Horse Buying in Spain

I have begun the search to find my four legged Spanish teammate. The best way I can describe this process is it is like going on blind dates. You might know a little about the person, (or in this case the horse), but until you meet them you have no idea if you will have a connection or if what you "know" about them is even true. Horse sellers can give you very appealing descriptions about a horse as well as produce attractive pictures and/or videos, but it is not smart to trust the sellers descriptions.  You need to see, meet, and ride the horse in person. It is very rare that you hear of equestrians finding a high level competition horse easily.  High level, well trained horses with excellent health and conformation with the right mind for competitions are hard to come by. When I went to France to find my eventing horse, I rode over 10 prospective horses and was lucky to find my Hipius the last day of the trip.

I am very fortunate to have been connected with an incredible Spanish dressage competitor and trainer Cristina Duran, who is helping me search for my Spanish horse. Cristina is very well connected and respected in the Spanish dressage community, and is able to find horses that are just coming on the market. Last week, Cristina and I ventured out on a 12 hour journey through the Andalusian region of Spain to view the first two prospects. As I rode each horse, she provided me with instruction and feedback so I could test the horse's training and abilities.

Prospect #1

12 year old PRE Stallion

The first horse we visited was located in a stunning facility. He was ridden by a top notch trainer who trained and studied at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. The trainer mounted the horse first to give Cristina and me a demonstration. The horse preformed the majority of the upper level movements, but had not mastered his flying lead changes which are critical for upper level competition. The horse is 12 years old and at this age he should have his tempi changes down.  If the horse were younger this would not necessarily be a concern, but at 12 years old he should already know tempi changes in order to be an elite competitor in the dressage arena.  The horse had incredible collection at the canter, but when I asked him to do a piaffe he was always looking for a way out and did not want to go straight.

He is a sweet horse and willing to please, but because he started his dressage training later in life he did not develop the flexibility and knowledge of the movements typically acquired during early years of training. Another concern was that he has never competed. I need a horse that has been in competitions and is comfortable being in a show environment. The horse was fun to ride and if I were looking for a mount to train in the lower levels of dressage and for pleasure riding, he would be ideal.  But, I am looking for a horse with higher level training, and with the training he has at his age he would not be suited to be a successful high level competitor.

Prospect #2

12 year old PRE Stallion

Cristina and I continued on to see the second prospect which I was very excited about as I saw videos of him and he looked like he had mastered all the upper level movements. After about a three hour drive, we arrived at a small family owned facility. The horse’s owner had a wrist injury and had not been able to ride his horse for three weeks.  Cristina got on the horse first to test him out before I rode him. Cristina is an incredible rider and got the horse to preform the majority of the upper level movements, yet she was surprised how heavy he was in the mouth. She gave me the heads up before I mounted that he pulls. The horse was very heavy in the contact and was constantly bracing on my hands. At one point I had to take a break, as my hands were cramping up from him pulling so hard. The horse had amazing collection and a piaffe that would receive high scores in competition. I was hoping maybe the horse pulling so hard on his mount was a result of him just being rusty from not being ridden in three weeks. The deal breaker for me was not necessarily the pulling, but when I dismounted I noticed a lump on his side. It turns out the horse has melanoma, a type of skin tumor associated with the color of the horses coat, a very common problem in grey Spanish horses. Although these tumors are usually benign, the tumors can keep growing and cause the horse discomfort and more tumors can pop up throughout the horse's life. There is treatment for horses that suffer from melanoma, but the treatment is not available in Spain. The last thing I want is to purchase a horse with preexisting health problems. Finding out the horse has melanoma was a deal breaker for me.

Although I was not successful on my first go around, it was good to get an idea of what is on the market and what questions to ask before going to view more horses. I look forward to round two and know that my future horse is out there waiting for me!

Turning My Passion into My Career

Making my passion my career has always been my life goal. My dream has been to have my horses in my own backyard where I can fully dedicate myself to training, competing, breeding, and loving them. I have made the decision to make my dream a reality and start the process of looking for an equestrian property in Spain.  There, I can run my business and focus on my career as a full-time dressage competitor with the Spanish horses and trainers.

