Back in November 2024 I flew to Mexico for our annual Hooves Around The World meet-up in Mexico. This year I hosted two groups over two weeks! I landed in Mexico City with some time to explore around and my adventures started straight away with Dia de Muertos (Day of Dead) on the 2nd November 2024. Everyone was parading down the streets for this special day, this is truly a feast for the senses ... dancers in skeleton costumes, huge colourful floats and a lot of music and cheering. Celebrating the lives of their loved one's past, we were there celebrating the life of my sister as it was her birthday!
We spent a week in Mexico City learning all the history, tasting the food and we even watched a Mexican Ballet show (highly recommend) before we made our way up into the Highlands for our 2024 Hooves meet-up. The drive out of the city was busy but in less than an hour the traffic eased, and the scenery of the mountains opened up.
Written by Hanna Rogers
Our trip from 12 to 20 September 2025 includes lots and lots of riding: 5-7 hours of riding a day, lots of canters and gallops (always taking into account the needs of the horses), and this package allows you to exchange some riding hours for spa or excursions (included in the price). The price is 3970 USD all inclusive; taxes, shared rooms (a few free single rooms for early bookings), all meals, afternoon tea, national alcoholic drinks and beverages.
2025 meet-up is hosted by Sanne Westera.
The drive up to the ranch is around 1.5hrs (traffic dependant) and when you arrive you really feel like you're out in the sticks. The rancho is stunning, not a detail missed. You can see that the owner of the ranch has put a lot of time, effort and attention to detail in every area you look. I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days here before my first group arrived. Getting to meet the team, the horses (most of them are Criollo's), the wranglers, the extremely friendly dogs and most importantly to test the iced margaritas out in the hot tub - which goes down a treat ... perfect after a long day out riding with the horses.
You very quickly get settled here, the beds are comfortable, and each room is decorated with its own theme, I stayed in a cactus themed room! There is beautiful water features dotted around and the most incredible view from the infinity pool and jacuzzi. They also have a yoga studio overlooking the rancho's very own waterfall (one of three)! You can walk between the three falls which takes about 1 and a half hours loop, the first and third are perfect to swim in too.
I spent nearly 3 weeks in total at the rancho and across this time I hosted two Hooves groups. The first group that arrived between the 9th - 16th November was a softer week with half day rides, it was a good balance of riding, time to enjoy the facilities and make day trips out to excursions. The second week was from the 16th - 24th November and aimed to be longer full day rides. On these trips you have the option to ride full or half days and swapping riding hours for excursions. They also have an in-house masseuse if your body is needing a little TLC! Whatever you need, this trip can be tailored to you.
My first group arrived by early afternoon, which meant we had time to go out for a short ride before sunset. This gives the wranglers opportunity to assess everyone’s riding abilities and to assign them with the best matching horses for the week. Everyone on this group was from the USA, all being solo traveller’s bar two friends that came together (with a very uniquely beautiful story!). This group had a wide variety of ages with the youngest being 25 and the wisest being 72! Byrd quickly became an inspiration to us all, as she was the most active in the group doing double rides and double yoga sessions every day. It didn’t take long for this group to feel like a family, and that is what is so beautiful about our trips is the friendships that come out of them.
We soon established who the early birds were with morning yoga, watching the sun rise over the fields of cacti and lighting up the waterfall all whilst having a good stretch was beauty beyond words. If you want to romanticise your life - it's here. Totally dreamy! One thing I’m guilty on not doing enough before riding is stretching and with doing daily yoga here, I really noticed a huge difference. That, and soaking in the hot tub after the ride. I’m telling you guys it doesn’t get better than this.
Each morning, we would meet around the breakfast table for 8am where we had little buffet with a lot of options for all diets. We fuelled up good before our rides that’s for sure! During breakfast the GEM (Guest Experience Manager) – Hugo would check in with us all, see how we were doing and what kind of horses we would like for the day (this usually stayed the same unless some horses had a day off or the occasional request to switch horses which the wranglers were great at accommodating.) We then had time for our food to settle and to get our riding boots on before meeting down at the barn for around 9.20am. Our horses were ready and waiting, we’d give our steeds some morning kisses and the wranglers helped get us onboard.
