Monday September 23 – Killarney, County Kerry
👆That should have been an opportunity to REALLY think about what I was getting myself into. Weeks ago, I thought it would be a great idea to check out Killarney National Park by way of horseback. (Check out Drone Footage HERE) The thinking was that a 2-hour horseback ride would be better than a 4-5 hour hike through the National Park. I learned my lesson, thats for sure.
The tour and the views and the landscapes were stunning, don’t get me wrong. It’s really my own fault. My ONLY issue with the experience is that my aging hips had a hard time with the ride. I did have fun for most of the ride…but it all starts with my partner in this escapade.
I introduce you to PETER THE HORSE! I am not messing with you. The horse’s name was Peter, too! I couldn’t believe it! Everyone got a kick out of it. I don’t think that Petey was giving me the stink eye in the above picture, but he clearly didn’t like what he was getting into. Getting on to the horse was not as smooth as I would have liked. Let me paint a picture for you: It was definitely not one of those old westerns where the rider was hopping on like they were on a trampoline. It was more like Herman Munster trying to get into a Fiat. My wearing jeans probably didn’t help the cause either…😆
We left from the Killarney Riding Stables, and we had a quartet of amazing guides. They were true professionals and I would recommend the stables to anyone that is coming through Killarney…as long as you aren’t nearing AARP age. I asked one of the young ladies guiding us: “How old do you think Peter is?” Her response…”Ummm…he’s not too young…he’s not too old.” I quickly responded: “JUST LIKE ME!” I don’t think the young woman appreciated that Hall of Fame response as much as I did, and I don’t think anyone else heard this all-time response!
Killarney National Park is absolutely stunning. We followed horseback riding trails through the forest mostly, and came across lots of people going for walks, some with their dogs. I REALLY like when we were just walking. Peter and I had a good understanding I think. I quickly came to realize that Peter (The Horse) had a bit of a reputation of being a little prickly at times. He marched to the beat of his own drum. Five or 10 minutes in…he started looking for opportunities to chomp on overgrown vegetation close to the path. At first, I thought it was my responsibility to keep him focused and away from his treats. Truth be told, there was very little I could do to keep the hulking beast away from the widely available assortment of greens along the way. I quickly realized that keeping Peter as happy as possible was in my best interest as well. Who am I to try and stop him from his snacks?! I like snacks. Anyone that tries to get in the way of my snacks is essentially my enemy. SO I left it up to the guides to yell at Peter. I just gave him a pat on the head and made sure he knew I was on his side!
Where things got really uncomfortable was when the guides thought that WE all wanted to start trotting with the horses. We’re not warming up for the Derby here, lady! Let’s keep things civilized, here. It got very uncomfortable quick. I don’t need to get into specifics here, but rest assured, there was a lot of discomfort here. Additionally, whereas the horses (Including and especially Peter) would relieve themselves at their convenience along the path, the riders did not have that same luxury. Peter (the rider) wasn’t very far into the ride when he would have gladly hoped off at the first sign of a port-a-potty. Therefore, the trotting was DEFINITELY not helping with that particular situation. Se La Vie…
The ride ended up nicely enough, and Peter and I got along quite well over the 2.5 hours. He got his snacks. I got back to the stables without being thrown off. That’s a ‘Win-Win’ in my book! I should note, that I was probably on the younger end of the age scale for this group of 7 riders. Most of us got off our horses and gingerly sauntered (in the most Western sense of the word, if possible) out of the barn to our cars, all seemingly having had a nice afternoon.
Pete's Wanderings of Ireland! 