4 Day Ecological Horseback Riding Vacation in Chiapas, México

Facilities

Equitation

"With quality horses raised and trained with kindness, keeping their spirits intact and their magic unbridled", The tacks available are English and Western saddles, and Bitless bridles; helmets and chaps are also available. The rider weight limit is 90 kilograms and if you are an experienced rider, 100 kilograms.

Horse Activities

It is always best to decide the details of your ride once you meet the instructors at the ranch, after the evaluation of your riding level and physical condition.

• Beginners

Beginners are riders with little or no prior experience. You will learn hand on how to be around, handle, and ride horses. You will also learn to communicate with horses naturally, to establish a collaborative relationship with them to enhance your riding experience.

• Intermediate or experienced riders

Intermediates are riders who are comfortable at speeds faster than a walk and have ridden a few times in the last two years. Advanced riders are confident riders that do or have ridden regularly. You will take a nice energetic ride or a longer, calmer scenic one. The rides wind through the beautiful valley through ways of local paths and dirt roads. The mountain trails will take you through the woods and open fields of the ranch. The half-mile groomed gallop track is available for the more adventurous.

“The Horse Experience”

• Recommended for beginners, no age limit.
• Connect with horses by being around them, touching them, and talking with them.
• Walk among the horses in their pastures, free horses in a herd, call them into the stables and feed them.
• You will then be given a horse to care for (feeding, brushing, bathing), handle (walking, lunging), and saddle (you will learn about tack and its purpose).
• After ground instructions, you will learn balance and El Rancho Evergreen's riding technique on a horse. Have your first bareback in the training ring and then in the saddle by yourself around the warm-up track, always under the supervision of Samuel and his team.
• A mountain ride is available for participants with the instructor’s approval; your safety and the horses’ is the priority.

“Tune-up and Ride Connected”

• Recommended for intermediate riders.
• It allows you to refresh or tune-up your riding skills, team up with your horse, build back up confidence, and top it off with an exciting trail ride in the mountains.
• It includes grooming, saddling, warm-up with instructions, and a ride out.

"Horseback Rides with a Guide"

• Recommended for experienced riders.
• Before any ride, El Rancho Evergreen would like you to meet with a variety of horses and dedicate time toward building a relationship. You will walk, groom, and tack your horse.
• The rides wind through the beautiful valley through the ways of local paths and dirt roads. The mountain trails will take you through the woods and open fields of the ranch. The half-mile groomed gallop track is available for the more adventurous.
• El Rancho Evergreen can offer you high-level fast-paced mountain trail rides of approximately an hour that can be repeated a second time. the same day, on a different horse.
• Longer scenic rides are also available, they are slower paced (walking and some trotting), mainly on dirt roads mixed with some trails of approximately two hours.
• These are references, please ask for your ride quote.

"Connected Riding lessons”

• Lessons will be adapted to your level.
• Connected riding is the ability to adjust your body to the rhythm of the horse.
• The objective is for you to learn to communicate with horses naturally, to establish a collaborative relationship with them to enhance your riding experience.

To establish this natural communication it is important to:

• Understand the horse
• Gain its trust and respect
• Understand the most appropriate technique to reach each horse
• Be conscious of your body language
• Learn to regulate your energy with your breathing
• Know the most advantageous position for riding

Samuel will share with you his skills in horse communication and riding method. Workshops are also available, kindly ask for your quote.

Just 45 minutes from the touristic town of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico; hidden in a gorgeous valley in the highlands of Chiapas, surrounded by pine and oak forests, the ranch opens up on to 100 acres of prairies, streams, and springs. Samuel, Stephanie, and their two daughters will welcome you to their family ranch.

Sam is a professional horse trainer from Arizona with over 40 years of practice. He raises and trains horses following natural horsemanship, which will allow you to share with him a very unique experience. The horses are of mixed breeds including Arabian, Quarter horse, Peruvian Paso, and Thoroughbred. “El Rancho Evergreen” offers a variety of equestrian adventures for all levels from beginners up.

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During this holiday, you will be served home cooked meals, freshly made with local ingredients.

El Rancho Evergreen offers breakfast, lunch, dinner. Meals are served at the ranch kitchen and prepared the same day with fresh ranch or local products.

Note that there are no stores around.

Birdwatching

El Rancho Evergreen is located next to San Isidro Chichihuistan, a small Mayan Tzotzil village, sitting in a gorgeous highland valley at 7000 feet in elevation, surrounded by pine and oak forests inviting such species as the mountain trogon, pink-headed warbler, cinnamon bellied flower-piercer, blue-throated motmot, spot-crowned woodcreeper, scaled antpitta, band-backed wren, and many others.

Tour with a professional guide. Discover more than 53 different species in within the 100 acres of the ranch. Tour with a professional guide costs 1000 MXN from two to four adults.​ It includes a pair of binoculars per person. ​

All bookings must be done 1 week in advance.

Hiking

With the rent of lodging, the 100 acres are open for you to enjoy. If you want a longer hike or discover other scenery in the surrounding area, El Rancho Evergreen offers guided tours for 250 MXN per person (groups from one​ to four).

• 2 days of horse activities
• 3 nights accommodation
• 3 breakfast, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners

• Airport transfers
• Airfares
• Personal expenses

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.