2 Day VIP Horse Riding Holiday in Cusco, Peru

Itinerary

Day 1: Paucarbamba - Urubamba - Yucay - Huayllabamba - Urquillos - Calca

• 08:30 The meeting point for this ride along the haciendas of the Sacred Valley will be at your hotel where the transportation will pick you up and bring you to Hacienda del Chalán, located at Paucarbamba in the heart of the Sacred Valley.
• 09:00 The ride begins by crossing the suspended Paucarbamba bridge and taking a narrow path along the side of the Vilcanota River where you will see the local Inka cemetery and the village of Yanahuara and follow the forest path until arriving at the area where the Ch´aqwar flower grows, not too far from Urubamba.
• The Inka palace of Qespe Wanka is the first complex that you will visit this morning. It is located in the north of Urubamba. The village and farmlands of Chichubamba and the Inka palace of Wayna Qapac located in Yucay will be some of the ingredients of the morning ride.
• 13:00 First lunch in Yucay, one of the most beautiful villages of the valley.
• 14:00 Riding along the side of the river until crossing the Huayllabamba Bridge, where you see really big fields of white corn, a lot of local trees like the tara, Molle, LLaully, etc., and many different kinds of colibri.
• You will pass through Urquillos where you have the opportunity to view different buildings that were built by the Inkas. When the Spanish arrived in this area, they built a second floor on top to use the houses like haciendas.
• 17:00 You arrive at Calca, the place where you expect to eat dinner and spend the night.

Day 2: Calca - Lamay - Macay - Paullo Grande - Qoya - Taray

• 08:30 Breakfast
• 09:30 Your vehicle will bring you to a nice hot spring complex, located some kilometers up in the mountains on the way to the snow covered mountain of “Pitusiray”.
• 13:00 Lunch in one of the most traditional restaurants in Calca
• 14:00 The last part of your ride includes four different old buildings that used to be the best and biggest haciendas from the Sacred Valley, some of them lost in memories, one still in use. The latter is perhaps the most preserved hacienda that still continues growing big fields of white corn, “Sara Pampa”.
• 17:30 You arrive at the colonial town of Taray and say goodbye to your horses and the riding team because you will have a goodbye dinner there.
• 19:30 Your vehicle will pick you up and bring you to your hotel.

Rating your horseback riding ability

This horse riding holiday is recommended for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced rider. This is a critically important first step in choosing a riding tour. For most of the multi-day riding trips, you must have a good knowledge of the basics and some experience in riding cross-country. The tour guide has full authority to exclude a rider from a trip for inability to ride or behavior that endangers the other riders or the horses. No refunds will be made under these circumstances.

If you wish to participate in a ride that requires experience beyond your current ability, please contact Hacienda del Chalán to learn about lessons at the ranch. They can teach you the fundamentals of the classic Peruvian equitation. It may be possible to increase your comfort level and skill to a level that will allow you to participate in one of the rides.

• Beginner: A rider who has limited experience, is unable to apply basic aids, and does not have a firm and balanced seat
• Novice: A rider who is capable of mounting and dismounting unassisted, capable of applying basic aids, and comfortable and in control at the walk
• Intermediate: A rider who has a firm and balanced seat, is confident and in control at all paces, but does not ride regularly
• Strong intermediate: An intermediate rider who is currently riding regularly and comfortable in the saddle for at least six hours per day
• Advanced: All of the above, plus an independent seat, soft hands, and capable of handling a spirited horse in open country

The Peruvian Paso Horse

Luxury may be the best single word in English to describe the Peruvian Paso Horse. There is something for everyone in this elegant animal: smooth riding comfort, high energy, straight, stamina, intelligence, a tractable disposition, animated, flashy presence, and 100% natural action which sets the Peruvian apart from others.

The Peruvian Horse is the world’s greatest riding horse, smooth to ride, beautiful to behold, and incredible brio - all traits that enable transportation. Peruvian Horse excels in many aspects of pleasure riding: trail, competitive trail competition, team penning, sidesaddle, drill teams, musical exercise, and showing.

Physically, the Peruvian Horse is a horse of medium size and with a refinement. Ideal height is 14 hands tall, with good balance and almost even rations of girth, leg, and back. He may be any color. The coat and skin are refined and the mane is long and abundant with fine, lustrous hair. Bone is refined but dense in all aspects, overall refinement, grace, and elegance is desired. Stallions exhibit the powerful arched neck and crest of their Iberian ancestors. Peruvian Horse breeders pay scrupulous attention to genetics, with the three primary qualities being gait, soundness, and disposition.

A breed apart

The Peruvian Paso Horse transmits its unique smooth gait to its purebred foals. No artificial devices or special training aids are necessary to enable the horse to perform its specialty - a natural four - beat footfall of medium speed that provides a ride of incomparable smoothness and harmony of movement along with the utmost ground covering ability within on sequence of footfalls. This signature gait is called “Paso Llano” and it is 100% unique to the Peruvian Horse.

In addition to an easy gait, the Peruvian Horse has a brilliant front action movement typified the upward lifting of the front legs combined with “término”, an outward movement of the front legs similar to the loose rolling of a swimmer’s arms doing the crawl. Lift and término are 100% natural.

Fluid, effortless, and well integrated within the gait sequence. Of all of the traits that distinguish the Peruvian Horse, his tremendous “Brío” is perhaps the most prized by both expert and novice horse people alike. Brío is an inherent quality of a noble and willing spirit that enables this tractable horse to perform tirelessly for many hours in the service of his rider.

Tack of the Peruvian Horse

The traditional tack of the Peruvian Horse has remained true to his heritage but they may be ridden in any type of tack that fits properly. The headgear, saddle, stirrups, and “guarniciones” (trailer) used today in shows are the traditional equipment imported from Peru where it has evolved over hundreds of years. Although many people choose to show their horses in traditional tack, any style may be used and of course, on the trail, anything goes!

During this holiday, you will visit Paucarbamba, Urubamba, Yucay, Huayllabamba, Urquillos, Calca, Lamay, Macay, Paullo Grande, Qoya, and Taray in Peru.

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You will be served one breakfast, two lunches, and two dinners. Vegetarian food is available upon request.

• 2 riding days
• Visiting Macaha Kancha hot springs
• A tour to the Inka palace of Qespe Wanka
• Service of professional English speaking tour guide / experienced rider and nurse
• Entrance tickets for the Macaha Kancha hot springs
• Well-groomed Peruvian Paso Horse
• First aid kit and oxygen bottle for participants and the camp staff
• Helmet and assistance vehicle
• Transfer from / to the Sacred Valley
• 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners
• Plenty of drinking water during the rides only
• Snacks (water, chocolate, and fruit)
• 1 night's accommodation

• Private round-trip transfer to the ranch (can be organized and additional service)
• Alcoholic drinks
• Hotel
• Tips for guide and camp staff

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 40% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.