BARKING HORSE FARM

Explore Costa Rica on Happy, Healthy, Horses, Trained in Parelli Natural Horsemanship!

WWW.BARKINGHORSEFARM.COM
for all the information you need to plan your next Parelli horseback riding vacation with us or scroll down for the latest event postings and stories from the farm.


Sunday, October 24, 2010

Horseback Riding Trek Through the Mountains of Costa Rica

Ride with us on a 7 day trek
through the breathtaking mountains of
 Puriscal, Costa Rica
for the super low price of $1000 US
  • Marvel at the breathtaking views as you and your horse climb the heights of rugged mountains
  • Learn about local history as you follow abandoned ox cart roads
  • Bird watch as you ride through vibrant tropical rainforests
  • Discover how pineapples and bananas grow as you traverse private farms.
  • Hike through virgin rainforest at La Cangreja National Park
  • Descend into the Scarlet Macaw Corridor and visit two pristine waterfalls.
  • Experience Costa Rican hospitality and cuisine.


    Hear what folks said about our most recent trek:
    “Thank you for such a wonderful trek!”
    “I will never forget our experiences!”
    “Your confidence and leadership throughout the trip was very reassuring.”
    “We had such an incredible time and stories that will last a lifetime!”

     Click here for a detailed itinerary  
7 Days for only $1,000 US

Price includes airport pick up, 6 nights lodging and all meals, horses, equipment and bilingual guides.

Does not include transport back to the airport or to your next destination in Costa Rica, alcoholic beverages
 or fees for optional activites such as park, tour, or spa entrances.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

 Costa Rica Horseback Trek to the Beach & Parelli Workshop with David Lichman  
January 2-9, 2011

5 Star Parelli Professional David Lichman will be coming to Costa Rica for a two day workshop Jan 8th & 9th. The workshop will be held at Esterillos Este, one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Barking Horse Farm is organizing this workshop to coincide with a 5 day horseback riding trek from the mountains to the beach, arriving in time for the workshop. Experienced riders will love our healthy, responsive horses trained with Parelli Natural Horsemanship Techniques. Study with David for two days with the horse that you have bonded with over the course of the week long trek.
• marvel at the breathtaking views as you and your horse climb the heights of rugged mountains
• learn about local history as you follow abandoned ox cart roads
• bird watch as you ride through vibrant tropical rainforests
• discover how pineapples and bananas grow as you traverse private farms
• gallop down nearly deserted beaches and play with your horse in the ocean
• experience true Costa Rican hospitality and local cuisine

For a detailed itinerary of this trek visit http://www.barkinghorsefarm.com/
For more information about David’s workshop and to make a reservation contact



What a way to start the New Year!


As one of Pat Parelli's top rated instructors - David has traveled all over the world helping people to get extraordinary results with horses. Teaching Pat's system has taken him from Vancouver to Virginia and from Hawaii to Heidelberg. He has handled thousands of horses at hundreds of clinics, from every breed and discipline 
Prices for 5 day Trek, David's Workshop with your choice of Accommodations at Esterillos Este

The cottages are large with a loft, air conditioning, and fans. They surround a pool in the center of a one acre property on the Pacific Ocean. The hotel provides a complimentary breakfast and is located a short walk to the facility where David will hold his workshop.
The price for the Trek, David’s workshop, and three nights’ accommodations at this hotel is:
$1,510



Surrounded by lush grounds, Costa Rica's newest boutique hotel on the Central Pacific Coast offers oceanfront rooms, an international restaurant with a complimentary breakfast, beach front amphitheater, art collections, private terrace dinners, beach bon fires, and more. In room amenities include: King size beds, private terraces, phones, hot water and satellite TV. Within walking distance of the facility where David will hold his workshop.

The price for the Trek, David’s workshop, and three nights’ accommodations at this hotel is:

$1,760




Spacious private villas all feature a large terrace from which to enjoy panoramic views of
the Pacific Ocean or lush tropical gardens, private walled-gardens, sitting area, mini-bar, air
conditioning plus fan and luxury amenities such as hair dryer and CD player. The generous
bathrooms feature a mosaic-tiled shower that opens to a private garden. The open-air thatched palm roof pavilion restaurant and bar provides a complimentary breakfast. A short walk from the facility where David will hold his workshop.

The price for the Trek, David’s workshop, and three nights’ accommodation at this hotel is:

$2,180



Trek alone costs $1,100 and includes airport pick up at Costa Rica’s SJO airport, one night’s lodging at Barking Horse Farm, all meals and lodging during the trek and one night’s accommodation at Encantada Ocean Cottages.

Two days of Workshop with David costs $300

Prices include all meals except for those at the hotel in Esterillos Este.
Use of Barking Horse Farm’s Horses for David’s workshop is complimentary.
Transport back to SJO airport $100 for up to five in transport.

 
To reserve your space contact us at barkinghorsefarm@gmail.com

Sunday, September 26, 2010

7 Day Costa Rica Horseback Trek and Parelli Natural Horsemanship Workshop, Jan 1-9, 2011

5 Star Parelli Professional, David Lichman, will be teaching a Parelli Natural Horsemanship workshop at Play Esterios Este, one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches on Cosa Rica's Pacific coast. Join Barking Horse Farm on a 7 day horseback riding trek through the mountains of Puriscal county, by the national park La Cangreja, to arrive at the beach just in time for David's workshop. This is a great way to experience the nature and people of Costa Rica and learn transferable skills playing the Parelli games with the horse that you have bonded with over the previous week of trekking.
Visit Barking Horse Farm's Official site for all the details.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Parelli horseback riding trips in Costa Rica

Check out our newest offers on trail riding, week-long trips to the beach, countless cultural excursions or nature rides! We will soon start posting the latest news on new trips, plans and happenings on the horse trails of Costa Rica here at Horseback Riding Treks Blog.

