At the grand age of 59 and with four slipped discs in my back plus long term health problems I never imagined that I would go horse riding through the rain forest in Nicaragua. In January I was feeling completely drained and decided to have a last minute break with my family to recharge my batteries. So we booked a week in Costa Rica. We spent a few days touring Costa Rica then had the opportunity to go over to Nicaragua for a day trip. I have always wanted to go to the rain forest so jumped at the chance. When we arrived we were told we could spend a couple of hours horseback riding. I thought this is a once in a lifetime experience I wasn’t going to miss. When we arrived I spotted this large white horse, he stood out from all the rest being so much bigger. I set my heart on him but as we went along the line I could see the guides were selecting horses from another area. As I stepped up the guide looked at me and said, I have the perfect horse for you. I couldn’t believe it when he bought over the white horse. As I was helped on to him my initial thought was what am I doing? But the guide placed the rope around the horse and I was shown how to pull him back as we go up steep and how to release as we go down hills. I looked over at my husband who was on a much smaller horse and he looked terrified as did my two adult children. But I was determined to give this all I had and forget about my health problems.
We ventured deep into the rain forest up steep hills and uneven grounding but it was such an exhilarating experience riding through different types of terrain including small rivers and the most memorarizing scenery. We saw many animals in the way including monkeys, anteaters, iguanas and so many different species of birds.The horses were fabulous and knew the route off by heart. At one point my husband was getting into difficultly, he was very nervous. So the guide at the front went over to him and asked me to lead the way as my horse knew exactly what to do. These trails have been specifically been laid out for horse riding adventures and I can honestly say I felt 100% safe. At one part we galloped and this was a first for me but I felt so at ease and cherished every moment. At the end of the journey I didn’t want to leave, I could of spent a lifetime there. I felt young at heart without a care in the world. However my husband and children vowed never to get on a horse again as they discovered horse riding was not for them. But for me it was a trip of a lifetime I will never forget.
