Things to do near Sofia | Horse riding

One of my favourite things about Sofia is that it offers an endless list of weekend activities, especially in the warmer seasons of the year.

A friend took us horse riding this weekend and it was a surprisingly calming and fun experience. It might look really easy from the outside, but “doing nothing” while you sit on the horse’s back is actually quite intense.

 

Warming up starts with simple exercises for coordination:

You climb on the horse and while it is moving slowly in circles, you have to:

-lean on the side and touch your right toes with your left hand;

– stretch your hands- sideways, up, etc.

-or lean completely forward or completely backward to a position in which you practically lie on the horse’s back.

You also need to watch out for things like:

• keeping your heels down and your knees turned in
• standing with your spine straight, but in the same time maintaining a relaxed, chill position
• focusing your gaze straight in front of you and not on the head of the horse (as the awesome coach says “Drivers look at the road, not at the steering wheel, right?”)
• enjoying the ride (literally)

It is an intensely calming experience if you enjoy spending time with animals and also a surprisingly challenging physical activity.

Trust me, getting in sync with these majestic animals is not an easy task when they switch to a faster pace.

Pets. Lots of pets

One of the best things about the venue (Equita Horse Riding Club) was the endless variety of pets lying around. The lovely dog on the photos felt so relaxed around the horses that he even took short naps near the jumping racks. Talk about chill attitude!

The staff was super friendly and the coach definitely knew how to introduce complete beginners to the tasks. If you want to try a new sport and you are around Sofia: definitely swing by.

You can find the Equita Horse Riding Club only a short (car) ride away from the city: