So I had to get to the tour company to pay the full amount and then get back to the hotel as Raul my riding partner for the morning was meeting me at 10am. So I ran up into town to do that while Mark had a leisurely morning - he didn't come riding with me choosing to let me go off and have some adventure while he sat by the pool topping up his sunburn (the pair of us are like a couple of burnt lobsters!!)
So I got all that done and met with Raul and headed off to the horses - Raul has a small horse riding business but offering more adventure than most - with the promise of at least one gallop! The one thing I haven't done since being back riding is to gallop! The last time I galloped would have been about 14 years ago on a lunatic horse called Mulder - we went on a trip to the beach with the riding school and this lunatic hoofed it down the beach like a galloping loony and then turned immediately and galloped like a loony back! not my finest moment of horse riding it has to be said! I clung on for dear life and then had to switch horses because he really was difficult to handle!
Anyway my horse Little (Big) Jack was nothing like that, although he was a strong horse with his own mind and very bouncy in trot but a good solid horse. He is an ex jumper so he wasn't used to some of the hills we too (Raul has only had him for a year) so he was sweating within the first 10 minutes through the hard labour as we went through the mountainside but he was always willing for a canter and when we got to gallop its unfortunate I got a bit scared - he is such a big fast horse that his gallop felt just a bit too fast and as we were heading past Raul at top speed I said to him 'he is a bit too fast!' and Raul responded 'well just tell him to slow down!' simple but true! I was letting Little Jack take the lead but I had only been riding him for about 30 minutes when we went into the gallop so we hadn't really sussed each other out yet but as I reigned Little Jack in he slowed his gallop and then we went into a fast canter. But I galloped even if it was just for a short time it was amazing to do - I AM BACK IN THE SADDLE!!! although saying that I used to really love jumping and I haven't been back to that yet but give me time!
Raul and I had great chats about training horses and how you have to listen to the horse and learn from it, we must not be forceful. I totally love Raul for loving his horses so much that he won't ever use force to train them in a way they don't want to go. don't get me wrong we shouldn't accept bad behaviour from our horses but being a gentle leader is such a great thing or in fact being a 'Passive Leader' which is something that Mark Rashid writes about in the book I am reading at the moment 'Horses Never lie'. If you own a horse, want to work with horses or just love horses you have to read this book - he is a true horseman - none of this Monty Roberts pish who forces horses to give up. Mark Rashid writes about how we cannot be the alpha leader in a horse herd - WE ARE NOT HORSES - SIMPLE! Its the same as dogs, why do people think they can be the Alpha Leader in a pack of dogs - YOU ARE NOT A DOG SO YOU CANNOT BE THE LEADER OF THE PACK!
Animals accept us as part of their life but they don't accept us as being the same as them! Horses and dogs are usually happy to go along with a lot of what we offer as human beings as we make their lives a little easier but they know we are not the same kind as them so they are never going to follow us as alpha leaders but Mark Rashid's idea that you can be a Passive Leader which is someone who the horses and dogs want to follow is something I totally sign up to. My dogs, Chip, Poppy and Molly wanted to follow me, they loved what I could give them - freedom, playing with the ball, treats and of course dinner. I never beat my dogs, I very rarely raised my voice and in fact when I was trying to rehabilitate Mad Molly I never once reprimanded her for biting me - many people thought I was mad but I was ignoring the bad behaviour and praising the good behaviour so when she didn't bite me she got lots of love and attention and when she did bite or growl I turned my back on her - it worked and she and I had a much better time together because of it. But I am classed as a 'soft trainer' because of the way I work with animals but is that not good? I would hate it if people talked about me as a hard trainer. Animals are part of our lives and we love them so why do we feel the need to be hard on them because they do not give us the behaviour we demand - horses that must stand absolutely still when we want them too, horses that jump huge jumps because we want them to not because they want to and horses that we need to win races - beating them isn't going to make them do it better but loving them is and showing kindness is.