We rode through fields of Cacti and Agave, through wildflowers, across vast open plains where we opened the horses up to race, through river crossings, under tunnels, through remote villages and climbed up some steep terrain where the horses really showed us how incredibly sure footed they are. The diversity here is astonishing and this ranch has trails for miles in all directions. Most day’s we returned to the ranch for lunch, some of us would ride again in the afternoon and others would enjoy hanging out by the pool or walking to the waterfalls around the ranch. On some of the days we ate lunch out for our full day rides so we could cover even more terrain. Each day was new and full of adventure.
On our 4th day of the trip, we had organised an excursion with the ranch. Usually, you exchange riding hours for the excursions however for this one we had an additional cost of $ mxn pesos. We went to a local Temazcal (a spiritual sweat lodge) where we met with our Shaman, a wonderful and knowledgeable man who has been holding these sacred spaces for a long time. We started by drinking a special herbal juice (secret blend according to our Sharman, by local flowers grown in their garden. It was delicious and nutritious) that would hydrate us and give us some energy for the day, whilst we drank the drinks, we then had our numerology charts read to us.
A numerology chart is calculated by your birth date and is your very own personalised map, it gives insights into your personality traits, your life purpose, challenges and opportunities in this life. The shaman read our charts to each one of us, all telling different stories and life paths. Going in a group to something like this you enter with the knowing that a lot of emotions and potential past trauma can arise. We held a safe space for us all as we got to know one another on a deeper level. I’m grateful to have been with these wonderful women on this journey.
The next stage was to be covered in clay. This ritual is a symbolic practice rooted in ancient traditions of cleansing, healing and connection to nature and then washed with herbal water; this removes the clay and any impurities. This experience helps in grounding you to Earth, removing any negativity, stress and emotional burdens and transitions you into a focused, meditative state. This is a holistic approach to cleansing the mind, body and spirit before entering the temazcal.
After, we moved to a stone circle where we acknowledge the four directions and elements. During this we are invited to offer gratitude to the Earth, our ancestors and the sacred space that we stand upon. Our shaman offered a blessing over us individually, using copal and waving the smoke around us, cleansing and protecting our energy before we finally enter the temazcal.
The temazcal is a representation of the womb of Mother Earth for purification and rebirth, it is a space where you leave behind the ego and fears and reconnect with the Earth, the elements and the community in a sacred way. You enter one at a time on your hands and knees and walk a full circle clockwise around the centre before sitting down. The hot rocks are then brought in, the shaman with his drum and a jug of herbal water to pour over the rocks and the next journey commences. Within the temazcal you go through four doors (four rounds) each representing a stage of purification.
The shaman would chant and drum whilst we meditated in the heat. In between the rounds we would share our experiences, allow in some fresh air, re-hydrate and start again. For some people they can recall past life experiences, ancestral memory, and receive spiritual guidance. Others can have strong emotions pull through and can often find clarity on a situation that has been triggered.
Each one of us had a different experience, it was an extremely powerful journey, and the rest of the day had us feeling quite emotionally exhausted! It’s not always deep and emotional though, the shaman said people also find joy and laughter in the temazcal. It’s all personal and truly unique to everyone. I highly recommend this experience to all people.
Our last few days of horse riding were truly magical, as though we didn’t know it could have got any better! One of the ranches full day rides is to the Canyons. This trail takes you along some beautiful terrain, at times very steep and rugged. And then as you come down the hill you are greeted with some incredible rock formations. The horses had a snooze whilst we had an explore. This was one of the days where we ate lunch out at a little local kitchen, you wouldn’t have expected a restaurant here, the food was large in portion and delicious! The terrain can change so much during the ride, it makes this trip so exciting and opens our eyes up to how vast and diverse the countryside in Mexico can be.
