Rates Note:

Transfer Option:

Saturday: Riders can arrive on Saturday during the day or on Sunday before noon in order to be ready for an early afternoon pick up.
Sunday:  Riders will be picked up at the lobby of any of the two hotels suggested according to the schedules detailed for each hotel. The transfer by car to Valle de Bravo will take approximately two and a half hours. After registering and getting set in one of the magnificent bedrooms in Finca Enyhe, dinner will be served.
Monday: A delicious Mexican breakfast will be served early in the morning. Afterwards a short briefing about what will happen during the week. Riders will get to know Alfonso Aguilar and start the clinic with a theoretical introduction and discussion. The practical clinic will take place in the riding arena of Finca Enyhe where riders will get to know the horses they will be working with. Lunch will be served in the terraces of Finca Enyhe.
In the afternoon riders will resume the clinic and later on will have some time to relax and enjoy the facilities inside the property. During dinner guests will be able to enjoy the excellent Mexican and international cuisine that comes out from the kitchen of Finca Enyhe and accompany it with red or white wines.
Morning clinic will focus on ground work: Understanding and performing lateral flexions, vertical flexions, turn on the hindquarters, turn on the front quarters, lateral movements, teaching the horse how to back up, etc.
Afternoon clinic will focus on riding: Understanding the different aids and how to apply them. Ride your horse with only a halter, use the lead rope as one rein and work the same ground exercises now mounted on the horse.
Tuesday:  A delicious Mexican breakfast will be served early in the morning. Afterwards meet in the riding arena to start today’s clinic. Lunch will be served in the terraces of Finca Enyhe. In the afternoon riders will resume the clinic and later on will have some time to relax and enjoy the facilities inside the property. During dinner guests will be able to enjoy the excellent Mexican and international cuisine that comes out from the kitchen of Finca Enyhe and accompany it with red or white wines.
Morning clinic will focus on an obstacle course from the ground. Riders and horses will work and deal with different materials on the ground under different presentations. Riders will learn to walk a horse on different things, around things, under others and through narrow spaces while the horse learns to trust its rider.
Afternoon clinic will focus on riding a horse through the same “obstacle course”.
Wednesday: By now everybody should be communicating pretty well with their horse and applying the newly learned skills and others that will be learned today. Guests will have another delicious lunch in Finca Enyhe. At the end of the day you might have some energy left and will want to explore the colonial town of Valle de Bravo, or why not relax next to the swimming pool with a margarita in hand and have an invigorating and restoring massage in the privacy of your bedroom!
Morning clinic will focus in body language, both of horse and rider, liberty work and round pen.
Afternoon clinic: Description and understanding of how the reins work. Ride with two reins.
Thursday: After breakfast the horses will be waiting for the riders to take them to an enjoyable ride. Apply some of your new skills in the trail and understand the importance of knowing this technique. Lunch will be served on the trail. Riders will be returning in the afternoon to Finca Enyhe and after having a question- answer session will have time to relax and enjoy the property.
Friday: Today will be the last day of the clinic. Lunch, as other days, will be served on the terraces of the finca and in the afternoon riders will work for the last time in the arena with the horses. Since this is the last night in Valle de Bravo, dinner will be in the nicest restaurant in town. It is located in one of the oldest buildings of the area (not included in rate).
Morning clinic: reinforcement of liberty work and round pen and for the most daring riders, why not maybe some bridle-less riding.
Afternoon clinic: personalized desires and queries.
Saturday: Breakfast will be served half an hour earlier, this is at 8:00 a.m. Transfer back to Mexico City International Airport Terminal 1 is programmed at 9:00 a.m. Estimated time of arrival to Mexico City International Airport terminal 1 will be around 12:00 p.m.

Because of its topographic profile, located in the middle of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains, Valle de Bravo has a variety of microclimates. Starting from 10,000 Ft. above sea level, where the mountain forest are composed of fir trees, the forest composition changes as you decend.  Part way down, pines and oak trees mix, and continue by the time you reach a 5,000 Ft. altitude,  the vegetation has become a caducifolia jungle, typical of the Mexican dry lands. This variety makes for interesting, and ever-changing scenery.

