Sunday, March 24, 2013

Ridingcolumbia


Hernando Rivas is the proprietor of Ridingcolumbia, a sensational spot to go horseback riding while enjoying the beautiful landscape of Columbia, South America. Situated in the lovely Bogotá region, the capital of Columbia, Hernando takes visitors on an equestrian trip of a lifetime...  

Welcome Hernando!

What was your first experience with a horse?
I grow up in the city. In my vacations all my family went to the farm. During my childhood, we had horses. I start to ride at 5 years old. My brothers and I took many years of classes in equestrian academies. My brothers were first in the jump equestrian ranking.

What is your favorite breed of horse?
The Colombian horses are called Colombian Criollos. They are very similar to the gaited horses. The Colombian horses have a gait called Trocha. It is very smooth. I like the gait because is very nice for long trail rides. This horse is used to riding on difficult trails without getting hurt.

What will I experience when I come to Ridingcolumbia?
We offer a completely tourism experience, tailored to the interests, horseback riding experience, physical fitness, and budget. You will see a very nice landscape and it changes depending upon where you go. Some places have exuberant vegetation. Others have a combination of different colors and texture. The Colombian people are very friendly and we offer our clients a unique opportunity to ride on horseback through the interesting, and sometimes amazing Colombian countryside that the typical tourist will never see. Our guests experience the real environment and culture of the regions we visit, getting the local flavor of the people of this country.

Another important difference is the speed of the ride and the difficulty of the trails where we ride. From our experiences in horseback riding in South America, Europe and the United States, we have concluded that we can offer greater adventure for riders who know how to ride a horse. The Colombian horses are used to traveling through these difficult trails without generating any problem for the horse. During the ride or the tour, we will tell you about the history, culture and vegetation of the places we visit.

What is the terrain like there?
In general we are in a mountain region. Depending on your interest we can ride on easy trail as a road. Also if you want adventure we can ride on a very difficult and steep trail. 



How many horses do you stable?  
We do not have horses.  We are generating a positive social impact (responsible tourism) to the provinces we visit; because we contract local horses companies and other selected services with local providers, with whom we have an established business relationship for years. Our company is constantly traveling and visiting horse riding rental businesses in different towns in order to test their quality in every way. Subsequently, our company chooses businesses that offer horses of sufficient quality and compliance with schedules and standards we require. Therefore, these procedures generates significant added value for our customers.  We have ridden their horses, also we have traveled several times the trails and roads in the region and therefore, we can offer reliable plans with beautiful landscape and safety environment. 

Where is your favorite trail to ride?
The Ride to Raquira Region is two days or more. It is my favorite because it has the best landscape. In a ride of five hours you can see very different landscapes.  You can start riding along a brook, then inside a forest; go through a dessert area to finish riding to the top of a mountain through a very steep trail. In these places, we can organize the most adventurous ride for advanced riders. I enjoy the adventure rides. For a tour of three days or more we can include in the plan to visit tourist small towns and relaxing hikes.
                                                                      
Do you have suggestions for new tourists planning a trip to Ridingcolumbia? 
We specialize in tailored plans and our trail rides are designed for people who are used to riding horses on a trail for more than two hours. We can design rides for beginners, but I think will be expensive for them because we have to reduce the time of the ride but we can not reduce the price.

What has been your best equine experience?
I took jump and dressage classes for many years. Also I have done trail horse riding for many years. I do not have any doubt I prefer to ride a horse on a trail with a beautiful landscape than a dressage class or competition. In jumping and dressage sport, you depend on the quality of the horse and your ability to manage the horse. In my opinion, in trail horse ride, the quality of the horse is important, but the landscape, the talk with the other riders and country people and the environment are also important. So, you can have a nice day with activities around the horse without need to have a great horse.  

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