A Swimming Horse in Paradise!
by Thomas Wagner-Nagy
"When we cross the river, just make sure you hold him tight and don't let him stop for long, because he likes to swim at this very spot", Krysia Peterson warns me jokingly, as we ride through El Rodeos pristine and overwhelmingly beautiful rainforest.
I have the honour of riding Navajo, a 16 or 17 year-old American Paint horse. "Horses don't really swim. He's going to wade the water gently at best", I think to myself. After ten seconds I know I should have taken my guide's alert a little bit more seriously.
All of a sudden, within a second, Navajo drops to his knees like I had only seen camels in the desert going down before. Once he realizes I am firmly standing in the river, he allows himself a little extra and starts turning on his back to refresh his entire body. Shoes soaked, horse happy and fresh, lessons learned, on with the show!
In case there was any doubt before, this was the ultimate proof that Krysia knows her horses. The Canadian with Polish origins has been living in Costa Rica for more than 20 years, she has had her ranch named "Caballo Loco" for eight years and started offering horseback riding some 4 years ago.
Twelve horses, six dogs and three to four people share the finca in a corner of El Rodeo that could be called paradise without any exaggeration. Since the dirt road that leads to the ranch in the depths of El Rodeo does not have an official name, she simply named it "Calle Finca Caballo Loco" - and this is how you find it on Google Maps indeed. The property marks a dead end of the street.
Except for the impromptu cooling-off, Navajo and all the other three horses I get to see are perfectly trained and very gentle. Throughout our 90-minute ride, Krysia initiates me into the art of communicating with the horse in a subtle way, using my body's movements and balance point as opposed to the reins only.
It is stunning to see that it works right away. When I slightly twist my shoulders and upper body, Navajo automatically turns towards the direction I am aiming at. Krysia has taught her horses about a dozen of these subtle hints, or aides as she calls them, and has taken them to perfection. Therefore, she barely has to do anything when she rides her favorite horse Carbolino. "The horse can anticipate what I want before I even tell him. It's like we are one, it's amazing", she says.
Krysia cannot even recall when she started horseback riding because it has been ages, as she says. She is convinced that people can learn to ride a horse at almost any age: "I've been with my partner Victor for six years now. He started riding at the age of 60. Today, he is leading tours himself - and he's excellent!"
Many people who come for a tour have never sat on a horse before, as Krysia explains. "If you are nervous the horses feel it immediately. In a minute they have you figured out. But once you relax, which usually happens within five minutes, you just enjoy the beautiful scenery."
___________
In a nutshell:
Schedule: 4-5 times a week, 1-2 times per day upon request, a ride is approximately 90 mins
Price: upon request, UPEACE students get discounts
Location: End of Calle Finca Caballo Loco in El Rodeo
by Thomas Wagner-Nagy
"When we cross the river, just make sure you hold him tight and don't let him stop for long, because he likes to swim at this very spot", Krysia Peterson warns me jokingly, as we ride through El Rodeos pristine and overwhelmingly beautiful rainforest.
I have the honour of riding Navajo, a 16 or 17 year-old American Paint horse. "Horses don't really swim. He's going to wade the water gently at best", I think to myself. After ten seconds I know I should have taken my guide's alert a little bit more seriously.
All of a sudden, within a second, Navajo drops to his knees like I had only seen camels in the desert going down before. Once he realizes I am firmly standing in the river, he allows himself a little extra and starts turning on his back to refresh his entire body. Shoes soaked, horse happy and fresh, lessons learned, on with the show!
In case there was any doubt before, this was the ultimate proof that Krysia knows her horses. The Canadian with Polish origins has been living in Costa Rica for more than 20 years, she has had her ranch named "Caballo Loco" for eight years and started offering horseback riding some 4 years ago.
Twelve horses, six dogs and three to four people share the finca in a corner of El Rodeo that could be called paradise without any exaggeration. Since the dirt road that leads to the ranch in the depths of El Rodeo does not have an official name, she simply named it "Calle Finca Caballo Loco" - and this is how you find it on Google Maps indeed. The property marks a dead end of the street.
Except for the impromptu cooling-off, Navajo and all the other three horses I get to see are perfectly trained and very gentle. Throughout our 90-minute ride, Krysia initiates me into the art of communicating with the horse in a subtle way, using my body's movements and balance point as opposed to the reins only.
It is stunning to see that it works right away. When I slightly twist my shoulders and upper body, Navajo automatically turns towards the direction I am aiming at. Krysia has taught her horses about a dozen of these subtle hints, or aides as she calls them, and has taken them to perfection. Therefore, she barely has to do anything when she rides her favorite horse Carbolino. "The horse can anticipate what I want before I even tell him. It's like we are one, it's amazing", she says.
Krysia cannot even recall when she started horseback riding because it has been ages, as she says. She is convinced that people can learn to ride a horse at almost any age: "I've been with my partner Victor for six years now. He started riding at the age of 60. Today, he is leading tours himself - and he's excellent!"
Many people who come for a tour have never sat on a horse before, as Krysia explains. "If you are nervous the horses feel it immediately. In a minute they have you figured out. But once you relax, which usually happens within five minutes, you just enjoy the beautiful scenery."
___________
In a nutshell:
Schedule: 4-5 times a week, 1-2 times per day upon request, a ride is approximately 90 mins
Price: upon request, UPEACE students get discounts
Location: End of Calle Finca Caballo Loco in El Rodeo