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Author Topic: Horse riding - Patara  (Read 7630 times)

Offline teke

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Horse riding - Patara
« on: May 24, 2007, 05:58:04 PM »

Any one ever been horse riding at patara?
Whats it like  and  are the horses suitable for a  young novice rider with some experience.
Contact details would be usefull,
Thanks
Teke

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=104.0

Offline Buster

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2007, 10:20:58 AM »
Hi

My son and his girlfriend are novice riders but had a great ride at Patara last summer.

But they are 26 yrs old so don’t know how youngsters might get on.

Regards:  Buster

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Offline KalkanKath

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2007, 12:05:29 PM »
Buster - we did the Patara horseriding thing a couple of years ago with my daughters who were then about 14 and 16. The horses were very docile and easy to ride (although my youngest daughter got stuck on a horse that refused to move on a number of occasions so she was not very amused). I'm not a rider and I really enjoyed the experience - would definitely do it again. I think Linda at ABI Travel can arrange this for you. They'll pick you up from a designated place in Kalkan early morning (before it gets too hot) and take you to the stables near Patara.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2007, 04:04:32 PM by Enjoy Kalkan »

Offline Brooksie

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2007, 03:55:18 PM »
This sounds great, wonder if I can persuade Sarah to give it a go. If not will they still take you if you book on your own?
Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.
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Offline Kalkan-Mina

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2007, 11:40:19 PM »
My daughter was in Kalkan last year with some friends and they went to Patara early in the morning.  They had a great time with 18 kilometers of open beach and dunes to explore. It looked such a great location.

Colin
« Last Edit: May 27, 2007, 01:19:44 AM by Enjoy Kalkan »

Offline Kalkan-Mina

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2007, 11:58:34 AM »
Teke
I have added some Patara horse riding photos to the Kalkan Photos section under Everything Else which will give you an idea of what to expect.


Offline vicksen

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2007, 07:18:44 PM »
I have heard, from several people who are generally pretty reliable and not prone to exaggeration, that the horses kept at Patara are not well-treated. Two of them reported seeing ponies struck or beaten.

All said that they saw them taken out and ridden in the searing heat of summer, with apparently no consideration of the temperatures involved or the weight of the riders.

I have not been personally; I wonder if anybody can comment on any of these reports please?

Offline teke

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2007, 07:49:05 PM »


My daughter did the horse riding trip last week and had a great time galloping along the beach.
The horses looked well looked after to me , we chatted to the lady who owned them who seemed very caring about the horses.

Offline Kalkan-Mina

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2007, 11:02:15 PM »
Hi Teke
Glad to hear that you had a good time at Patara and that the horses were well looked after.
Regards Colin

Offline kalkankiki

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2007, 10:43:44 AM »
i went yesterday and can report that the horses are in fine shape. i rode the 'thinnest' horse (has a 9 month foal so has lost weight through feeding her) and she was full of spirit! as a way of seeing the beach you cant beat it, highly recommend it.
we were out until about 11.30, dont forget these animals are totally aclimatised so while yes it was hot, they know no different.

Offline vicksen

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2007, 10:48:20 AM »
Well, that's great to hear, Kalkankiki. I am glad; it was a horrible thought that these beasts were not being well-treated.

Offline kalkankiki

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2007, 10:51:02 AM »
the other thing is vicksen is that one has to remember that horses are also strong animals and that discipline does not always equal cruelty or mistreatment. hope you go and see them for your self (should i say 'enjoy!!!') !

Offline vicksen

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2007, 11:33:34 AM »
Yes surely, Kalkankiki, but beating is beating, and is ill-treatment, not discipline. There can never, ever, be any justification for beating any animal.
You're quite right though, I didn't see this for myself; as I said, but several people had all said similar, which makes you wonder..hence the reason for asking on this forum what others' experiences had been.
I shall, next time I'm in the area, take a wander in, as you suggest.

And NO, please, please please NO, I beg you on my knees, not (trilled in insincere and nauseous transatlantic accent) "Enjoy!"

Offline Vieux con

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2008, 11:43:22 AM »
Hi all,
I understand that horseriding is also possible at Ölü Deniz?

Would anyone recommend this over Patara or not?

vc

Offline Lorretta

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2008, 01:24:48 PM »
Hi Vicksen,
my neice did the horse riding thing "on the cheap" and when she saw the horses she refused to go. She said they were not well cared for. However and I must stress this, she did not book through a reputable agent such as Linda at Abi Travel. ( I am not saying she is the only reputable agent by the way) Also knowing Linda I am sure she would not run a trip which meant that animals were caused undue suffering in any way. My advice to anyone wanting to do this trip is book through a reputable agent, maybe you could ask to see the horses prior to booking so that you know in advance that the welfare of the animals is a priority.

