Boquete Coffee
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • BUY OUR COFFEE
  • PLANTATION
  • COFFEE RESOURCES
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY

New boyfriend on the coffee farm has balls

6/1/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture

Welcome home to the very handsome black stud horse.  Arrived safely early afternoon after a long journey all the way from one side of the Volcano down to David and up the other side to avoid the big hills and bends involved in the shorter route.  Big thank you to the wonderful truck driver Alexi, he did a really great job as always.

As the horse does not have a name, he was just known as the Black Arabian Stud Horse, we decided to go with the suggestion of his former trainer who knew him well and had a good name suggestion.

 After some amusing discussion about the various nuances and meanings in English and Spanish we have decided to go with Media Luna (in Spanish).   He has a white crescent moon shaped star on his forehead and is otherwise all black.

Now, this is actually a bit of a turn around.    Or, an application of the principle "if you can not beat them join them"  In all my 30 years plus of riding I would never ever have entertained the idea of riding or keeping a stallion before coming to Panama.  

I have adjusted:   And am not sure whether to be proud, ashamed or rather afraid.   In the land where every other street seems to be  home to one or more intact male horses, it is really impossible to avoid male horse hormones....so in the end, I reasoned, you might as well have them yourself.  

  

 

0 Comments

Unique view from Jansen coffee farm over Highland Wetlands.

4/18/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Nice view of one of the highest wetland habitats in the Americas.  Very unique birds and wildlife.   Beautiful place.

0 Comments

Another distracted day from coffee farming: found a real cowboy and drank maranon juice

3/29/2012

1 Comment

 
Another distracted day from coffee farming.  A real cowboy showed us his horses.  This used to be cowboy country.  Maybe it still is.    We descended into a neighboring valley to visit the cowboy and his horses on his ranch between two rivers.  It was hot, very hot. We saw lots of horses and rode a couple.  Nice horses.  All stallions all quarter horses, the cowboy horse.  Then we talked about them and drank maranon juice - the juice of the cashew nut fruit - very refreshing.

I think our host is the real deal.  There are lots of people, mostly men, around here who wear the clothes.   He wore the hat and checked shirt, blue jeans and a giant buckle  Some cowboys here have cows - he has cows (lots of them).  

This gentleman cowboy seemed authentic.  He had his fancy horses and his regular working horses that he is more willing to ride out into deadly snake territory.  Mostly though, he has the face and legs that indicate he has spent many thousands of hours in the saddle.  He knows horses.   He had some lovely horses.  

A nice Palomino took my fancy.  Unfortunately probably too old to geld.  The search continues.  As we drank mar anon juice, I made a note to self about potential cocktail combinations with this delicious extraction from the cashew fruit and pondered the bigger problem of macho culture and impact on horses.  Here there is a culture of studs.  Not so much focus on the mares.   I think this is a problem.


1 Comment

Boquete too Posh for Horse Shit?

11/27/2011

0 Comments

 
Today, was the day for the holiday Cabalgata in Boquete.  This is a horse parade around the streets with some beer involved.

This morning, we got an email that the Mayor had cancelled due to aversion to horse droppings.   

Not to be deterred, a good 30 or so of us set off anyway.   After all this is a tradition that pre-dates the Mayor.  Frankly, Beatrice's tears and tantrum on hearing the 'cancellation' was about 10x more frightening than horse poo.  Mother decided to go regardless.

Mucho fun, must do it again next year. 



0 Comments

Learning about the Coffee Farmers horse.

10/16/2011

0 Comments

 


The videos (taken by my nearly 5yr old daughter so bear with us) show the first stallion and a mare being ridden by the stable manager.   Then I rode the mare, the owner road the stallion and the stable manager rode a 3yr old stallion that they are training.  We went outside the arena and practiced the parade thing.   We rode in lines and in parallel.   The owner is an accomplished rider of Pasos and used to do a lot of showing himself.  They are training the 3 yr old to feel comfortable in the Peruvian tack and  working in thin and parallel lines.

I learned that the perfect height is up to 15hh although, they can be much smaller than that.   They have very compact barrel like bodies on shorter legs, good looking muscular horses.    They compete around the smoothness of the gait as well as how flashy it looks.  So, it is important that the rider does not jiggle about but stays still in the saddle.   

