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From Away.com

Horseback Riding Primer

Astride a horse, you can go just about anywhere, quietly, without the gas fumes of a jeep or four-wheeler, and without the fatigue of backpacking. To take this kind of trip, you should have some comfort level with horses, because they are large animals with teeth, hooves, and minds of their own. Here are some things you might want to consider before jumping in the saddle and saying "giddy-up."

Step One: Spend some time in the saddle
Whether you're an experienced rider with a horse of your own or someone whose last horseback experience was as a 10-year-old at summer camp, you will need to get comfortable with long hours in the saddle. The last thing you want is to be saddle sore for two weeks. Find a local stable and log some hours on horseback. As you do, think if this is how you want to spend the bulk of your days on your vacation. If the answer is yes, you'll love a horse trek.



Step Two: Find the right horses
If you've followed the advice in Step One, you've probably been hiring horses. Horses who spend their lives giving lifts to strangers are frequently not as attractive, well-kept, well-mannered or pleasant as horses with one or two consistent people in their lives. Before you take a tour, visit that dude ranch, sign up with a trek, and try to get some independent recommendations on the state of the horses from past customers. Check the Internet (see the "Books and Links" section) for chat rooms and bulletin boards where you can start inquiring about stables, packages, and ranches. If you're planning to travel with your own horse, likewise check ahead into the conditions of the many equine "bed and breakfasts" that offer lodging for you and your mount.

Step Three: Dress appropriately
Cowboys wear blue jeans, but I personally find them restrictive and binding. If you're going to be riding English style in Ireland, you will need jodhpurs or breeches and riding boots. If you're going to be riding Western style, a comfortable pair of hiking pants might prevent that nasty tightness around your waist or thighs. Cowboy boots or shoes with heels are recommended. Also, find out if helmets are provided--just as with a bike or motorcycle, falls are possible, and you only get one head in this lifetime! At least wear a brimmed hat. And always wear sunscreen. You know the drill.

Step Four: Packaged tour or solo?
Solo trips can probably only be done in your own country with your own horse. Most horse owners will not be willing to rent you a mount so you can head out unguided into parts unknown. If you're heading out with your own horse, don't forget to check ahead with the park or ranch you plan to visit for trail regulations, guides, rates, and stabling information. Otherwise, you'll be on a tour, and there are plenty to choose from--all over the world. For remote regions like Mongolia or Africa, horses can really be effective in moving you through regions that would take too long to reach on foot. Packaged tours can get you to Siberia to meet the Reindeer People or to Australia's Fraser Island, where the government allows only 120 people per year to go, or can put you atop an Icelandic pony or a Friesian carriage horse. Tour leaders will also be quite straightforward about the kind of riding skill you must demonstrate to take the trip. Some packages offer riding instruction; others assume you know your way around a horse. Package tours can range in price from $500 to $5,000 per person, depending on whether you're taking a couple of days in the Colorado Rockies or heading out into the wild wastes of Greenland.