HORSEBACK riding is no longer a monopoly of Wright Park in Baguio or Boracay.

Without fanfare, an about 5,000 square meter semi-circular area lying idle just beside Dagupan Medical Centrum in barangay Tambac here was cleaned and upgraded and opened as the city’s haven for horseback riding.

Horseback riding can be had in that property from 4 p.m. till midnight daily, said Dennis Muyalde, president of the Dagupan City Calesa Association that put up what is hoped to be a fresh, indigenous tourist treat in the city.

Muyalde explained that horseback riding is just a side income for members of the association when their horses are at rest and not drawing calesas to commute passengers.

Composed of some 20 owners of horse-drawn calesas, mostly from barangay Salisay in the eastern part of the city, the association charges P200 for an hour of horseback riding and P120 for 30 minutes.

For its initial operation, the association put two horses for rent although it could easily field up to 20 horses, depending on the acceptance by tourists and the locals of horseback riding as a form of enjoyment.

Muyalde said those to be fielded are horses not being harnessed to commute passengers who want to joy ride around downtown Dagupan for a measly P50 to P60 per trip.

“We are buying some more horses to be harnessed for horseback riding and also for calesa use,” said Muyalde, who claimed to be the last cochero (calesa driver) who never abandoned the job even if the roads in Dagupan were already dominated by jeepneys and motorized tricycles.

Calesas used to be kings of the road in Dagupan till the 70s when they were eased out by motorized tricycles following the invasion of motorcycles from Japan and Italy.

As far as Muyalde is concerned, there were still some calesas plying the roads of Dagupan till 1984. Unable to take the challenge of the motorized tricycles anymore, all calesa owners quit, but not Muyalde.

Muyalde said to stay in competition, he re-designed his calesa to look like a luxury vehicle that is even fit for members of the royalties, so he managed to survive till today.

With the new look of his calesa, it is often rented to be harnessed in wedding ceremonies, as bridal coach or carriage, for which he charges P5,000 per occasion.

He thinks that due to the strong concern for global warming which spawns climate change, the return of the calesas to service downtown commuters is without any doubt helpful.

Muyalde thanked Dagupan Administrator Alvin Fernandez for recognizing the importance of horse-drawn calesas which is part of Dagupan’s long history.

The son of Mayor Alipio Fernandez not only initiated the formation of the first-ever association of calesa owners in the city but also gave the members a chance to earn side income by introducing horseback riding as an additional treat to tourist.
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