* Training Trip

A training trip is a great way to improve your riding skills or work on a specific discipline, whether its dressage, eventing, cross country, hunt seat, jumper training or Western pleasure. There are specific training trips for beginning riders, kids, as well special clinics and training trips to help more advanced riders gain confidence.

* Progressive Rides

Progressive rides may include inn to inn rides, camping trips or village to village treks, where you ride to and stay in different ... ...

Focus on: The Andalusian

by: Barbara Clark

The origin and history of these beautiful creatures has a direct correlation to how they became what they are today. When you learn about this breed you are also learning about the history and culture that developed them.

The P.R.E (Pura Raza Espanola) or Pure Spanish Horse has its origins buried deep in the geography and history of Spain. There are drawings dating back to 5,000BC found in the caves of Altamira and Canforos de Penarubia in northeastern Spain ... ...

Originally used for war, the Criollo horse is the direct descendant of some of the best European horses, brought by the Spanish conquistadors to the New World during the 16th century. Natural selection under the harsh conditions of life in the vast South American plains gradually transformed this horse into the symbol of the legendary Gaucho (cowboy) lands.

To talk about of the Criollo horse is to talk about the Gaucho. The Gaucho is proud and adventurous, but at the same time simple and noble. ... ...

Whenever Jose turned his horse up the next switchback, I did the same with a light touch of the rein to Estrella's neck. I relaxed after the second switchback. Head down, alert, calm, the horse carried me to the top of the hill with grace and ease. At the top, we were treated to a breathtaking 360 degree panorama of the mountains and terrain that make up the Central Valley of Costa Rica, where most of the population lives. We watched transfixed as the sun set in the west, splashing orange, salmon ... ...

Our adventure began by flying into Paris where we stayed the night. The next day, we left the hustle and bustle of Paris and rode the bullet train (125-mph nonstop) south to Aix-en-Provence. The town was founded in 122 BC, and was the first Roman military outpost. Today it is a city of 150,000 people whose celebrated son, Paul Cezanne, immortalized the countryside on canvas. We drove from Aix-en-Provence to Les Cypres de L'Etang in the heart of Provence where our riding adventure was to begin. Les ... ...

Once I leave the city, it is instantaneously apparent how wild and wide open this country is. Namibia is the size of France and Germany put together, but only has 1.2 million residents. I have heard it is even possible to ride for days without seeing another human being apart from those in your party.

Here we ride in western saddles. Even those who ride English at home soon find that western is the way to go on these long treks through the desert. I am carrying my personal water supply, lunch, ... ...

In the U.S., while the history has just started, every Marchador breeder or owner has their own story of how they fell in love. This journey, to bring a new breed to the U.S., is really a love story.

The Mangalarga Marchador (MARCH A DOOR) is a breed that descends directly from Iberian stock. This gaited horse is known and bred for its smooth step – the marcha – and is the National Horse of Brazil. It has a gentle temperament, intelligence, stamina and a comfortable ride,

In 1807 Napoleon invaded ... ...

reasons, but the most important is the smooth ride that is a result of their four beat lateral gait.”

The birthright of every Paso Fino horse is its extremely quick, surefooted rhythmic gait. When my Paso Fino filly, Canela Vita, was born, I watched her struggle to her feet and take her first faltering steps, all the while maintaining her gait. It was as though she recognized her special gift and was executing it with style and pride.

Seven hundred years before Columbus brought Paso Fino horses to ... ...

ByJim Hodges, American Cowboy

As Lead Cowboy for almost seven years, I sat atop some of the finest bred American Quarter Horses that ever breathed air, and interpreted the history of Texas, and the George Ranch to thousands every year. As the crowds looked on, we also demonstrated life as the cowboy does it - in full partnership with his horses. They began to realize the prize that the combination of a great cowboy with a great cowhorse made for the rancher, and how much work could get done in a day’s ... ...

Photography by Elliot Framan

Some of the best horsemen in the world have testified to the outstanding qualities of the Irish horse. The unique qualities of temperament, soundness and ability have been bred into the Irish Draught over hundreds of years of galloping across the Irish countryside. This makes them capable of doing anything you want them to do, from dressage to jumping, from hunting to eventing, and even everyday leisure riding. They are intelligent, quick to learn, safe, reliable, and ... ...

Photography by Elliot Framan

The horse is an integral part of the Icelandic nation. They came to Iceland with the Vikings around 900 AD. It is thought that they were descendents of the Mongolian

ponies that were imported to Scandinavia.

The story of the settling of the island is found in Landnamabok, the “Book of Settlements,” which is a nearly factual account of what transpired. Rather than sailing the dragon ships usually associated with Vikings, the settlers came in deep-keeled knars. ... ...

