Every year, Hooves Around The World organises incredible horsey meet-ups in lots of different countries. Here, we ride horses every day, become friends with amazing, like-minded people from all over the planet, and experience new cultures. This October, we went to Rancho Las Cascadas in Mexico again, with a group of strangers that ended up turning into great friends. In this blog, I’ll tell you all about the trail rides and other activities we did on our equestrian meet-up.
Make sure to read all the information about Rancho Las Cascadas, and the exclusive Hooves discount code here. We are headed to Mexico for another horse riding holiday from 9-16 & 16-24 November 2024!
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We were a much larger group of horse riders this year than we were in 2021, 11 in total. It’s the biggest group of horse and travel lovers that’s ever been on the Hooves meet-ups, and I was honestly slightly nervous about riding with such a big group. Smaller groups of riders are easier to manage, and in a big group it’s nearly impossible to keep an eye on everyone all the time. My nerves were immediately settled after the first ride at Rancho Las Cascadas. The guides were incredible and kept an eye on all the riders, and the horses were once again matched perfectly to everyone’s experience level. Everyone felt comfortable and happy with their horses, and the ride.
As the week went on, we managed to do lots of morning and afternoon trail rides, with people taking breaks from riding whenever they needed it to lounge by the pool or go for a stroll. We also managed to do one full day ride towards the end of the week, which was once again incredible, involved lots of canters through the stunning Mexican Highlands, and a fabulous lunch in a nearby town. Even though our horse riding experience levels ranged from complete beginner to extremely experienced, we all had the time of our lives, splitting the group up whenever the experienced riders wanted to blast their horses across the wide open plains. I was delighted to ride my dear boy Capricho again, and we both had the time of our lives racing and galloping across the countryside.
Most of our group was from the US, with only myself, Luzi (who hosts the Turkey meet-ups!), and one other girl flying in from Europe. Luzi and I managed to get on the same flight out of Amsterdam, arriving at 3am, early enough to have a quick nap and welcome all the lovely women who had joined our meet-up. Upon arrival in Mexico city, Luzi and I stayed in so-called pods at the airport, to wait until the rest of our group would arrive. The pods were cheap and comfortable, despite looking crazy futuristic, and perfect for a refreshing nap in the hopes of being less jet-lagged when the time comes to greet our guests. Have a look here to find out more about the pods. The first of our horse riders arrived around 11am, and we soon found a place to relax at the airport, have a bite to eat and drink, and wait for everyone else. It was a long day at the airport, and unfortunately a very long drive to the ranch as we got caught in rush hour immediately. It took almost 4 hours, instead of the usual one and a half hour drive. However, we all got to know each other very quickly on the bus, and were over the moon to finally arrive at Rancho Las Cascadas, just in time for dinner. After a delicious meal, we went straight to bed, excited for the week ahead.
We all became friends very quickly, and I’ll never forget all the incredible women that came on this trip. Everyone had different backgrounds with horses, was from a different state, or even continent, and our ages were very varied. Our love for travel and horses brought us together quickly, and I can’t wait to ride horses again with everyone on one of the next meet-ups!
After all, we are on holiday! Long hours in the saddle and on trail are of course incredible, but lounging by the pool and in the jacuzzi with delicious cocktails has to happen too! Some of the equestrians on this meet-up ended up going on a cultural day trip to Teotihuacan, to see the impressive pyramids there. Everyone can always choose which activities they want to do each day. There is of course always the option to go horse riding, but cultural day trips are also available! Some of the women decided to get a massage at the ranch, and we spent lots of time at the local bar too, where we danced for hours, and some of the girls teaching us to line dance, and humongous tequila shots were the main events! On one of the nights we even managed to organise a bonfire at the ranch, which was great fun too. There is no set itinerary at Rancho Las Cascadas, which allows everyone to do exactly as they please, making the meet-up a definite success.
I already cannot wait for our next meet-up in Mexico from 9-16 & 16-24 November 2024. Be sure to contact me if you would like to join us at Rancho Las Cascadas next year!
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