Horsing Around

Riding a horse is easy. Riding one gracefully, now that's another matter.

But it didn't stop my constant companion, Marilyn, and me from having a great day aboard horses at a the Equestrian Center as the Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods in northern New Hampshire. 

Novices at any sport have the advantage -- everything is new, fresh and exciting. And a darned good workout.

And so, my thighs are pleasantly aching as I write this.

It was the first time in years that either of us had ridden, and an hour ride left us with a renewed appreciation for the athletic abilities of expert equestrians.  Beginners at any active sport always expend a lot more energy than experts.

Since neither of us had any recent experience on horses, we booked a guided trail ride. Fortunately, both the horses and the guides seemed to have infinite patience with beginners. It didn't require any special skill or equipment. We just showed up in jeans and sneakers, slapped on the provided helmets, climbed into the saddle and went riding.

I rode on Sam, Marilyn got on Thyme. The horses were gorgeous animals, outdoor athletes in their own right. My only riding experience is on western ponies, and that a long time ago. Mounted on Sam, I felt like a new driver put behind the wheel of a sports car: I could sense all kinds of potential that I simply didn't have the skill to use. But, as I said, Sam was very patient with me.

At any season, the scenery in the White Mountains is spectacular. You could easily try a different set of trails every day for a week and never cover the same ground. On this hot day, we chose a cool route through the spruces along the Ammonoosuc River.

Most of the time we just let the horses amble along while we lazed in the saddle. That was the easy part.

But, occasionally, our guide, Chuck Fuller, decided to let the horses open up into a trot. He gave us plenty of instruction and made sure everyone was ready before he picked up the speed.

Riding gracefully takes a subtle combination of balance, fluid strength and skill that I simply do not possess. That doesn't mean it wasn't fun. In fact, I couldn't stop grinning as I bounced along. And Marilyn's laughter was, as always, infectious, so I know she was enjoying herself.

At the end of the one-hour ride, despite the fact that our thighs were telling us they'd gotten a good workout, we were both just a little reluctant to dismount and say goodbye to our horses. Walking back to the hotel for a swim, we were already discussing more riding.

Western or English?

Though horse aficionados will argue forcefully for one or the other, as near as I can tell, it really doesn't matter. Both styles of riding get you out in the open air and give you a bit of a workout (especially if you're new to it).

Traditionally, most people start in big, cushy western saddles. The basic learning curve is shorter and you can just sit back and enjoy your first ride. We used western saddles on our ride.

An English saddle requires more commitment to learn. But riding English here in the east opens up whole new realms beyond simple trail rides.

Your choice. The simple fact is that getting on horseback is a wonderful way to spend some quality time outdoors, get some exercise and enjoy yourself.

Riding Opportunities

Here are a few other  places in the White Mountains that offer riding in the summer.

• Attitash
• Black Mountain
• Farm by the River B & B