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About Riding in Costa Rica and Our Horses
Desafio
Adventure Company offers a number of horseback tours in and around Monteverde. We offer rides suitable for any level of experience. Our tours in Monteverde are run by Marvin Anchia (Horse Trek Monteverde) as well as El Rodeo. Marvin can just about arrange any tour you like!
Excellent horses and guides have given our company a reputation for quality horseback riding in Costa Rica. Check out our unique trail to the Arenal Volcano, the only horse ride of it's kind being offered!
We are fortunate to work with Franklin Arce who runs his stable in Monteverde and our stables near the Arenal Lake. With his expertise and knowledge we are able to provide visitors with top quality rides.
Many people are skeptical about riding horses in Costa Rica due in part to negative press on the subject, not all of it unfounded. The reason to be weary is that some people only see short-term profit and to them a horse is just a means to make money. The more tours the horse does the more money they make. This practice by some has given a bad reputation to the horse industry of Costa Rica. There were cases of horses collapsing from exhaustion and people riding trails covered in mud that were not in a condition to ride upon. These neglects tainted the image of horseback rides.
Now that you have been forewarned let us tell you that this does not mean you should not go for a ride on your visit. There are many responsible horseback tour operators in Costa Rica. Some of the ways you can decide if a company caring properly for it's horses as well as its customers is to visit their stables. You do not have to be a vet to see if the horses look healthy. You can tell a lot about how people treat their horses by seeing where they live and eat.
Other things to look for:
Can they provide veterinarian records?
Is there any method of rotating the horses so they are not overworked?
How is the condition of the tack and are the horses shoed?
Are you offered horses to your level of experience - does anyone even ask?
The positive side of the issue is that many companies have improved the condition of the horses and improved the quality of their tours. Hopefully people will inquire into the well being of the horses before booking a tour. It is not too difficult to ascertain and by doing so you are going to have a much better experience. To read an article on the pros and cons of different trails between Monteverde and Arenal follow this link, "To ride or not to ride?"
We have around 55 horses divided between our stable in Monteverde and on the Arenal Lake. Most of these are of Quarter Horse / Criollo descent, a breed we find very suitable to the trails of this area. They are a good size and solidly built. We have some mixed types of appaloosas.
The saddles used in Costa Rica are an adaptation of a western variety. There are lighter than normal western. There is often a good size pommel.
Our local Monteverde local area rides are on the trails of our farm, which is located a short distance from Santa Elena. There are views of the Pacific, secondary forest and pasture, with many panoramic views of the valleys and
mountains.
Some Feedback from Customers:
From: Mike Simm [__@o2.co.uk]
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2005 11:48 AM
Subject: Horse ride from Monteverde to Fortuna
Thank you for a very wonderful trip with great organisation and company. Couple of pictures you might want to use. Costa Rica is a wonderful place, just a pity that it is so far from Scotland.
From: Kathy Gazin [__@juno.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 10:19 AM
Subject: Re: Costa Rica Trip..
Hi Janet..Our family returned home on January 4th..We loved Costa Rica..but I must admit we are tired from the constant running, and all the activities. Monte Verde was one of our favorite places. The people of your area are so welcoming and friendly. I wish we would have had more time to spend there. The horse trip went well. The horses were well matched to each of us. The scenery along the ride was gorgeous, and our guide (I forgot his name) was very helpful and kind.
From: Madigan, Paul [__@osd.mil]
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 8:53 AM
Subject: RE: Thank you.
Janet et al,
Mia and I had a great time in CR.
We need to come back and spend more time in Monteverde, possibly ride to the waterfall.
Just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for everything as everything we booked through went incredibly smoothly.
We have been back home now for less than a week and already we've been hit with two pretty good sized snow falls!
Missing CR. ; ~ (
Thanks again. Hopefully we will be able to return sametime next year.
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Monteverde
Tours Horseback Riding Tour Directory
Desafio
Adventure Company offers a number of horseback tours in and around Monteverde. We offer rides suitable for any level of experience. Our tours in Monteverde are run by Marvin Anchia (Horse Trek Monteverde) as well as El Rodeo. Marvin can just about arrange any tour you like!
