Of course horseback riding is a lot different from driving – some of us got to experience the differences first hand on October 22, thanks to our one day team building escape at Salina Equines. But the title caught your attention, didn’t it? The event’s concept sure captured ours.

Guided by some professionals strapped in long leather boots, we took a long and revealing tour of the stables. The horses were gorgeous, but caring for them for no more than 3 hours was enough for even the most passionate horse lover from the team to decide without a doubt that having a horse is as much a responsibility as it is a pleasure. They need special food on a strict schedule, a rigorous hygiene with a lot of water consuming showers and baby like care afterwards, so they don’t catch a cold. (That’s what the tanning like device is for). It’s a good thing most of us did or still do have grandparents in the countryside – that came in extremely handy when we needed to use the forks for hay and… poop removal 🙂

The horse riding seemed almost as demanding as carrying for them. They make it look so easy in the movies, but it requires a lot of attention, coordination just to keep yourself in the saddle. So we stuck to the basics and dignity was saved.

The day went on with a visit to the vineyard. When we were told that grapes are harvested by hand, it seemed to stretch infinitely to the horizon. It’s not like you could feel the difference in the taste of hand or machine harvested grapes, is it? We were promised more details and the wine connoisseur kept to their word, enchanting us with interesting stories about the wines, dripping tips and tricks on how to turn wine drinking into a full sensory experience.

All in all, the close contacts with the horses did the trick of hormone induced happiness, the meals were hearty and comforting, the wines were exquisite and the whole event made us feel like we’ve taken an enriching journey.