Youth Exchange Blog: Equestrian Tourism in Spain by Eliza

I heard about the project from a friend who was planning to go and invited me to join. I was amazed and gladly agreed. I had never participated in such international projects, and Erasmus+ seemed quite unknown and out of reach. As I wanted to experience something new and eye-opening, this project was an ideal opportunity. My expectations were to have a good, fun, and useful time, learn something new about other cultures, gain more knowledge about equestrian tourism, and make new friends.

Before the exchange, I researched equestrian tourism, discussed with friends how it could improve rural areas, and learned some Spanish words. During the stay in Pasarón de la Vera, I contributed by being curious and open to sharing and acquiring new information. I was also thorough and diligent in group work.

Thanks to the exchange, I understood how much preparation, time, and resources are needed to create an equestrian route. For example, the path should be suitable for horses, accommodations must allow horses, and there are challenges in organizing meals during the hike. I gained new knowledge about Italian, Croatian, Slovakian, and Spanish traditions, mentality, and cultures. It was very useful, as I am now much more interested in traveling to these places to explore them. Moreover, I now have international friends in each of these countries to connect with. Also, I developed my group working skills as I had to collaborate with people from different countries with contrasting points of view.

For future exchanges, I would recommend being more accurate with the project description. This time there were some disappointments, as it was promised we would improve our riding skills and ride horses often, but we rode them only once and for a short time.

My three most memorable experiences were visiting a local woman’s family – she was a wonderful host, providing good food, swimming in the river, and conversations with her kids in my very beginner-level Spanish. It was fantastic! I was also very grateful for the opportunity to ride a horse, which I enjoyed a lot. Thirdly, I really admired and enjoyed interacting with people from different nationalities – it was fascinating to notice differences in behavior, accents, and attitudes toward various situations or even food. Furthermore, I’m glad I made new acquaintances, and it’s wonderful to have many new international friends. I would definitely recommend this kind of exchange to my friends, as it was a genuinely amazing and eye-opening experience.