Arrandeterra

The horses seemed in poor shape, very old and struggling to walk, so I can't recommend this ride. We also waited because it didn't open at the agreed time, and the tour was only half an hour even though the voucher promised an hour.

Seeing the horses was what brought us here, and we ended up having a memorable encounter with Joan. The way the animals were treated showed real respect, and the contact with them was extraordinary. Thanks for welcoming us and helping us see horses from another perspective. We'd love to come back. Julia, Régine, and Vicente

We ended up at the stables on Sunday morning and found nobody there. Joana called to apologize and explained that Judit, the instructor who had arranged Sunday's ride, hadn't told her she needed to come. The manager and Joana both said sorry, though neither was responsible. Judit never apologized. We had booked the excursion a month earlier for the afternoon of March 16th and had made clear we were from out of town and had a hotel booked nearby. On Saturday morning, the 16th, Judit tried to cancel because there weren't enough people and it wasn't profitable. We argued that we'd lose the money for our hotel if she canceled so late. She then said, “much to her regret,” she'd still do the ride that afternoon. Two hours before it was due to start, she proposed moving it to Sunday the 17th with another instructor. We agreed to avoid more arguing. We traveled all that way specifically for the activity and booked a hotel, only to be stood up in the end. It felt deliberate.

The staff looked after us really well, and the atmosphere was lovely. I used to think the world of horses and mares was pretty complicated, but they helped us see it as a reflection of relationships between people and animals.