On Horseback

Some information from my book YOUR CAMINO on foot, bicycle or horseback in France and Spain

Guides
The Way of St James on Horseback
This guide contains everything riders need to know to ride the Camino Frances from France to Santiago. It includes a description of the road, highlighting its potential difficulties, existing facilities for the horses on the Camino Frances, maps with icons that indicate the most suitable lodgings, list of blacksmiths, veterinaries and equestrian centres in every province the road runs through and much more.
http://www.elCaminoacaballo.com or http://www.csj.org.uk

Books
Riding the Milky Way. Babette Gallard and Paul Chinn made the pilgrimage from Le Puy en Velay in France in 2005. Babette’s book is a must-read for anybody planning a journey of their own.

Spanish Pilgrimage: A Canter to St James. Robin Hanbury-Tenison and his wife Louella made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain in the traditional way – riding on white horses over long-forgotten tracks. Their adventures are vividly and entertainingly recounted in this delightful and highly readable book.

Horseshoes and Holy Water: On the Hoof from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela. The lure of a long-distance ride leads Mefo Phillips to team up with her sister Susie and their spotted Appaloosa horses – Leo, a flirt with a passion for Mars Bars, and affectionate, gluttonous Apollo – for a pilgrimage down the medievel Way of St James from Canterbury to Spain.

Pilgrim diary
http://www.santiago-compostela.net/cont ... eback.html

Advice for entering the city on horseback
Pilgrims planning to enter the city on horseback should notify the local police (tel: 092) several days before their arrival. The police will be able to tell you the compulsory route and stipulated times, and give you an access permit so that you can enter as far as Plaza del Obradoiro and stay for a short time in front of the cathedral. Immediately thereafter, the horses should be taken to their pre-arranged stables or accommodation.
Pilgrim Office: 981 56 24 19
Civil Defence (Santiago): 981 57 50 00
Local police: 092

The Confraternity of St James in the UK can put you in touch with members who have recently made the pilgrimage on horseback: http://www.csj.org.uk

I met a horse who liked it so much he was doing it a second time. The guy on the horse explained that the horse had gone the year before with it's owner. When he started thinking about it, the owner said "take my horse---he loved that trip.

Apparently the horse remembered the route quite well.