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Holy Wow – welcome to 2019 – and it’s 2/3 of the way through January!!!!  SO amazing!

This time of year is always the best for us, we are frantic trying to keep up with all the inquiries, calls, FB messages, Insta DMs, etc.  It’s true – once the holidays are over, the floodgates open and it’s time to plan summer travel – and we love it!  (even if we are drowning a bit at times……)

For those that have taken trips in the past, you have a pretty good idea already of ones that piqued your interest for this year, and of course, we’ve added new trips.

For those that are new to the idea of a horseback riding vacation, the biggest hurdle always seems to be, “how can I pick a trip”?  So let’s make this uber easy for you in 5 simple steps.

Step 1:  What sort of ride interests you?

This is the perfect place to start – it narrows the options fairly quickly – check it out:

  1. Are you interested in a trail ride or a training (lesson) vacation?
    1. Trail riding vacations give you the chance to see places you’ve not seen yet, experience new cultures/areas and all with knowledgeable guides to escort you every step of the way.
    2. Lesson vacations allow you to a) hone your skills, b) work through a developmental process and c) take your riding to the next level –  all on a safe horse – one that allows you to practice so you can go home and then put it into work with your own horse. 
  2. If you opt for a trail riding vacation – do you want a stationary or progressive (point to point) ride? Some thoughts to consider –
    1. Stationary rides allow you to unpack for the week and “settle in”.
    2. Progressive rides allow you to cover a very good amount of ground in a week.

Step 2:  What type of rider are you?

Spend a few minutes deciding (and be honest) if you are a conservative rider and want a trip on a “steady eddie” type of horse that you just relax and enjoy the scenery, or if you are a more aggressive rider and want a bit more action in your week.  This applies to both trail and lesson programs – they can both be as engaging and challenging (or not) as you prefer.  ***and of course there is always the “in between those two spectrums” type of rider.

Step 3:  Determine how far you are willing to travel

Not willing to leave the USA – no problem!  Within the USA are you willing to fly or must a trip be in driveable distance?

But if you are willing to leave the USA, how long do you mind to travel before it becomes “too much time on a plane/train/etc.”.  Vacations are meant to be fun and for you to come home energized – not wiped out from just “getting there”.

Step 4:  How homogenous does your destination have to be with you?

(My first boss would have chastised me here for using a word with more than three syllables – thank goodness we’ve come a long way!)

This is an important question – it gets to how comfy you are being around or in places that are different than your own comfort zone.  And you don’t have to go out of the country to experience it – as a northeastern gal, I used to find it difficult to visit my family in the south as everything seemed to move a bit slower (and I had to keep repeating myself as they felt I spoke too fast).

And on that point, I’ve experienced folks with such heavy local accents (here in the USA) that I struggled to understand what was being said (that had to be the karma from my aforementioned family visits coming back my way, LOL).

  1. So does it bother you if the pace is different?
  2. Do you mind to be in a place where English is not (or rarely) spoken?
  3. Is being in a rural environment relaxing or stressful for you?
  4. Do you have to have WiFi all the time?

Be honest here and add your own “have to have” items – it’s essential to feeling comfortable in your destination of choice which allows you to have the best ride possible.

Step 5:  What does your ideal vacation look/feel like?

Take a few minutes and jot it down – it can be single words, phrases or entire sentences – but if you can identify what warms your heart, what it is that starts to make you smile just by thinking about it – those are the keys to look for on any trip, and especially a riding trip.

  1. Is it making new friends?
  2. Going to a warm weather destination? (or vice versa for our FL peeps)
  3. Seeing new places?
  4. Learning about new cultures?
  5. Riding different breeds?
  6. Fulfilling that dream of riding on a beach?
  7. Staying in luxury accommodations?
  8. Feeling the wind in your hair and on your face?

Only you know what “makes it” for you – that magical combination of elements that make you say “that was the BEST trip ever”.  If you can identify them, you can recreate them.

I promise.

The beauty of an equestrian vacation is that it allows you to be in charge of creating your own perfect trip – one worthy of your hard work to save and plan for it.  And it’s our job to help you find the right one.  Answering these questions gives us the framework we need to offer you some amazing options to consider.

C’mon – let us help!

 

**Call 800.973.3221 or to speak to us today or email us at info@activetravelinc.com

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