Having an equestrian property sounds glamorous, but is a huge commitment and takes a lot of work. The upkeep and responsibility of keeping horses at your residence can become overwhelming if you are not properly prepared. Unlike boarding your horse at a facility that feeds, mucks their stalls, handles all the maintenance, and deals with issues that can come up with running the facility, all of this now falls on you. Your horses become completely codependent upon you, and you need to make certain you have the right setup to provide the best possible care for your horses including the amenities on your facility needed for your training. As I begin the process of searching for my equestrian property, I need to keep reminding myself what is involved and what sacrifices I will be making choosing this lifestyle.

One of my challenges in searching for an equestrian property in Spain is understanding and complying with Spanish real estate laws. Because I do not speak Spanish fluently, it is important I find a realtor that is fluent in English and has a good reputation; I don't want to be taken advantage of because of the language barrier. I also need to find the right individuals to guide me through the process and understand the inspection process, contracts, and negotiations. Finding a knowledgeable and referable realtor, preferably one that deals mainly in equestrian properties, will ensure I see all listings that fit my criteria  and help me to become fully informed about each available property.  

The next step after finding the proper real estate professionals to work with in Spain, is to decide what I do and do not need. I don't want to get in over my head and have a facility that becomes a money pit and has more space then I  need. Many equestrian properties are set on large parcels that accommodate many horses. For me, the facility is  for personal use and will not be a boarding facility.  I do not need a huge barn, multiple arenas, and/or large pastures. Five horses is the maximum number that I can manage on my own without having to seek outside help. This means that I need to have accommodations for at least five horses which would include a barn that has minimum five stalls, land for paddocks so the horses can be turned out, a dry area to keep feed, and an appropriate area for waste. For me, having a regulation size dressage arena with all weather footing is critical. I need a regulation arena to train properly for competitions with footing that can handle heat and has excellent drainage so I can exercise and train the horses year round.

A Regulation Sized Dressage Arena

Finding a property that fits my space and facilities criteria is not necessarily the most difficult part.  Finding a property that is in good condition and is low maintenance is what will be challenging. Having a rundown facility that needs a lot of work can become a financial and time-consuming nightmare. Dealing with old plumbing, drainage issues, old footing, and broken fences is not something I am willing to take on, as remodeling a facility would be enormously costly and require permits, finding and hiring competent workmen, and managing the project.  All this would take time and money away from training. This is why it is crucial I get every inspection possible to make certain everything is up to code and any repairs that need to be done are disclosed ahead of time.

An Updated Five Stall Barn

I am so excited to find the perfect facility to start my full-time equestrian career in Spain, but knowing this is a huge decision, I need to be patient, do my homework, view all available options in order to set myself up for success. I look forward to sharing my journey of property searching as I embark upon this exciting new chapter.

My Equestrian Adventure in Mexico

Recently,  I ventured to Mexico to embark upon my next international equestrian adventure. I have been to Mexico many times for vacation but was never interested in horseback riding.  The majority of the tourist riding adventures are hack stables that offer limited experiences and often do not take good care of their horses.  Being Mexico is known for having beautiful Iberian horses, I was determined to find an authentic Mexican stable and experience the culture of the Mexican Iberian horse.

After doing a fair amount of research, I found the Cuadra San Francisco Equestrian Center located in Los Cabos. When I visited their website I could see right away that the facility did more then just cater to tourists. The equestrian center offered training and was a family owned and operated business. Francisco J. Barrena and his son Valence F. Barrena were both featured on their website as top champions and professional riders. The facility teaches dressage, bullfighting, reining, western pleasure and jumping. Based on my research, I made the decision to make the journey to Mexico to visit the Barrena family and to see their Iberian horses.

Francisco J Barrena riding one of his Iberian horses

I visited the facility a day early before my scheduled ride at Cuadra San Francisco Equestrian Center to checkout the stables.  When I arrived I was warmly greeted by Valence. I shared with him my riding abilities and was hoping that they had a horse that would be enjoyable to ride for someone at my level. Valence said, “We can accommodate any level and I will let you ride my horse!”, as he took me over to introduce me to his beautiful buckskin Lusitano stallion. His horse was gorgeous and was obviously receiving very good care.  Valence asked me a little bit about my riding history and then started telling me about his. It turns out that Valence used to compete in Jumping and was a very successful competitor in Mexico. He took me into his office and showed me beautiful pictures of his father competing on championship Spanish horses, and pictures of himself jumping. I was very impressed by both his and his father's accomplishments and could tell that they took great pride in their horses and their facility. Before leaving I went and looked around at the other horses in their barn. It turns out the Barrena family also breeds some of their horses. They had a beautiful Lippizan stud who in his heyday was quite the competitor. They have bred him many times including to one of their pure breed Lusitano mares (who was also at the facility).  I was able to see one of their offspring, an adorable 4 year old Lippizan/Lusitano cross gelding.