The weather in the town of Valle de Bravo is nearly perfect year round. Early in the morning the air is crisp, and sometimes a bit chilly, but the temperature rises with the sun, expect day time temperatures in the 80's (F). During the day, a cool breeze keeps the hot sun in check.   Short, afternoon rains in the wet season are common, but from November to May this is rare. Nights are cool to cold, with lows around 60F.

An incredible diversity of plant life is the most striking feature of Valle de Bravo. Lots of fruit trees grow in this area;  avocado, orange, lime, lemon, mandarin, plum, apple, pear, peach, berries,  Mexican guava, cherimoya, guanabana, jicama, mamey, zapote and chayote are among the common foods grown here. Together, with the most exhilarating and colorful variety of flowers, they shade the paths and trails we ride.

Accommodation is in Finca Enyhe, a "Five Star" hacienda style house in the outskirts of the beautiful colonial town of Valle de Bravo. Located five blocks away from the main square it has the benefits of both the town and the countryside. The house has a central "patio" with water fountain that invites to reflection and meditation. Four verandas with columns and arches surround the "patio" where multicolored hammocks are always waiting for the guests to lay down and enjoy this paradisiacal atmosphere.

A big and enchanting garden surrounds the house; it is very well kept and has a great variety of flowers, plants and trees. In one of the corners of the garden the swimming pool drops its water to a line of paradise bird flowers whilst on the other side a magnificent wisteria hangs on a pergola giving shade to a one piece log table with benches where delicious lunches are served.

Facilities:

• Six beautiful standard rooms all decorated in Mexican style, each with its own and exquisite particular decoration. Most of the bedrooms have their own brick or iron fireplace.
• Each bedroom has a big and comfortable bathroom, all decorated with hand-painted tiles. Some of the bathrooms have a Jacuzzi.
• The six bedrooms are distributed in different areas of the house. Two of the bedrooms are facing the central patio, two more have the view of the gardens, and the last two look out over the swimming pool.
• A private bungalow with one double room that faces the beautiful horse stalls.
• A library, a TV room, a billiard table and a small gym.
• Outside heated swimming pool (45 Ft. long) with integrated Jacuzzi (7X7 Ft.).
• Several patios, verandas, terraces, and gardens.
• 24 stalls, a dressage ring surrounded with bamboo, and a magnificent tack-room.

Meals
The variety of flavors of the Mexican kitchen is offered to the guests with hygienic procedures and the home made food gives them the opportunity to taste different dishes every day. Breakfast includes fresh fruit and juice, egg dishes, sweetbreads, coffee, tea, or milk. Lunch is a picnic on the trail after three hours riding. It includes fresh fruits, Mexican tortas and tacos, and a variety of cheeses, meats, cold sodas or beers brought along by a pack mule that also provides horse-shoes, first aids kit, medicines for the horses, and all what might be needed during the daily ride out in the forest.

Having eaten and rested the riders get mounted again and continue riding for two or three more hours. Horses stay for the night out in the woods attended by the wranglers while the riders are taken back by car to the town of Valle de Bravo. Some riders may like to mingle around the town and afterwards calmly walk back to Finca Enyhe. Some others may prefer to enjoy a spectacular sunset while drinking a Margarita or Tequila by the side of the swimming pool. Everyday, at seven thirty, all riders have a delicious typical Mexican meal in the magnificent dinner room. During dinner a wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes are served accompanied by red and white wine.

Days and nights in Finca Enyhe include:

• Breakfast: continental or Mexican style.
• Lunch: some days served on the terraces of the finca and others as a picnic during the ride.
• Dinner: delicious Mexican style cuisine. Meals served with purified water, sodas, beer or wine.
• Alcoholic beverages: three drinks per person per day, not interchangeable.

Note: Special care for vegetarians and other special diet considerations are available with advanced notice.

Farewell Dinner on last day is not included in the rate. Please note for the Farewell Dinner- the restaurant does not accept credit cards!!! Please have enough cash on hand for the dinner and tip. They do accept Mexican Pesos, US Dollars or Euros. There are four cash machines located in the town of Valle do Bravo- one is only doors away from the restaurant.