Offline felicity

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2008, 01:41:58 PM »
Assuming all of the above is OK - as far as places to ride go - it has to be Patara - which is a) on your doorstep and b) 100% nicer than OUL Deniz - both for beach and lack of people..!  The sand is lovely - there is about 18km of it...it is VERY VERY uncrowded even in the height of the summer and you have the archaeological ruins behind the sand dunes - why travel to OUL Deniz.. - I would say that a horseriding experience would be very much more ''natural'' than at Oul Deniz (imho!)  :)
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Offline Vieux con

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #16 on: February 22, 2008, 10:53:20 AM »
Thanks Lorretta and felicity, points noted.

Offline duckling

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #17 on: May 30, 2008, 01:33:03 PM »
Hello,
I understand this thread may be a little old but thought I''''d add my experience of riding at Patara.
I''''ve been horse riding all my life, and went on this trip with another lady I met at the hotel we stayed at in 2005 who was also an experienced horsewoman.

In my opinion, the horses were in good shape, all had access to water and there was a large pile of hay available to supplement the scrubland they live on. It''''s key to remember that English horses are very much pampered - in Turkey they will be seen as working animals and an income and whereas I don''''t condone ''''beating'''' a horse, they are large herd animals and a tap with a whip to restore the herd leaders (in this case the owner I would imagine) dominance is not cruel. I do hope the horses were not beaten, but we do have to remember there will be some cultural differences in the way animals are kept.

In terms of taking the horses out in the heat of the day, I thought the riding trips were either taken early in the morning or later in the afternoon to keep out of the midday sun?? The horses will be aclimatised though, and when I went for a trip we got off our horses in a shady area at the top of the dunes to let them have a drink and a rest in the shade. Regarding the issue of rider weight, personally I don''''t think anyone over 14 stone should consider riding in the Mediterranean as the type and breed of horse that can happily carry this weight is not often available over there (controversial maybe...). Having said that, the breed of ponies used by this particular farm were predominantly Haflinger ponies (they look blonde for those who have been!!) and are sturdy and capable of carrying more weight than one might originally believe by looking at them. I personally wouldn''''t condone riding a mare with a 9 month foal at foot particularly if she is slender but again, these horses are the farmers livelihood and I''''m sure he wouldn''''t endanger his income by putting one of his horses at risk of injury. Edited to add I have put a few photos in the ''Everything Else'' gallery of my ride there :).

I am considering going again when I''''m in Kalkan this June and taking my novice OH with me (he has sat on my pony and knows the basics but has never hacked out before so should be a good way of seeing Patara). When I went before I went through Tapestry, I presume AbiTravel is reputable after seeing the above comments - should I book before I leave or when I get to Kalkan??

Thanks (and sorry for the length of that message!!)
« Last Edit: May 30, 2008, 02:53:08 PM by duckling »

Offline rosarioguy

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Re: Horse riding - Patara
« Reply #18 on: December 17, 2008, 07:25:09 AM »
Hi All

Again this is an old topic but I would like to add some details.
From 2008 there has been 2 companies running horse riding at Patara.
My advice to everyone is to try to see the horses before you ride and when you do this look at the horses condition, see how they are being fed i.e. is there lots of food and hay around the place, do the horses have fresh clean water on hand. I realize if you are here for 1 or 2 weeks holiday this is time consuming.
Another choice would be to ask the agency you book with to show them UP TO DATE photographs of the horses (a lot of the photos being shown are up to 5 years old) you will be riding or to speak to the company direct. Linda at ABI has often put customers on the phone to me to discuss their concerns etc. If the company is in turn asking you lots of questions about your riding ability and experience then I think you can believe they have both YOUR welfare and the welfare of the horses at heart. Any reputable company will be happy to answer all of your questions.
Another thing this will enable you to understand is do they speak english? Lots of Turkish people here do but it is essential if you are riding...how can you tell them to stop if you encounter problems if they dont understand?
If you cant do any of the above then just remember one thing..if you arrive to ride and think the horses are in poor condition and the equipment is substandard then dont ride...all the agencies will refund your money in this case and even if you book direct they should still be happy to refund. Its not nice but sometimes you have to vote with your feet!
I am trying not to be biased here and give helpful information, it is true my husband and I run one of the companies in Patara but if you are happy with the other one then thats fine...at the end of the day its the customers choice. The most important thing is that you are happy and return home having enjoyed a wonderful ride in the most beautiful surroundings.
Happy Holidays!


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