A part of our annual GDP is made up of 9 billion dollars from the horse industry. People often book a trail ride or even stay at a dude ranch when they are seeking that quintessential Western vacation. The bond they form with horses as a species, if not with the individual horse, can be life changing, even if they spend only an hour on horseback. Also, horses benefit from these experiences, bonding with the guides and other horses in the string. Trail RidesThere is limited research on the human-horse bond between vacationing riders who pay to join a guided trail ride for an hour or two. From the outside, it looks as though no bond occurs. There's no time; the vacationing city-slickers are only on the horse for an hour and never see the horse again. I argue there is a bond. Before I explain, I will not say that the horse remembers every novice that jumps on his back and yearns to be with them again as a horse with a daily human partner might.
A few reviews of the trail rides my horse works on show the wonderful experience guests have. "My husband and I took a trail ride today, and it was so much fun. Super sweet staff and very knowledgeable. The horses were so sweet and funny with their different personalities. Beautiful scenery at The Ridge. Definitely would do it again!"(Gates-Engle, 2018) and "Great experience. The trail is breathtaking, and the horses are very well-trained. The riding guides were very friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. The only sad part is that it ends. Would definitely recommend it. Can't wait to be back" (Finney ,2022)
We often focus on the intense deep connection we form with our horses as we work with them daily. But it is also essential to acknowledge the bond created by horses as a species for people who have short one-hour encounters with these incredible creatures. These experiences provide horses with a sense of duty and belonging and allow people to bond with equine as a whole. These experiences also provide awareness of how much we must watch out for and protect all equine.
Dude RanchesA crucial part of Western tourism has been dude ranches for centuries. The dude ranch combined the importance of place with a sense of nostalgia to create a distinctive Western environment that appealed to both dudes and dudines alike (Hladky, 1). Dude ranches offer recreational activities such as horseback riding, fishing, hunting, hiking, sightseeing, and ranch work such as rounding up, sorting, and branding cattle (Hladky, 25). When horses arrive at a Dude Ranch, they are evaluated to ensure even a "tenderfoot" will be safe on their back (Hladky, 38). Vacations at a dude ranch are an opportunity to work with horses for a week or more. Many dude ranches have the vacationers work with the horses on the ground first. Using a natural horsemanship method, Badger Creek Ranch in Colorado believes this also helps the horse-human bond in the saddle ("Horseback Riding Vacations", n.d.}.
I am going on a cattle drive in September with Globetrotting. It will not be a dude ranch experience, but we will ride the ranch horses to bring the cattle down from the mountains. I am so excited to spend a week on horseback. I look forward to the bond we will create over that week and hope to learn new skills I can take back and use with my horse. This experience will be life-changing. I'm confident I will never forget the horse I will share this experience with. My deep, all-encompassing love of horses will grow immensely from this experience.
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AuthorI am a PhD student focusing on the emergence of the natural horsemanship movement in the twentieth century. I also research rural life in America and genealogy. ArchivesCategories |