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  1. M

    Walking a short section of the Camino Catalán

    Hello, my son and I rode our horses across the Pyrenees and south to Figueres, then west to Lleida. This was in 2012 when the Cami de St Jaume wasn't particularly well known, but the signage was brilliant. We stayed in hostels occasionally (a bit complicated if you have horses with you!) and...
  2. M

    Renting horses to O Cebreiro

    Some years ago I rode my horse from Canterbury to Santiago, and I can only say that the ride up to O Cebreiro was one of the most stunning and exhilarating parts of the whole pilgrimage (fortunately my horse appeared to think so too!) I hope you're able to do it, it's amazing.
  3. M

    Horseback Riding and Walking the Camino: Qualifying for Compostela

    I rode my horse from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela 20 years ago, and can say from lengthy, daily experience that a horse is considerably slower than a bicycle! And sometimes slower than an averagely fit walker as well. Leo became very fit as we progressed, but was never an endurance horse...
  4. M

    Tradition…. When to start wearing your scallop shell?

    He was very beautiful. Sadly he died in the summer of 2021 (aged 28, so a good age, but it was no consolation!) and I still miss him every day. He'd been a successful show horse before I bought him as a six year old, and I don't think he had our initial 1700 mile trek to Santiago in mind at...
  5. M

    Tradition…. When to start wearing your scallop shell?

    I've always worn a pilgrim shell on my hat, with another on my horse Leo's browband. My sister Susie did the same when we rode together from Canterbury to Santiago (the middle photo shows Leo and me talking to tourists at Vézelay), and when I rode alone to Rome some years later. Leo sneezed all...
  6. M

    Anyone taken a horse on the Camino?

    Yes, it is. The book I wrote about it, Horseshoes and Holy Water, was published in 2006.
  7. M

    Not really live from the VF, but still... Lucca to Rome August 2022

    I was fascinated to read this - it brought back a lot of memories! I rode my horse Leo from Canterbury to Rome in 2006... many tricky bits, but some quite amazing experiences. In Lucca I rode him all round the city on top of the wall. Here's a photo of us arriving in the Vatican (to find no...
  8. M

    Suggestions Please - Starting Point for VF?

    Strewth! Well, I won't be riding the Francès again any time soon! I did ride most of the Catalunya camino in 2012 with my son and his horse, and it was quite amazing. Had to stop at Lleida though because we only had about 3 weeks to do it. Maybe one of these days we'll go back to where we...
  9. M

    Suggestions Please - Starting Point for VF?

    I understand! I rode same horse from Canterbury to Santiago (on Camino Francès) in 2002, and even then it was horribly crowded towards the end and it was difficult to keep a sense of perspective, let alone achievement, although with hindsight it was indeed life changing. It was while riding...
  10. M

    Suggestions Please - Starting Point for VF?

    I rode my horse from Canterbury to Rome using the secondary route that avoids Switzerland, and we crossed over the Moncenisio pass straight into Italy. I dropped down to Susa and then joined the main route at Pontremoli via Torriglia. Starting at either of those would be about 800 kms from...
  11. M

    Poetry about the Camino

    Hello, I know the poem well, and it's one of my favourites. In case you're interested, I'll print below one that I wrote following my pilgrimage to Santiago on my horse from Canterbury Cathedral in 2002, which appears in the book I subsequently wrote: Faded tracks in long woods, Muddy...
  12. M

    Anyone taken a horse on the Camino?

    Very late reply as I've only just spotted this post! Yes, it's possible. My sister and I rode our own horses from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela in 2002. It took us four and a half months, and was an extraordinary and life-changing experience. Mefo Phillips

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