Tips for Riding Horseback in
Colorado
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One: There are
virtually no snakes in most of Colorado, because
it’s too far above sea level and the air is too
thin for them to survive. So you needn’t
worry about rattlesnakes as you enjoy your horse
ride through the Colorado
Rockies.
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Two: If you’ve
never ridden a horse before, or for long periods of
time, here’s some clothing tips: wear long pants
(preferably jeans or some other sturdy material), a
light-colored, sleeved shirt (no sleeveless tanks
or tube tops), and a type of hat. It doesn’t have
to be a cowboy hat, as a fisherman style hat or
ball cap is fine. You might have to
wear tennis shoes for luggage and packing purposes,
but if you can, bring a pair of hiking boots or
cowboy boots, as these are the most comfortable in
the stirrups.
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Three: Bring
water if you can. If your ride is
in the morning and it’s not scorching hot, you can
probably get by without it, but I don’t advise
going without it in the hot afternoon during the
summer and early fall.
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Four: Don’t
arrive too early if your
appointment is scheduled near opening
time.
As you read previously, you might find you’re the
only one on the premises. Fifteen minutes
or so in advance is plenty. This gives you
enough time to order your meal and use the bathroom
facilities before your ride.
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Five:
There
are bathroom stalls available for changing clothes,
if necessary. If you’re going
whitewater rafting after your ride, as we did,
there’s plenty of room to change into your swimsuit
and T-shirt, and they’ll let you hang around the
ranch for pretty much as long as you need to after
your ride.
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Six: Tip
your trail guide. At some
tourist places, tipping is a given, and the
guides hang around you waiting for a
handout. This isn’t
the case at 4 Eagle Ranch. As soon as
your ride is up, the guide will take care of
the horses, so you’ll have to seek them out
to hand him or her a tip, which we found very
refreshing. They’re
quite appreciative of the tip as well, and
they definitely work hard enough for
it.
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