No swimming pools, no movie stars
After our hour of morning instruction and hour of hacking through the Irish countryside learning how to get across a variety of natural (and otherwise) obstacles we left for an hour lunch break. Upon returning we were matched up with (sometimes) a different horse for an hour's ride on the flat thru Hollywood.
Hollywood is actually pretty cool, a few hundred acres of Irish farmland that was bought up piecemeal by American finance magnate Peter Lynch. It seems that Peter's wife is a bit of a horse enthusiast and once they and put together this estate she had 5 miles of packed gravel paths carved thru the countryside. As the story goes Peter and his wife showed up at Clonshire one day with a map of the estate and asked for assistance in designing some interesting riding trails. There seems to be an understanding that the trails are open to the public with two limitations. you have to be on horseback and only during the week.
After an hour in the ring and an hour hacking thru the Irish countryside an hour on the flat through an estate that most people only see on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was just what the doctor ordered
Here I am on Rivari with another lady from the riding group in
front of one of the many guest houses that dot the estate.
An immaculately restored Irish farmhouse painted pink
If you look closely you can see the smile on my face.
Rivari seems to be more interested in getting another mouth full of grass.
An afternoon of galloping through the Irish countryside was just what the doctor ordered. In fact we went every afternoon. A good opportunity to get more settled in my canter as we had miles of great footing. And we took advantage of it at every opportunity, thundering thru the countryside, surprising cattle and sheep in adjoining pastures and putting smiles on the faces of the many people tending the grounds.
But as all things do, this hour of thundering thru the Irish countryside, quickly came to an end. we rested the horses by walking the mile or so back to the stables. A couple of young boys (4 and 6 or so) found our daily trek by their driveway highly entertaining. Especially as I always called out to them and insisted they get their own horses and join us.
Soon we are back at the barn. One last impulse and I grab my camera and take shot for those of you who have never been on a horse. So now you now what it looks like.
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