If you want to recieve the freshest news and latest post on upcoming trail rides, subscribe to our RSS feed or recieve updates via email!

Also, check out the website of Barking Horse Farm, our home and center of operation.

You can find us on Facebook, too! See you soon in the wilderness of Costa Rica...

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Ride through the Spectacular Costa Rican Mountains and Rich Tropical Rain Forest to the Beautiful Pacific Coast Beaches


For reservations contact: barkinghorsefarm@gmail.com
Day 1: Pick up from SJO airport and drive for one hour to Santiago de Puriscal nestled in the mountains above the bustling and crowded central valley of San Jose. Arriving at the Barking Horse Farm let freshly made juices and delicious vegetarian cuisine help you rest, relax and recover from your flight. Learn first hand about the principles of sustainability by experiencing a day in the life of our family farm.

For detailed information about the farm and more information and photos of this trek visit:
http://www.barkinghorsefarm.com/


If you arrive early there are rivers and waterfalls nearby to explore.

On this day you will also meet your horse. We take the time to assure a good match between horse, rider and equipment. You will try them out in the ring to assure a perfect match for the journey.
This is also when we can examine detailed maps of the route, discuss the trip and answer any questions that the riders might have
.

Day 2:
Leave the farm and travel through mountainous farm land. Ride through fields of sugar cane and visit a traditional "trapiche" which is where brown sugar is made. This is an age old practice of extracting the juice from the sugarcane with a large press and boiling it for many hours in cauldrons until enough liquid is evaporated to produce a delicious brown sugar
.
Traveling through a private farm we climb to 3600 feet where on a clear day you can see the ocean in the far distance. From this vantage point we begin to descend through villages stopping for lunch in the small town of Perdonal.

Continuing on after lunch to the settlement of Candelarita where we will spend the night with a rural family. Here you will have the opportunity to experience true Costa Rican hospitality. Our bilingual guide will be present to facilitate a rich cultural exchange.
 

Day 3:
In the morning we start out early heading towards the rainforest of Mastatal.

The terrain is rugged, ascending and descending through the steep mountains.

crossing rivers and passing cascades and small waterfalls along the way.


We have lunch with a rural farming family. Every one loves having lunch with Betty and her family. She will teach you how to make hand made tortillas while she cooks lunch over the wood stove. Lunch always includes her home made cheeses.


We arrive in the evening at Villas Mastatal http://www.villasmastatalcr.com/

This Costa Rican family run guest house is located at the base of La Cangreja National Park www.lacangreja.com/ingles. They offer a variety of tours through the park and to nearby waterfalls.


Day 4 Is a day of rest for the horses and a day of fun for us. Here in the last virgin rainforest of Puriscal County we can discover the beauty of the La Cangreja National Park. Take a walk through 500 acres of unspoilt jungle, along the well groomed trails, past towering trees, lush jungle and rushing rivers.

 
Or we can visit Rancho Mastatal, http://www.ranchomastatal.com/, an environmental learning and sustainable living center. Take a walk around and admire their lovely and innovative buildings made from renewable rainforest resources.


Or visit Iguana Chocolate,
http://www.iguanachocolate.com/, a family run chocolate farm. See how cocoa beans are processed to make rich dark chocolate. Take some samples to nibble on during the ride!


Day 5 We enjoy an easy day riding along country roads that rim the valley of the Scarlet Macaw Corridor. We are heading to the town of Salitrales, at the very head of the Corridor.



Here we will stay the night in the home of our guide Eduardo Sandi and his family.


Day 6 Is a special day as we descend into the Scarlet Macaw Corridor framed by the National Parks of Carara to the south and La Cangreja to the north. We will be traversing private farms on trails cut by hand out of the mountians by our guide Eduardo. We will visit two pristine waterfalls. Far from the main roads and towns you will be awed by the astounding beauty of the Costa Rican wilderness.





That night we will treat ouselves to a little luxury. The jungle retreat center, VerdEnergia will provide us with comfortable, artistic rooms and great wholesome meals. You may choose to cool off from the tropical heat in their swimming pool. Visit
http://www.verdenergia.com/ for more information on their environmentally friendly projects
.
Day 7:
The ride takes us onward through rolling hills and tropical rain forest. We cross many small rivers where the horses enjoy a refreshing drink. The climate is warmer and more humid. Along the way macaws are spotted and tropical flowers and butterflies are in abundance.

We spend the night with an elderly widow who has supported herself for years providing meals and lodging for traveling salesman. She is a wonderfull cook and a fun hostess with lots of stories to tell.

Day 8:
Finds us following the route of the Rio Tulin to the sea.
We ride right up to our ocean front hotel The Pelican Beach Hotel
http://www.pelicanbeachfronthotel.com/


Day 9: ride the horses along the beach and play with them in the surf!


From here riders can continue their Costa Rican adventure or take a shuttle to SJO international airport which is about 2 hours away.

Cost for this spectacular ride is $200 per day per person.