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LIFESTYLE
Enjoy the Adirondacks on Horseback
By Susan V. Wheeler
If you're waiting for spring's arrival to begin horseback riding lessons or to go trail riding, stop waiting. Some Adirondack-based stables and ranches offer year-round riding and lessons, and most emphasize that horseback riding is an excellent remedy for an overworked mind and weary spirit.
For those who haven't been on a horse before – and for those who have – the experience is exhilarating. Even the gentlest guided trail ride affords the rider with a sense of well-being and with a connectedness to the animal and nature not experienced otherwise.
"After spending an hour in the saddle, you feel muscles you haven't felt before. You're alert to your surroundings; you're responsive to the horse," said Bonnie Bennett, owner of Bennett's Riding Stable in Lake Luzerne. "It's a splendid experience … it's excellent therapy."
"I would totally agree [that horseback riding is excellent therapy]," said Joe-Pete Wilson, owner of The Bark Eater Inn and Wilson's Livery & Stable in Keene. "Your mind is off a lot of stressful things, and on your lesson or trail ride. And there's the outdoor enjoyment – that feeling of getting sweaty, the horse getting sweaty.
While horseback riding provides many with peace of mind, it also can breed good sportsmanship among team players – the horse and its rider. "Your horse is your team," said Ann Lawhorne, owner of Cold Comfort Farm in Warrensburg. "It's nice to work with horses because you develop a bond with them, you share a common goal. When you achieve that goal, it can be very rewarding."
And like participation in many other sports, there are certain physical demands and benefits with horseback riding. "My experience is that the more fit a person is, the more enjoyment they'll get out of it," said Wilson. "As a horse moves, it moves many parts of your body. The muscles get quite a workout – you'll feel it the next day."
Lawhorne agrees that horseback riding – and grooming – tones muscles, and further develops an individual's sense of balance and coordination. Additionally, the faster the horse's pace, the better aerobic exercise as the rider posts (rises from the saddle and returns to it in rhythm with the horses trot).
Stables and ranches that offer horseback riding lessons cater them to the rider's level of ability and what they hope to accomplish from horseback riding. Those that offer trail rides usually offer rides designed to meet riders' abilities, such as a ride with cantering (a slow gallop) for riders with some experience.
Because of the way some Adirondack-area horse trainer's work with their horses, the animals themselves are better prepared to meet any level of physical ability in a rider. For example, Stony Creek-based 1,000 Acres Ranch Resort Corral Boss Jack Rowe and all of the ranch's cowboys are trained in the Pat Parelli method of natural horsemanship, according to Rowe.
The Parelli method emphasizes that humans who train horses need to understand that horses are animals with instincts, thoughts and emotions about people, and this set of variables determines how they relate to people. Horse trainers are taught to communicate with the animals through understanding and psychology, rather than physical force, fear and intimidation.
Rowe translates this into how the ranch's 80 head of horses relates to its riders. Because the horses are trained with respect and in a nurturing environment, they are responsive to their riders. So responsive, in fact, that the ranch offers programs that accommodate the needs of the physically or mentally challenged.
"We run the best string of horses in this area. Our horses take care of their riders," said Rowe.
Guided trail rides and horseback riding lessons offer more than a physical challenge
Emerald Springs Ranch, in Saranac Lake, offers guided woodland trails rides and lessons on its registered quarter horses that have been trained using a resistance-free method. According to Joyce deValinger, owner, this training method is similar to the John Lyons and Parelli methods, and emphasizes love and consideration of the animal. Additionally, much of the horse training is performed before ever getting on the horse. This creates a positive atmosphere for the horse and rider to trust each other and to perform well as a team.
By ensuring that humans are responsive to horses, trainers ensure that horses are responsive to humans. "We teach riders to communicate with the horse, so there is more of an equine experience" said Bennett, whose family-owned stable specializes in Western trail riding. "We encourage our riders to address the horse, pet the horse and enjoy being with the animal. Of course, we also instruct the basics for safety to help provide a memorable experience."
Winter and early spring trail riding requires the rider to dress in layers, and wear boots with a heel. Most trail rides last an hour and are weather-dependent. It's best to call ahead to determine if rides are going out that day and for rates, which vary by season. Depending on the stable and how many are in your group, expect to pay anywhere from $21 to $35 for a one-hour trail ride.
Some of the stables and ranches that offer horseback riding lessons year-round do so indoors – it is best to call ahead for availability and rates. Again, rates vary and depend on whether your lesson is private, semi-private or group.
Hitting the Trails
Adirondack-area stables
and ranches offering year-round lessons or trail riding include:
• Bennett's Riding Stable,
Lake Luzerne: (518) 696-4444
• Cold Comfort Farm, Warrensburg: (518) 623-4262
• Emerald Springs Ranch,
Saranac Lake: (518) 891-3727
• 1,000 Acres Ranch Resort,
Stony Creek: (800) 458-7311
• The Bark Eater Inn/Wilson's
Livery & Stable, Keene: (800) 232-1607
Susan V. Wheeler is an Albany-based freelance writer and editor who
enjoys running, hiking, walking and horseback riding.
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