It was one of those perfectly sunny days when my friend Ryan and I decided to go horseback riding on the beach, but we found ourselves faced with one dilemma, which company should we use? It is very important to me that the tour agency we would be using for our adventure was reputable and humane to their horses. Having traveled around the world I have witnessed various horse back riding tour operators that sadly don’t take care of their horses. They abuse these beautiful creatures with poor diets and literally ride them until they drop dead. The tourism industry perpetuates this cruel practice and so it had been many years since I had been on the back of a horse. The beautiful beaches of Costa Rica, however, were beckoning me. I began to ask around town for a recommended place we could ride healthy and happy horses. The overwhelming response from the locals we talked to was the Caribe Horse Riding Club in Playa Negra.

The owner, Vanessa Petin, cares very much about the health and well being of her horses and this is evident when you visit her stables. She even asked me what type of saddle I would like as she has a few different choices based on the riders experience level and preference. I smiled and told her that because I am a beginner, I would prefer the saddle that is the most difficult to fall out of! Vanessa then introduced us to the horses we would be riding for our two hour trip. My horse was a beautiful stallion named Leo and Ryan was on the lovely Olive. Vanessa gave us the option to choose where we would like to go for our tour and we opted for a combination of riding on both the beach and on the jungle paths. Along the way she pointed out various plants and animals and explained many interesting facts about this area. The jungle paths were lush, quiet and cool and Leo found lots of plants he wanted to snack on during our journey. I hadn’t really even ridden a horse since I was younger, but both Vanessa and Leo made me feel very relaxed and comfortable as they expertly guided us through the jungle. The slower pace of being on horseback really allows you to stop and enjoy the scenery unlike anything else can. After an hour Vanessa started to lead us to the world famous “Black Beach” of Playa Negra. I personally love the tranquility and privacy of this particular beach, and the horses loved running in the surf just as much as we did! Even though I was a little scared I held on tightly as Leo ran down the beach, both of us completely enjoying the freedom and joy of being able to live in such a beautiful place. We watched the changing sunset colors on the way back to the stables and the happiness that both Ryan and I felt was completely evident in the picture Vanessa took of us. Our day with Vanessa and her horses was amazing and I recommend it to everyone wanting to enjoy the Caribe Sur in such a unique and relaxing way.

The Caribe Horse Riding Club offers a variety of tours, including full and half day and even full moon night tours which I am really excited to try out in the future! Prices are very reasonable, our two hour tour was just $60 a person. You can book your adventures through their website www.caribehorse.com.

Tell Vanessa that Dawn from Caribizine sent you and she just might share a secret part of my adventure riding on Leo with you…. Enjoy!