HORSE RIDING, MORE THAN A DREAM FOR US, A REASON TO LIVE

“Ten years ago when thousands of people were leaving the country. We opened the first outdoor riding stable in Albania and it became the inspiration to stay,” says Kristina Fidhi in an exclusive interview with TRAILBLAZING MAGAZINE.

She started the business with rented horses from farmers and ended up building their own stable with 44 horses. “Caravan Horse Riding Albania was an adventure and a dream,” she said. Caravan Horse Riding Albania was boosted by Risi Albania, a well-known innovative project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, SDC, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Economy and implemented by Helvetas and Partners Albania. “It is a long way and Risi Albania helped by giving chances to be better oriented in tourism, shape new products to support not only shoulder season but also pandemics challenges,” she said, adding “We used the support to build several programs, to improve our online presence and to give opportunities to young people have a job or selfemployment.”

When did you start to ride? Were you always drawn to it?

My first experience on a horse was when I was 5 and the moment remained unforgettable. Since childhood I was dreaming to have a horse for myself and travel the world. This vanished with the time. The studies and the other obligations ruled over my horse riding dream. I returned back on a horse years later when together with my husband and a childhood friend started to

rent horses and ride for pleasure. We were exploring the surroundings of Gjirokastër, the wild nature and horse riding became a real escape for us. The idea of opening a business based on horses seemed unrealistic for most people years ago. It was happening 10 years ago when thousands of people were leaving the country. We opened the first outdoor riding stable in Albania and it became the inspiration to stay. The first years were really difficult to become known in the international market. No one knew anything about Albania or the Albanian horses. We had to learn many things ourselves and then look for markets.

I am happy that we did it and that the dream to travel the world on horseback became true. Putting values on what you do helped the business grow. Our guests from all over the world could easily see that. We keep riding for ourselves because “No one knew our time matters. anything A journalist who rides about Albania horses. How does it feel? Has it helped you in your or the professional career? Sometimes it feels like

Albanian riding a crazy stallion. Journalism has rhythm. horses” I learned balance from horse riding and applied it to journalism. I learned so much during my experience in journalism but most things I know for myself were taught by horses.

A horse gives power and freedom to his rider not only on horseback. Horses help you face your fears and insecurities, they inspire to follow your instinct or your heart and above all horses never lie. They don’t need too. Every journalist needs these lessons.

Being connected to horses shaped all my life and gave me chances to see isolated corners of our world that make journalism subjects.

How did you manage to start out Travel Caravan in the gorgeous city of Gjirokastra and what has been the role of Risi Albania in it?

We started the business with rented horses from farmers and ended up building our own stable with 44 horses. Caravan Horse Riding Albania was an adventure and a dream. The first years we had to learn about proper horse management, international standards, different disciplines, equipment, horse treatment, medication, vaccines, deworming, training etc. We shaped a whole network of family houses in different rural areas to be our support for the long trips. Nowadays 12 local families are living from the trails. It is a long way and Risi Albania helped by giving chances to be better oriented in tourism, shape new products to support not only shoulder season but also pandemics challenges. We used the support to build several programs, to improve our online presence and to give opportunities to young people have a job or self-employment. Risi Albania supported our community based vision.

Our local partners did receive trainings on hospitality, cleaning and hygiene standards, cooking, customers service etc. Recently we are working on a new branch of activities that came as a need to face and respond to Covid 19.

Based on the same values we are now bringing to the market at least 14 new tourism products including rural and city tours. Risi Albania did support the idea from the beginning and now around 30 community members, including guest houses, artisans, small producers, farmers, experts, artists and others are involved in the new project.

The support is giving chances to self-

growth and critical thinking to find new ways and adapt to new situations.

How well known is Travel Caravan among foreigners and how can Trailblazing Magazine can help in this regard?

Caravan Horse Riding Albania has a good reputation through European riders who have been our main customers. Many stories are published by the important European horse magazines or other media such as “Cheval” or “Main Pferd”, “Horsexplore,” “Pferd & Reiter” or “Trail Finders” catalogues publish our horse riding offers every year. Our customers very often become excellent writers for our blog. Trailblazing Magazine can help to go further in making known these products while diversifying. Based on our goal to make customers’ time valuable we bring in market for the first time a combination of many products such as hiking, off road experiences, exploring, city tours, village weekends, art class, wine and poetry tasting.

“Trailblazing Magazine can help to go further in making known these products”

We want to inspire through these options customers that travel for a reason, people that care and support authentic experiences. better our Albanian customers and also regional ones as they represent a totally new market. We cover with horse riding trails a large area of the South from the Ionian coast to the depth of Përmet.

At the moment the expansion idea is related with new activities in order to be able to offer in the future multi adventure and multi experience tours.

Furthermore we plan to come in autumn with a new riding arena that will be built next to our stable. The investment goes together with a detailed riding school program. We will be ready to welcome soon horse lovers for riding lessons and fulfill another dream to start creating the horse riders community of the country.

Do you have plans to expand horse riding in other cities of Albania? What are your plans for the summer?

We have already shaped a winter program that combines horses with other activities, especially arts. At the moment we are focused in knowing