The 8th Equestrian Route along the beach left some beautiful images on Saturday 16th. Up to 325 horses participated in this initiative organised by the Department of Livestock in collaboration with the Peña Caballista Mijeña, which was originally scheduled for March 9th, but had to be postponed due to the forecast of rain.

This is an initiative that combines a ride through the countryside and along the coastline and is very popular among horse lovers, but also an attractive image for locals and tourists, who did not hesitate to come and witness this unique image in the province. "It is unprecedented in the province of Malaga. There is no other municipality that does it, other than in Cadiz", said the mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), who advocated to continue working with "horse enthusiasts, as there are more than 2,000 horses registered in Mijas". "This is an event that says a lot of good things about Mijas because it is very original, it does not happen anywhere on the coast, we have the privilege of enjoying the mountains, the beach and this day", added, for his part, the president of the Peña Caballista Mijeña, Juan López-Ayala.

The route was organised by the Department of Livestock of the Mijas Town Hall in collaboration with the Peña Caballista. "We are very happy because this is the edition with the most horses and the most people. We are talking about 325 horses, which has exceeded all our expectations. Regardless of the number of carts that have come, we have seen on the beach how much children, tourists and the riders have enjoyed", said the councillor responsible for the area, Eloy Belmonte (Vox). 

Apart from the spectacle, this is an initiative that is beneficial for the horse and is also enjoyed by the riders. "In these rallies. The horses have a lot of fun, the foals gain experience, social skills, so to speak. In addition to the fact that they enjoy themselves a lot, the sea water and the sand, the massage they get on their hooves is very healthy", added López-Ayala. "It was very nice and everything was very well organised when we met up with all the horses", added young participant Malak Hajmi.

Eight donkeys from Donkey Dreamland, led by volunteers, also took part in the walk. For them, this walk by the sea is also beneficial. "It's being out in the open air, surrounded by the volunteers. It's also something beautiful for the visitors, for them to see us", said Montserrat Fábregas, who works at the donkey shelter.

The route set off from behind Venta La Morena and after stopping at the beach reached Los Olivos park, where there was paella and flamenco, an activity in which the Peña Flamenca del Sur and Mibu collaborated. "They asked for our collaboration and we thought it would be great if Enrique Heredia came with one of his companions playing the 'cajón'”, explained the secretary of the Peña Flamenca del Sur, María Luisa Laso. But this equestrian event did not end there,  horses and riders once again offered a new spectacle: a ribbon race on horseback, which also attracted a lot of attention.

Share it with this link: https://mijasint.com/?a=30221