From Puerto Natales to Rio Serrano by Horse

So…I’m adding another type of transportation to my list of –

Bicycles

Feet

Buses

Rickshaws

Tuk-tuks

Motorbikes

Boats

And now…Horses

On Thursday of last week I rode “Clos” the horse 90km (55 miles) from Puerto Natales up to Rio Serrano where I am currently living/working.  It was quite the journey!  I left the city center at 8am, passing kids on their way to school, tourists taking my picture along the oceanfront, and all the major busses headed out to the park for the day.  The first few hours were great.  I rode along the grassy edge of the road, played tag with some cyclist that I would pass and then they would pass me, and roe  some local landmarks such as “Cueva Milodon” and “Silla del Diablo” (one a cave they found a mammoth-like skeleton in, the other a rock formation that looks like a giant chair). 

However, as the day wore on, and there became less grass to ride on and more “camino de ripio” – hard-packed gravel road – I became more and more worried about Clos’ hooves.  I had asked several people before I left town if it was OK to only have his front hooves shod.  They all said, “Oh, that’s fine.  That’s all you need.  Don’t worry about it.”  But it was not fine, and I should’ve got win my instinct to have all four hooves with shoes. 

Makeshift horseshoe

Kilometer after kilometer not only was Clos getting more tired, his back feet were also getting more sensitive.  In an effort to arrive with a horse, and not a lame animal that needed recuperation for several weeks up to a month, I had to proceed very slowly.  I walked most of the way, trotting on occasion, and stopping several times to take Clos’ saddle off to give his back a break and let him snack for 15-20 minutes.  I even pulled his bridle off several times and simply got off and walked alongside him for nearly 10km.  About 20km from the house, I ran into a broken down truck.  Desperate to save the horses’ hooves, I asked if they had any duct tape, to make an improvised horseshoe.  They indeed had duct tape, and also an old inner tube.  I cut out some horse-shaped rubber shoes, and duct taped the rubber to the horse’s hooves, in an effort to save his hooves as much as I could in the final stretch of the day.

As dusk came, and went, and became night, I arrived at Mirador Rio Serrano, about 2km from the estancia.  I was so relieved to see Rio Serrano and Rio Grey spread out before me, winding through the yellow pampa, now sprinkled with lights from the hotels, and lights coming from the end of the field where I was headed.  I finally arrived back with the Astorga family at 11pm – 15 hours after leaving Puerto Natales.  I was exhausted.  The horse was exhausted.  I pulled his saddle off and turned him out to pasture, praying I would still have the animal in the morning.  It was with great relief that I woke up with a start at 7am to see him peacefully grazing outside the window with another horse.  I fell back to sleep for several more hours, and woke up with my whole body aching from so many hours in the saddle.  Thankfully, Clos is doing great, and after several days of pure rest (i.e. fresh pasture grass and as much water as he wants to drink) he is back to his playful self. 

I’m not sure if there’s ever been a day I can say I’ve ridden a horse too long.  But last Thursday might be that day…