The original reservation was for a 9:30 start, but due to rain in the morning, it was changed to a 1:30 start. As a result, we couldn't go to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, where we had already purchased tickets, but horseback riding took priority.
Rain had been falling since the previous day, and the forecast called for rain all morning the next day. After emailing with the owner, Inga, we rescheduled for the afternoon of the next day, with the final decision to be made just before lunchtime. Light rain was falling around the Christchurch City Hotel, but upon learning that one enthusiastic rider would be participating, I decided to join them.
I arranged an Uber, rode 16km for 23 minutes, and arrived at the location at 1:00 PM. Since I only needed to fill out a consent form, I had time to kill before the 1:30 PM start.
The enthusiastic rider turned out to be a German woman, and another companion was a young Chinese woman.
In the end, the horseback riding here exceeded my expectations, weather aside.
First, prepare the halter and head to the paddock, then each rider leads their horse to the tethering area.
Frenja, the 8-year-old Icelandic horse I'll be riding. He's calm, but it's best not to let him near horses he doesn't get along with.
I brush him, but Icelandic horses have manes that are just too long.
Not only beach rides, but we also enjoyed horseback trekking around the beach park. Turtle's gait was steady and comfortable, with a sense of forward momentum.
While there's no shuttle service, the price is about half that in Japan — highly recommended.
The beginner's course to Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex took me through herds of grazing cows, and enjoyable even for experienced riders.It follows the lead horse reliably and handles well. I tried various positions within the formation along the way, and it responded obediently. Several people in the group were riding horses for the first time, yet they still managed to gallop. Naturally, the formation became a complete mess and descended into chaos, but it was remarkable that everyone arrived at the destination without falling off their horses.
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