Riding a Pinto Through Bryce Canyon One Day.

Never been on a horse before so what could go wrong?

“Your cowboy guide will share some extraordinary history of the Bryce Canyon area during your adventure such as how the famous outlaw Butch Cassidy himself once roamed these parts. No matter what trails you choose to explore, whatever your experience level, you’re sure to have a memorable time discovering Bryce Canyon and the surrounding area.” With over 60 years experience guiding trail rides, Red Canyon Trail Rides knows what it takes to have a fun and memorable experience.(Source: https://utah.com/red-canyon-trail-rides)

Yeah! Maybe! You never know what will happen when you put inexperienced riders on horses. Let’s just say there were tears and fears by the middle of the trip that day.

This all happened for me in the seventies when my boyfriend and I were on a vacation to travel the West. We started off in Atlanta in his little Datsun and drove West then North and ended up in St. Louis. We traveled to Utah from there. I don’t remember the route but it was exciting and beautiful. So much to see!!!!

The weather was good and we enjoyed each other’s company. His family traveled a lot and had many trips to the West so he knew more about where to go and how to get there. I left the details up to him.

Every once in a while you want to stop driving and take a break and actually do something. We found we were in the general area of Bryce Canyon with its steep red terrain and beauty beyond compare. It was beckoning us to go on an adventure. My boyfriend bought all-day tickets on a guided tour on horseback through the canyon. I didn’t know what I was in for but open and feeling pressured to do this little thing. It was scary because I had never been on horseback before but I love animals.

The day started early. The skies were clear and blue with puffy clouds. We were assigned horses that were suited to our riding ability. I was assigned a pinto horse and put close to the front of the line. My boyfriend was further back on a mare that was jumpy and didn’t want to be too close to the horse in front of her.

There are some things the guides that take you on these “tours” don’t tell you or take it for granted that you know before you get started.

One, if the horse just stops and won’t go on it’s own it is because the horse is doing its business and you can’t see it. You try to make them go but you are confused because they won’t. You try with the reins and kicking but find they won’t budge until they are done.

Two, horses walk on the very edge of the trail and it looks like they are going to step off into nothingness at any minute. All you can see from your vantage point are the sheer cliffs on one side or the other of you. This causes a lot of fear and tears. You should only look forward and around when you are on the horses.

Three, if you are afraid of heights you should not go on the tours because the horse tends to do the “walking on the edge” thing and you have no control of it unless you are an experienced rider. The horse won’t do anything dangerous to hurt itself so you have put some trust into that.

We stopped for a break to give the horses some water and the riders a bathroom break. But for some reason there were many changes to the string of positions the horses were in. My boyfriend wanted to get closer to me so he changed the position which caused a problem with my horse as they were not suitable to be that close to each other.

The guides got a bit upset with that and wanted everything the same. There were many ladies with tears running down their faces and some of the men were angry because that’s what men do when they get scared.

The rest of the trip down to the canyon went smoothly as we were all enduring the ride just to get to the bottom. We were so happy to have made it a few hours later.

I had a saddle sore on my coccyx bone and couldn’t sit for a day or two so I don’t think I will do that again. Maybe only half-day. I haven’t since because I have not had that opportunity.

Now, I think I would try it again. The only thing that was really hurt was my pride and my butt!

Jo Ann Harris is an author, parent, book devotee, writer, copywriter, and film fanatic. She is an autodidact who learns about everything and rows her own boat. She grew up and worked in Atlanta, Georgia and lived there sixty years. She writes articles about love, hope, personal life stories, advice and poems. She is a published author with an article in Woman’s World magazine in October, 2017. She recently published two books on Kindle, “16 Poems About Absolutely Nothing” and “ Ignorance is Bliss — Eighteen Years of Abuse and Denial in Poetry Form.”