This was just one of the events that make a visit to SICAB an unforgettable trip. There are those of us who are quite addicted to Thanksgiving in Spain simply because of the thousands of beautiful horses everywhere you turn. Everywhere you see a horse at SICAB you will want to ride it!

Along with all the horse candy to watch is an absolute city of vendors. You can walk away completely outfitted in the latest European riding apparel fashions from dressage to Spanish style riding. The beautiful Spanish ... ...

An unlikely warrior, Neda is charming, charismatic, articulate, pro-active and relentless in reaching the widest audience possible to share the news of her foundation and its purpose. Founded in 1997 in order to educate the public about the options for wild horses, Return to Freedom is a non-profit wild horse and burro sanctuary on 300 acres near Lompoc, (Santa Barbara County,) California, dedicated to preservation, conservation and education.

Seven days a week, some 200 horses comprised of a number ... ...

When I visited Sea Island last summer, I took a tour of their new equestrian facilities, which were almost complete. By the end, I was picking up real estate guides and ready to move on down. That was before the riding! Guests of The Cloister, The Lodge at Sea Island and members of the Sea Island Club can take nature tours on horseback through the island's varied ecosystems, including salt marshes and dunes. Beach riding on Sea Island is fantastic, because the beaches are not normally cluttered ... ...

If you area headed somewhere tropical or hot or somewhere that you’ll try multiple sports, like hiking or whitewater rafting along with riding, you’ll want to consider all terrain-riding boots that you can wear in and out of the saddle. In somewhere like the rainforest, you may be riding through rivers and water. I did this in Costa Rica and was glad that I had on my all terrain boots, which dried more quickly. Consider getting the waterproof kind.

Some other items to consider including are water ... ...

Taking a horseback ride on your next vacation? Ever thought about the horse you’ll be riding? Horses have different personalities, skills and physiques, just like people. You’ll want to convey specific information about yourself and your riding level in order to get paired up with the right horse on your next adventure.

Ask Questions

Relay your skill level, height and weight to the stable manager and above all, be truthful. You don’t want to claim John Wayne skills if you’ve never riddenand ... ...

For five days on the Sugarbush Tolt Trek we rode Icelandic horses over country roads, through fields and forests. Many trails were steep, overgrown and rain-slicked where walking on two feet would've been a challenge. These pony-size horses took us up, down and through them easily.

The Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm near Waitsfield, Vermont, breeds, trains, boards and sells Icelandic horses. It's run by Karen, with lots of help from her mother and experienced staff. We stayed at the nearby Mad River ... ...

We spent a night at Hacienda Pinsaqui, one of three centuries old Haciendas in Ecuador's northern Highlands for riding, fabulous food and a day at the famous Otavalo market. The drive from Quito was impressive in itself, winding through magnificent mountain farmlands. Pulling up to the whitewashed Spanish colonial Hacienda with its exquisite 200 year old gardens transforms you from the 21st century to the 18th, where a romantic bygone lifestyle awaits. Everywhere at Pinsaqui, the horse prevails. ... ...

The coast becomes more rocky and breathtaking the further you go along the inside passage. After stops in Ketchikan, Alaska's capital Juneau and Skagway, the Gateway to the Yukon, we cruised the Prince William Sound for two days. The scenery was gorgeous with glaciers and mountains, which come right down to the water's edge. The week's cruise ended in Whittier, where we got off of the cruise ship and headed inland and northward to the wonders of Denali National Park.

We took a nine hour trainride ... ...

Photography by Elliot Framan

The riders stopped at the Golden Waterfall, Gullfoss, to rest the horses. They told me that they had been on the road for six days, riding from Skagafjordas in the north over the Rjolur mountain track to the Geyser Hot Spring area.

"We travel as much as eight hours a day to cover the distance," said Ishester trekking guide, Hauhur Hanksson. "We take hand horses along, and change our mounts a couple of times a day, which allows us to travel at a comfortable speed. The ... ...

By Judie Framan

On September 6th through 9th, 2007, the Central Region of the Irish Draught Horse Society of America (IDHSNA) will host the Society's Annual Horseshow and Inspections at the Lamplight Equestrian Center, Wayne Illinois.

"This is the first time our Annual Horseshow is being held in a Midwestern venue," said Susan Jensen, show chairperson. "We are excited because the location will give more of our members nationwide a chance to attend and participate in the classes, inspections, andsocial ... ...

Sergeant Stephen Cava is my guide at the stables, a tall affable soldier in his mid-twenties, who had the honor of riding in President Reagan's funeral. He is from New Jersey, and like most of the riders in the Caisson platoon, had little riding experience before joining the army.

