Ben Theyre and BeBop, a purebred Straight Egyptian Arabian. To prepare for his 170-mile trek in India, he rode BeBop on day-long treks beginning in early summer.

A few months ago, Vanessa and I became fascinated with the idea of taking an international horse trek. (See "Ride of a Lifetime," Life’s Lessons on the Trail, November/December ’08.) We decided to visit northwest India and take a horse safari in Rajasthan to the world-famous Pushkar Fair.

Although we’ve traveled internationally in the past and booked flights overseas, we were humbled by the realization that we had virtually no knowledge about traveling to or within the Indian subcontinent. So we decided to employ a travel service that specialized in international horse safaris and seek the counsel of an international travel health service.

Armed only with the introductory information provided by the television shows Equitekking and Passport to Adventure, we began our quest to learn about traveling to rural India and taking horse safaris.

Our first stop was the local book shop to pick up a copy of the Lonely Planet guidebook, India. With 600-plus pages of pictures, maps, and anecdotal stories, it’s an easy-to-read, up-to-date reference on travel and basic survival.

The Internet, specifically The Google and YouTube, became an indispensable resource in our planning. With the India guidebook at her side, Vanessa spent hours online researching and bookmarking sites. Each night, we’d go over her findings, taking notes in a black-and-red bound notebook.

Happily, we learned that there are several travel services to choose from that specialize in international riding adventures. And we were sobered to learn of the health risks posed by travel to India. Travelers are exposed to malaria, hepatitis, polio, dengue fever, and digestive disorders, to name just a few.

Trip preparation quickly became serious business. We needed to make informed decisions to assure a smooth, seamless travel itinerary that would maximize our equine adventure experience and minimize our health and safety risks.

At Our Service
After sending a number of e-mails and making follow-up telephone calls to various companies, we chose the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based travel service, The Compleat Traveller (www.ridingholidays.com).

The owner, Artie Sacks, gained our trust as a knowledgeable equestrian who’d traveled throughout India and on horseback in other countries. Artie gave us insights about the Indian culture and international travel; he’s savvy, informative, personable, and always a joy to talk to.

Artie has authored two books on international riding holidays and belongs to the prestigious Long Riders Guild (www.thelongridersguild.com), the world’s first international association of equestrian explorers who’ve ridden more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey.

Normally, The Compleat Traveller takes care of all the arrangements and itinerary negotiations for its clients. However, because I’m a journalist, Artie thought I might want to learn how he develops itineraries for equine adventures. We welcomed the opportunity to peer inside the process.

Artie introduced us, via e-mail, to Ute at Princess Trails (www.princesstrails.com), a small Indo-German family business owned by Ute’s husband, a member of one of the oldest, most honored families of nobility in Udaipur. They’d be hosting our seven-day safari from Udaipur to the Pushkar Fair. Artie worked with us during the planning, making suggestions and interacting with Ute and us throughout the entire process.

The first thing we received from Princess Trails was a basic information form.

It asked us a number of questions, including how we’d rate our riding skills. We both checked "Experienced" and returned the form. Several days later, Artie called to let us know that Vanessa and I were accepted for the safari.

An e-mail from India told us that the safari group traveling to the Pushkar Fair would have five other riders: two from Germany, one from Italy, and two other Americans. We’d all be riding Marwari horses. Using Google Earth, Vanessa estimated that our seven-day safari would cover about 170 miles.

Princess Trails also handled our arrangements for two three-day periods that bracketed the safari, when we’d have time to explore India on our own. Hotels, air reservations, meals, sightseeing, and even a visit to the Taj Mahal were included in a comprehensive itinerary that culminated in a taxi ride to the airport for our flight home.

Admittedly, it was a bit frustrating at times. All this communication was being sent during India’s monsoon season. After one extended lag in a response to an e-mail, we learned that Princess Trails occasionally lost "connectivity" during the rainy season. I guess it lost power, too!

