story and photo by Elizabeth Lemond
ost Memphians
spend only as much time outdoors in the searing summer heat as the trip
from their front door to their car door demands. But sitting next to a necking
couple or a crying baby in an air-conditioned movie theatre doesn't always
spell relief from the 9-to-5 blues. If you're ready to abandon the mall,
if only for a few hours, then change gears, put on your boots, and go horseback
riding. For adults who haven't been on a horse since a childhood trip to
the petting zoo or summer camp, it's an alternative entertainment option
for the day. So what if you'll have to wash your boots before you go back
to Denim & Diamonds; you can handle it.
There
are a number of private stables in the Mid-South area, but my partner-in-crime
and I chose to spend an afternoon at the public riding facilities at Shelby
Farms. When we began our trip, we had no idea what fun -- and gorgeous landscapes
-- awaited us. For a rather pricey $10 an hour, anyone from an equine ignoramus
like myself to the most savvy riding expert can play equestrian for a day.
But the fee is worth the chance to ride around a scenic 400-acre patch of
Tennessee, Marlboro Man-style.
Though slightly intimidated by the posted warnings urging us to wear helmets, lest we find disaster on a steep trail, we were unshaken in our desire to commune with nature. After we made it clear to the stable personnel that we had no experience being around any mode of transportation that doesn't consume gasoline, two exceedingly helpful, capable "wranglers" (as proclaimed by large letters on the backs of their T-shirts) saddled up and set out to tackle the trail with us. They were not only endless sources of information about the proper techniques of riding, they also gave us what was effectively a mini-tour of the trails.
There are approximately 50 horses, ranging in age from 2 to 19 years, at the 12-year-old stables during the summer. That number fluctuates throughout the year, however, with fewer horses used in the winter months. On this day, my friend Richard rode a poor, old one-eyed horse named Rooster, also known ominously around the stables as the Jackhammer, because of his, shall we say, rough gait. I, meanwhile, ended up being paired with a white speckled horse mysteriously named Salt. At around 10 or 11 years old, ours were among the more seasoned horses at the stables.
"They vary in age because older horses are for beginners," explains stable manager Charles Reed. (Translation: Your horse has been riding this trail for so long, that it doesn't need you for anything. Plus if, in your supreme idiocy, you fall off, you could probably catch up with it at top speed.)
Those who have more experience riding and who want to roam the winding trails on horseback without any assistance are welcome to do so. Children above age 9 are also welcome at the stables, so there's obvious potential for family bonding. It's not National Velvet, but it beats the mall.
Experts and novices alike will find a beautifully varied terrain at Shelby Farms, complete with sunny pastures, dusty roads, dense forest, and scenic lakes. Though, as Chris, one of our wranglers, pointed out, riding horses is not quite as romantic as the latest Jane Austen film might suggest.
"It's not all Clint Eastwood-type stuff," he snickered as he watched Richard's dreams of riding bare-back and dancing with wolves vanish along with, quite possibly, his chances of ever siring a child. But my unsuspecting friend, whom I cruelly lured to the stables, took it all in stride. Or at least that's what I gathered from his plaintive wailing, as I turned to look back at him through a thick cloud of dust.
"How do you stop the bouncing?" shouted Richard, over the steady clopping of hooves, as he was tossed about like a sack of old potatoes in the early afternoon sun.
"Straighten out your legs. Let them be your shock absorbers instead of your, uh, seat," offered Chris.
Needless to say, Richard and I ended our afternoon at the Shelby Farms riding stables with backsides sore enough to put Tamilee Webb of the famed Buns Of Steel videos to shame. But despite our posterior trauma resulting in days of wincing our ways into chairs, we had a marvelous time. (Okay, so Richard's horse ran into a few trees. No problem.) Though it was extremely hot outside, the trotting of the horses combined with a mild breeze and the shade of lush wooded areas to make for a picture-perfect romp through the woods. We'll definitely be back in the saddle again.