Caballos! I'm not...obsessed?

Yeah, so ever sice I stopped riding I haven't had a lot of time to be around horses. Some here and there when I could beg a ride out of friends or make the time but I guess I didn't realize how much I miss it!


Anyways, the point is -- my study abroad experience might be turning into one of the best horse experiences of my life as well.


Horseback riding in Patagonia (El Bolson) - 3 hour ride across a beautiful river, up a mountain, and to a short hike. Cool horse, only walked, but got to pick blackberries on the way up. Stephanies first time on a horse!
Nuestro Caballos - Horse expo in Plaza Italia. Whole post on this one too (begin of pilar trip) Met some amazing people, got to see hundreds of my beloved Criollo's, talked to some gaucho's, and watched a true Argentine rodeo. Learned a lot about the horse culture here.


Pilar - there's a whole post on this. Possibly the best day I have had in Argentina. no joke. Plus, it's opening my mind to the world of western riding, natural horsemanship, and possibly liking Arabians. maybe.


Riding in Mendoza - this is when I realized I might be obsessed. I hung out at the gaucho's place across the street from our cabanas just to hang out. A small little shack of a place, I'm pretty sure this is in a post somewhere too...but it ranked up there with Pilar - he let me lead the ride (INCREDIBLE views, and some of the scarriest terrain I've been on) and took me galloping by ourselves in the sand dunes!


Polo - well, we could call this my second education. I spend more time now at the polo barn than at school. Amy ( another girl from UK, who I happened to have played polo with my only time riding for the schools team!) and I go every tues/thurs and lately...have been throwing in visits other days of the week too. It just feels good to be in a barn! It's a big one too - with jumping, dressage, equitation, and polo. Starting to get to know the horses too, which is always fun. Ihave had one lesson (Post on that soon) but other times I go to take pictures or just hang out and pet some horses. The guys there aren't too bad on the eyes either. ;) We went to a tourney last weekend which was an incredible experience - about 2 hours away at a polo club. We hung out in the owners house and "took tea and dulces" for a bit, made an amazing new friend Domi, and watched polo ALL day. We left at 8 am and got home around 10pm. I'm coming to really respect the sport, and find myself wanting to play more and more - but money is the problem. I've got my second lesson this week, but unless a little money fairy comes down it looks like I'll keep drinking mate by the arena.


It's also resulted in a lot of planning. AKA - to save enough money to eventually ship a criollo horse up to the states. Now here, there is no mistake - I am obsessed with this breed. RReally, truly, obsessed. I just can't believe how beautiful they are every time I see them, their confirmation, their color (mostly grullas and duns), their manners, their soundness...to say the least - I want one.


Anyways, I'm getting pretty into it all this horse business again...to say the least. Enough so to possibly buy a pony when I get home. Just saying :)