Some final thoughts from Bulgaria.

ROC, International Travel, Historical Sites, Horse Training, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 16, 2026Bulgaria, Balkans Comment

BULGARIA RIDE – COMING DOWN OFF THE MOUNTAIN

Two bits of wisdom are found coming down the mountain

ROC, International Travel, Historical Sites, Horse Training, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 14, 2026Bulgaria, BalkansComment

BULGARIA RIDE – TRAVERSING THE SPINE OF A SLUMBERING PREDATOR

We climb to 2000 meters and traverse the spine of the Bulgarian Balkans.

ROC, International Travel, Historical Sites, Horse Training, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 12, 2026Bulgaria, BalkansComment

BULGARIA RIDE – CLIMB TO THE FAIRYTALE LAND OF THE HIGH BALKANS

Under threatening clouds we climb into the High Balkans and find a fairytale land of floating skulls, benevolent inn-keepers, and wild forest horses.

ROC, International Travel, Historical Sites, Horse Training, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 8, 2026Bulgaria, Balkans Comments

BULGARIA RIDE – A SHOT OF WHISKEY MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER

A change of mount — a shot of whiskey — and the prospects for my trip in the Balkans suddenly seem a lot brighter.

ROC, International Travel, Historical Sites, Horse Training, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 7, 2026Bulgaria, Balkans, Weightlifters, Roman ruins, ThraciansComment

EGYPT RIDE – FINAL THOUGHTS

The hospitality, the vitality, the warmth … Egypt has my heart.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 5, 2025Egypt, Luxor, Horses and HieroglyphsComment

EGYPT RIDE – HORSES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH

I go into every trip with trepidation about the condition of the horses I will ride. Egypt wasn’t only good, it was inspirational.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 2, 2025Egypt, Luxor, Horses and Hieroglyphs Comments

EGYPT RIDE – AWED, AMAZED, CHARMED

I’m awed, amazed, and charmed by the Egypt we ride through. Would our guides feel the same in my home?

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderNovember 29, 2025Egypt, LuxorComment

EGYPT RIDE – NUGGETS FROM VARIOUS RUINS

A little knowledge is dangerous. Here are a few nuggets.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderNovember 28, 2025Egypt, Luxor, Great Egyptian Museum, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Ancient Egypt RuinsComment

EGYPT RIDE – DAYS 2&3 -- GEM and LUXOR TEMPLES OF ASSORTED RAMSES

Day 2&3 — Great Egyptian Museum and Various Temples of Assorted Ramses in Luxor

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderNovember 26, 2025Egypt, Giza, Desert Riding, Luxor, Great Egyptian Museum, Temples of Ramses Comment

Egypt Ride -- Day 1 -- Feeling So Alive in the Land of the Dead

Riding to the Great Pyramids of Giza

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderNovember 24, 2025Egypt, Giza, Great Pyramids, Desert Riding, Arabian Horses, Saqqara, Sphinx Comments

Sweden Ride -- Stockholm Reflections

Stockholm has my heart. Icy diamond of a city.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderJanuary 5, 2025Sweden, StockholmComment

Sweden Ride -- Day Four -- Do the Math, or Maybe Don't

A day with a high of -13F but still pretty much all outside — worth the discomfort!

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderJanuary 2, 2025Sweden, Taiga, Dog sledding, Horses of the Taiga, Snowshoeing, Lapland Adventures, Northern Lights, Night rides, Life below zero Comments

Sweden Ride -- Day Three -- Horse Free but Animal Rich

A day away from the horses still has lots of animals — huskies, reindeer, and moose.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 31, 2024Sweden, Taiga, Sami culture, Reindeer, Dog sledding, New Hope Alaskans, Horses of the TaigaComment

Sweden Ride -- Day Two -- Wind Can't Spoil a Perfect Day

Wind or not, the ride goes on and the little Icelandics deliver a perfect day.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 30, 2024Sweden, Taiga, Polar Clouds, Northern LightsComment

Sweden Ride -- Day One -- Abundant Gratitude for Scarcity

Nothing prepares you for the quality of the light in a land of darkness.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 15, 2024Sweden, Taiga, Polar Clouds, Northern LightsComment

Georgia Reflections

Georgia offers sobering context on Helene floods, spiders, and needed rest.

ROC, Riding Experiences, Riding TrailsSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 11, 2024Georgia, Ocmulgee River, Hurricane Helene, Hard Labor Creek State Park Comment

Gators, Cotton Mouths, and Crackers, Oh My!

Riding in Florida's Goethe State Forest exposes us to Cracker culture and potentially some nasty critters.

ROC, Riding Experiences, Riding TrailsSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 8, 2024Florida, Ocala, Bronson, Goethe Forest, Swamps, Palmetto, Cracker Culture Comment

Gamelands and ‘Southern’ Hospitality

Gamelands as churches and 'Southern' hospitality amidst destruction.

Riding Trails, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 4, 2024The South, North Carolina, Bed and Barn, South Carolina, Aiken, Gamelands, Nature Preserves, Longleaf Pines, Hitchcock WoodsComment

The Ocean and Seeing Things Through the Eyes of the Innocent

The gift of experience the ocean anew

Riding Trails, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 1, 2024The South, North Carolina, Bed and Barn, Sugar Ridge Franch, Hatteras, Beach Rides, Oceans Comments