Kasztanka, Bielsko-Biała, Poland
Visited: Oct 2013 - June 2014
When I first arrived in Bielsko-Biała I luckily had a week before starting my new job, this gave me plenty of time to start investigating opportunities for horse riding in the local area. This was somewhere I was particularly eager to ride as the Beskid mountains are only two miles from the centre of town. However, as I earnestly began my search I soon realised that my rudimentary grasp of Polish was a major hindrance, as each time I rang somewhere to enquire I soon ran into a rather large language barrier.
Instead, one beautifully sunny morning I got out my map, circled where I thought riding establishments might be and set off to physically investigate. My first stop was a dead-end, after a couple of miles walking down a promising looking quiet road near fields I came quite literally to the end of the street, which was also apparently guarded by a menacing looking dog complete with sign that read 'zły pies' or 'evil dog'. Making a sharpish about-turn I set off to my next promising circle on my map which lead me to a ramshakle building and a ball of fur hurtling towards me which turned out to be an adorable German Shepard puppy called Aza. This was a local riding school called Kasztanka. Kasztanka was the famous chestnut mare that belonged to Poland's interwar leader, Marshal Józef Piłsudski.
When I arrived a few of the ponies where wandering about the field by the gate and a group of four were being lead around the perimeter of the fields being ridden by a group of disabled children supported by a local charity. Immediately you can tell this is a relaxed place working at a relaxed pace. The owner, a typically traditional Polish woman called Pani Staś, speaks very little English but is extremely welcoming. Her son Sławek speaks good English and after I explained that I was hoping to book a ride in the next few days he instead invited me to ride there and then! I was not particularly suitably dressed but it would do he said and went off to find me a hat. Whilst he was doing this Pani Staś brought out two mares from the stables attached to the house; a chestnut thoroughbred cross and a stocky little grey with a cheeky eye. I was given the choice 'big or small' and promptly chose the little grey, named Gina, and off we went. It was only an hour ride but we seemed to pack a lot in, I think Sławek was definitely testing me, crossing streams, jumping small ditches and blasting along through fields at an extended canter ('galop' in Poland.. always straight to the point).
After arriving back with a large grin on my face Sławek asked if I'd like to book another ride, and I jumped at the chance to go the following weekend, this time for a two hour trek with a totally new terrain for me, the mountains.
Instead, one beautifully sunny morning I got out my map, circled where I thought riding establishments might be and set off to physically investigate. My first stop was a dead-end, after a couple of miles walking down a promising looking quiet road near fields I came quite literally to the end of the street, which was also apparently guarded by a menacing looking dog complete with sign that read 'zły pies' or 'evil dog'. Making a sharpish about-turn I set off to my next promising circle on my map which lead me to a ramshakle building and a ball of fur hurtling towards me which turned out to be an adorable German Shepard puppy called Aza. This was a local riding school called Kasztanka. Kasztanka was the famous chestnut mare that belonged to Poland's interwar leader, Marshal Józef Piłsudski.
When I arrived a few of the ponies where wandering about the field by the gate and a group of four were being lead around the perimeter of the fields being ridden by a group of disabled children supported by a local charity. Immediately you can tell this is a relaxed place working at a relaxed pace. The owner, a typically traditional Polish woman called Pani Staś, speaks very little English but is extremely welcoming. Her son Sławek speaks good English and after I explained that I was hoping to book a ride in the next few days he instead invited me to ride there and then! I was not particularly suitably dressed but it would do he said and went off to find me a hat. Whilst he was doing this Pani Staś brought out two mares from the stables attached to the house; a chestnut thoroughbred cross and a stocky little grey with a cheeky eye. I was given the choice 'big or small' and promptly chose the little grey, named Gina, and off we went. It was only an hour ride but we seemed to pack a lot in, I think Sławek was definitely testing me, crossing streams, jumping small ditches and blasting along through fields at an extended canter ('galop' in Poland.. always straight to the point).
After arriving back with a large grin on my face Sławek asked if I'd like to book another ride, and I jumped at the chance to go the following weekend, this time for a two hour trek with a totally new terrain for me, the mountains.
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