Conquer Mexico on horseback

Mexico, that great country located south of the United States, has a geography that invites you to live great adventures on horseback. Its great variety of landscapes offers a range of opportunities to any rider who wants to enjoy a vacation on horseback.

In this article we are going to discover different equestrian routes that are taken on Mexican ranches.

The importance of the horse in Mexico

You really can't talk about the history of Mexico without thinking about horses.

The first horses set foot on American soil in 1493 during one of Christopher Columbus' expeditions to the continent. Later, Hernán Cortés brought with him 19 horses, which set foot on Mexican soil on April 21, 1519.

These horses gave rise to the Mexican Criollo horse, a horse very similar to the North American Mustangs and the South American Criollos.

In the 20th century, from 1920 onwards, the Quarter Horse, a horse of American origin, arrived in Mexico, becoming the majority equine population and leaving Mexico without a horse with its own identity.

It was from 1969 onwards that Antonio Ariza began to breed the Azteca horse, which would be a truly Mexican breed.

The Azteca was created from the Andalusian stallion Hilandero, born in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), and an American Quarter Horse mare. The first Azteca stallion, named Casarejo, was the progenitor of this breed and currently most Aztecas have his blood.

Equestrian Tourism Suppliers in Mexico

Mexico offers a complete tourist infrastructure that guarantees a comfortable and safe stay. There are many Mexican ranches that offer the opportunity to discover these lands on horseback.

In this article we are going to look at what three of these ranches have to offer.

Rancho Las Cascadas

Located about 100 km north of Mexico City, high up in the mountainous plains. It offers unlimited guided trails and horseback riding routes in the open countryside for all levels.

Majestic mountains, open fields, peaceful lakes, waterfalls and lush views are waiting for you. No artist could paint a more perfect landscape.

The beginnings of the Ranch

Its owner, Uschi Wiprächtiger, was born in Switzerland. In love with horses since she was a child, she used to help out in the stables in exchange for being able to go horse riding.

She worked in the tourism sector in different countries until she found a job in a travel agency in Mexico, where she ended up looking for a plot of land on which to build her new home, 20 years ago now.

He then decided to turn it into a guest house where he could offer horse riding trips and a place to enjoy the beautiful local scenery.

Currently, it not only offers horse riding routes to its guests, but also an incredible variety of ranch services and activities.

What awaits you at Rancho Las Cascadas?

Your Horse Riding Vacation package will include everything you need to forget about the rest of the world.

You will enjoy 3 home-cooked meals a day, afternoon tea, open bar, infinity pool, wellness classes and much more.

They cook with the best local ingredients. Their innovative, authentic Mexican chefs prepare healthy regional meals. In keeping with the ranch tradition, meals are served family-style.

And after enjoying a horse ride and other ranch activities, you can retire to your room to rest.

The rooms at the ranch combine comfort and class with an authentic local atmosphere. Each room is designed to reflect the vitality and color of Mexican life.

Their Horse Riding Programs

Due to the vast and varied terrain, all of their horseback rides are guided by their expert wranglers. However, you will be able to put your riding skills to the test once they see that you can ride your horse with skill at the Ranch.

You can choose from over 30 different half-day and full-day trails.

Each night, the team of guides organizes the appropriate equestrian route for the following day with all the guests, taking into account the level of riding and physical condition. Maximum of 8 riders per wrangler.

The rides are adapted to all levels of riding. While the less experienced riders will go out with a personal guide to ensure that everyone has the best experience, the more advanced riders will be able to enjoy faster rides.

You can ride for between 1 and 6 hours a day and choose a different horse and trail each day.

And if you prefer a more structured vacation on horseback, they will personalize a riding itinerary that adapts to your riding ability and your preferences.

Their horses

They have Criollo, Aztec and Quarter Horses, all carefully selected and trained to be the perfect companions for their guests.

The strong resistance of the Criollo horses makes them very suitable for traveling long distances through rough terrain, ideal for exploring the Mexican highlands.

Quarter Horses are calm and gentle and have a stable temperament. They are perfect for beginners.

Finally, the Aztec horse is a quick learner, easy to train and needs very little guidance from its riders once it understands its job.

In short, if you are looking for a place where you can enjoy spectacular scenery, discover Mexican culture and cuisine and go horse riding in a relaxed environment far from the madding crowd, this is the place for you.

For more information, visit their website: https://es.rancholascascadas.com/

Tierra Chamahua Eco Adventures

From Rancho Los Baños, the Tierra Chamahua Eco Adventures team offers the chance to enjoy great adventures and outdoor activities, as well as rest and relax at the ranch.

