Horseback Riding

Here is the quick version of horseback riding: If we came to San Miguel De Allende and didn't do it, we wouldn't have known what we missed. Now that we have gone horseback riding, it may be one of the high points of the trip.

It was amazing.

We looked at reviews and found Rancho Xotolar. It is the #1 rated thing in trip advisor for San Miguel with all 5-star ratings except for one maladjusted Gringo. I simply emailed them the date we wanted (and that Margo was a bit apprehensive) and they responded quickly. They reassured us that the horses were gentle. Señor Tomas said he would pick us up at the house at 9:00 am Friday. He did--and we were off!

Senor Tomas was quiet but inspired confidence. It was about a 30-minute ride out to the ranch. During that time we had a great conversation (in English). Señor Tomas was the youngest of 12 children--many of whom still work on the family ranch.

Margo milking a cow. The milk would be used to make lunch!

We arrived to find a compound of single-story stone buildings. The family has about 1,500 acres. We got out of the car (a Honda with those automatic seat belts from the 1990s) and were brought to the yard. Señor Tomas' brother, Señor Felix was preparing to milk a cow. He let a calf suckle to get the milk flowing and then began to milk into a bucket. We were all invited to try. Little did we know that this milk would be used to make the cheese we would have for lunch!

After the milking experience we headed out to see our horses. Sarah had Sax. Margo rode Low Tornado. Stephanie rode Kangaroo while I got Chester. They were beautiful, gentle horses that appeared to be well cared for.

The Limmers get a pre-ride briefing.

Senor Tomas gave a pre-trip teaching session for the family of gringos with little or no riding experience. The terrain would often be uneven with some pretty steep declines and inclines. Move the reins left for left, right for right and back for stop. Check. We were ready.

The horses were gentle. Many times trail horses are obstinate and mechanical. While these knew the way, we didn't get the feeling that it was totally auto-pilot. Kangaroo liked to lead. Funny how Stephanie got that horse...

Low Thunder takes Margo into the pond for a drink.

We meandered through pretty even terrain in the beginning and did a practice gallop down a straight-away. This seemed pretty easy. We moved slowly along a path near a pond. Here the horses walked us directly into the pond so they could get a drink--to our surprise!

Margo was a bit apprehensive and wanted to have her horse guided by one of the cowboys. Señor Tomas and Señor Felix were wonderful with Margo. They held a lead that guided her horse the entire time.

Brush and cactus lined the path throughout the trip. Occasionally we had to steer the horses to avoid them. There are two types of cactus in this part of Mexico. Both have fruit that is edible. The cactus with flat leaves has the tuna (prickly pear) while the tubular cactus has fruit that is amazingly close to a blueberry. We got the change to sample these on the trip! Sweet and delicious.

It didn't take long to reach the steep path down. We were instructed how to use our legs to stay upright in the saddle as we began a 30-minute trip down the side of the canyon. Let's just say we all developed great respect for cowboys...

Now we are real cowboys!

At the base of the canyon we spent some time riding through a stream. The splashing was cooling for us and the horses--and provided a great photo op!

We stopped half-way and took a break. This is where the second most famous San Miguel Dan story occurred when I had a slight issue in dismount and landed on my...pride.

A Mexican family we saw during our trip.

Señor Tomas brought water for us all. Stretching was good after the first half of the ride.  While we were resting we saw a Mexican family traveling together. We are very used to automobile travel and take it for granted. While traveling out to the ranch we saw horses and burros tied up at the side of the road. People ride to the main road--sometimes for miles--to catch the bus leaving the animal tied there until they return.

This family had three children, a grandmother, mother and two puppies...and a burro to carry the kids and whatever they would purchase.

I don't want to get too longwinded. The break was well appreciated. Out trip back up the canyon was easier on both us and the horses.

We arrived back at the ranch exhilarated from our ride. We found that lunch was waiting for us. We had a first round including cheese made from the milk obtained that morning, pico de gallo with tuna (cactus tuna--which made it pleasantly tart), chips and refried beans.

Sarah finds a friend.

The main course was enchiladas--also made from the same cheese with a mole sauce. Señor Tomas and I shared a cerveza--or two--during lunch. It was delicious.

We spent some time bonding with the many animals at the farm before Señor Tomas drove us back to San Miguel.

I'll finish this post the way I started. It was an amazing experience. The girls did so well.  I was very proud. Stephanie counts this as the best part of the vacation.

Quoting Margo, "It was AWESOME!"

And it was.