Eventually, I had to end up on a horse.
Horseback riding is one of my favorite things to do, but I figured it wouldn’t happen again until I got back to Michigan.
Somehow, I never thought I would see so many ponies in my journey. Something about horses and palm trees didn’t quite line up in the image I had in my head.
Horses are pretty much everywhere when you leave the major towns in the south. Well-tended ranches abound in the central counties of Florida, interspersed with forgotten shacks and mobile homes. Near Ocala, some of the ranches even have horse tracks and agility courses.
As a matter of fact, if you check the Craigslist ads, you might even find opportunities to park your RV for free, if you’re willing to help out with stable and farm chores. I opted not to inquire, at least for this first journey. I’ll surely get more mileage out of an old 2004 Ford Escape than a horse, right?
But they just kept whinnying, so I had to try it once.
Jonathan Dickinson State Park, near Jupiter, Florida offers one-hour horseback rides through the park.
Let me say first, I truly dislike guided trail rides. The horses are generally more like pack mules than horses.
I often rode with my cousin when I was young, so I know what it feels like to have a beast under you whose heart is beating faster than yours, as you glide together through a wild meadow. I know what it feels like to lean into a curve as you and your pony are trying to circle the barrels at breakneck speed.
This is not that.
But, my bike wasn’t in the picture yet, and I wanted to get out and see the park. My car wouldn’t fit on the trails, and they looked a little snaky for hiking alone. (I wasn’t sure if an epi-pen would be good or bad in a snake-bite situation. I’m still not sure, actually, but my brain tells me my heart racing faster would likely cause my demise even earlier.)
I headed to the Visitor’s Center in the park, figuring I’d ask about joining along for the 1pm ride. Horseback tours were scheduled for every two hours, and I was still in my sleeping shorts and shirt. Okay, they were jammies, but that’s the way I roll on the road.
The volunteers behind the desk didn’t miss a beat, but I saw a flash of a smile on one of their faces. Maybe I should have looked in a mirror at least.
“Looks like the 1pm is going to be cancelled”, he said. “The winds are picking up, so the 11am is going to be the only trip going out today. If you go right now, you’ll probably catch this group before they head out.”
Sometimes…you really just need to listen to the Universe.
All the time…you really need to have changes of attire in your tow vehicle, just in case you decide to get on a horse, or something. You just never know.
After racing to the stable, I dug around in back of the car. Jeans…check. A bikini bottom substituted for underwear. (Really not a good idea to wear jeans on a horse without undies.) A tank top finished the ensemble, while I hoped no one saw me getting naked next to my car.
And tennis shoes. Yep, the cowboy boots were back in the camper. Last but not least, it took me awhile to find my fanny pack, so I could take my epi-pen. What a pain.
I ran to the corral, where two dozen horses stood tied up to their posts. Two trail guides standing nearby were looking at their watches. I saw one of their faces drop as I ran up, then the other laughed.
11:01am. Yeah, I was the only customer, and they thought they were going to get off work early.
I wondered if they would draw straws over which one of them would take me.
Christina ended up being my guide. After looking me up and down, she suggested a particular horse, which was already saddled. I can’t remember the horse’s name, but we’ll just call her Nogo.
“Wanna helmet” asked Christina? I asked if she was wearing one. With memories of guided trail rides in my head, the plodding nose-to-tail rides of past, I declined.
The other guide instructed me to go up on the ramp to mount Nogo. It was the first time I’d ever mounted a horse from the right…which is really weird for anyone whose ridden before.
We made it about 10 feet out of the paddock before Nogo said No Go.
“Give her a kick”, Christina advised.
Yeah, after a little knee pressure, some tennis shoe action in the stirrups, we made it about 5 more feet. We repeated this process a few times, then Nogo turned around and started walking back to the corral.
“Turn her back around”, said Christina.
I knew that was exactly what this horse needed. You can’t really just let a horse win a power struggle, especially when its job is to carry customers down a trail.
But here’s the thing, I might pay $35/hour to ride a horse, but I’m certainly not going to train it and foot the bill too.
Besides, I could feel Nogo’s attitude underneath me, and she was definitely telling me I should have taken the helmet. My instinct alarm was going off in a big way.
“Nah, I’m having really bad feelings about this whole thing” I replied. “Maybe she’s really spooked about the weather. The winds were blowing pretty good, the sky was coming in dark pretty quickly, and tensions were definitely rising.
“Want to try a different horse?” Christina asked.
Perfect.
Nogo had no problem finding her way back to the corral. Christina had to keep up.
Both guides were extremely nice about saddling me up a fresh equine. A giant draft horse named Cindy. I figured Cindy was the “problem rider” horse, which was okay with me. Obviously, I couldn’t run a horse.
We started back up the trail, which was swampy and filled with water. I had to pick my feet up to keep my shoes dry. Dark, quiet and refined, Cindy wasn’t quite nose-to-tail either. But I quickly found out I could trust her to know the best places to traverse the muck of the swamps. I let her have her head, and Christina and I began chatting about our lives, our experiences, and our dreams for the future.
The hour went by quickly. The wildlife moved around us as though we weren’t there. We rode through the area where there had been a prescribed burn, and watched hawks circling in their hunt for prey. Deer stood just off the trail, watching us pass.
As we neared the end of the journey, we were all wishing it didn’t have to end. Christina noted it was her best ride ever at the park, more like going on a ride with a best friend, than a guest. She laughed and said she would never again be disappointed to have to go out with only one customer.
I fully agreed. I felt like I’d made two new best friends, Christina and Cindy.
With the winds blowing at 20mph, even Cindy didn’t want to go back to the paddock. I coaxed her in, telling her she was going to get to go back to the barn early. I wished I had some sugar cubes in my pocket.
We all got hugs instead.