Riding a horse in the Caribbean is a dream for many, and Bruce Walker is on a mission to help others achieve their dreams. In 2009, Bruce left his job as an ex-military government employee for Playa Chiquita de Talamanca, Costa Rica, a quiet beach town just 20 minutes from the popular party town Puerto Viejo on the country’s Caribbean coast. Top photo credit: Photo courtesy of razihusin via Shutterstock.
It was in Playa Chiquita that he finally realized two of his lifelong dreams — owning horses and helping others achieve their dreams. Today, he provides “a ride with strangers starting out and becoming friends.”
Facing My Fears
Despite having always dreamed of riding a horse, I had never actually gotten on one, something Bruce assured me would be no problem. When I arrived he introduced me to White Socks, a horse he assured me was used to new riders, looked at my height and immediately brought over a bucket.
“…did I forget to mention I’m terrified of actually getting on a horse when I said I’d never rode before?”
Bruce simply smiled, offered some philosophical advice regarding fear being nothing more than a feeling that needed to be explored, and talked me through getting in the saddle. And when I was confident enough to relax Bruce led us out on to the road.
I still had little idea of how exactly to ride a horse. It didn’t, though; White Socks knew exactly what to do, following Bruce without a signal from me.
Playa Chiquita. Photo courtesy of Simon Dannhauer/Shutterstock
The ride was going smoothly…at least for the first half mile. Until I panicked, awkwardly pulling the reins the wrong way and galloping into a branch, sending my glasses flying to a devastating death on the dirt path.
Luckily, that was the low point of my ride.
As we continued down the dirt road, we stopped frequently. We took in the sloths, birds and monkeys hanging in the trees above, and the overall local ecosystem. Playa Chiquita and its surrounds offer a very holistic lifestyle, taking good care of their environment while also utilizing it for their health and life improvement. Bruce uses his rides to educate others on the local environment, allowing them to learn more about the culture of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.
When Bruce isn’t taking people out on horses, he works with local youth, using his horses to teach the children about hard work and responsibility. As someone who believes that working with animals — horses in particular — can changes lives for the better, it was an honor to ride with someone using their passion to help others.
About halfway through our ride, Bruce stopped to pull a leaf from a branch. “Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and smell this,” Bruce said, handing me the leaf. “What is it?”
I took the leaf, shut my eyes, and inhaled deeply. “Lemon?”
Bruce nodded. “Now every time you smell a lemon, it’ll be a reminder of this day.”
By the time we had ridden a few more through the forest to the paved road, I was feeling slightly more confident in the saddle. Children on the sides of the roads yelled to Bruce, cars slowed down and waved, and bikers often stopped to say hello, showing the true sense of community in Playa Chiquita.
We took a path off the side of the main road, through a small wooded area. Dirt and mud slowly turned into sand.
“Watch your head,” Bruce said as we rode under a tree.
When I looked up, I gasped. We were finally on the beach. The Caribbean Sea loomed endlessly before me, reaching out to meet the cloudy sky.
My heart pounded as we rode along the shore. Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast was experiencing the highest water they’d seen in years. Many locals swore it had never been as high before, so we were left with only a few feet of beach to ride on as rough waves crashed against the sand. My nerves slowly began to fade as I could only smile watching Bruce’s dog run ahead to play with the water and White Socks enjoyment of being at the beach.
As we rode further, Bruce and I discussed topics ranging from global warming to world peace. “The world is crazy right now,” he said, “but we’re heading for peace.”
“I hope so.”
“We are, I’ve seen it.” He sounded so sure that I was hard not to believe him.
The Final Stop
The final stop on our ride was the coconut stand. As I drank from a fresh coconut for the first time it finally hit me — I had just spent the afternoon riding a horse for the first time on the Caribbean Coast. I closed my eyes and smiled, trying to memorize every scent, sound and feeling from the day.
The grin never left my face, even after I dismounted the horse and waited for a taxi back at the stable. Riding with Bruce at Playa Chiquita Riding Adventures was more than just a horse ride on the beach. Not only did I learn more about Costa Rica, myself, and the world in general that day than any other day on my trip, I also managed to conquer a fear that had been holding me back from achieving a lifelong dream.
What fears has travel helped you face? Please share in the comments below.
By Sky Fisher
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