 Apparently, there is even an event where the riders demonstrate just how smooth their ride is by carrying a glass of champagne.  I would like to try that one time.  I learned a good Paso has brillo - I think this means sparkle or fight (good rule of thumb for people too).  It is different from other horses I have known in that it is desirable for them to have a wild look about them; But close up they are very gentle.  Also, like the clothes, honestly riding in a large poncho more flattering than jodpurs.  They do wear trousers as well.

Conclusion: These are the perfect horses for lots of people for lots of reasons.  In particular, they are a very suitable option for mature people.  Nice ride for a hack, good fast long walk, no jolting in the saddle at the sitting trot, easy on the back, easy to mount, kind and part of a long and interesting culture and tradition.  A lot to be said for that combination.   

Thank you very much to the owner of the Boquete Country Club for being so generous with his time, his beautiful horses and explaining how to ride and what to expect from the traditional coffee farmers horse.  I'm suitably impressed and look forward to riding a Paso again, hopefully soon.

0 Comments

Needs must: Bye bye spiffy stable block; Hello coffee pickers housing

9/7/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Horse goals for 2011 on hold.   Beatrice will have to train for the Equestrian Olympics at the riding school.  Coffee comes first on a coffee farm.  

We have just changed the coffee management on the farm and need to find housing for some indigenous coffee workers and their families from the Comarca very quickly.

So, yesterday we had the plans drawn up to add a toilet, shower and washing facilities on the back of the stables.   They will get a bit of a make-over on the inside as well.

Building will start as soon as I can get the materials and so today I spent a few minutes down there pretending to be a horse.  I took a picture of the stables - a bit sad and looking forward to building some proper workers housing soon and getting my horse life back on track.

0 Comments

Part II: The Three Machos - horse trading in Panama

8/14/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
Well, arrived ready to ride the three machos, wearing our English gear and carrying our helmets.  They were waiting for us. Two Peruvians and one Columbian - the traditional coffee farmers horse.  

Fortunately the nephew of the owner was there who is a professor at the University of Toronto.  A delightful man who was on holiday this week.  He was to be found with an avocado and some guava sitting under a tree outside the stables and volunteered to translate between us and the handler.

Yesterday all three horses and all the saddles, bridles and anything else had to go.  Today, apparently, only one of the three horses was for sale.   This discrepancy, to my displeasure, was put down to my poor Spanish and mis-understanding.  Not so I thought out loud to myself and gritted my teeth with obvious distain.   My instincts told me otherwise and so did my due diligence with another horse neighbor afterwards, who confirmed he had also been told everything must go - all three were for sale.     Apparently, this is normal here.  If you do not want something its yours; If you want it - no longer for sale.  More disturbing to me, it is OK to say one thing one day and another thing the next, blame your customer and neighbor for mis-understanding and expect to be treated as a gentleman tomorrow?  Wishful thinking in this case. 

Maybe this is a waiting game.  If so, I am quite sure I have more patience than they do - I have an empty stable and no work or expense.   There are plenty of horses out there.   They have quite a handful of hormones on their hands and not too many folks who can ride well enough to handle them.  Time will tell.

Also, the other part of horse trading in Panama.   The price had changed.  Gone up of course by about $300 and that was for the bad one of the bunch that is not worth even the original price (in my humble opinion).

Well, we asked to see them all anyway.  The one they wanted to sell was the one I would never buy.  Apparently, it was purchased for the wife.  I doubt it as it was much taller than the one the husband apparently rides - if there is one thing I have picked up from riding in Panama it is that the husband does not like to be seen on a smaller horse than his wife.   I did tell the handler this in my bad Spanish and even got a smile.

No, my guess, he wanted it for himself but was a little over-horsed.   Typical modus-operandi, tell a story (any story) to provide a convenient explanation.  She is probably blonde enough and stupid enough and Gringa enough not to figure it out.  Arghhh. Or, should I be grateful - Sun Tzu 'The Art of War' - never under-estimate your enemy.  This is a strategic advantage of being female here in general.  The last laugh is ours boys.

It was a six yr old stallion/stud that even the handler was so scared of that it was hardly handled, hardly ridden or otherwise hardly used.   As a result it was very under developed and rather grumpy.  Skinny hind quarters and narrow chested and tense back.  Tried to bite us all.  Did not go close enough to be kicked.

