After Punchestown horse racing festival I decided it was time to get on a horse for myself. Killegar Riding Stables in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow was the perfect place to learn. It was a mild day for the event and the rain held off which was great.
As we are not experienced riders we did a two hour session which was split into two separate parts. The first hour consisted of basic training and this included how to mount the horse, steer left and right and also trot. Trotting is probably the hardest part as you have to move up and down with the horse. The training was undertaken in a very safe enclosure as pictured below. This is about my 4th time on a horse but if you have never been on a horse before this is the perfect environment to learn. The second hour was a very enjoyable scenic trek up through the fields and forests.
My horse for the 2 hours was called Gerry. He was a friendly fellow like myself but also very hungry. He took every opportunity to eat any patch of grass he could get his teeth on! He was a bit lazy compared to the other horses and it was hard at times to get him moving and keep him up with the group. Every horse is different and they all have individual personalities! The trainers do their very best to match up suitable horses with the riders before the session starts.
As I had not been on a horse in some time it was good to do the basic training just to familiarise myself with these skills again. I found the second hour much more enjoyable as we went on a very scenic trek up through the fields and forests. I took all the basics skills that I learned in the first hour and put them to good use!
Gerry was doing his best to keep up with the rest of the group but at times he was struggling! There was also a few baby horses in the surrounding fields and our instructor was saying that they were about two weeks old. There was a magnificent view of the Sugar Loaf mountain and also Bray Head. The pictures give some idea but you really had to be there to experience it for yourself.
I though it was great that we got to do a forest trail as well as the scenic mountain trek. We did a small amount of trotting during the entire trek. Once the other horse in front started trotting so did Gerry. Just remember when your going through the woods you have to watch out for those branches as they could hit you in the face!
The price for 2 hours is €60 which is excellent value. I only became aware after the horse riding that there is a Groupon deal available.
The link for this particular deal is below:
Its a great day out for all the family and I will be back again in the coming weeks!
Thanks Killegar Stables!
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