The Marwari Horse
The Marwari Horse is an ancient breed native to Rajasthan. It’s well-suited for long rides in its homeland. It’s a highly intelligent animal with great stamina.

The Marwari Horse has Arab and Turkmeni ancestry. Formerly bred as war steeds, these horses were brought to the desert kingdom of Marwar (a region of the Rajasthan state) by central Asian and Muslim invaders 800 years ago. From there, the Marwari spread through the whole of Rajasthan.

The horse’s name literally means "from the land of death." Over eight centuries, it was bred in the harsh desert climate of Rajasthan by warring clans. It’s a cherished and honored breed — the pride of the Rajputs.

The highlight of our adventure will be to ride these historic horses on our journey to Pushkar, as we travel across the mountains, forests, and deserts of Rajasthan.

Health Concerns
The fact that we’d be riding seven days straight for nearly 170 miles through a variety of land forms and sleeping in tent camps got our attention early in the planning process. Vanessa and I both realized that it was essential that we be in good physical shape for riding those distances.

Early in the summer, we began a regular schedule of riding Thunder and BeBop for day-long treks. We rode in the Bristol Hills near our farm, in the hills of the county park, and on the Otter Creek trails in the North Country. Our bodies soon began to look better, our weight dropped, and our legs became stronger.

Frankly, we haven’t had the need or desire to get into condition for that type of riding for several years. Vanessa was last in top riding condition in 2003. But the last multi-day ride I did was nearly nine years ago, when I was in my mid-40s; I was definitely in better shape back then. Nonetheless, we rode regularly, and the regimen served us well.

Close to our departure date, we kept our appointment with Passport Health, a service of the University of Rochester that assesses travel health risks and offers counsel on staying healthy in foreign countries. For a small fee, we were given access to a medical expert on travel in India. We received inoculations for several health risks we’d face while there, and a personalized 50-page booklet with directions on how to prevent digestive problems, dehydration, malaria, and even jet lag.

In the event we did get injured, we obtained supplemental health insurance from MEDEX Global Group through the International Center of Syracuse. This service assures prompt evacuation to an approved MEDEX hospital, quality medical care in its worldwide health network, and a telephone contact in the United States. Our Passport Health consultant was familiar with the service, and agreed it was well worth the $30 premium.

Terrorist Threats
In our post-9/11 world, the threat of terrorist attack can’t be ignored in many foreign lands; arguably, incidents can be expected.

Sure enough, five bombing incidents occurred during September in the markets and streets of New Delhi. That opened our eyes. We’d planned to spend three days sightseeing there, prior to our flight to Udaipur for the safari.

To get the full story, we fired up the laptop and visited The Times of India website. After reading several articles on the events, we contacted Artie and Ute to request a change in plans that would keep us out of large cities.

Ute wrote that terrorist attacks are a way of life in India’s big cities, and locals are typically the targets. She felt the best way to protect against these "unfortunate events" would be to avoid crowded marketplaces.

We insisted on the change. With little said, our flights and hotel reservations were switched and a revised itinerary was sent. We were charged only $40. It was really painless.

Last stop: As we’d be away November 4, Election Day, we called our county board of elections and requested absentee ballots. We fulfilled our civic responsibility, voted early, and were now ready to travel.

Just Visitors
A trip is often defined by its purpose. We chose a horse safari to expand our knowledge of horses and world cultures so that we can better appreciate our homeland when we return. India is there for us to discover.

The planning of this trip can be boiled down to two maxims:

• A well-planned itinerary is essential to fully enjoy our adventure in this exotic land.
• Being aware of the major risks, and taking measures to reduce them, will, we hope, keep us healthy and safe.

It’s just as important for us to remember that we’ll be guests in a culturally diverse country. We’ll be there to experience the people and culture of Rajasthan and its proud history of horses.

In the next issue (March ’09), we’ll bring you the story of the safari and our destination, the Pushkar Fair. To check out our video diary of the trip, visit www.bentheyre.com.