The next day I arrived a little early for my ride to observe the facility and spend sometime with the horses. I was trilled to have the opportunity to meet Valence’s father, Francisco. Francisco is not at the facility full time so it was an unexpected surprise to meet him. Francisco is a true gentleman and equestrian legend in Mexico. Valence was so kind to tack up his Lusitano with a dressage saddle for me, and then he sent me off with his guide, Juan, to go explore the beautiful Los Cabos canyons.  Juan let me lead the way and we galloped for miles in the desert hills. Valence’s Lusitano was a dream. He was so well behaved and comfortable to ride. After about two hours, Juan and I returned to the stables. I was about to dismount when Francisco came up to me and told me that the Lusitano knew upper level dressage movements and to go into the arena and try some. I was a little intimated preforming these movements, of which some are still new, in front of two accomplished riders. With some instruction from Valence, I was able to get his horse into a passage!  I then dismounted and Valence got up on his horse. The two proceeded to give me a five minute demo of several complex movements ending with a difficult but lovely horse bow.

With Valence F Barrena and his father Francisco J Barrena

My time with the Barrena family exceeded my expectations. It was an amazing experience to gain insight into how the Iberian horses are trained and bred in Mexico. It was also so much fun to ride such a quality horse in an incredible setting. I was beyond impressed with Cuadra San Francisco Equestrian Center and thankful I made the journey to experience the Mexican Iberian horses.

A Day with the Peruvian Paso

I recently traveled to Peru to explore one of the wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. On the fourth night of my trek, I stayed at the lodge Sol y Luna, located in the city of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. The hotel just so happened to have one of the top equestrian facilities in Peru. Instead of continuing on the trek the next day, I decided to go explore the beauty and culture of the Peruvian Paso Horse. 

Until then, I did not know much about the Peruvian Paso breed. Like many things in South America, the horse arrived in Peru during the Spanish Conquest, tracing their ancestry back to the famous Spanish Andalusian war horses. Originally the breed was used in Peru as a working horse to transport crops from plantations. The Peruvian Paso has a smooth gait and good endurance, making them ideal for long journeys. Over time, breeders in Peru started selectively breeding the horses for their gait, conformation, and temperament, to produce a strong sturdy horse for comfort. A unique trait of the Peruvian Paso gait is “termino” - an outward swinging leg action, originating from the shoulder, in which the front lower legs roll to the outside during the stride forward. Today the horses are shown in performances, demonstrating the elegance of their lifting and gentle gait to the rhythm of the Marinera, an emblematic Peruvian Dance.

Everyday the Sol y Luna has a 35 minute show on the greens outside of their restaurant, demonstrating the Marinera on four of their top Peruvian Paso stallions. The show is led by their star rider Felix, and three of his brothers. During the show the horses dance in formation to Peruvian music. I arrived at the show early, to get a front row seat to the incredible display of the horse's ability to preform, and showoff their gaits.  

Felix and his brothers preforming the Marinera dance

After the show, I visited the barn to introduce myself to Felix, and meet his beautiful stallions. Felix's English consisted of saying "hello", and my Spanish consisted of saying "buenos dias". Even with our language barrier, Felix and I hit it off, and he offered me to ride his prized stallion. Right from the start I could feel the difference in the gait of the Paso. They are not tall horses, but have a lot of spring to their stride. The Paso's trot was easy to sit, and their canter felt like I was floating. After about 5 minutes of riding the horse around in the field, Felix galloped up to me on one of the other stallions, halted, and had his horse rear straight up in the air. The rearing position is called a Pesade, a classical dressage movement where the horse stands on the hind legs with the forelegs in the air. Through demonstration, Felix showed me how to balance my horse with no resistance, and ask the horse to levitate off the ground. Within minutes I was preforming a Pesade. Although my Pesade was not quit at the caliber of a classical dressage movement, it was an amazing experience, and such an unexpected surprise to be able to ride the horse and preform a highlevel movement. Felix and I ended the day with a peaceful trail ride around the beautiful Urubana River.

Felix and I at the end of our ride!