Millón Q Caballos

By far the best connection I made during my three-month stay here was with the owner of a huge finca with 50 horses. Kelly and I happened upon the farm one day while taking a walk on the outskirts of town. After a short chat with the security guard (who we discovered is the host father of another volunteer), we were met at the gate by the head horse trainer. Within minutes I was on the phone with the owner negotiating a price to ride his horses. Now, I am always excited about the opportunity to ride a horse, but the thing is, these aren’t just any horses. They are Andalusians flown in from Spain, bred and trained for competition, and worth more than one million Quetzales each (over $130,000). Moreover, the owner had never let anyone besides his trainers ride his horses before we arrived.

For a mere 70Q apiece (less than $10), the trainer took Kelly and I for over an hour ride on trails through the property. The trails passed through forests, avocado orchards, and fields of flowers for export. It was gorgeous and exhilarating galloping through the hillsides on an absolutely amazing horse.

Today is my final day in town, and I went out for one last ride before leaving (hopefully not last overall—I have the security guard’s number to call to set up more rides when I am back in the area). Despite getting caught in a downpour, the ride was just as exciting as the first. At one point, we climbed straight up a hillside on a trial no wider than the horse. (After that my horse was very much ready to buck me.) My goal now is to convince the owner to loan me one of his Andalusians for two years…not very probable, but worth a try.