Frequently Asked Questions
- How many people do you take on a trek?
We take between 2-6 riders.
- Do you have a weight limit for riders?
200 lbs or 90 kilos
- Will you be transporting our luggage to each night’s location?
Yes, the back up vehicle will meet us each night along the trek route.
- Do you provide saddle bags?
Yes, we provide you with small saddle bags. You should bring large ziplock baggies to pack your things in to line the saddle bags.
- How long are the daily rides during the trek (as we prepare, how many hours a day do we need to train for?)
Each of the three treks vary:
For the Rainforest Trek: All of the days except for 2 are between 4-5 hours in the saddle, day 2, expect about 6 hours in the saddle. We take breaks to get off the horse for a meal of other activities about every 2 hours throughout the day. And day 3 is a rest day in with no riding.
For the Jungle/River Trek: The hours in the saddle average around 6 per day with some shorter and some a little longer. There are regular rest stops about every 2 hours. There is no rest day.
For the Nycoya Eco/Beach Trek: All of the days except one have 3 to 4 hours in the saddle. One day has 6 hours of easy riding. All the days include rest stops every two to three hours. The 5th day is a rest day when you can play in the ocean with your horse or try some bareback riding.
- What kind of saddles do you use? Looking at the pictures it looks like a mix of Australian and Western. Any English?
The saddles are styled after the McClellan saddle used in the American civil war. They are the standard working saddle used here in Costa Rica. They are a little different than the originals in that they have more padding and better fenders. Some have horns and some have an arched pommel.
English saddles are not recommended for extended riding periods as they do not distribute the rider’s weight as evenly as the western style. If you require an English saddle we can provide you with one.
We also have a few western style saddle.
- I usually ride with a saddle pad (for the seat of the saddle), should I bring it? Will it fit your saddles?
If you are used to using a saddle pad or if you are worried about riding in a saddle that is new for you go ahead and bring your pad. We will make the necessary adaptations to get it to fit our saddles.
- I just bought a new pommel pack. Will it fit your saddle?
It depends on the type of pommel pack it is. We cannot guarantee that you will have a saddle with a horn but we will try to make the necessary adaptations needed to make it work for your saddle. We also offer a type of Costa Rican style pommel pack that will fit any of our saddles that you can either borrow or purchase.
- Are helmets required?
No, helmets are not required although they are recommended especially on the more challenging Jungle/River Trek
- Can you provide riding helmets?
We have about 6 to choose from but I suggest that if you can, you should bring your own to insure a perfect fit. We offer to buy your used helmet when you leave.
- What about parelli sticks/strings – and lines?
We have carrot sticks and savvy strings and Parelli halters with 12 foot lines and 22 foot lines. If you have used equipment that you would like to bring down to donate or sell please do.
- In other words – do we need to bring anything other than riding clothes/boots and cameras?
I will send you a suggested packing list with your balance due invoice about 3 months before the event.
- Accommodations – I see that at the farm there are rooms with private baths and shared baths. What about during the trek to the beach?
This varies depending on the trek:
On the Rainforest Trek: It is difficult to have a private bath every night of the trek since some of the nights we will be staying with families in their homes. Private bath is an option only on the last night of the trek while we are at the beach hotel.
On the Jungle/River Trek: Private bath is an option only during the last two nights of the trek while we are at the beach hotel.
On the Nicoya Eco/Beach Trek: Private bath is available every night except for the one spent with the “Tico” family. There may be an extra charge for a private bath.
Barking Horse Farm 