And we are continuing with our mini series about Sicily, a prime horse riding and tourist destination. Today I am talking with Christina Heß from the blog Herzenspferd who recently rode and filmed a travel documentary in Sicily. 18 days she rode through different regions of the island and documented her rides, the landscape, the region, the people and their culture. Additionally she presented Sicily’s unique horse culture and its three indigenous horse breeds.
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Horse Culture of Sicily
Sicily is a great destination for horse riders. Its ancient horse culture and native breeds are less known among horse riders.
San Fratellano Horse
A hardy mountain horse from the community of San Fratello in the Nebrodi Mountains of Sicily. This light, medium-sized breed of horses is ideally suited for packing or trail riding.
Sicilian Oriental Purebred
A light Arabian type of horse descending from the horses of the Arab invaders.
Sicilian Saddlebred or Siciliano Indegeno
Another medium-size native horse breed, combining different breeds who had reached the island with the different conquerers throughout the ages. The best horse lines were combined, among others Spanish, Norman and Oriental horses in order to create the perfect Cavalry horse. Today there are around 8000 horses left and the breed is working on national recognition.
Your Guest today:
Christina Heß (Germany)
Equestrian Adventuress, filmmaker and blogger from Germany.
Don’t forget to check out the resources section in this article!
Highlights
- Riding & Filming
- Sicily’s horse culture
- The Sicilian Mafia
- Best regions to ride in Sicily
Thank you for tuning in and happy trails!
Special Announcement
Horse Nomads – Book 5 of the Equestrian Adventuresses Book Series
Collected and published by Krystal Kelly
Finally, we launched the 5th book of the EQA books series with five super cool stories featuring women from all around the world! Whether it is about riding horses in Lesotho or India or opening a yard on a Greek Island where horse riding is all male-dominated, all stories are packed with adventures and challenges. Moreover, it is the perfect way to endure the -hopefully- last few months of lockdown and Covid-19 Travel Restriction and it will transport you to the deep blue Mediterranean Sea, the ruggedness of the Kingdom in the Sky Lesotho, or let you enjoy the world looking through the lyre-shaped ears of the Indian Marwari horses.
All books of the EQA book series are available as e-book, paperback and soon all will be available as audiobooks as well.

Also Check out our Latest Travel Guide Books for Equestrians!
We just launched our 2021 Travel Guide Book for Equestrians editions!
Available on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and noble, and more as paperback and hardback coffee table books, however as a special gift to our members and as a big thank you for being a part of the community we are giving you a copy for free!
Click here to grab your free book: Horse Riding in Every State & Country Book

Travel the World on Horseback Virtually: With EQA TV
Are you looking for something new to watch instead of old reruns of sitcoms? Well, look no further!
We are thrilled to announce that season 1 & 2 of the Equestrian Adventuresses series is now available on Amazon Prime in the UK and the United States. More locations will follow soon. Travel with us for example to Greenland, Slovenia, Ireland or Greece.
Equestrian Adventuresses travel around the world on horseback, meanwhile sharing empowering women’s stories along the way. Explore hidden destinations and learn about the history and culture from the back of a horse. This is a show for those who love horses, travel and adventure!
Do you feel that we are missing out on an important topic? Or maybe you have an interesting story to tell? Contact Heather or Ute!
Resources
- Christina’s Documentary about Sicily
- First Podcast about Sicily
- Equestrian tools and resources
- EQA Online Shop
Thanks for listening to our horse podcast: Riding & Filming in Sicily!
