Texting and Riding: Family Vacation Adventures With Non-Horsey Folk
EC Blog by: Brittany Bevis
I know what you’re thinking. It’s been a very long time since my last blog. But in my defense, with all of this article-writing and photography going on, there hasn’t been much time for chatty commentary.
It wasn’t until a recent family vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee that I stumbled upon a blogworthy topic of the equine variety. But first, a little background is necessary if you are to understand the monumental nature of this particular family outing.
My family is an outdoorsy sort of bunch, so in addition to hiking, whitewater rafting, golfing, and tubing, I thought everyone might enjoy a trail ride through the mountains. That is, on horseback, of course. (This is an important distinction that needs to be made for my family since several members were advocating a trail ride via ATV/four-wheeler.)
Upon asking one of my uncles if he thought the family would enjoy a “horseback” trail ride through the mountains I received this response.
“No, that’s your thing.”
Yes, I’m the only person in the world who might think riding horses for enjoyment could be a fun, family activity. Nevertheless, I persuaded several family members to tag along, namely my mother, two aunts, and four teen/tween cousins.
This was a very exciting accomplishment because my family is definitely not the horsey-kind. On the contrary, I’m the only person in my immediate family who rides horses or has ridden horses for that matter. (That is with the exception of my little brother who had a brief stint in walk trot before discovering soccer, fishing, hunting, and girls.)
So, prior to departing for Cades Cove Stables the tween cousins were all atwitter discussing appropriate horseback riding attire.
“What should we wear to ride horses?”
“Do I have to wear pants?”
“What if my butt hurts?”
“Can I wear sandals?”
Not wanting to put a damper on the fun by nixing their daisy duke length shorts in favor of jeans, my only request was that they bring along a pair of sneakers for toe safety (and to preserve their pretty pedicures of course!)
Upon arrival at the stables, little bro, uncles, and grandmother departed to check out a local woodcarving shop while the ladies hopped on horseback. Well, not so much hopped on as more of a combination of climbing stairs and settling into the saddle. (I’ve never mounted a horse from an above ground platform before so that was an interesting experience.)
Then, it came time for guide selection. There’s no doubt that the young cowboys guides were vying to take out the group that included four pretty, giggling teenagers. But no, the guide we received was 71-year-old Joe.
With his decidedly country twang and fondness for storytelling I thought Joe was the perfect guide for a peaceful trail ride through the Smoky Mountains. Our group departed and not minutes later a thought crossed my mind. It was peaceful… a little too peaceful considering the present company.
I turned around in my saddle and what did I see? Texting. Texting and riding. Ah, very sad. The youth of today, but I digress.
In all seriousness, I was pleasantly surprised at the riding ability of my clan considering they have no experience with horses. That’s not to say there weren’t a few bumps along the trail. At one point, our trail ride became a bit too literal as members of our group began to lag behind thanks to the appetite of some hungry horses. We even had a few tears as one horse decided to stop participating all together and graze a path back to the barn.
As we approached the waterfall, I began to get a little nervous for my family, because the horses had to find their way through some swiftly moving water and slick boulders. Thankfully, no one was swept down the stream, so I considered it a success. Meanwhile, the view of the 110 foot waterfall was incredible! It was much improved from the covered arena walls I’m so used to seeing on a daily basis.
Later on in the trail, one of my cousins asked what I considered to be the most adorable question of the day.
Tween cousin- “Is there some sort of a universal thing you do with horses to let them know they are doing a good job?”
Me- “Well, you could pat him on the neck like this, and he would like that.”
“Sprinkles” was then pet and told how wonderful he was the entire way home. When we finally arrived back at the barn, everyone dismounted and thanked Joe for being our guide. It was his 71st birthday, and he said not to tell anyone, but we were the best group he has ever had. (Sorry Joe for spilling the beans).
When we reached the car, everyone was talking about their horses and the incredible waterfall. Then, one cousin asked, “What waterfall?”
See what happens when you text and ride…
