On Horseback around Tandil`s Mountain Range

Creole Folklore

Riding a horse is a beautiful sensation. But the very folklore of such an undertaking starts with the previous arrangements, long before we get on the colt or mare. For some reason, for over twenty years, Gabriel Barletta, has been in charge of explaining to each group of tourists everything related to their horses.

These explanations imply everything from the art of putting the saddles on the horses, their names, the various breeds and kinds of hair, even the great secret of how they must be treated so that they obey each of the commands made by the rider, who sometimes will be an expert and sometimes will not.

He speaks about saddles and explains that there are Mexican saddles, polo saddles, English saddles, saddles from the cordillera, Chilean saddles, Creole saddles, and the list goes on. Riding a stallion, he shows the various paces of each horse. He stops to comment that the horse over there is a zaino, and that that word means “traitor” in Arabic and that alazán, also in Arabic, means “cinnamon”. And all these references are useful for tourists to get familiar with the horses and forget about fear and prejudice. Previous knowledge which of course awakes the spirit to ride.

And thus, the crucial moment in which each of the riders is assigned a certain horse comes. The distribution is made according to their riding experience and personality. There are those who like trotting, galloping or even running, whereas many others, on the other hand, prefer a soft pace which may allow them to simply enjoy a different moment, nothing else. For them, there are the noble horses.


Reserve of the Tiger

The Reserva del Tigre is a very particular site to visit and almost all the organized horse-riding excursions choose this place as a destination for their groups, along with Sierra Don Bosco, Las Dinas, Mount Centenario and the Virility Rock.

This natural reserve occupies 140 hectares which, apart from its own flora, has native animals which were plentiful in other times and are being protected against extinction at present. For such reason, it is possible to come across some of them during the tours.

Gabriel is a typical character from the Argentinian campo: his clothes, his way of talking, his stories and anecdotes make the tour incredible.

He asserts that the added value these horse-riding excursions have is that they contribute with a dose of native and exotic reconnaissance of the mountain range, a kind of ecotourism that makes the visitor feel part of nature, getting to know the hills in a different way – a meaning that would not be grasped if they drove round the area. That is why the right horse must be assigned to each person. And if they ride in a group, the “comodines”, the quietest and most experienced horses, must be taken.

As we ride on, we leave behind very gorgeous sites: mountains, valleys, forests and even sown fields outstand with their beauty. It is incredible to see how easy it is for the horses to get into the strangest places.

We can even make them swim. Thus, before everybody’s incredulous look, Gabriel and his stallion face up to a small three-meter deep lagoon and they start swimming for the picture, ending up in solid ground, soaked but victorious.

Opening gates, passing through and closing them is to be near the same sensations the gauchos and the Indians would have a long time ago.

It is still possible to get deep into this natural environment without any farmyard or fence in these Tandil mountain ranges, where even during dusk another story begins. One in which the moonlight is the ideal scenery for long mateadas, tales, poems, guitar playing and very Argentinian asados, which are another alternative for this kind of riding excursions. Because there is more to man’s life than horses ….