Horseback riding and archery at Pelion

Horseback riding and archery at Pelion

Wait! Don’t start yet! Put some –appropriate- music on first!

I always liked to combine trips to places I have not seen with activities that I love (no, the food is not an activity, although i would be glad if it was!). This time when I closed my eyes, my finger showed Pelion at the map (okay, it was not exactly like that, but this way was more cinematic!). The activities were two -horseback riding and archery- both very symbolic for me. The horseride because in my mind horses always symbolized freedom, one of my core values in this life. And archery because as a Sagittarius, the arc is my element!

It is not the first time I did horseback riding, but there is one that is etched in my memory, a few years ago in the mountains of Lefkada, close to nature, the sense of absolute freedom! Since then, I said that I do not want to remake riding on a track, simply turn around, uninteresting both for me and the horse. This time, the escape was planned for the mountain of Centaurs! The riding club IFOM welcomed us in a farm full of horses and other animals that coexisted harmoniously. From the first moment that you speak with these people, Mr. Thanasis Vitos and his wife, you know how much they love what they do, their appreciation and love for this proud animal, the horse!

We went into action after a horse grooming lesson, during which we learned very interesting things like that horses sleep standing… that they have better hearing and sense of smell than humans, while exceeding a memory capacity even of elephants! Only once is enough to go through a path and never forget it. A perfect GPS of nature!

The most important of course for me is the empathy that they have and their connection with humans. The horse is the “mirror” of our behavior. It understands immediately in which psychological state we are. If we are afraid, then the horse is afraid. If we are angry, confused, anxious, then the horse becomes agitated too. However, a ride with it, can scare away all those negative feelings and ultimately create a mutual relationship of trust with extremely beneficial effects on our psychology.

This doll with the boho style is Victoria, my horse for this ride on the mountain of Centaurs! This view over the horse and the feeling that I become one body with it, especially the moments I lay on it to pass under low trees, is one of the most beautiful experiences you can live with the animals!

As for the archery that I tried for the first time (shame and disgrace for a Sagittarius!), I admit that I did not expect to be so addictive. After our trainer explained how to catch the bow (wooden, traditional please!) with the elbow high and the other hand outstretched, the arrows were going and coming at lightning speeds. The targets were surrounded by nature, overlooking the sea of Volos or the mountain. However, after learning the round target, everyone turned to animal targets. I had to put with this (sympathetic) little bear.

The reason why archery is so addictive, I tried to analyze later, concluding that to have a goal and achieve has been always a game on our minds. Whether the goal is something material or spiritual in life or is the red dot in an archery target, we are made to the hunt in order to achieve it. There is a unique charm to this process until you achieve the target, the concentration required, the power, the harmony of motion, which urges you not to put it easily down and try again and again, testing your powers, until the spectacular achieving either of the paper target or of a life goal.