May-2014
The horse wisperer of Monteverde
Horses. Who doesn’t like them?
I have been adoring these creatures since I was five years old and I still do today. That is why I got really excited when I found a fantastic horse riding company in Monteverde during my stay in this truly magical area.
Marvin’s babies
I met the owner, Marvin, early in the morning for him to take me to one of his farms where he keeps his beautiful and very healthy horses. I point out that they are healthy because I have seen many, many skinny horses in Latin-America and Marvin’s horses prove that it is possible to find local people taking great care of their horses.
We started off on the right foot from the start since we’re both a big fan of horses.
The horse riding tour we we’re going to do would take 2,5 hours and would take us to the farmers area of Monteverde. A mother and child from the States also joined the tour.
Marvin showed us the horses he had saddled up for us and told us they were his babies. To prove that, he showed us some lovely tricks he could practice with the horses. He could lean against the legs of the horse without getting kicked and he could control the riding directions with just one finger. With this he reminded me how amazingly smart these animals truly are.
More kisses
Marvin trains his own horses. All twenty-five of them! They don’t need the rough equipment which could hurt their mouth if someone would pull to hard, no, they will be easy to ride with just a simple rope system around their head. Perfect!
By giving some short kicks and making the sound of kisses when sitting on top of the horse, they will walk faster or eventually run. He trained them well, because my horse, Darwin, followed all my orders well and really behaved pretty good! I can say Marvin is a real horse whisperer.
This horse allows Marvin to lay on top of him
Mountains and waterfalls
During the horse riding tour we saw a lot of the rural areas of Monteverde and it’s very nice to be able to see where the local people actually live. The area is quite green, so there is a lot of flora and fauna to see and especially amazing animals. So – many – pretty – birds!
The tour I did was called the “Mountains and Farms” ride, but I liked it so much that I came back the next day for the longer tour called the “Waterfall ride”.
The waterfall ride took us the entire day. It was so nice to be able to spend the whole day with the horses. Three tourists from the States, myself and Marvin went early in the morning for a lovely ride to the waterfall, where we had to get of our horses and went for a hike. We hiked until we reached the waterfall and had a healthy lunch (provided by Marvin’s lovely wife) at the bottom of the cascade. The waterfall is very nice to see, but also great to swim at! It would be very refreshing, knowing you still have to hike all the way back up to where the horses are. It’s so good to hear the sounds of nature and to enjoy the stunning surroundings.
Once back up the mountain, with the horses, I was so happy to be able to ride again. The hike is nice, but horse riding is even better 🙂
Guess I’m in love with horses again. Please do give Darwin a hug for me if you are going to Monteverde and enjoy one of the horse riding tours Marvin provides!
Details & information
Company Horse Trek Monteverde
Cost: US $45 for the mountain & farm view ride, US $120 for the waterfall ride & hike tour (lunch included).
Note: If you are in for a longer tour then Horse Trek Monteverde also offers tours up to 8 days! Horse Trek Monteverde can also be found on Facebook.
*This post was sponsored. However I would never endorse a product or service I did not actually use & believe in. Reader trust is much more important. Learn More..
About Renate Rigters
Ever since I left my home country I felt at home at any other place I went to. I enjoy getting to know more cultures by talking to strangers and hearing their philosophy about life. Speaking with gestures when you can not find a shared language, finding places only the locals go to and learn about their customs and values. Hanging out with local people makes me happy. The experience of every new place is a step out of your comfort zone where I like to wander around until it feels like a second home.
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