We spent another incredible week of horse riding and exploring in the Mexican Highlands at Rancho Las Cascadas. This ranch was where the first ever Hooves equestrian meet-up was held in 2021! We went back for our third equestrian meet-up this September and spent more than week exploring the many trails on horseback every day.
Find more info here.
Book your stay at Rancho Las Cascadas, or sign up to join our 2024 meet-up in Mexico here.
Read about our 2022 equestrian meet-up in Mexico here.
In 2024, we are headed to Mexico for another horse riding holiday from 9-16 & 16-24 November 2024!
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We met at a hotel in Mexico City before heading to the ranch. Some of us spent some time in Mexico City, and the rest of us met when we were picked up by the taxi, or at the ranch! Stay tuned for our upcoming blog post all about Mexico City, where to stay, where to eat and what to see.
This year we were a group of 9 riders, from England, Italy, France, and the US! We stayed at Rancho Las Cascadas for 8 nights this year, which meant nine incredible days of riding the ranch's fabulous Criollo horses. The routes were stunning as always, and we had very, very good weather throughout the week. There were a few nights that it rained after we came back from riding, but it was great temperatures and sunshine the rest of the time!
We did two full day rides, one was a stunning trail to the nearby waterfall, where the horses relaxed in the shade, and we had a delicious lunch. Our other full day ride went to a nearby town, where we stopped for beers, and then went on to a lovely restaurant for lunch. It was fast-paced, with beautiful scenery!
Besides the lovely lunch at the waterfall, and the restaurant on the full day ride, we ate at the ranch. They have a stunning breakfast room overlooking the pool, where hot and cold breakfast is served. Some days we had quesadillas, other days we had eggs, french toast, and loads more! There's always fresh fruit too. The lunch is served outside under a big tree, and dinner is served close to the bar. The food this year was even better than it was in previous years! We also enjoyed lots of delicious cocktails again.
Throughout the horse riding holiday, all riders were swapping around horses between each other. Our group was mostly experienced riders, which allowed for everyone to try each other's horses for a gallop or two! The horses loved the fast-paced riding and we had lots of races. The ground was nice and dry, which allowed for more galloping than usual during September. Bonus: even though the ground was dry (and therefore perfect), we still got to see the wildflowers in full bloom!
The riding style is western at Rancho Las Cascadas, and the saddles might look like western saddles, but they certainly aren't! These stunning saddles are typically Mexican, and your bum will need some time to get used to them. This year too, despite most of us being experienced riders, we did have some sore bums! Once you're used to them though, they're extremely comfortable.
The ranch offers day tours, trip to the local markets, and has lots of amenities. This year we definitely made the most out of these opportunities. Besides horse riding every day, we also did yoga, made use of the pool and jacuzzi, got massages, had a bonfire, and learnt to line dance at the local bar next door!
There are lots of yoga retreats all over Mexico, so if you want to come trail riding at the ranch and continue your travels afterwards, make sure to check out these yoga retreats.
Some of the riders in our group went to the beautiful town of San Miguel for a day, which did mean skipping a day of horse riding, but they said it was very worth it! On Friday morning it was market day in one of the towns nearby, so some of the group went out horse riding, and others visited the market in the morning. In the afternoon we all went riding together again! On the last day, between the morning ride at the ranch, and their flights departing in the evening, some people even still got to visit Teotihuacan! Talk about making the most out of your holiday!
We were lucky enough to be at the ranch during independence day in Mexico, which was incredible! Besides a special dinner with live music at the ranch, we also visited a town called Soyaniquilpan that evening. There was lots of dancing, music, fireworks and entertainment! Some of the group decided to head home early to get a good night sleep before horse riding in the morning, and some of us only got home in the early morning...
The equestrian meet-up in Mexico this year was a great success. We had incredible trail rides, met amazing horses, and made new friends of course! A big thank you to everyone who joined, and I can't wait to ride with you all again!
Next year, our equestrian meet-ups in Mexico will be from 9-16 & 16-24 November 2024! They will be hosted by Hanna Rogers. Contact me if you have any questions, or get in touch with Rancho Las Cascadas and let them know you want to join the Hooves meet-up in 2024!
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