Trail Riding in beautiful Banff

By Nicole Kobie

I must admit, I’m one of those girly-girls who love horses. I always have, since I was a toddler. I didn’t grow up on a farm or anything; rather I was raised in the beautifully boring suburbs of Calgary.

I’m not sure why I have such an affinity to the animals, but I do. And, they’re actually very useful animals–useful for more than glue, dog food and Polish hamburgers. You could watch them at the track or at Spruce Meadows or you could go for a hayride at Heritage Park, but the most fun thing to do with the animals–making certain assumptions about sexual preferences–is horseback riding.

Being that this is the Stampede City, home of the Wild West, there are dozens of places to ride. I, for example, take weekly English riding at Teesdale Stables, just southwest of Calgary where I learn to show jump. However, for most people a simple, easy trail ride is the best way to enjoy a horse.

So, on a Saturday not too long ago, myself and a few others from the Gauntlet, took a trip up to Banff to visit Martin Stables. While there are many places we could have tried, Martin Stables had two main advantages. First, one of the best parts of trail riding is getting out into nature; it’s hiking for lazy people.

Martin Stables’ excellent location–in the Banff Recreation Fields–meant we got to ride through some gorgeous country. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the good folks at Martin Stables let us ride for free. This is no small thing, as an hour-long ride like the one we took runs at $27 per person.

Trail riding is so easy even crying five-year olds from Germany can do it (though, as we saw, they may not enjoy it). This is not to say Western riding–which entails a different saddle and style than English–isn’t difficult.

Think of the rodeo. Think of barrel racing. Think of trying to round up herds of cattle. That is what you can do in a Western saddle. However, trail horses are usually pretty dumb. They’re used to traveling nose to tail, in a single-file line. They know that’s what they’re supposed to do, and it’s sometimes hard to make them do anything else. This is safe. We didn’t even wear helmets–which is a good thing, as I’m not sure there would have been any that fit over our illustration department’s dreadlocks.

However, don’t expect to do much more than walk. Now and then, the chance to trot will come going up or down a hill, or if your horse falls behind. Horses don’t like being left behind, and will trot of their own accord to catch up.

This little burst of movement is exciting for most–unless you’re News Editor Ben trying to take a picture. Some people can’t stand the bumpy ride, and some people wear shorts. Some people deserve a little pain.

The view is the best part, especially up by Banff. The hour-long trip took us along the Bow River, where we enjoyed the scenery and spotted elk. Our horses also enjoyed nature, by devouring the leafy trees and tasty-looking grass along the side of the trail.

If an hour sounds too short, Martin Stables offers three-hour-long and day-long trips. Some other stables also offer unguided packages, so you can make yourown fun. If you really get into it, lessons are the way to go, whether you want to learn cowboy skills in a Western saddle or how to jump or even do dressage in an English one.

All in all, trail riding is the easy, enjoyable way to get to trample through some of Alberta’s pretty wilderness and get to know horses, without sniffing glue, eating dog food, or having an authentic, Eastern European dinner.