Glad all is well... LOVE the pick up, its awesome! and to have a back cab is pretty smart indeed. Sounds like you are all doing well for the horses and yourselves too ;) Hope all continues to go well with these beds and guides appearing from no where, and that Ed's leg gets better soon. Take care, G
Aimee
As the Inca Ride veterinary advisor I can also assure any concerned readers that the horses are being looked after very well and they really are the boys number 1 priority.
Nick
We recently received a concerned message from "Matt". Below is our reply.
Hi Matt,
Thanks for your message. We share your concerns for the horses well-being and you can rest assured that ours are some of the best treated horses in this country. If you know anything about horses you will know that riding 30km a day is far from cruel if the horses are fit and well. Ours are. Indicative of this us that we have ridden 900km without a single lameness, and the horses are in far far better shape than when we bought them. If anything they're doing a touch too well! To add some perspective for those readers who don't know much about 'long-riding', endurance riders for instance will cover up to 100 miles in a day. Long riders might aim to do this distance in four or five days.
Re injuries suffered by the horses there has been one, and a lucky escape. Both affected horses are very well. The fact that we are putting the horses at risk is implicit. Anyone who rides does so as there is inevitably intrinsic risk. If there was no risk to ourselves and the horses, as many other explorers have put it to us, we simply wouldn't be doing this. However as we have repeatedly shown, often to the great amusement of local people over here, the horses are our number one priority and we do more than enough to ensure their welfare.
All the best for now, Nick
Matt
Reading about the injuries suffered by the horses. Not good guys, really. If you want to put yourselves against the elements to do your charity trek thats great. But why put the horses through the suffering? I am no animal liberationalist but this is just cruelty. You dont have enough horse riding experience or knowledge to justify submitting the horses to so much risk and injury.
FI
Hi Phil, Ed and Nick
What a fabulous blog! Great to hear all your news. Just wanted to say HappyEaster to you all. Staying with Grandmum in Wales at the moment - kids eating far to much chocolate needless to say! Phil - Jamie just off with boys to play golf at Welshpit course - his message is he's looking forward to a re-match when you get back!
Stay safe and hope the next stage of the journey goes well.
love fi, Jamie, Max, Ferg and Eleanor xx
Eleanor And Fi Skinner Et Al
dear phil ed and nick
hope you are having a great time and me and mum have looked at the blog and the photos - it was AMAZING! can't believe you are surviving with all those tarantulas and scorpions. I really hope you are having a great easter and hope you are eating loads of chocolate!!! I AM!!!!!! guess what i got? I got a mini egg easter egg and a chocolate chicken with chocolate buttons in it and a chocolate bunny and some jelly beans!!! Quite a lot of chocolate eh!! I was wondering if you had a laptop and you could send me an e-mal and that would be [email protected]!! hope you can but if you find it difficult then don't bother I will just send you e-mails. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR ADVENTURE!!!!!!! love Eleanor xxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooo
Walter
Nick & friends!!!
Well done for such of significant "travesia" (not easy journey). Nick, remeber I told you would find great people over there. You are enough courageous & generous guy, people can see that
all the best & congratulations for a superb achievement in life!
Walter (Nick´Spanish teacher in Edinburgh)
Katriona
Embarrassed to say today is the first time I've properly read your blog and looked at the photos. It looks incredible, photos are making me green with envy. So impressed you've survived scorpions and tarantulas. Hope that all goes well in Peru now you're all together. Can't wait for the next entry xxxx
Louie
Hey guys, I just found your site today and have been enjoying the pictures. I have been riding, training horses and mules, and doing pack trips for twenty years. I would like to see more pictures of your tack. Saddles, pack saddles, panniers.
How are the horses feet holding up in the easy boots. I have used them for emergencies but never for a long trip.
Good luck.
A And F Collard
Congratulations on a magnificant blog, and for keeping cool heads (if you will parden the pun!) dealing with all the trials and tribulations thus far. I don't know if you are aware of this, the 4th member may be a touch anachrophobic but, don't worry, I'm certain that she will become quite battle-hardened too! Wishing you all the best. PS Will contact you again re bottles, where to send etc
I think
Tory Stewart
just taken a look at this for the first time - had no idea you guys were writing a blog to keep us up to date. whooo, sounds awesome. am slightly out of the loop but ed, i hope your leg is better. hope you've tried inca kola, coca tea, bought a few ponchos, try mate (mah-tay) when you get to argentina (maybe you're there already, have no idea) and alpaca steak. keep at it, lots of love tory xxx
Kate Richards
So impressed by your blog and photos. Incredibly jealous but the pictures have brightened up a very dull and damp saturday so thank you. Ed, I missed the info on how your leg got damaged but I hope its healing well and I send masses of love to all of you.