“Don’t pull the reins until I tell you, OK?” Karen, a guide in chaps and a long leather coat is giving me instructions.
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What she’s telling me isn’t quite computing. I’m too terrified. A variety of scenarios that involve falling off and being stomped on by heavy hooves rush through my mind.
“Pull the reins, yes ...” I mumble incoherently.
“No, I said don’t pull the reins yet,” the guide corrects firmly.
I had a bad horse experience when I was just eight-years-old. While vacationing in a village in Portugal, some kids thought it would be fun to put my sister and I on a horse and then see if they could make the animal to kick us off.
While we were on, someone began swatting the horse’s hindquarters with a stick, causing it to buck. Everyone was laughing, even my sister thought it was fun, but I was terrified and began to cry. Finally taken off the horse, I swore never to get on another one again.
So why am I doing this? Well, it’s time to make peace with the fear; to show it who’s the boss. But I quickly find out Sunny is the one in charge. After being untied from the post, she quickly falls into a line of 15 other horses as our trail ride begins. It turns out all I had to do was relax.
“We spend a lot of time with our horses getting them ready for beginners to ride,” Kathy Buttigieg, the owner of Horseplay Niagara, explains.
Originally a lesson and boarding stable, Horseplay Niagara began offering recreational horse riding 12 years ago because no one else in the area did. It turns out that was the right thing to do. The horse riding took off and now that is all the ranch offers all year long.
With about 35 horses to choose from, they can pretty much accommodate any type of rider, but they specialize in first-timers whose nerves can’t take a frisky mount.
“We teach the horses that no matter what, they are to follow along and stay with the group,” Buttigieg says.
That’s exactly what Sunny is doing as she turns onto the Trans Canada Trail. I don’t have too much to do. I just hold onto the reins and try to stay in the saddle with my boots in the stirrups. With a guide at the top of our line, one in the middle and one at the end, there’s no chance of getting lost in the woods.
My hands relax and the colour returns to them as I begin to appreciate the scenery. The clop-clop of the horse’s hooves play a soothing, rhythmical song and I can imagine drifting off to sleep with the slow rocking of the ride.
Within a few minutes we arrive at a quarry where we stop to get pictures. Flying high above is a red-tail hawk and Tony, the only male guide on this trek, tells me that garter snakes are around, too.
My heart takes a leap as I recall every western I’ve seen where a horse gets spooked by a snake on the trail and makes a run for it. I express my fears to Tony, who immediately calms my nerves.
“These horses are used to everything,” he says. And horses that don’t pass the distraction tests don’t make it out to the trail, he adds, assuringly.
On our way back to Horseplay, we begin to gallop slowly. No need to dig my heels into Sunny’s soft belly — she starts and stops as our front guide leads. The galloping is fun and I realize this was a great idea. As we slow down, my hand leaves the horn for the first time and I pat Sunny’s soft neck.
“Good girl, aren’t you a good girl,” I whisper.
Unfortunately though, I’m beginning to feel the effects of the saddle on my rear end. We arrive back at the ranch and my slow descent from the horse and subsequent painful gait is noticed by one of the guides.
“Take a nice warm bath tonight, you’ll feel much better tomorrow,” she promises me.
If you go
Horseplay Niagara is about 90 minutes southwest of Toronto in the town of Wainfleet. They offer a variety of riding packages. Beginners may want to take the one-hour trail ride, which costs $35 per person and can be taken by kids six and up. The Sunset Trail Ride runs for 90 minutes, costs $50 per person and is recommended for children older than nine. They are open year-round and will ride in rain or snow.
Horseplay Niagara is extremely family friendly. All trail rides include access to an outdoor playground, mini-golf, a zip-line and a mini climbing wall. All riders under the age of 18 must wear helmets. Helmets for children and adults are available at no extra cost. For more info, contact horseplayniagara.com/905-834-2380.
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