Volunteers for the Caisson platoon need to be soldiers first, says Cava. We prefer that they have no riding experience. We put each solider through an intense ten week training course. Training begins on the ground learning ... ...

Photo Credit Spanish Riding School, Vienna

Tradition, history and grandeur reign supreme at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Dating from the 1500s it is the oldest riding school in the world, and home to the world famous Lipizzaner Stallions. The horses are trained and presented according to the highest principles and purest form of the classical art of riding. This extraordinary training has been handed down exclusively in an oral tradition from rider to rider for over 450 years, transforming ... ...

By, Susan Seligman

Working in conjunction with Walter Reed Army hospital and North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) trained therapeutic riding instructor Mary Jo Beckham, the Caisson horses have been put into service as therapy horses. The effort has gained national attention and a new lease on life for wounded soldiers returning from Iraq.

"The therapeutic riding program has brought out Natasha", says Mary Jo Beckham. "Here's a photo of the first day of the program. Natasha ... ...

For dinner, Jacques’ wife cooked up a delicious pastry filled with buffalo meat, zucchini, broccoli, couscous, salad with smoked salmon, bred with fresh homemade pesto, and cake for dessert. Everything was made with organic ingredients, making me feel healthy after a day on the trails.

After a cozy night in my cabin, I awoke to another great meal. Breakfast consisted of eggs, pancakes, potatoes and ham and spinach, black tea, and toast. We toured around the town, seeing a covered bridge and other ... ...

I really like Old Montreal. We stayed at Place d’Armes Hôtel, a hip, boutique hotel, which though modern, has managed to maintain it’s rustic brick interiors as well. The location was great, right in the center of Old Montreal, so we were able to go to a nearby pastry shop, Café Europea, and try these neon macaroons, which give a nice sugar boost in the afternoon. They were light and airy, but also tasty. They were filled with different fillings, like caramel apple whiskey flavoring, hazelnut, ... ...

“A Colorful Horse in a Colorful Spot”

The McCulloch Peaks Mustangs roam a designated area established in 1971 of 109,814 acres of colorful badlands and sage covered prairie. This herd area, The McCulloch Peaks Wild Horse Management Area, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

It’s surprising how the increase in this horse’s notoriety has brought about many new “fictional” stories as to the explanation of their existence. Stories about the McCulloch Peaks Mustang range from the “warrior’s ... ...

After expending some energy with the bison, Ron told me about the original settlers on this island, who were commissioned by Mormon leader Brigham Young to tend to horses, cattle and sheep on the island. The livestock were used to entice settlers to move to the area. When newcomers would arrive, they might be given a horse or cow as a sort of incentive for moving to Utah. The original ranchers on the island had a hard life. We passed by various buffalo chips, which Ron said the ranches would useas ... ...

Bryce Canyon National Park is a place that I’ve always wanted to explore. I was fortunate to be guided by “The Kid,” a black Quarter Horse who’s ridden the Rim Trail a thousand times. That’s the kind of guide I want when I am seeing a new place. A veteran - an expert - someone in great shape and knows exactly what potholes to avoid on the trail to get me safely through the journey. It seems I had found the perfect horse for the job. At a juncture by the Queen’s Garden, where the canyon ... ...

Everywhere I travel, someone has a different and sometimes a remarkable take on how to ride and how to communicate with horses. I always listen to what each person has to say about their horses before I mount up. People train their horses in different ways. Whether they cluck to get their horse to change gears or give a slight nudge with their legs or both, they are communicating what they want to their equine partner. Some people use more subtle cues, but no matter how different they seem, theyall ... ...

If you’ve ever been on a roller coaster, then you have a small inkling of what it feels like to ride a cutting horse. It was my first time and I was holding onto the horn of my saddle for dear life as Leana with Style an eight-year-old championship cutter, threw me around the area while she chased a black cow. Leana with Style is trained to go after that cow, and I was trying to stay on her back while not getting in her way.

I was participating in Dream Week at the Colorado Cattle Company, a ... ...

We went horseback riding at Cooper Landing today with Alaska Horsemen Adventures. Cooper Landing is on the Kenai Peninsula. It’s a beautiful area of mountains and glacier fed lakes, well known for its wonderful fishing. Michelle, our guide, took us through the Chugach National Forest, where moose had taken chunks out of the trees. We saw a brown bear from afar (the only safe distance) and our film crew got shot at a couple of times!...by mistake.

I rode a Paint horse mix in her teens named Harley ... ...

