Castle in the Clouds - impressed and disappointed

[dmjr]

Yesterday I went up to the Castle in the Clouds for the first time in 21 years. I must admit I was impressed and disappointed at the same time.

The restoration work at the Castle in very nice, everything was well presented and the volunteers inside were very knowledgeable.

The part that disappointed me the most was the conditions of the horse barn. Walking through that barn was a very depressing sight. It was very dark, dingy and smelly. All of the horses had that look to them that was very depressing and they were in their stalls with saddles on. The staff in the barn also seemed very arrogant and it did not look like they cared about the horses.

[NoBozo]

I have been up there 3 times in the last three years. As far as I know..The Horse Barn is NOW (and has been) the restaurant with the patio outside. Is there another Horse Barn that is NOT on the regular Castle Tour. Just wonderin..:look: NB

[Heaven]

There is the stables used by the riding horses, over toward the bottling plant. It is a typical rental riding stable, with the horses leased for the summer from a rental ranch.

[laketrout]

I took my family to the Castle in he Clouds riding stables last week, the staff were professional and knowledgeable. The horse ride was fun especially for my youngest daughter. Horse barns do have a smell, I didn't get a bad impression at all. The kids loved to see Zeus the huge draft horse.

[jmen24]

Horses should not be stalled with riding equipment left on them, they can injure themselves if something were to get caught (the girth should be loosened and stirups pulled up while in a resting state for the horses comfort. This makes the saddle easy to slip out of position and spook the horse).

There is really no reason to keep a horse saddled when not being ridden, especially after being ridden.:(

It takes 5 minutes to saddle a horse and put the bridle on.

For all there power, horses are quite delicate and require some care in keeping them healthy and happy.

[dmjr]

Well....all of the horses I saw in the barn in stalls had all riding equipment left on the them and the stalls were a mess. I understand that a horse barn would have an odor to it, but not an overwhelming one. I have been in other horse barns and that by far was the worst barn I have seen. They should be ashamed!

[Gearhead]

We were also in that horse barn yesterday, but I don't have too much idea what a barn should smell like, other than horse and horse by-products. :) I kind of like the smells of a horse barn.

I'd say half the horses there were saddled, but when we left there were seven horses lined up with a group ready to leave with them. The horses might have been reserved and were simply ready for their customers but I really don't know. What I would do is ask someone there why the horses are saddled and in their stalls. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for it. Maybe they are simply keeping them out of the hot sun?

I just returned from the Philippines and the horses there would pass for deer here. I couldn't believe the one I rode up the Taal volcano held me. The poor thing!