The next day we rode to the waterfalls El Fresno, where we were greeted with tequila and a surprise picnic! The setting of this place was something out of a fairytale. Cyprus Trees (natively known as “ahuehuete” which translates to “old man of the water”) towered over us and told a beautiful story with the river and its large twisting roots that led down to the waterfalls. If I was a fairy I would absolutely choose to live here. This has got to be one of the prettiest picnic locations I’ve seen. After some seriously delicious lunch, more tequila and an explore around the falls, we made our journey back to the rancho!
For our last day, we started at the markets! Every Friday in Jilotepec a huge local market is open, and I mean huge! Anything and absolutely everything is sold there. From every chilli to cows to electronics to fur coats, honestly you name it they’ve got it … somewhere! The markets go on for miles, I’m grateful we had Hugo with us who could show us the best places to go and ultimately … find out way out! A few ladies in the group purchased some traditional Mexican shirts (also seen on the wranglers at the ranch – great models!). Nearly all of us brought ourselves a good ol’ western hat! You can’t leave this trip without one in my opinion! This was such a good hat store, hence why we all ended buying a hat!
We headed back to the rancho in time for lunch and of course we got an afternoon ride in … to sadly be our last for this group! We spent our last night together around a fire under the stars, dancing, laughing, drinking far too many iced margs and Suzanne shared some gifts with everyone that she sneakily bought at the markets! It was a beautiful ending to a fantastic week. To have seen the friendships forged from this trip it was a hard goodbye (especially a little head sore from the night before!).
It wasn’t long before my next group arrived. Some were already here from early hours (probably not long after some of us went to bed!) As the next group arrived one by one throughout the day we got to hang out and get to know each other, a few of us had massages, swam in the pool and enjoyed the wonderful sunshine that this area of Mexico is so very good at delivering. Usually there’s more time between a new group arriving but for this trip we were straight in!
Our first day of adventures started on the Sunday, like the previous week the wranglers get to know how everyone rides, and they’re always spot on with picking the right horses for everyone. We had riders from 5 different countries on this trip! I love it when people come from all different corners of the world for these experiences.
Although we’re deep in the Mexican countryside, these horses aren’t phased by a thing! On our second day we had an enormously long train pass us. He even gave us a good honk! And the horses didn’t raise an eyebrow. They’re brilliant. The next day we rode to the waterfalls, we enjoyed tequila on arrival (I forced it down, you’d think by now my taste buds would have come around to liking it) and we had a picnic under the Cyprus Trees. It felt so good to be back at this beautiful location again, to show my newest group this special place.
For the ride back, the wrangler and I swapped horses. I got to ride one the newest horse at the stables and give him a test run – while our wrangler had my super speedy Mercurio, the pace was set to fast for the ride back! Which the group loved, and I was left in the dust! Amigo (the horse I rode back) was perfectly okay with that too and was loving his little run to catch them up. I think he’ll find his speed in time.
We all spent the evening in the hot tub, iced margaritas in hand, watching the sunset with some new friends that are also staying at the ranch. Just as it starts turning dusk though you’ll want to slip out of the hot tub and get wrapped up … the midges will have a field day with you! Getting out at this point falls perfectly in line with getting showered and changed for dinner and then you can always jump back in later in the evening if you wanted a late-night dip!
They say that the ranch has sunshine 333 days a year, and for sure the whole time we were there it didn’t disappoint. However, on our fourth day we were blessed with rain! I say this as a positive the land would have been grateful for some water, and it also made for an extremely funny day out. We rode in huge waterproof ponchos which again just showed how incredibly chill these horses are. With the large poncho’s rustling and flapping over their body’s and not a bother. Even though it hardly ever rains here, and the horses very rarely get to experience these being worn on them, they still don’t mind! Canters were limited due to the terrain being slippery, but we still got a few and kept it collected. It’s fair to say we had our fun on a rainy day. That being said, we were also very happy to have a half day ride and to swap the afternoon ride with an indoor activity – a cooking class!
