21 Nov 2024
Disclaimer: I am not a "horse person" so I went for the show.
Meh. Go to the show if you want to. It is a very different thing to do in Spain. They are experts, so if you're even marginally inclined to do it, seize the chance, because this is the place to go.
If you're buying tickets off the website, you can "package" the show ticket with the tour before to see the training. OR add a visit to the museum. OR add both depending on how much time you want to spend. Elect the extra tour options you want at the start of your purchase, as you cannot "add on" tour/museum after you select your tickets for the show. The arena is small, so I don't think it's possible to get a "bad" seat. The best seats are at the bottom of the "u" and in the lowest to the ground (or 1st row.) The show consistently flows towards the 2 rows of VIP seats. The horses enter the arena on the opposite side of the arena from those 2 rows.
I'd never seen horses move and dance the way these horses do. It is impressive to see, but, for me, it did go on a bit. Not knowing if it's a triumph of horse training, a display of amazing dexterity of the horses, or just how-did-they-get-the-horses-to-do-those-things, I think the "expertise" was lost on me. That said, the horses do perform some visually amazing feats.
There is a 10 minute "intermission" to resurface the soil and give you a chance to go to the shop. After this, there is, what I would call, a "solo" performance by a highly trained horse & handler (that horse worked hard for the audience!) This was followed by an 8 rider spectacle. Again, not being a rider, I have no idea the difficulty of pulling off this orchestration, but it wasn't as visually impressive as some of the other parts.
The grounds of the school are gorgeous. I don't know what I was expecting, but that was a welcome surprise. I did not have time for the pre-tour of the training or to go thru the museum. To round out this experience a bit more, I wish I could have made the time to see and learn something about the training. Perhaps you would enjoy the show more if you too saw something more than just the show.