After breakfast, we drove out of the pasture to pick up the horses. Nelly seemed to be behaving herself for a change. Of course, that was before I’d discovered that she’s stolen one of the other horses’ breakfast! I could not believe that she would pull the same stunt again. She is such a character, it’s no wonder that everyone at the riding center loves her so much.
The day is a little cloudy, bit the sun is peeking through a bit. The weather report said that we might get a bit of rain in the late afternoon, so we were hoping the get through the ride before any of the showers hit.
We continued our path through the Burren, getting to see more of the limestone hills. During the morning, we went through an area with a significant number of ruins, including a couple of ring forts. Being the armchair historian of all things Celtic, I was the one who got to explain the significance of these sites. Was promptly designated as the group expert on the subject. Trail was a little rough in this area, so we didn’t take the roads at any pace faster than a trot.
Gathered for lunch at the foot of a very high, steep hill that I’d just learned we would be climbing later on. All of us were having a great time laughing and sharing stories about the past week before posing for a group picture that Pat obligingly took for us. He got up onto a stone wall, with all of our cameras lined up so we would all have a picture.
After we’d finished eating, some of us took advantage of the break for some quiet time with our horses. I untied Nelly and took her for a little walk and let her graze a bit. I only had a few more hours with her, and wanted to spend as much of that time with her as I could. You just can’t spend a week with an animal, taking care of her, and riding her for hours at a stretch without developing an attachment. I think it had only struck me at that moment just how much I was going to miss her when this was over.
Once we got ready to set out, I had to face this hill that we were going up. We would be climbing it on foot, leading the horses because the trail was just too steep. With all of the limestone littering the area, it was just too dangerous to ride. My fear of heights was starting to get to me again, but the only other choice was to miss the last hours of the ride. That was not going to happen!
I wasn’t wrong that the climb wasn’t easy, and it was made more difficult by having a horse to worry about. There was just so many loose stones, and all I could picture was how easy it would be for a horse to take a spill up on this slope. Nelly climbed like a trooper, but I could see that it wasn’t easy for her. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath, but I was pleased to see that I had made my way to the top and actually dared to look down. It was a lot higher up than I though from the ground, and I could see for miles all around me. I could feel the wind in my face, blowing through my hair. It was stunning.
After catching our breath and allowing the horses a few minutes to rest, we mounted up. I mean mounting up in the broadest of terms. We were all a little tired from the climb, and there was nothing up there to use as a mounting block. While I was usually able to get up on Nelly without help, this time I managed to haul myself up, but just couldn’t manage to swing my right leg over! I literally had to be shoved up onto her. Worst mounting ever! At least I wasn’t the only one having trouble. Denise later joked that she nearly dislocated Patricia’s arm getting mounted on Chelsea.
Once we all managed to scramble up onto our horses, we turned and set off again on the mountain trail. The wind was especially intense up here, and I’d wished that I’d worn a warmer jacket. My sweatshirt and rain slicker just wasn’t cutting it. It then began to rain. Again.
Following the trail through high pastures where cattle grazed, we could see Galway Bay and in the distance, the Aran Islands. The view was really amazing up here, but it’s such a bleak spot. I was amazed to see that people did used to live up here, and there were a lot of cattle being grazed in the area. We finally came upon an area where the ground was level enough to gallop, but only barely. It was a harrowing run, with the wind tearing at our clothes and the slick rocky ground beneath us, but very exciting. It was like racing at the top of the world.
After our run, we took it easy for the rest of the trail to cool the horses off. A few more long trots and easy walks downhill and off the mountain.
Before we knew it, it was over. We’d arrived at the final stop and all there was left to do was untack the horses and say goodbye. I could not help from hugging Nelly and wishing her well. She had done so much to make this journey such a pleasure for me, and this was saying goodbye to a friend that I knew I would probably never see again. I watched her go off with the other horses, rolling in the tall grass and hoped that she would have a long and happy life. She is an extremely special animal and deserves no less than that. Blessed Be, Nelly.
Final dinner with the group at the hotel. We all exchanged email addresses and I looked forward to keeping in touch with them. These were wonderful people to have spent the week with, and I so enjoyed our time together.
Pat offered to drive some of us into town to check out the Matchmaker Festival, and then took Denise and I to the town of Doolin to check out some music at the pubs there. This small town was a port for ferries to take you to the Aran Islands, and had a good number of pubs along the main drag. We had a few beers and some great conversation, enjoying some good music before we decided to head back to Lisdoonvarna and see the action there.
The bars were absolutely packed and you could barely move. It didn’t take long for both Denise and I to hook up. Denise met a dairy farmer, and I met a man from Cork named John. We danced for a bit and had a few drinks. John clearly was interested in a little more than just a dance if the roving hands were any hint, but I had no desire to get involved that seriously the night before I was going home. Thankfully he was a gentleman about it and we parted with a smile and good wishes.
When we returned to the hotel, Pat told us that Denise and I would be driving to Shannon Airport after breakfast. Then we said our goodbyes to Pat, who was returning to the riding center. He had done so much to make this trip enjoyable for us, and really made the extra effort to watch our for us all. Having him around was like having a beloved uncle keeping an eye on you. Going to miss him too.
It was quite late at that point. Got the last of my packing done, and had a final cup of tea in my room before turning in. While I was watching the news on the BBC, I had a chance to think back on the past few days when it finally struck me that it was over. Really over. No more going out in the morning to round up horses, no more making sure Nelly didn’t eat the other horse’s food. I was rather depressed at that, but was also stunned with the realization that I’d managed to complete the entire ride. As difficult as it was at time, I’ll pulled through and emerged a much stronger rider, and perhaps more adventurous person as a result. I really did it!