Candy said that her area reminds her of the Lake District in England and I agree. There is lush, green pastureland dotted with sheep and cows plummeting to grand Loch Ness below. If you want to ride with Candy, make sure that you are an experienced rider. She is a pretty serious endurance rider herself and has a small number of horses that she is training. You’ll ride one of these horses, so be ready to go, go, go. These are not nose to tail trail horses. Candy takes out a small number of riders. ... ...

Well, the rain has put a damper on my plans to ride today at the Mountain Top Inn. Since it rained all morning, the trails were too wet. So, we spent the morning filming inside stuff. I sat by the fire for a bit. Yes, it is summer, but we are in Vermont in the mountains on a rainy day, so a nice fire helps with the chilly, wet weather.I toured one of the chalets, which was great and would make the prefect party house. I wanted to move in actually. The Mountain Top Inn has over 30 rooms and suites ... ...

Sandrine and Jason told us about their decision to leave their lives in London and move to Uruguay, a bold move for the young couple. The two are very hands on and have worked hard at building their estancia and guest business. I would imagine that it would be very hard work to run a farm that produces so many things, but also very rewarding to sit down at the end of the day and literally eat the fruits of my labor.

Darley Newman is the host of the Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes ... ...

In the right conditions and with the right gear, you can enjoy the crisp outdoors and have your own “dashing through the snow” moment.

I have ridden through fluffy snow, my horse’s hooves and my breath making tracks behind me—a truly exhilarating experience! During much of my time in Quebec this past winter, the conditions were just right for snow riding: the trails were well groomed; the weather was neither too cold nor too warm, meaning that the trails were covered in powdery snow rather ... ...

I was able to see the working cow horse classic, where the horse and rider must do a sort of combination before the cow is brought into play, including lead changes, figure eights and sliding stops. I watched the younger horses, who wore only a hackamore, and interviewed a rider named Rose, whose four-year-old mount was competing for the first time. When the cow is brought out, the horse and rider must control the cow. They are running after the steer, leading it along the fence and to the middle ... ...

We rode out of a small area shrouded in cottonwood and Russian olive trees to see the cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloans, known by the Navajo as the Anasazi. These spectacular ruins are carved high into a red sandstone cliff, and they were once dwellings, built sometime between 1100 and 1300, housing dozens of families.

Canyon de Chelly is one of the largest sandstone canyons in the nation, and riding through it is a humbling experience; I felt so small. The canyon walls remind Lee of NewYork ... ...

We passed through deep forests, teeming with moss, both on the ground and hanging from the branches of tall spruce trees. My horse Tumbleweed drank from cool mountain streams and trotted and walked along the sometimes rocky trails. We passed through forested trails that opened up to reveal dramatic, tall mountain peaks, piercing the sky. I felt like I was looking at an Ansel Adams photograph, except that I was there, seeing it in color, smelling the forest and rain and hearing the birds.

On the ride ... ...

Learn more about packing for your equestrian vacation at EquitrekkingTravel.com.

Last night I went behind the scenes at the Washington International Horse Show. You could call it backstage, the area before the horses and their riders enter the arena to compete, but I didn't get a jittery vibe by the schooling ring, a tiny oval shaped ring with two five foot jumps set up so that riders can warm up before they compete. Everyone looked calm and collected as they navigated the tiny ring together.

Here are links to two short videos. This video shows the schooling area and this video ... ...

To get to Days End’s 58-acre farm, a horse must be impounded by Animal Control or law enforcement, which means that Days End gets some of the most extreme cases. These horses are victims of starvation, neglect, and abuse. They require critical care and their situation must be meticulously documented. Many of the horses are evidence in criminal cases. The eventual goal with each horse is adoption and Days End touts their 94% success rate. Besides rescue and rehab work, Days End also performs large ... ...

One of the reasons I love discovering a new place on horseback is that I feel like a modern day explorer. I like to learn that insider's information that only a local can provide and bring that home to share with my friends and family. Pat Kearney of Hondoo Rivers & Trails, who led me out to ride Capitol Reef National Park in Utah during the filming of our Equitrekking Utah episode, is a horse lover and history buff, a great combination for a guide. I caught up with her recently to hear more about ... ...

Looking for something active and fun to do this spring break? Step into the saddle on an Equitrekking Travel equestrian vacation. Gather your friends and family or just head out yourself to enjoy these top choices for spring riding fun.

Uruguay Estancia All Inclusive- Uruguay is a hidden gem in South America. A lot like it's bigger neighbor Argentina, Uruguay is known for its vibrant gaucho culture, beautiful beaches and scrumptious food. Unlike Argentina, you can reach comfortable estancias inthe ... ...