Posted on December 2, 2020
With so many trips being cancelled this year, we were thrilled that our exploratory trip to Sicily, deferred from April 2020, was able to go ahead in September 2020. Here Becky writes about her trip.
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In September I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Sicily with a group of guests on the first In The Saddle exploratory ride. Here are the highlights of the trip for me.
The varied scenery throughout this ride was amazing and ever-changing. Not only from the first day to the last day but even from morning to afternoon, the landscape continually changed.
Riding through the Sicilian landscape on day 1 of the trail.
Over the course of the week we rode through farmland and fields; along ancient tracks; through forests; over rivers and finally up and down an active volcano. What more could you ask for?
Riding underneath the canopy of trees
Each day we would catch a glimpse of our final destination – Mt Etna. At the start of the week it would be just a shadow or looming silhouette but as the days passed by we were offered beautiful views of the volcano.
The group smiling for a photo in front of Mt Etna
The horses on this trail were some of the most sure-footed that I have ever ridden. Their ability to navigate the lava flows whilst climbing up and down Mt Etna was particularly impressive.
The horses walking along the craters of Mt Etna.
They were fit, well cared for and genuinely seemed to love their job. The horses all live together as a herd and so there was a natural pecking order but each was good natured and well behaved. My horse for the week was the lovely Cora, who earlier in the year had a foal. She was fit, happy and the perfect trail horse.
Cora happily waiting outside the ice-cream shop!
The food was another real highlight and I particularly enjoyed the picnic lunches. I was not surprised to find that I put on a pound or two on my return! Each day (bar one) we were met by the support vehicle and treated to beautiful salads, breads and other Italian treats.
One of our fantastic picnic lunches
My week in Sicily is one I’ll never forget. The well trained and forward-going horses were a pleasure to ride and being able to see such beautiful scenery along the way made it extra special. I would absolutely recommend this trail to anyone who is up for long hours in the saddle and an amazing landscapes.
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If you’d like to hear more about the trail in Sicily or are ready to plan your holiday, please call Becky on 01299 272 244 or email rebecca@inthesaddle.com.
Hey Becky! I was originally scheduled for a horseback riding trip to Ireland at the end of September that was tentatively rescheduled after being canceled last year due to COVID. It is beginning to look like Ireland may not lift their 14 day quarantine in time for our trip so I am looking for an alternate trip for this year and most likely will have to do the Ireland trip next year sometime. I would love to find out more on this trip along with any others that may be a great match for me at the end of September like 20ish to beginning of October range and if you have a catalog I would love one as well! Look forward to hearing from you, Jessica
Hi Jessica
Thank you for your message.
We will email you directly.
In The Saddle