch. Everyone helped to gather wood to start a fire.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
As soon as the fire got going, Lynn inserted a bottle of wine to warm (nice surprise!). It’s a type of wine called Carm\u00e9n\u00e8re that was originally from Bordeaux, France, and is now mostly grown in Chile. We fed the horses apple halves and sugar cubes, and left them to nibble the shrubs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Oscar seemed impervious to the cold, with only his scarf, beret, and sweater. He’s heating water for yerba mate – it’s a ubiquitous caffeinated drink made from dried roasted rainforest holly. Like tea, it provides a gentle energy boost. The leaves are packed into a gourd (or other vessel), hot water poured over it, and then sipped through a metal straw with a filter at the end (called a bombilla<\/em>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
We sipped hot soup and munched off a cheese and salami cracker plate. Then there were sandwiches on Chilean Marraqueta bread with turkey, spinach, mustard, and cream cheese. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Dessert was carrot cake (the best I’ve ever had!) with the warmed wine. The kids had juice and everyone also had apple smoothies. All the food was made by Lynn. She even shared her recipe for the carrot cake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Warmed up and full so everyone was smiling again. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
After lunch, Lynn took us to a lookout via a shortcut through the forest because it was extremely windy and cold. The key instructions were to keep the reins short (for better control of the horses) and to duck forwards<\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Lynn and her horse broke trail for the rest of us to follow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
From the lookout, we see is the Almirante Montt gulf …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
and the mountains of Patagonia. It was extremely windy and frigid, so we didn’t stay long.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
On our return, we had sunset colours for about 1.5 hrs and rode towards the rising full moon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Fabulous day outside with our friendly companions (four and two legged).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Check out the video that Lynn made of our trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>
View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/a>

A post shared by HORSE CONNECTION PATAGONIA | Horse riding for the soul \ud83d\udc0e\ud83c\udf3f (@horseconnectionpatagonia)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>