Soon after, we too stopped in the shade for sustenance.
It was the midpoint of our six-day immersion led byEquiberia Riding Holidaysin the Andalusian countryside.
Id spent time in the regions cities and towns before, but Id longed to explore its wide-open spaces.
From left: Equiberia owner and founder María Elena Dendaluce in El Rocío, Spain; a picnic for Equiberia riders in Doñana National Park.Credit:Marie Lievre/Courtesy of Equiberia
(El Rocio is known among equestrians as the International Village of the Horse.)
Every year, hundreds of thousands of ecotourists travel to the park, drawn by its fragile beauty.
The region brims with wildlife, much of it rare.
A courtyard at Hotel La Malvasía, in El Rocío, on the outskirts of Doñana National Park.Courtesy of Catherine Buni
Herds ofmarismena,one of Spains oldest breed of wild horses, roam freely here.
Some 6 million birds stop at its marshy ponds as they migrate from Europe to Africa and back.
On the sandy path, Moritos fluid walk was silent, and our group fell into an awed hush.
Equiberia riders breaking into a gallop along a beach on the Costa de la Luz.Courtesy of Catherine Buni
Even when I didnt see them, I felt graced to be in their fleeting company.
As with many sensitive habitats around the world, Donana is imperiled.
When the trail opened again to vast grassland, I could sense Morito wanted to run.
We galloped our last miles along the Atlantics cool break, the horizon glistening in refracted light.
In the air above us, swallows dipped across the sky.
A toast to Donana, she said: Salud.Amor.Caballos.
