Every quarter, the Aaroni team makes it a point to do something fun or exciting together. Our office is cozy and comfortable, and the nature of our work provides plenty of variety, but it’s still nice to break away from the daily routine and chat with colleagues about things beyond work.

This time, we decided to recharge in nature with a horseback riding trip to Valgesoo in Põlva County. It turned out to be incredibly memorable and lively!

Horseback riding experience? Ranges widely!

It’s interesting to note that among Aaroni’s relatively small, five-person team, horseback riding experience ranges widely. Merit and Tarmo, for example, were essentially saddling up for the first time, aside from petting a pony and a brief garden ride as children. Pille has ridden before, but that was long ago, likely when she first moved to Texas.

Now for the exciting part: Annika took riding lessons as a child! What’s more, her family owned a horse, and many who lived in Põltsamaa years ago might even remember Annika’s grandmother, Salme Kaun, a legendary Põltsamaa communal worker who kept the city streets clean by riding around with a horse-drawn cart. From time to time, Annika also got to ride along.

And speaking of Gerli’s experience: she actually owns two horses that her children primarily ride, and she herself only gets in the saddle about once a quarter. This is hard to believe, as her colleagues said she looked very professional during the team ride.

So, the approximately three-and-a-half-hour, 13 km horseback ride was thoroughly enjoyable. Annika’s horse provided the most laughs, as it seemed to think every bush or tree branch offered a tasty snack. Since the duration of the journey was just right to work up an appetite, the team headed to Vidrike Village House to refuel and share their impressions.

Why are such team activities important?

Although we have a relatively small team and see each other almost daily in the office, our workdays are quite intense. This often leaves little time for casual conversation without urgent tasks awaiting solutions or incoming emails or calls.

These moments of motivation and inspiration in a more relaxed atmosphere, like our recent outing, are crucial for any team. As we have a fairly new team composition, I consider such activities especially important. Additionally, non-work gatherings help us get to know each other better on a personal level, which undoubtedly facilitates professional communication as well.

– Annika Lattik, CEO