Banff/Jasper trip 4: Horse-riding in Jasper
We were determined to ride on horses and so we found some! And you thought we were merely making friendly conversation with Australians.
Miss Corene psyching herself up for the challenge
“Please be good to me, horse,” said she. Unfortunately, that was not the horse she ended up riding.
This is the horse she ended up riding! Aw, look at that beam. His name is Jackpine.
And then the reality of the situation struck her:
But she recovered swiftly. “I can do this,” thinks Miss Corene. “I can do this.”
It’s going to be okay.
My horse Sox was a sweetie. Jackpine, we later found, was opinionated. Mostly on the subject of things to eat right here and now. Here they are communing pre-ride:
The horse that kid behind me is sitting on? His name is Thor.
And off we go!
We encountered three elks during our ride. One of them had a collar, and our guides advised us to be careful with the collared ones as “they get wary.” No kidding. If someone shot you down with tranquilizer darts, put a geek collar on you so that all the other elks made fun of you, and continued to stalk you every so often in order to note your progress, you’d get a little paranoid yourself.
During the final part of the ride, Jackpine decided he’d had enough of riding second to Sox and me. After a brief hissy-fit, he took first place and was content. I think we should’ve guessed the pecking order when, while still in the paddock, Sox automatically lined up behind Jackpine. And Jackpine was only drinking water at the time.
This one’s for you, Jackpine. This one’s for you.