With our first horseback ride having been so spectacular, I was really excited. Unfortunately, this trail ride proved to be quite a let down for both Bryan and me. First off, we had to wear helmets, which did carry over to the river tubing later, but which didn't really fit, and were more of a nuisance than a true safety measure. There were also more than 20 people on the ride, so the trail got pretty crowded.
I rode a mule named Cubana who, while very sweet and patient, was way too old to be doing trail rides in the heat of the day. I also felt like I was a bit too big to be riding her. She only wanted to walk, and was so tired that she was quite the stumble bum. She would break into a trot, but only when the head rider would come alongside us whistling and swinging his rope. I enjoyed the brief bursts of speed, but I felt really guilty the whole time. Bryan's horse wouldn't go above an amble either. According to the Scottish lady, her horse was in its mid-twenties, and most of the others were older as well. Overall, it was not a pleasant or relaxing ride though it was a beautiful trail that wound through the forest and passed through several water crossings (which Cubana maneuvered through like a champ).
Our first ride was definitely much better. I spoke with the Scottish woman at the end of the ride and she was very distressed over the horses' conditions. Most were too old to be trail horses all day everyday and many were too skinny, even taking into account the difficulty of keeping weight on a horse in that heat. Their conditions were the complete opposite of Colorado, Palomo, Negro and Tita, who all had decent weight to them. The beautiful trail did not make up for the unfairness in the way the horses were being treated.
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