I have been horse riding a few times in the UK, always on some slow old horse that just follows the rest. These rides always followed the same pattern of walking in a straight line one horse behind the other, occasionally breaking into a trot. As with anything in South America the horse riding comes with hardly any rules and as a result my ability to hang to a horse and probably my life was put thoroughly to the test today.
After being given a horse called "The Wind" apparently not for his flatulence we headed off into the sand dunes towards the beach at a gentle pace. Joined by the ranch owners 5 year old daughter who was riding a full sized horse and whipping it constantly. After about 20 mins of nice gentle riding I was getting my confidence and started to prepare my self for the inevitable trot or perhaps canter that was bound to be coming up.
S**t is all I can could say as all the horses took off in a full gallop across the sand. My horse was having none of my attempts to stop it so I gave up and just held on for dear life. Eventually as the other horses slowed "The Wind" also decided it was time to slow down. This was the first of many such gallops and I eventually started to get the hang of it and started to enjoy them. Until on one occasion my feet came out of the stirrups and as I held on tightly to the saddle wondered how soft a landing I would have on the sand.
After about an hour in the saddle we came to a small eucalyptus wood where we had a fantastic BBQ and the chance to nurse our aching backsides. Fortunately there was some Pisco and Wine to wash the steak down which also made the afternoons ride back along the beach a bit easier.
The horse riding was organised by a company called Ritoque Expeditions After stopping briefly in Valparaiso to pick up our stuff we caught the bus to Santiago and checked into the Happy House Hostel. I would certainly recommend this place to anyone staying in Chile.
Highlights: An amazing sense of freedom horse riding along the Pacific coast
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