The other two very nice, the Columbian in particular was a gorgeous little horse.  We registered our interest and left our phone number.  Not sure I want to do deals this way.   Or, do I just get on with it, play the same games myself and have some fun with it.   Girls know best how to play hard to get I think.  



3 Comments
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    May 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Follow this blog

    Categories

    All
    9/11
    Accounts
    African Bees
    Al Jazeera
    Amaryllis
    Ambassador
    Armadillo
    Baby Coffee
    Banana
    Bananas
    Banoffee Pie
    Beatles
    Bees
    Bees Wax
    Beneficio
    Best Of Panama
    Bird
    Birds
    Blackberries
    Blossom
    Blue-grey Tanager
    Body Language
    Boquete
    Boquete. Panama
    Bouquet
    Bouquete
    Britain
    Bugs
    Bus
    Bushes
    Butterfly
    Cabalgata
    Calcium Carbonate
    Carnival
    Cataui
    Catepillar
    Catepillars
    Catuai
    Caturra
    Cherries
    Chickens
    Christian
    Christmas
    Cock Fighting
    Coffee
    Coffee Farm
    Coffeegeek
    Coffee Pickers
    Coffee Picking
    Coffee Planting
    Coffee Processing
    Coffee Pruning
    Coffee Sorting
    Container Living
    Cooking
    Coral Snake
    Costa Rica
    Cowboy
    Culture
    Cupping
    Curd
    Dance
    David
    Dia De Campesino
    Drunk
    Drying Coffee
    Dry Process
    Dry Stone Walls
    Easter
    Egg Nog
    Ekees
    Estrella
    Eucalyptus
    Exercise Class
    Farm
    Farming
    Farming Maths
    Fathers Day
    Fertilizers
    Festivals
    Finca Lerida
    Fine Coffee
    Flowers
    Foklore
    Folk Dancing
    Food
    Frogs
    Fungicide
    Garden
    Gardenia
    Gardening
    Gardens
    Geisha
    Geisha Coffee
    Gourmet
    Graphic Design
    Graveyards
    Green Beans
    Guava
    Halloween
    Hand Creme
    Harvest
    Herbs
    Hibiscus
    Highland Wetlands
    Hiking
    Honey
    Horse
    Horses
    Horse Tack
    Humidity
    Hummingbird
    Hummingbirds
    Independence Day
    Indigenous
    Indigeous
    Kotowa
    Language
    Latin Dance
    Lemons
    Life In Boquete
    Limoncello
    Living In Boquete
    Living In Boquete Panama
    Logo
    Mandarin
    Mangosteen
    Marmalade
    Medicinal Herbs
    Milk
    Molasses
    Mondays
    Moon
    Moth
    Mountain Oak
    Mulberries
    Mulch
    National Holidays
    Nature
    New Year
    Ngobe
    November 28th Panama
    Orange
    Orange Juice
    Oranges
    Orchids
    Organic
    Organic Farming
    Organic Fungicide
    Packaging
    Palmira
    Panama
    Panama.
    Panama. Ngobe
    Panamanian Culture
    Paso
    Passion Fruit
    Payday
    Peaches
    People In Boquete
    Picking
    Pictures
    Pigs
    Planting
    Planting Coffee
    Plants
    Poinsettia
    Poisonous Snakes
    Politics
    Pony
    Postal Service
    Protestant
    Pulping Coffee
    Rains
    Rainy Season
    Re-cycling
    Rescue
    Rescue Horse
    Riding
    Roasting
    Rocks
    Rose
    Roses
    Rustic House
    Scap
    Shoes
    Shopping
    Snake
    Snakes
    Soil Testing
    Specialty Coffee Association Of Panama
    Spider
    Spiders
    Spring
    Starbucks
    Strawberries
    Sunday
    Sunday Reflection
    Sunset
    Tamarillo
    Tarantula
    Thanksgiving
    Tin House
    Tomatoes
    Torch Ginger
    Trade
    Tree Tomatoes
    Typica
    Uk
    Urraca
    Usa
    Uv
    Vacuum Packing
    Volcan Baru
    Volcano
    Voltage
    Wabi-Sabi
    Weather
    Welding
    Wellington Boots
    Wildlife
    Wood
    Workers Housing
    Yellow Cataui


    RSS Feed


    Website counter

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.