I've been living for the past eight years or so just outside Almería City with my Spanish companion Loli who runs a riding academy called Albero Centro Ecuestre. For those interested, there's a photo-blog with a few years' worth of pictures to enjoy.
Between horses, foals, ponies and a mule, there are 37 animals to feed, water and exercise every day and three of us (Loli, her son and me) do the majority of the work - outside and under the blistering sun. I have never been fitter. Or for that matter, browner.
The horses are mainly Pura Raza Española with a few others, including Friesians, a Percheron, a Lusitano and three Arabs. Then there are a few mixes. We have two stud-horses - a PRE and a Friesian.
Some of the horses are liveried - belonging to others who use our facilities.
Then we have dogs, cats, rabbits, geese, chickens, ducks and a cage full of love-birds.
So that's us - classes every day except Sundays (and during August), plus a few other services besides. Se habla castellano, and, no, this isn't an advert.
This summer, because its hot and we needed a change, the Almería fiestas (which lasts for nine days, they don't do things by halves here) gives the faithful students the chance to dress up and ride over to the fairgrounds (they are handily located just across a dry river-bed from us).
I'm there with the camera and lots of bottles of cool water.
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