Safety

“I told Eddie that I can sometimes be a bit nervous on a new horse, but he would not let me get by with that! He said I rode much better than I thought and he put me on a stallion. One of the best- trained horses, so willing and yet listened to what I wanted. What a wonderful vacation!”

Introduction:

Offering equestrian travel involves certain unavoidable risks for horses and riders. Many related websites fail to mention these risks, as their sole purpose is to market their rides and so they avoid anything that might put off potential clients.

Our intention is of course not to scare people, but to be honest and explain from one horseperson to the other, the ‘tricky’ parts of each ride and the best way to deal with them. If you are mentally well-prepared for the ride and conscious of the partnership you have with your horse, there will be far less room for nervousness and insecurity. Your horse puts all his trust in you and accepts you as his leader, so you must behave accordingly and with great pride.

Our brave horse Castañon after a 2-week explorers ride

 
Our Safety guidelines:

Take time to know your horse.

Before each ride you have time to familiarize yourself with our horses and the principles of Peruvian equitation. We take the time to evaluate riders’ abilities and personalities in order to match each rider with the correct mount. We then inform each rider about the specific characteristics and personality of his/her horse, being extremely honest about how to handle each animal. No horse is perfect and neither are we, but that is what makes us all so much more interesting! The time needed for this mutual introduction and familiarization depends on the group size and individual needs, so please don’t get impatient.

 
The trail guide always leads. Don’t pass him or choose your own trail.

The following factual examples illustrate what can go wrong:

• Knowing the terrain, the trail guide in front made zigzagging loops on what seemed to be open lush terrain, thus avoiding groups of cactus plants hidden in the grass. One rider at the back decided to take a short cut and as a result his horse stepped on a cactus - a very painful experience indeed for the horse.
   
• On a narrow trail one rider decided to take a side path. However, this resulted in him being higher up and further away from the rest of the group. In order to re-join everyone, the horse had to make a very risky jump downwards.

Think and act as a group, not as an individual.

Horses are herd animals and so they always try keep together. Remember to wait for the last horse after you finish a steep downhill trail. If you keep moving, the horse that is still on the trail behind you will rush downhill to keep up with your horse.

Always mount and dismount together. If you mount your horse to warm him up at the beginning of the ride, wait until your fellow riders are also in the saddle. Spirited horses can get restless and difficult to mount if another is already on the move.

The trail guide in front has a clear view of the trail and will warn the rider behind him for possible holes and dangerous obstacles. You don’t have an unobstructed view when you ride behind another horse, so it is your duty to pass the word on to the rider behind you.

The trail guide decides the pace and difficulty of each ride.

It is the trail guide’s responsibility to adapt the ride to the least experienced of the group. For most of our rides we require intermediate skills or higher, and occasionally there are riders that over-estimate their riding skills.Remember, riding in the safe confines of a riding school ring is not the same as riding over difficult, rough mountain terrain!

Some riders don’t fully understand the impact that high altitude and a lack of oxygen has on the horses, unless they have to hike the same track on foot. High altitude rides are per definition not suitable for fast riding or endless gallops; a good horseperson understands that. There will be some opportunities on certain rides for fast gallops, but it is the trail guide who decides when and where.

Keep a safe distance on narrow trails.

There is no need to ride in a line when the trail is wide enough, but on narrow trails you have to stay in line and keep at least one horse-length distance between each other. This is not always easy when you ride a spirited and forward going horse, but it is very necessary in order to avoid chaotic and dangerous situations. It is the same principle as driving your car on the highway - you need to keep a safe distance in order to anticipate or identify danger and react in time to avoid an accident. So please don’t ride on each other’s tails!

Keep balance and so keep your horse in balance.

Most of the accidents on trails are not caused by the horses, but by riders who radically and unnecessarily interfere with their horse’s balance. They either lean too far forward, back or sideways, or they simply unbalance the horse by pulling much too hard on the bit. On steep climbs or descents it is always advisable to maintain a vertical position in the saddle. During a steep climb it will seem as if you are sitting forward, but you are actually maintaining your body in a vertical line, and the same applies downhill. The photo below shows an almost correct vertical body position during a steep climb.

 
Trust your horse.

Always remember that your horse has no intention to kill himself; he is a genuine survivor. He has four strong legs; he is athletic, balanced and incredibly sure-footed. He has done the trail many, many times before and knows perfectly well what to do and how to do it.

A horse is ‘noble’. He will go wherever you want him to go, never asking you why. He will carry your full weight to the top of the highest mountain pass and across the most difficult terrain, and while he does that he is loyal and takes care of you. You will never find a more reliable travel partner than your horse, so the least you can do is to trust him.

Trust yourself.

Don’t be nervous or afraid because there is really no reason to worry excessively; besides which it will only upset your horse. Remember, he can look straight into your heart and soul, so you can’t fake confidence! We have had many riders on these trails before and they all survived and enjoyed the ride immensely. No adventure is without certain risk, and what is life without adventure? So don’t worry too much and have faith in yourself. You can do it!

And trust us.

We are experienced horsemen who have for many years ridden thousands of miles, high up in the Andes. We know our horses, their limitations, our limitations and we know the terrain. We don’t take unnecessary risks. We have no need to impress our guests by showing off, as we are not interested in the extremes of what our horses are capable of. Equestrian travel is not about how many miles are covered, or about speed. It is about enjoying the ride responsibly, as it is and as it unfolds.

Your safety is our top priority. Discussing all the possible risks involved in equestrian travel highlights our professionalism and care for our horses and riders.

Some additional notes on this subject:

We highly recommend that riders provide and wear a riding helmet. Please note that we cannot provide them because they are not available in our country.

We use the best tack available and keep our tack in immaculate condition.

Our wooden stirrups might feel a bit strange if you are not used to them, but they are very safe and protect your feet during a fall.

Horses have an incredible, almost super-natural instinct to sense our state of mind, our fears, our weaknesses and probably even our thoughts. This explains why a horse can behave differently depending on its rider. To become a good rider you need to ride many different horses, as each horse will put a mirror in front of you and show you where you fail as a rider. A good rider sees that as a challenge; an opportunity to improve riding skills. A bad rider will always blame the horse or someone else for his own incompetence.

We train our horses the whole year round and see to it that they are well- mannered, responsive and happy. We have highly spirited horses and we have easy-going horses, but all of them are very honest, athletic, forward-going and most importantly, they have character and personality.

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