Can horses swim? Yes, they do and this post is about swimming with horses. As soon as I heard the name – I was excited to have this guest post. Here, I am bringing you Shelley from Niche Travel Design. She did a beautiful job describing a very unusual experience, which makes a fantastic addition to my Best of Europe series.
And now from Shelley:
Swimming With Horses in Croatia
Yes, you read that correctly! Swimming with horses.
My daughter was the one who insisted that we go swimming with horses. It was something that I had never heard of, but, as I am always in search of unique experiences, I was eager to give it a try.
Finding A Stable
It was not easy to find stables that offered swimming with horses. After a lot of research, however, we did indeed find the wonderful Riding Club Vencil located just outside Biograd
The day was incredible. We arrived early in the morning at the stables out in the countryside. It was a gorgeous blue sky, white puffy cloud day.
We were introduced to the horses and told a bit about each one, their personalities and their quirks. They asked all the visitors about themselves and their experience in riding. The hostess of the riding club was very skillful in choosing the perfect horse for each rider depending on their riding level and skill.
After matching each rider with a horse, we began. We rode horses through the sublime Croatian countryside, birds chirping, insects buzzing, wildflowers as far as the eye could see. The ride was a slow meander which is perfect for beginners. If more advanced riders want to trot, they can do so, as long as they stay within eyesight of the group and make their way back to the group every so often.
Swimming With Horses in Lake Vransko
After about an hour and a half ride in the Croatian heat, we stopped at the biggest lake in Croatia, Lake Vransko, for a refreshing swim with our horses. The Croatian heat is a dry heat, but it is hot, hot, hot, in the summer. The lake shimmered in front of us like an oasis.
The horses knew, that relief from the heat was in front of them. Refreshment for both the rider and the horse. You could feel the horses’ excitement as we got closer to the water. They began whinnying their excitement to one another like old ladies gossiping at a sewing circle.
Then we arrived at the lake. And here is where it gets interesting. Where it goes from being a simple horse ride to a whole other experience. While sitting atop our horses, they gently walked into the blue-green waters. In the beginning, it felt like a simple walk. Then suddenly, the horses began to float, and then began to swim.
Lake Vransko is a designated nature preserve and wetland. It is home to a multitude of water birds and is a bird watcher’s paradise. It is also a fisherman’s paradise. For us, however, it was a swimmer’s paradise. A chance to bond with animals in a whole new way.
What Does It Feel Like?
I used to have a Labrador Retriever/Portuguese Water Dog mix who jumped into every single body of water he ever saw, including bathtubs and fountains, so, I had already experienced swimming with an animal.
Swimming with a dog is not the same as swimming with a horse though. First, a dog is much smaller than a horse. A dog swims alongside you, or after you. One does not sit on a dog as it swims.
Swimming with a horse was a totally different experience, probably because of their sheer size or the fact that you are sitting on the horse. Scary, not because you may fall and hurt yourself, but because when the horse swims you feel it’s every muscle and movement. It felt a little scary, but also, there is a feeling of unity.
When you swim, you feel the horse’s sheer strength. You must respect each of the horse’s moves and trust it, so neither of you gets hurt. It is intense. I think it is the closest that I will ever get to know what it is like to be an animal. To feel like an animal.
We swam and played in the water for about an hour. After we enjoyed the cool waters of the lake, we laid ourselves down to dry off in the sunshine and then we sat down for a picnic of Dalmation specialty foods.
The experience took about 4 hours round trip. We felt that it was a bargain when you consider the time, the experience itself, and the fact that it included a delicious picnic and photos.
I hope that you get the chance to swim with a horse one day. You won’t regret it.
About Riding Club Vencil
I highly recommend swimming with horses if you can find a place to do so. And, if you are in Croatia, Riding Club Vencel is an outstanding place. They were helpful, gracious and polite.
Address:
Horse Club Vencel Drage-Pakoštane, 23211, A. Starčević 49.
Horse riding location: near Biograd at the sea between Jankolovica and Kakma. GPS: N43.9622 ° E15.4962 °
The entire experience is 720 HRK or $109/€97 and it is advised to bring water shoes, a change of clothes, towels.
(prices for year 2019)
Follow Niche Travel Design
If you look for more travel stories from Croatia – follow Shelley’s blog Niche Travel Design. She stayed for a month in Zadar and traveled all the area around, which has a lot of things to see. An hour from Zadar you can find lush green forests, craggy mountains, rocky beaches, sandy beaches, historic towns, rivers, lakes, streams, waterfalls, and the sea.
Swimming with
Niche Travel Design’s blog primarily focuses on traveling Europe and expat life. You can follow them via email or on social media:FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM/TWITTER/PINTEREST
Further reading
For more things to do, check out this post about Croatia in Summer
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