An-Sibin Riding Center...Part 1, Horseback riding

An-Sibin Riding Center, Whitegate Ireland.  I'm not sure I can say enough good things about this riding center!  From the start, when Bertie picked us up at the airport, to the very last day when we got dropped off again, it was flawless.  An-Sibin is owned and operated by Bernie and Nicola, they have been doing this for several decades, and right now there's 50 horses.  They handled the schedule (and the juggling of guests, day trips, and meals) with smiles and obvious experience.  Each day we went out at 9am and rode for about 3 hours, along trails, timber roads, and dirt roads.  In all, there were 8 guests on my tour (Castles and Ruins) plus a staff member in front and at the back of the line...so 10 horses on each ride.  We had a fire waiting for us upon our return, in the lunch area.  After a little personal downtime, we'd all head out again for the "ruins" portion of the trip, little day trips to local crumbling castles and such. 

All of the horses are tied to trees in the yard, and the staff has gathered all of the tack we need.  We brushed and saddled our own horses each day.

Irene with her horse.

My horse was Tobein.  (I think that's how you spell it.)

Alicia from...Switzerland?

Kathi from California and Cindy from Florida.  Friends since they were 15!

We rode through expansive tracts of government managed forest land.

Kathi and Cindy.

Whitegate is near the river Shannon, which looks more like a lake here.