Revised Description of Markree Castle Trail Ride
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Day 2: Riders are driven by Declan to the riding center in Carrowmore. (Hold on and don't look out of the windshield!)
Here in a large indoor ring riders are introduced to their mount for the week. Declan and Michael, the trail guide, spends the next hour or so evaluating the horses and riders and their compatibility. Then the group is taken out to the nearby pastures to test the control of the riders outside. Riders have the option of jumping over some cross-country jumps.
(Ok - here is where things start off ugly. Riders are given a horse - most of who don't like new people, the ring, contact with the bit or each other. Everyone, horses and riders, is shaking. An unexpected noise sets the rodeo in motion. Bucking, rearing, jigging, spinning and cantering off are but a few of the misadventures riders 'face. Declan desperately tries to restore order by commanding us not to canter and to get to the wall. Only a few are able to comply. Once deemed hopeless, Declan gives the order for us to be taken from the barn. We look at each other in panic but follow as lemmings. We naively reassure ourselves that these are professionals and surely this was a prearranged test and we passed! We 're told "Don't worry, the horses are just fresh. They 'II settle down once we 're out of the ring ".
Onto the pasture we go. Envision the scene - an overcast day, a mist floats along the ground and into the horizon. We pass through a stone arch into an almost mystical pasture. Then out of nowhere trot two irate horses whose only mission is to drive us from their territory. They circle us, they taunt us, they kick at us. The scene that erupts makes the ring episode look like a cakewalk. Bucking, rearing, spinning and everyone takes off for the entrance. All but one who stands shaking in terror. Finally, all are through and canter back towards the road.
When asked later Michael says there was a lot of jumping but no jumps. This is just the morning of the first day.)
After a light lunch we go for a 2-hour ride outside.
(Be sure to specify early who in your group has an aversion to mayo and who are the daytime vegetarians. Don't worry, there's always plenty of beer on tap to get you through -you 'II need it!)
This ride takes us through Rathcarrick woods and onto Gibaralter Strand for our first canters on the Atlantic shores.
(These horses feel sand for the first time and want to go. Michael tries in vain to impress upon us the importance of staying single file. Soon we 're off on our third rodeo adventure of the day. No one stays single file, horses kick at each other and chaos reins supreme. Again we 're told things we 'II get better. What an optimist!
We return to our hotel shaken -yet bolstered by the fact that no one fell off. How could things have gone that badly? Are these horses that wild? Did we overestimate our abilities that much? What excuse can we give to avoid going back? How can I keep from crying in front of everyone? Surely today was a test. Start drinking now, it's going to be a long week.)
Day 3:
Riders are once again taken to Carrowmore. We ride to Knocknarea mountain and climb to the summit to the grave of one of Ireland's greatest warriors, Queen Maeve (circa 3500 BC.) From this vantage point one can really appreciate the beauty of this corner of the Emerald Isle.
(UK, mountain is an understatement. Picture straight up, no trees on top, rocks and billy goats - th--"'-what we climb. The panorama at the top is breathtakin we realize we must come down! Michael says they never left anyone up there but he doesn 't specify just HOW thev all get down. Life flight maybe. We take to singing tunes from the Sound of Music. Do-a-deer, a-female-deer... .etc.
Singing becomes a mainstay of the week to calm the nerves. When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom Let it be.
Thank you Paul McCartney)
We have lunch at Strandhill, a seaside surfing village. After dinner, guests are given the option of going to Sligo to have a Guinness in one of our oldest traditional pubs where one is free to join in the sing song.
(Lunch brings the opportunity for another pint, quickly becoming a noontime fa\>ohte. A chance to go to a pub for more beer - can't miss that. Here we have the chance to loosen up the Germans. Drinking -singing-more drinking - what could be better? When they tell you it's time to close - don't beliwe them. Tell Declan vou want to go dancing and he 'II keep the party rolling down the street.)
Day 4
A day off for the horses that worked hard the last few days.
(Timed just right, since it's hard to ride with a hang-over and butt-rubs. Be sure to ask Michael for his opinion on you sweater choices.)
Day5
Have a large breakfast this morning because we don't stop for lunch today. We ride from Carrowmore through Union Forest (a large pine forest) and along old forest paths into Markree Estate. We ride through the castle grounds and to the stables where the horses will spend the night.
(First the thought of no lunch, and worse no pint, was scary. We pack snacks as if we might starve. Then comes the realization that there are no official "rest stops". Oh no - we have to pee in the woods! I seem to be the only one worked up, however, as someone who has been popping laxatives all week like they 're candy, this could present major problems. The Uri funnels are useless in this situation. So much for useful products from the travel catalog.
We master peeing in the woods and staying single file on the horses. We 're much more confident and think that maybe we 'II live through the week. When we ask Michael for an assessment of our progress he 'II only say that the week isn 't over yet. I think he has doubts.)
Day 6
Our ride takes us up Ballygawley Mountain traversing old bog roads once used to bring turf down from the mountain. We pass Lough Lumman, a bottomless lake where one can often see deer grazing. A picnic lunch is taken here where one feels totally isolated from the real world with all its stresses and problems. After lunch our ride takes us through Ballygawley forest and to Carrowmore where the horses speh the night.
(So we start the ride with a story about a Canadian that didn 't follow directions and got sucked onto thebog. Do you think we were told this story because we didn't follow directions on the first day? Thethought of veering off the path has us shaking and canting "Skippy-1 'm scared!" A downed tree presentsanother challenge. "When I find myself in times of trouble...... "
Once past that obstacle we make it up the mountain and to lunch. Beer and candy fortify us for the afternoon. More cantering in preparation for tomorrow. Tonight we spend at the castle. Lots to investigate. I get a little creeped out, but I’m the only one.)
Day 7
Our last day’s ride is spent all on the beaches. We ride all around the knocknarea peninsula from Kellystown to Culleenamore beach alon the strand at Strandhill onto Cumeen Strand across to Carty’s Strand. This is a fantastic day’s ride – very exhilarating and physically challenging.
(Once again we’re met with a story – this time about a Texan that didn’t follow directions and rode off into a canal. There’s no cause for concern at this point. Skippy could be a cult leader and we’d follow him anywhere – hanging on every word. It’s no a coincidence that you’ll canter most of the last day. Not because you are mentally and physically prepared, but because at this point your butt rubs are so bad you can’t sit in the saddle. The sound of “single file” gets us ready.
Exhilarating and physically challenging don’t begin to describe the experience. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, it’s almost a life changing experience. For someone with intermediate skills at best, the completion of this ride is transforming.
Dinner and drinking conclude our stay. Declan and Michael finally fess up what they really thought of us that first day. Not a pretty picture. We’ve come a long way baby. Be sure to pack Prozac because Saturday will bring depression at the thought of leaving this beautiful and magical place. Once here, you’ll want to return. Happy trails until we meet again.
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