Our cooking class started with nothing other than, you guessed it … Iced margaritas! Because there were quite a few of us the class was more of a watch, learn and enjoy the food kind of class. So we got ourselves settled and started with a light bite consisting of tortilla chips and guacamole. We then moved onto enjoying some enchiladas, and were given different options of soups to make, we went with a corn soup. It’s one of the most delicious soups I think I’ve ever tasted! And with corn being one of their staple ingredients, a corn soup recipe is appropriate to take home from Mexico.
The next day our trail ride took us through a few rural villages as we made our way to Santa Maria Macua, greeting locals, riding past a school with lots of waving children. We tied the horses up in a rodeo pen that was in the centre of the street and next to it was a little restaurant called Antojitos which is where we ate. In the smallest of restaurants nestled deep into remote towns and villages is where you’ll eat the best Mexican food. It never disappoints!
Friday quickly came around and most of us took a trip out to the markets in Jilotepec De Abasalo! A couple people in the group decided to ride and resist the markets. These markets are the best for any leather accessories, shirts, herbs and spices … and just about absolutely anything you can imagine! We treated ourselves to lunch here and a few of us got Mexican Mojitos. We ate and drank to a mariachi band playing next to our table.
The afternoon ride started at 3pm, We made it back in time to get changed and meet down at the barn. We stocked up on some water and set off galloping into the hot evening sun. We found a beautiful field that still had some wildflowers so we took the opportunity to have a little group photoshoot! One of our group members stayed behind for the evening ride and was waiting for our us return, she had her camera out ready and captured some beautiful shots of everyone returning.
On Saturday morning a small group of us had organised to go to the Sun & Moon Pyramids located in Teotihuacan. The earliest settlements started being built here around 200 BC having built the main structures 300-400yrs later and thriving around 300-600 CE. It was an incredible place to walk around and learn about. We had opted for a tour guide to teach us everything about here and I am so glad we did, we learnt that the people who lived here were advanced astronomers. They filled their pathways (that were designed to mimic the serpent) which went from the Sun pyramid to the Moon pyramid known as the “avenue of the dead” with water from their aqueducts so they could read the star constellations in the water’s reflection of the night sky.
They also thrived through trade and had a very unique governing system - every 52 years they alternated between female and male rulers. The people of Teotihuacan believed that every 52yr period was the end of a cosmic cycle. And so, they would re-build over their pyramids from the ground up by a few meters to honour this cycle. They had two interwoven calendar years, the feminine being 260 days and the masculine being 365 and would align once every 52yrs, which would symbolise renewal. There was bagfulls of information that we learnt here which I can only recommend you go and experience yourself! (it’s a whole other blog post otherwise!)
This was a full day excursion which we swapped our riding for, after the trip around the pyramids we enjoyed lunch at an Azteca themed restaurant called Tlacaelel, they performed pre-Hispanic performances and ceremonies whilst you ate. We experienced the Dance of the feathers which narrates the story of the Spanish conquest from the indigenous perspective.
Our last and final day together, some of the group had already started to leave to catch their flights. Others that didn’t have flights till late or the next day made the most of having one last ride. It was for sure one of those bitter sweet moments, riding our favourite horses galloping into the hot Mexican sun. I think the absolute highlight of the trip was this day too, when we rode past the falls and the area was full of pop up stalls for food and markets. A man out of nowhere lifted his child up to me and plonked him onto the saddle. It was brilliant and I was a little confused if he was going to take his child back from me! We all had a good laugh and some memorable photo’s taken for everyone and then to top it off we stocked up on churros for the ride back!
It was truly blissful day, and of course at the end of every trip you need to have an obligatory photo-shoot with your new beloveds. I loved every second from these last few weeks at the Rancho, getting to know each one of my truly amazing guests and making new friendships which I always say is my favourite part!
Until next time Mexico, fuiste increible. Hasta la vista!
