Morocco: Horses, Dunes and Nomads

Needless to say, we were all very excited to meet the horses. Abdel took the time to sit with us to find out about our experience and expectations, and quickly matched everyone to their assigned horse for the week. All the horses were stallions but were perfect gentlemen with impeccable ground manners. They have a few geldings for less confident riders but not on that particular ride. Abdel and the riding team put a lot of work and love in each horse and it really shows. My horse was Tissir (which means “luck”), a handsome bay chap who loved his cuddles (and his food – we were a match made in heaven). Some horses are more forward and playful than others, with a great mix of personalities for the intermediate to the confident rider.  They were in excellent physical and mental condition, ridden in GP saddles and snaffle bits. Everyone got along well with their horses after a day of adjusting to their personalities and “finding the right buttons”.  I absolutely loved Tissir and I personally feel like I have learned a lot from him. I definitely got back from this ride a better, more confident rider.

On the first day, we got the opportunity to try our horses at the walk, trot and canter individually before we set off. The first ride only lasted two hours and we quickly realised that the horses were quite forward - and possibly a bit cheeky - without being naughty or unstoppable. Throughout the week, the main pace of the ride was at a walk due to the nature of the terrain (across sand dunes or rocky paths, especially on the first two days), but we had some beautiful opportunities for long trots and canters whenever the ground was suitable. On a few occasions, we pushed them into a flat-out gallop and raced against each other.  Abdel was always very mindful of the terrain and took no risks, but he very quickly assessed the average level of the group and tailored the riding to our expectations. We had some unforgettable gallops and some more relaxed canters along sandy tracks and over vast plateaus, rode across beautiful sand dunes and into dry riverbeds. Every day was different and interesting in its own way. We did not see a road until the very last day and I felt like the outside world could not be any farther away.

Accommodation on this ride is in lovely desert inns and riads. The standards were extremely good, some were more simple than others but all were very comfortable and clean. The food was traditional (couscous, tajines, salads, fruit), always tasty and freshly prepared. My favourite place was definitely the riad on the second day of the ride, perched on a hill with the most gorgeous views I had seen in a long time. Sitting there with my fellow riders, enjoying traditional tea and pastries with the setting sun was a magical experience. We had dinner under the stars that night, sharing a beautiful meal and getting to know each other after an exhilarating start of the ride. The local team even put up an impromptu concert for us and we all sang along merrily enough to the latest hits of “Justin Berber” (pun intended), helped only a little by the wine Fiona and Candy brought with them!