This ranch is located in the northeast of Sonora, Mexico, just 55 miles from the city of Douglas. It covers 30,000 acres, at the foot of the Sierra Madre, the Mexican Rocky Mountains.

It is located between the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts.

The origins of the ranch

The Valenzuela family, pioneers in cattle ranching in northeastern Sonora since the beginning of the 20th century, has been the owner and operator of the ranch since the early 1950s.

Originally from Andalusia (Spain), they emigrated in the mid-1600s to northeastern Sonora, where they built the Ranch. It is now in its third generation, the last one having been raised and educated in the United States.

The family's deeply rooted belief in living with nature and not at its expense has helped to preserve this enchanting land in the same way it has been for thousands of years.

Accommodation at El Rancho

They have five well-equipped, detached cottages offering comfort, space and privacy, each with a private bathroom, hot water for the showers, solar electricity and plenty of natural light.

Spacious and comfortable, these casitas are scattered throughout the main ranch hacienda.

Each one of them gives us wonderful views of the surrounding peaks, cliffs and mountains, and has been built into our unique desert ecosystem, incorporating mature mesquite trees and shrubs to provide privacy, shade and a true desert environment.

Horseback riding at Rancho Los Baños

Here you will find mountains, valleys, cliffs and canyons. Wide open spaces for you to discover on horseback.

You will enjoy the remote and rugged landscapes with horseback rides through the countryside. Hours of fun-filled adventures await you, isolated from it all and surrounded by pure nature.

Riding at Los Baños Ranch is a real experience.

You will join old and new school Mexican cowboys and American wranglers in an environment that has nothing to do with typical tourist ranches.

You will become a cowboy, discovering the land and its majesty, deciphering its secrets, observing the wildlife, herding and driving the cattle home.

Their horses are extremely safe and lovely to ride.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced rider, its 80 miles of dirt roads and hundreds of miles of trails with breathtaking views await you with challenges along the way.

Most rides start in the morning, after breakfast, and last approximately 5 to 6 hours, or less if you wish. During the trail ride, there are stops to rest, eat and take photographs.

What kind of riding can be done on the ranch?

The 30,000 acres of the ranch cover very rugged, rocky, uneven and vertical terrain. Therefore, opportunities for galloping or trotting are small or non-existent.

Furthermore, the diverse and sometimes thick desert vegetation makes it difficult to ride fast. However, many of its trails present riders with a set of challenges not offered on other ranches.

You can ride your horse up hills through narrow passages, descend through ravines and along steep trails towards box canyons or climb rocky cliffs.

If you enjoy dodging boulders and large rocks, or avoiding trees and bushes, and working in sync with your horse, this ranch may offer what you are looking for.

Historic sites along the trail rides

On the ranch, you can also visit numerous historical locations, for example, an abandoned 17th-century Jesuit gold mine at 6,000 feet with views that stretch for miles], called San José, where many Native American slaves perished.

Deep in an oak forest, a canyon filled with canopy, at the foot of El Pinito mountain, at 7,500 feet, riders also visit the remains of a 19th-century bandit camp where American and Mexican outlaws went to kill each other, the Wild West did not end at the border.

You can visit the 2,000-year-old pre-Columbian dwellings, full of pictographs, inside the El Cajon canyon.

And they will also show you the 20-mile-long lake and its dam, built during the Great Depression by the same architects and engineers who built the Hoover Dam.

If you want to know more about them, their horses or the main features of their routes, visit them at https://www.tierrachamahuaecoadventures.com/home.html

Rancho El Charro

This family-owned horse ranch is located in Puerto Vallarta, in the Sierra Madre mountains and very close to the city.

Pam, its owner, came to Mexico more than fifty years ago as a tourist. She fell in love with Puerto Vallarta and its people, and decided to set up an equestrian center with a couple of horses.

Their guides are experienced wranglers who love to share their knowledge of the historic town, the tropical plants and the wildlife of the area.

Their equestrian activities

They offer horse riding routes for all ages and for all levels of riding.

These are their horse riding options:

Horse riding through the rainforest: This 3-hour horse ride is ideal for those who want to relax and enjoy the sound of the river. Your horse will guide you upstream along the riverbanks, where you will eventually find a path into the forest until you reach a small waterfall hidden among towering trees.
Horseback ride to the mountain waterfall: A 5-hour horseback trail where you will climb to the top of the mountain to enjoy panoramic views of the bay. Then you will descend through the lush jungle to the hidden waterfall.
Wild Ride: A trip through the mountains for experienced riders, where you will gallop for stretches before descending along the Devil's Path. This route lasts 5 hours.