This article is one of a series on life in the campo, or country living in Costa Rica, as my wife and I* experienced it on our visits and after moving to Costa Rica. Each is a sort of time capsule, the stories evolving with us as we have lived more experiences and delved deeper into the culture.

In the campo, horses and mules are very common. These are not the horses that you see as a tourist, which are often not well cared for and nearly worked to death. These are strong, healthy, intelligent animals. The horses we used do not have bits; they do not need them, because they are so well-trained. Hector is an excellent horseman. When he was a child, he rode a horse to school every day, and school was an hour away by horse. I am taking lessons from Hector and have graduated from a mule to a horse. Last year Hector informed me that I needed to ride a mule because I was too big for the average horse and because I didn’t know how to ride. Mules are used because they are strong, intelligent (usually more so than their riders) and do not take off running just for the fun of it. If you are not an experienced rider, ask for a mule.

On our summer 2003 trip, a couple of friends came down who are very experienced riders (from Texas and Oklahoma) and in their youth were involved in rounding up cattle. They were amazed at how well-trained and strong the Costa Rican horses are. (They were also amazed at where Hector took us.)

Landowners love to show off their property to other landowners. On every trip, Hector always informs me that one or more owners want me to visit their farms (and often they have no intention of selling; it is just the social thing to do.) Because of this, I am getting a lot of experience riding horses. After riding around for 2 to 4 hours, we always stop at the casa and have some very good food. My Spanish is none too good yet, so Hector helps me understand, but hospitality is appreciated without words. (Except for maybe a “Muy rico!” when eating the fresh food.)

We also normally use horses when checking out fincas to purchase. This time, Hector took us on a tour of an adjoining finca that is pretty much neglected. It seems that this land is an island, and the only good access to it is through our property. While we were exploring this finca, Hector accomplished something I have never seen before: He managed to get his horse stuck. Now Hector is accomplished at getting 4-wheel-drive vehicles stuck (you may be hearing a little irritation here, as Hector is always the driver on the bad roads, so you can imagine who ends up pushing the Jeep out—I always come back muddy and Hector is still clean), but I did not think getting a horse stuck was possible. The horse did the smart thing: It waited until Hector struggled through the mud, then it was easily able to get itself out. On the other side was a VERY steep hill; we struggled (without our horses) up a muddy section, and the experienced people with me said we should just continue to the top. I said we should wait for the horses in case we were needed. As soon as the horses reached our area, Hector told us to get back on, to the amazement of our guests. As my horse went up the hill, I was taking points on potential rock-climbing moves!

*We are Fred and Amy Morgan, originally from the US. We bought a dairy farm in Costa Rica to plant trees in its pastures, then later caught a dream of turning all the land we can to permanently protected, sustainably maintained forest once the plantation trees have been harvested for profit. Along the way, we made it possible for our former partner to realize his dream of starting a business of his own in his native land. He is featured in many of the earlier stories.

To read more about Finca Leola S.A. and how you can also invest in trees and at the same time help with reforestation, go to Own Trees with Us.

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