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

D.V.M. Alfonso Aguilar Rios

Alfonso Aguilar lives with his wife Karin, two children, Sebastian and Valentina and all their horses. His time is divided between Mexico (Valle de Bravo and Patzcuaro), the United States (Texas and California) and Europe (Switzerland and Germany). Without a doubt, Alfonso is one of the pioneers of natural horsemanship training, a training of horses based on no confrontation. He was born in Morelia, state capital of Michoacan (Mexico) and raised in a family with a long tradition of breeding and training horses. Alfonso began riding at the age of 3 and at fourteen he participated in the first competitions of “charreria”, a Mexican roping and riding sport.
Alfonso earned his Veterinary license in 1985 at the University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo. One year later, he moved to the United States to continue and expand his training. In 1988, he began working in a California ranch owned by Pat Parelli, where the training was specialized on colt starting and problem solving. For nine years he worked with Pat Parelli to create and develop a horsemanship training program. During that time, he also met Tom and Bill Dorrance the same as Ray Hunt; from the three of them he increased his horse knowledge.
Since 1990 he constantly teaches clinics in the USA, Mexico and Europe. He has also been in Australia.  In 1996 he developed a study program for the University of Davis in California with themes such as ethology (Animal behavior) and horse handling which is given to first semester students of veterinary.  Other specific programs developed by Alfonso are followed in the Instructor’s School of Reken in Germany, in the Federal Haras in Switzerland and in the Mounted Police Unit of Leon in Mexico.  Although what he most of all enjoys is teaching and giving clinics, he also participates in well known Equine Shows such as Equitana, BEA- Berna, Americana, etc.  Last but not least he also gives conferences in veterinary universities about horse character and behavior.

Tack:		Mexican Charro, English and Western, Trail saddles
Horses:		Trakkhener, Appendix, Quarter, Thoroughbred, Criollos
Pace:		Moderate with some trots and canters. | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(2 to 3 out of 5)    Novice, Intermediate, Advanced
Age:		Min 12	Max 70
Weight:		Max 200 lbs
Riders:		Min 2 riders	Max 8 riders (per riding group)	Max Capacity 12

D.V.M. Alfonso Aguilar Rios

Alfonso Aguilar lives with his wife Karin, two children, Sebastian and Valentina and all their horses. His time is divided between Mexico (Valle de Bravo and Patzcuaro), the United States (Texas and California) and Europe (Switzerland and Germany). Without a doubt, Alfonso is one of the pioneers of natural horsemanship training, a training of horses based on no confrontation. He was born in Morelia, state capital of Michoacan (Mexico) and raised in a family with a long tradition of breeding and training horses. Alfonso began riding at the age of 3 and at fourteen he participated in the first competitions of “charreria”, a Mexican roping and riding sport.
Alfonso earned his Veterinary license in 1985 at the University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo. One year later, he moved to the United States to continue and expand his training. In 1988, he began working in a California ranch owned by Pat Parelli, where the training was specialized on colt starting and problem solving. For nine years he worked with Pat Parelli to create and develop a horsemanship training program. During that time, he also met Tom and Bill Dorrance the same as Ray Hunt; from the three of them he increased his horse knowledge.
Since 1990 he constantly teaches clinics in the USA, Mexico and Europe. He has also been in Australia.  In 1996 he developed a study program for the University of Davis in California with themes such as ethology (Animal behavior) and horse handling which is given to first semester students of veterinary.  Other specific programs developed by Alfonso are followed in the Instructor’s School of Reken in Germany, in the Federal Haras in Switzerland and in the Mounted Police Unit of Leon in Mexico.  Although what he most of all enjoys is teaching and giving clinics, he also participates in well known Equine Shows such as Equitana, BEA- Berna, Americana, etc.  Last but not least he also gives conferences in veterinary universities about horse character and behavior.

Passports
Passport valid for at least six months after date of entry required by all nationals referred to in the chart .
Passport Note
(a) Applicants for Blue Tourist Cards should have a valid passport, return/onward ticket and proof of financial means. (b) Tourist Cards must be kept by the visitor during the entire length of stay as they will have to be presented and stamped on leaving.

Visas
Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above, who can obtain a Blue Tourist Card for touristic purposes from their airline on direct flights, at port of entry, or from the Mexican Consulate before travelling, for 180 days, except nationals of Australia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic and Slovenia who can stay for up to 90 days.
Visa Note
(a) Nationals seeking to visit Mexico on business are advised to check with the consulate regarding visa requirements as they may need to apply for a Non Immigrant Business Visitor carnet (FM3). (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements