Random Saturday #15: Let's talk about horses!

Hello my dear Readers,

Welcome ones again to my Random Saturday. Hope you have all been well this week and I'm glad to see you again, and if you're visiting Random Saturdays for the first time, nice to meet you.

This R.S. I would like to talk about an animal that I love and admire with all my heart and soul - horses! I've started working full time at the Santo Horse Riding ranch, and as a result I've been meeting more and more people, who either wish to go to a trail ride, take a picture on a horse, or impress their friends or girlfriend with how good riders they are.

Worth noting, that two out of two persons, who came to us just o impress their friends/girlfriend, did not know a thing about horses, and wouldn't listen to me, when I tried to tell them that they cannot just take a horse and run, without first learning how sit straight on a walking horse! Thankfully, we didn't have any bad incidents.

So, let's talk about horses.

The first and most important thing to remember about horses, is that they are live animals, they have their own brains, which means they have their own thoughts. Each horse has its own character, and just like you and me, they have their bad days and good days (yes, it's true!). Treat horses with respect, especially if you don't want to get hurt by them!

A lot of people think that riding a horse is the easiest activity in the world. Yes, it is not really hard when you are just going for a walk, on a well trained horse, that has been desensitized to everything that can scare it, accompanied by an experiences rider. But if you want to run on a horse, and you've never done it before, don't just assume that you will do fantastically great! If you really want to run on a beautiful white horse on a beach, invest time (and money) into horse riding lessons!

Don't use the horse, as a way to impress your friends and boyfriend/girlfriend… unless of course you are a great rider and can do amazing things on and with the horse. Don't just go to ranch, asking for the wildest horse there is, to ride it freely in an open field!! Do you even realize what will happen to the owner of the ranch if you fall down and get hit real bad? And I'm not talking about a broken hand… Just… don't do it…

You should also know, that the horse does not really care how cool you believe you are. If you cannot control the horse, if you hurt the horse too much, and if you don't do what your instructor is telling you do, you will most probably, like 70-90%, fall of the horse. Wanting to impress someone by riding a wild horse without having any riding experience in the past, is like wanting to impress someone by break-dancing without knowing how to do it! In both cases, you'll just end up making a fool of yourself…

Want to impress your girlfriend or boyfriend, with something that has to do with horses? Ask him or her to start horseback riding lessons together! After all, it is not bad admitting that you don't know how to do something…

I guess that has been bottling up…

Never go behind the horses hind legs, especially if you don't know the horse. All horses kick, some of them on purpose, because they don't trust people, some of them because a nasty fly has been bugging them, and you were standing too close to the back leg that was trying to get rid of the fly at the wrong moment.

Horses used for tourist rides, don't mind being pet… they might not enjoy it as much as we (want to) believe, but they don't mind it. Don't start pulling on the horses ears, nose, main though…. they will mind and will show it in a painful way.

Horses love treats, so if you plan visiting a ranch or horse riding center, you can bring an apple or a carrot with you. Before giving the horse a treat thought, ask its owner if he/she doesn't mind you doing so.

Horses feel everything!! I mean e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Sometimes they know better what you feel, that yourself! I don't mean feelings like love, passion, hunger, but feelings that fear, insecurity, anger. You might be able to hide your panic from your trainer, but you will never hide it from the horse you are riding. Better inform you trainer that you don't feel really comfortable on the horse, so he or she could help you overcome that fear, before the horse bucks you of.

Horses are amazing, smart and beautiful animals. Be gentle with a horse, and it will reward you with all its trust. J

That's I felt I wanted to share with you about horses!

As always, thank you very much for reading! I wish you all the best!

And the song of the week will be:

Random Saturday #14

Beach Weddings in Santorini!

Santorini is famous for its breathtaking caldera view, with the white houses hanging from the colorful cliff, its magical sunsets, and the churches with the blue domes. This is probably why Santorini is such a popular location for destination weddings.

I can understand that every couple would want to have a wedding picture on the cliff side of Santorini. With so many wedding venues located on the caldera, it is really easy to combine your wedding day with the beautiful views of Santorini, giving you and your guests amazing memories for a lifetime.

Still, Santorini is much more than just the caldera, as it also has the famous black beaches, which make a great place for a wedding ceremony. You should keep in mind, that since the beaches are

Beach wedding at Oceranids Estate

public, anyone could come and crash your wedding, should you choose to have the ceremony at a random beach in Santorini. Not to worry though, as If you choose a venue, which is located at the beach, you will be able to enjoy a private ceremony, without any strangers.

One such great venue, where you could have your beach wedding is Oceanids Estate. The wedding venue is located right at the beach of Ekso Gonia, which happens to be one the best beaches of the island. It is spacious, meaning that you won't have to limit your guest list, something that is always a plus. Afterwards, you can host your reception at the same venue, and enjoy an all night long party which will end with the sunrise.

Beach wedding set up at Akro Restaurant

Another beautiful venue by the sea for your beach wedding is Akro restaurant. This venue is located at the unique beach in Mesa Pigadia in Akrotiri. Its rocky landscape and romantic atmosphere will make your wedding day unforgettable, both to you and your guests. And if you are dreaming of having a unique entrance to your wedding, you can come to the ceremony on a horse, since the Santo Horse Riding stables are located not far away from the venue. Your guests will certainly remember this entrance, and you will get amazing wedding pictures.

