What to bring for horseback rides
Here is a list of what to bring for horseback riding holidays, split up into day rides, daytime for a camping ride, night-time for a camping ride. This will obviously vary a little according to time of year. January and February are usually hot and not very cold at night, just crisp, March and April are often mild but can be colder, as can the weather in November and December. It is worth having good warm clothes in September, October or May. We do not often camp in winter, although day rides are wonderfully beautiful then.
1. A day ride into the Andes near Santiago
A LONG SLEEVED COTTON SHIRT,
JEANS OR EQUIVALENT,
TRAINERS OR BOOTS,
SUN BLOCK AND HAT.
We can lend some hats
Gloves are sometimes good for riding, so are chaps, but not essential. We provide you with water in summer but you may wish to bring your own as well.
Please, no large bags of kit. We provide you with a saddle bag which will take water and camera and sun block. If the weather is cool bring a fleece or jersey and we will decide before leaving what you need. The weather is usually very settled and we know in advance if it will be cold or wet.
What to bring for horseback rides: Day kit for long rides with camping
The main thing is don’t bring too much. Non- ride clothes can be left safe keeping below. For the ride itself, it is easy to wash clothes in the river water – we stop by a river every night – and they dry in half an hour. So Travel Wash rather than items of clothing. Try to organise that one brings shampoo and one Travel wash etc. Don’t all bring everything. It all has to be carried on mules and an extra mule is expensive!
Having said that, it is good to have 1 full change, including trousers. It is more comfortable to change out of riding clothes at night, and if you get wet for some reason.
For the actual ride, during the day:
Hat with wide brim and chin strap – it is windy. We can lend a few, but those who have them, please bring.
We can lend helmets if you prefer
Wrap around sunglasses
Penknife is useful if you have one, but not essential
Long sleeved shirt over t-shirt for riding
Jodhpurs are the most comfortable but jeans will do. Second pair of trousers/skirt for evenings (not to dress up! Just to get out of sweaty clothes)
For a long ride, some people bring padded bicycling shorts to wear under trousers or Jodhs
Chaps, not essential but add to comfort
Gloves. Your hands can get dry and cracked
Scarf for neck and dust
Water bottle
Highest block factor suncream that you can buy. Also lip stuff
Footwear: trainers or walking boots
Lightweight waterproof jacket or cape if you have one. Not usually necessary but there are occasional freak storms.
We will provide saddle bags for water bottle, camera and jersey or fleece
For the evening and night – suggest
TORCH – the head torches are excellent
Thermal underwear including longjohns (for high rides or in spring or autumn)
A good jersey
A thick fleece and/or a down-type jacket
A woolly hat and scarf
(I feel the cold a lot and usually wear at night a vest and longjohns, a thick shirt, a cashmere jersey, a fleece and a down jacket, hat and scarf. But in fact it often isn’t that cold especially in January February when it can be very mild even at night.)
A top grade sleeping bag and even a liner if you can borrow one in months other than January and February when the nights are not very cold and less is ok. We can rent sleeping bags to you and one or 2 liners for those who feel the cold, also a spare blanket to each
A thermarest type mattress. We can rent uyouon ewith the sleeping bag.
It is ok to bring a hot water bottle (not necessary in Jan or Feb.)
A towel – camping style if poss
Usual washing things/toiletries, but please not too much. Washing is in a little stream.
General
In early summer the bathing is magnificent but icy. Later on there is less water, especially in the drought years that we are experiencing. Bring bathing togs and flipflops or jelly shoes.
We will provide beer, wine but it’s fine to bring some whiskey or whatever you fancy, to boost the alchohol levels in the evening.
Soft bag for loading on mules if poss – not a hardbacked wheelie or anything. 2 small bags better than one large, but either is ok. Doesn’t matter if the sleeping bags / thermarests are separate items.