A horse rider's perspective

It had been about 15 years since I?d last been on a horse, when I was a kid and my family and I used to go camping.We used to always go horseback riding, and it was always one of the highlights of the trip for me. We?d visit the stables where we were camping and go out in one of those trains of 20 horses for an hour-long ride, taking in all the sites. But time marched on and I got older and we didn?t go camping as much. So when I was given the opportunity to do a story on horseback riding, I jumped at the chance.As it turns out, there aren?t any stables in the area that offer the type of rides I was used to as a child. But there was one person I stumbled upon who took people on tours. Thanks to the guidance of Western States Trail Foundation Executive Administrator Shannon Weil, I was pointed in the direction of Foresthill resident Lori Lunsford, who owns Ponderosa Trail Rides.Lunsford, who has owned horses for over 16 years, runs a small tour company that takes riders all over the foothills region, even up into the Tahoe National Forest. She owns six horses, so her tours are very intimate. I rung up Ms. Lunsford one evening and started asking about her business and where the best places were to horseback ride in the area.She asked if I would be interested in taking a personal tour with her. Thinking back to how fun it was when I was a kid, I said yes. We set up a day and time. Journal photographer Ben Furtado came along to help document our little odyssey. It was his first time on a horse since he was 8. So our day arrived. Furtado and I made our way out toward Foresthill and found the spot where we were supposed to meet. Lunsford was right. When you feel like your lost, you?re there. When we arrived, Lunsford was readying the horses for our trip down into the canyon. We were going to head down to the American River, riding on parts of the Western States Trail along the way.Lunsford is a pleasant woman with a true passion for her animals and what she does. Most of her animals are much taller than the 5-foot-5-or-so Lunsford, but she has such confidence and command of them that they understand she?s the boss. After we filled out the necessary release forms, with terms like ?Ponderosa Trail Rides is not responsible for injury caused by falling from the horse,? we were issued helmets and got ready to get on the horses. Lunsford?s release forms and safety equipment remind you these are breathing, living things that have minds of their own, and things out of the ordinary can happen. It?s not like you?re hopping on your bicycle, where you?re the one in total control. But don?t let that scare you. Lunsford?s horses are well-mannered, patient animals that know the trails. Then moment of truth arrived. It was time to get back on a horse. Even though riding a horse is not like riding a bike, I hoped my knowledge of riding one was nto forgotten. That was somewhat true, but there were still things I had to relearn.I was the first to get on, and my ride for the day was to be a large, tall horse named ?Ringo.? I was given a brief little refresher course and felt I was ready to go. Furtado got on ?Energizer,? a stout little fellow who didn?t mind being vocal when he felt he was being left behind. Lunsford got on her horse, Tess.The beginning of our expedition was a little precarious as Ringo and I didn?t exactly hit it off. As we made our way, Ringo, suffering from a sore hoof, was trying to find some soft ground, but the trial was mostly on the rocky side.So at one point Ringo decided we were going to make a right turn into the some trees. As I tried to steer him clear of his objective, we got stuck. So Lunsford came over and got us untangled. We figured since Ringo wasn?t feeling like himself too much, we decided to switch horses and I ended up on Energizer, who definitely turned out to be my trusty steed. Our trip took us into Auburn State Recreation Area, where we made our way on to the Ponderosa Way Trail. The trail was once a stagecoach route that would take supplies down into the canyon during the gold mining days when the canyon was filled by some 10,000 miners, Lunsford told us.The first stop, at Hangman?s Tree, gave us a great panoramic view of the canyon and the middle fork of the American River. We started to descend down the trail with Lunsford regaling us with more tidbits of history, tales like the story of Francisco?s Meadow.The property was once owned by a man named Francisco who had a restaurant, tavern and inn during the Gold Rush days. The property stayed in the family for generations, and when the government was going to take it in preparation for the building of the Auburn Dam, the story goes, a family member held the government at bay by gunpoint for three days before giving up. That area is now an aid station for horses during the Tevis Cup.It?s little stories like that and seeing the remnants of days past that make the ride special. You also get to know a little about Lunsford, and she a little about you. ?What I like about my job is I get to know people and take them on personal tours of the area,? Lunsford said.?I was a little worried when I started my business, because it was after 9/11. I didn?t know if starting a pleasure business was the right thing to do. But I thought, you need something where you can get away from the stress of everything and put away the cell phones and just relax. The stress of riding a horse is completely different.?Once we got down to the American, we rode parallel to it for a while. This was my first time down along the river in the canyon, so I took it all in. It was a beautiful, warm day without a cloud in the sky, and with the sound of the river made for a very relaxing atmosphere. We had lunch at the Ruck-a-Chucky rapids, where rafting companies unload and load people during the summer. While we sat, Lunsford told us about the many clients she takes and the stories that go along with them. There have been many wedding proposals on her rides, children?s rides, and one that actually saved a relationship.?It was to be a breakup ride,? Lunsford recalled. ?It was his last date with this woman and she loved horseback riding. He took her on one of my rides, and they had such a good time, the last I heard they were getting engaged.?After our lunch, and Furtado?s and my leg muscles were relaxed, we mounted up and headed back up the trail. If you want a different experience in the canyon, or just want to take a leisurely pace on the trails in the area, this a great way to do it. Even if you?ve never ridden before or haven?t done it in a long time, Lunsford makes you comfortable right away. If you?re interested, call Lunsford at (530) 367-3097 or check her out on the Web at www.ponderosatrailrides.com. Cost for a one-hour ride is $30, for two hours $60, and for three hours $90.As for Ringo, he?s doing much better now.