Page 42 - ST November 2013

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BY ANDREA WADY

The Pura Vida

Horsemanship

Fund

A

fter an 8-hour drive from the capital we had ever seen. Imagine Jurassic Park and you will

of Costa Rica to the remote tree house be looking through our eyes.
community of Finca Bella Vista, deep Glancing nervously around me, I asked Chico if

in the heavily forested Southern he had ever seen a big cat out here. Why did I ask?!

Zone, the car could go no further He told us a story of his daily hike to work; one
on the rutted narrow tracks. So my morning at 5 am as the sun was starting to crest the

husband Chris and I started out on foot! Armed with mountains, only 200 meters above him, sat the most

a halter, a 22-foot Line, a telescoping pole and Chris’s terrifying sight he had ever seen: a female jaguar.
hoof trimming tools, we were led by Chico, a wonder- Stopping in my tracks, Chris crashed into the back

ful local man with a huge heart. We had heard of him of me; Chico grinned and said, “Pura Vida, don’t
through his rescue eforts with logging horses. He worry, they won’t harm you!” He explained how he

led us to his remote mountain farm, only accessible had sent out waves of love and intention of no harm

by foot. We climbed what felt like thousands of feet, to the big cat, kept his head down, and walked on
using rain gulleys and tiny goat tracks as footing. by! The jaguar had watched his progress from her

As the temperatures soared to over 90 degrees, we ledge and let him past unharmed. As he relayed the

passed through some of the most incredible scenery
story, I reached in my backpack and pulled out my

40 | Savvy Times November 2013