“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends” – Maya Angelou
WEEK 11 | Mexico a Caballo
Rancho el Rebozo to Catemaco, Veracruz 133km
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Week 11 was more plugging through the heat.
We left the mega cow farm Rancho el Rebozo and carried on further into Veracruz. At this point, what with chafing being an issue on Roxy’s face, neck, back and feet, and me continuing to deal with tack issues, I wasn’t in the photo taking mood. I just kept on plugging away, doing my best to deal with the chafing while making forward progress.
The back sore from the new saddle pad got resolved as I took away pressure from that area, and, due to sheer coincidence, a memory foam found on the side of the highway that was perfect for our application. This allowed me to stop using the mediocre pad I bought in Matias Romero.
The face and neck I dealt with by daily baths for Roxy with soap, as well as a great cream made from aloe vera and garlic.
The feet issues were resolved when I went back to using the only hoof boot I recommend: The Easyboot Original.
Chafing is no joke, and it only gets worse when you are riding in 35c weather, with high humidity, 4000 miles and 2 years from home. I will write more about it in an upcoming post; it’s also something I talk about at length in my book and my presentations.
Chafing is the worst because it cascades into an avalanche of fvckery, screwing you up from all directions, stopping you from moving forward without pain.
Chafing can end your horse travel expedition.
It’s that simple. I HATE IT. And I refuse to use any product that even has a remote chance of chafing my horse or me. Even if it is highly recommended. Ergonomics and comfort mean a lot to most horse riders, but to a Long Rider, they are 2 of the ESSENTIALS that allow you to finish.
That’s pretty much what Week 11 was about. Sorry it wasn’t more exciting.
Thank god for the nice people I met along the way who ended up hosting me, like Beatriz, Fernando, Marcos and Luis. Because to be honest, this part of Veracruz wasn’t the friendliest part of Mexico. That’s just how it goes, you just carry on….
WEEK 11 ended up at a beautiful horse ranch/ eco-tourism resort in scenic Catemaco. More on that in WEEK 12…
Chris MacLuckies’ professional career began with a decade-long stint as an organic vegetable grower in Ontario Canada. His career is prolific in breadth and scope. He has farmed organics commercially, volunteered in Guatemala, ran a gardening business, raised and raced sled dogs, tended his livestock, and ridden his horse on a multi-country expedition.
Chris is a certified TEFL ESL English Teacher, author of seven books, freelance content creator, and outdoor travel gear designer.