City Girl on a Horse

I would like to admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for animals, so the moment I found out that I could go horseback riding while here in Spain, I jumped at the opportunity. I was not sure how to go about arranging it, but with the help of our guide here, Pilar, things quickly fell into place. With just a quick phone call (and a few reminder ones afterward) we were on our way.

The stable was only about 20 minutes outside of Salamanca and we rode on a very inexpensive public bus there. Because the bus was so cheap, I should've brought change with me instead of bills because the bus driver got a little peeved, but after this little mishap everything else went well. Once we arrived, one of the workers from the stable was at the bus stop waiting to drive us a little further to our destination. 

The stable is small, but surrounded by scenic views. They asked which one of us had ridden before, and out of the five of us, only two (including myself) had. I was actually a little shocked that the city girl had the most experience (meaning about 10 times or less over a span of years haha), but it wasn't a problem because they catered to all riding levels. They each gave us our horses based on our level and instructed us on how to ride them properly. I got a horse named Princessa, and the named seemed to suit her. She liked to do what she wanted (which is natural for anything that has a brain!) but I had to remain in control. It was also very important that she stay at the end of the line because she doesn't like to be very close to other horses. This made me slightly apprehensive, but I knew she had to be safe if they use her for horseback riding.

The weather was perfect and we rode next to yellowish-golden cornfields and a forest with tall, perfectly-lined trees. The entrance to it looked as though we literally were entering into some sort of fairytale. Once inside, we rode next to a small, winding river and actually into the river as well! That was a new experience for me and I was grateful for the rubber rain boots they provided for us all.

I also had quite a show taking place in front of me because my friend's horse did not want to follow her directions. It kept walking into the brush and through bushes, as well as stopping to constantly eat. It was funny for me to witness, but also a little frustrating because my horse loved to stop and eat as well when her horse stopped! Her horse also walked over and bent forward long branches that I was afraid were going to spring back and smack me in the face, but luckily none of that happened :)

We eventually made a U-turn back to the stables after about an hour and a half. The whole experience was very fun and I was happy to have been able to have done something like this. The horses were awesome and the people were friendly. I would definitely do this again!