If you are looking for an elopement or a small wedding on the beach, then Sea Side restaurant would be a perfect choice for you. Located in the very edge of Perissa, you will have a romantic seaside wedding and a great time with your close friends and family. After the ceremony, you can stay for a semi-private dinner at Sea Side restaurant's cute kiosk, or, if you prefer full privacy on your wedding day, book the entire restaurant just for you.

Beach weddings in Santorini offer a number of advantages over the caldera weddings. First of all, the beach venues do not have the noise restrictions that caldera has, meaning that you can party up until morning. You can have fireworks, since no one will be bothered by the noise, and fireworks make a great addition to any wedding. Even though during summer months you won't be able to see the sunset from the beaches of Santorini, the colors of the sky during sunset, along with the endless blue sea, still make great photos!

If you wish to have those famous wedding photos on the caldera, you can always go for the couple's photo shoot at the cliff side. Just leave your guests for an hour to enjoy their cocktails by the sea, and go to the caldera side for the pictures. Who said you couldn't have it all?

On Monday's blog post I will be discussing in more detail about the main differences between the caldera venues and the beach venues, so stay tuned!

Thank you very much for reading, and I wish you a lovely day!

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Fun Activities in Santorini: Horse Riding in Akrotiri!

Santorini is so much more than just the caldera views, the volcano and the sunset. The island offers a lot of different and interesting activities, which are there not only to make your stay in Santorini even more memorable, but also are a great way to explore the island and enjoy its hidden beauties.

One of such activities is horse riding. I can guarantee that you won't regret it if you go on trail ride in Santorini. The island has amazing landscapes, and the best and most amazing locations are not easily accessible by the usual means of transportation. They are accessible with horse though. If you truly wish to make the trip to Santorini memorable, make sure to stop by Santo Horse Riding in Akrotiri and arrange a tour.

What is so special about Santo Horse Riding?

1. Safety first

Santo Horse Riding cares a lot about the safety of its clients. You will get a fitting helmet for your protection, something that is really important when riding a horse. You will also get a pair of English chaps, to protect your legs from any bruising from the saddle.

The horses used for the trail rides, are perfectly trained for the job. They are calm, they know where they are going and what they are doing. The horses don't buck, don't bite, don't kick, which means that you will enjoy the ride without any unpleasant surprises. Moreover, you will be guided by one or two professional horse riders, who will give you instructions on how to handle the horse, and will be there to assist you if anything should happen.

2. Amazing routes

Santo Horse Riding is located in Akrotiri, on the road to the Red Beach and the Excavation point. The location of the stable is fantastic itself, but the routes are even better. The route starts by taking you thought the vine fields of Akrotiri, which are especially beautiful in the summer. Then you pass through amazing rocky formations, which make your feel that your are either on a different planet, or in a Western Movie! You end at the black beach of Santorini, where you can relax and take some nice photos to show your friends and family.

You can chose between the one hour route, which will take you to a secluded beach, or the two hour route, which takes you to the black beach of Vlychada. I strongly recommend choosing the two hour tour, as this particular route includes a quick stop at the St. Anna's beautiful church with the famous blue dome. Whatever route you choose though, you are guaranteed an amazing experience and unforgettable views!

3. Horse Riding Lessons

Santo Horse Riding offers horse riding lessons as well. If you like active vacations, and wish to learn a bit more about horses and horse riding, go for horse riding lessons! You will have a chance to learn a lot of interesting facts about horses, have an insight on how to take care of a horse, and you will learn a couple of great secrets for horse training.

Of course, you will also get to learn the basics of horse riding. You will have a professional horse riding trainer beside you, teaching you everything from the very beginning, so no need to worry if you don't have any previous experience in horse riding.

4. Wedding photo shoot with horses

For those couples, who wish to have unique photos from your wedding, you can arrange a wedding couple's photo shoot, or a pre/post wedding photo shoot with horses via Santo Horse Riding. You can have it directly at the stables or at the beach. The photos of you, as newlyweds, on horses, walking by the beach, will look so romantic and will be a great addition to your wedding photo album.

5. Marriage proposal on a horse

Be the knight she was always looking for, by taking her to an unforgettable trail ride in Santorini, which will include a dreamy, surprise marriage proposal. Santo Horse Riding can take you to a couple of amazing locations for a proposal, with great views and absolute privacy. Don't forget to have a photographer on the day, to capture the amazing moment!

What you need to know before going on a horse ride?

• If possible, wear closed shoes, like sneakers, for example. All though you can ride in flip flops, it will be much more comfortable with the sneakers.
• Ladies, avoid wearing high heels or dresses/skirts when going for a horse ride, instead chose shorts, or, even better, pants!  
• Never go behind a horse. Yes, Santo Horse Riding's horses are trained not to kick, but you shouldn't forget that horses are leaving, breathing creatures, that can get scared at the wrong moment while you will be standing behind them.
• Listen to the trainers. They are professional horse riders and care only for your safety and for you to have a great time. So listen to what they have to tell you, and follow their instructions.
• Last, but not least, if you are too scared to ride a horse, don’t do it. You won't enjoy it, and the rest of group might not enjoy the trip as well. No one will judge.

So, to summaries, whether you came to Santorini to get married, or just for vacation, be sure to stop by Santo Horse Riding for an unforgettable horse riding experience. Arrange a group tour for your wedding guests, or just for your group of friends.

For contact information, please visit Santo Horse Riding's official website - http://santorinihorseriding.gr/

Thank you very much for reading, and I wish you a lovely day!

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