You may have heard in the media about the devastating Estepona wildfires that have been raging in the area behind Estepona and into the mountains along the coast.

We want you to know the horses and people are safe and the fires, thankfully with the help of the rain, are not out but are stabilised.

The fires have burned whole sections of our beautiful riding countryside, affecting the flora and fauna. The wildlife has been heavily affected and local groups and vets are dealing with the aftermath.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the firefighters, management and pilots who worked tirelessly in tremendous heat and arduous terrain to control this unprecedented fire. Our condolences to the firefighter from Almeria who sadly lost his life whilst helping in this endeavour.

What has happened to the mountains?

The goats and farm at the top of the ride were saved. There are swathes of burned areas and then swathes of green untouched by the fire. There are brown areas where the heat scorched the leaves. Some of this will flourish again relatively quickly. IN the spring after the rains the wildflowers and grasses should come back. For some of the tree areas that were burned for long periods the regeneration will take maybe 5-10 years.

The lower levels of the ride are unaffected. A lot of the mountain vistas also show areas unaffected.

The local council and environmental agencies are working on plans as we speak to reclaim this important area of natural beauty.

We have been cleared to ride carefully in the area.

It’s still magnificently beautiful and in places you would not even know that the Estepona wildfires were here. Turn around and you can see some of the damage. But the rides are still wonderful and the area will recover.