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Equestrian adventurer ARGENTINA COLUMN

The editor of the column, Mark Gochman, is a successful entertainment and media attorney in Los Angeles. Mark’s passion is traveling and riding around the world. He found that there wasn’t a place where riders around the world could learn about all of the different options available to them. “Some riders are looking for hardcore adventures where they may spend six or more hours a day in the saddle,” Mark tells us, “while other people are looking for a luxury resort where they can ride a few hours a day and be pampered the rest, or a Western ranch with a strong riding program that the whole family can enjoy.”

Mark started the online publication and community Equestrian Adventurer visit website so that people all over the world could read feature articles with exciting trip ideas, share information with each other, and post their own reviews of different trips. “I wanted to have a place where if you are thinking of visiting Ireland, you could read about different trip possibilities, and have a dialogue with other riders around the world, and even with resorts and outfitters, to help plan the trip that is right for you,” Mark said.

Mark encourages people to visit the site and let him know if they have had exciting riding and travel experiences they want to tell about. He can be contacted through the Contact Us section of the website, or you can find him riding his foundation quarter horse, Ranger, in the Santa Monica Mountains or with the West Hills Hunt

Former President Dwight Eisenhower is credited with saying that the interstate freeways made it possible to travel from one end of the United States to the other without really seeing anything. The same can be said for most modern transportation throughout the world. With Equestrian Adventurer, we hope to tell you about all of the different ways to explore our world on horseback. It’s a great way to see places you might not otherwise be able to see, and also to connect with local people and your traveling companions.

We think one of the best countries to explore on horseback is Argentina. It’s a country with a tremendous equestrian culture, from world class polo to endless estancias (ranches) worked by gauchos (Argentinean cowboys). The people are friendly, the food and wine amazing, and the exchange rate for Americans extremely favorable. Top that off with a capital, Buenos Aires, which combines New World energy with Old World style, and it would be hard to imagine anyone not having a wonderful time.

We’ve ridden many places in Argentina, but one of our favorites is Estancia Huechahue (pronounced “way-cha-way”), a 15,000 acre cattle ranch outside the picturesque mountain village of San Martin de Los Andes in northern Patagonia. This is a magical area with endless plains, sapphire lakes and rivers, majestic rock formations, and dormant volcanoes. Much of this scenery is featured in the recent film, “The Motorcycle Diaries.”

The pace of the rides at the estancia is tailored to the guests, and we spent a lot of time trotting gently rolling hills, and cantering over the vast open plains. On most days the estancia has morning and afternoon rides, although there are also all day rides, and overnight rides where guests camp under the stars. We spent one amazing day herding a group of horses with the gauchos across the estancia to a far pasture.

The horses are criollos, a native Argentinean breed (15-16 hh) descended from Spanish horses with other bloodlines mixed in, known for their good minds and endurance capabilities. We each had two horses that we alternated between and which were “ours” during our stay. I became quite attached to “Veinte y Ocho”, a large brown with a sweet disposition who never seemed to tire.

The estancia adjoins a breathtaking condor preserve and contains Indian burial caves with primitive drawings on the walls. The owner and manager speak English fluently. There are plenty of other things to do nearby, including fly-fishing, hiking, and, for those seeking a thrill of a different sort (or who have a thrill seeking fiancée like I do!) there are Volcanoes you can climb.

So if the adventurous rider inside you is looking for a place to spring alive, consider Argentina. To learn more about this and other equestrian adventures, or to tell us about your own experiences, you can visit the Equestrian Adventurer website just click on our banner below.......

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