Anyway that's my view and blog rant over!!! Mind you I start my Equine Behaviour Diploma this year so there may be more ranting to come!!
So back to the day and Raul and I were up off into the mountains and after about an hour of riding we stopped at a beautiful waterfall and got off to have a look - I hadn't brought my swimming costume so didn't go in but Raul using this place as his own swimming pool - pretty beautiful isn't it? but it reminded me of home - I have a few waterfalls just like it in my woods, I am so lucky!!!
this was the view the other way down the river - absolutely stunning but looks just like the Maich Water!
We got back on the horses and headed up the hill towards the Distillery we were due to visit - how amazing to turn up to a distillery to in a minibus or car but on the back of a horse!!! that is so the way to do sightseeing!
This is the inside workings of a Cachaca distillery - its sugar cane that is made into alcohol - it taste GOOD!
I had a couple of tasters although I have been drinking it a lot in Brazil in Caipirinha which is the local drink - its lots of limes, lime juice with Cachaca and sugar - mmmmmmmmm and very refreshing.
One of the distilled Cachacas they do is with cinnamon - it was really delicious - I can imagine its good in coffee so some Brazilian Coffees coming with the Argentine Empanadas when we get home!!!
After the distillery we headed off down the mountain back towards Paraty but thats when it got exciting as we got to cross the river - it had been raining all night so it was deeper than Raul had expected - I was ok because Little Jack is actually quite big so my feet didn't get wet but the water was filling Raul's wellies!! We crossed the river at one point then road up onto the main road which was quite busy with traffic - another horse riding fear of mine is riding on the main road but it was fine and the traffic stopped to let me cross - that would never happen at home!!! we then went passed some posh houses then back into the river, this time it was so deep we couldn't take the usual exit Raul would take and had to push the horses up a really steep embankment to avoid the bit of the river that would have made us all very very wet.
I loved riding with Raul, it did push me a bit out of my comfort zone and thats the good thing about it. Little Jack was a big bouncy strong horse but I learned to work with him and he worked with me. It was 3 hours of great fun and a great way to end my 6 week holiday - I have been riding in Chile, twice, Argentina, twice, and now Brazil. I never managed to ride in Peru or Bolivia but next time....
The only thing about the day was I had to wear my rucksack which was bothering my sunburn especially when we were trotting because Little Jack was so bouncy so I have taken the top layer of skin off my shoulder so it is really painful - I didn't realise until I had got back to the hotel and sprayed suntan lotion on my shoulder - OUCH - that was f*cking sore! I headed into the swimming pool to stop it stinging and wash the oil off and also to cool myself down as I was roasting after my riding experience.
This is the view back towards Paraty - we had travelled a fair bit...
here is proof we rode through the river! horses head in shot to prove it!!! We rode down the side and then crossed just beyond the fallen tree on the right hand side.
Here I am with my big smiley horse riding race!!!
After riding I headed back to meet Mark at the pool and relax and have a few beers - its our last proper day of holiday as tomorrow is a whole day of travelling. We then headed into town to my favourite italian restaurant for a big pizza and a couple of drinks although first we had to go and find the monkey that I wanted to buy that I had seen in a shop on the first day we arrived - don't panic its not a real monkey but a really beautiful wooden hanging one that I fell in love with so it took us a wee while of methodically searching the Paraty streets for the shop but after an hour we found it and the monkey is coming home to scotland - he will live in my conservatory and I am sure he will be very happy there. I also bought a big parrot - wooden again but he will also be very happy in my conservatory!!!
Can't believe 6 weeks has gone - it hasn't gone too fast but if I didn't have all my responsibilities at home and I had the money I could quite easily keep travelling. I have loved my 6 weeks and all of the different things I have seen and done. it has been truly amazing and I know I am very lucky.
suzxxx
ps. meant to add this nice pic of the beach tonight after it had rained - looks very scottish don't you think?!
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