Horseback riding: A ‘wonderful way to enjoy nature’

By Cheyenne Thomas For horseback riders in the Neillsville Saddle Tramps, fall is one of the greatest times of the year for riding trails. Getting out to enjoy nature with their horses, members of this horse-riding group and others in Clark County take to local trails, roads and even private lands to enjoy an activity that can be both relaxing and challenging. Bonds are strengthened between horse and rider as well as between different riders in the community.

The Saddle Tramps have about 30 members, many of whom are also members of the two other horse clubs in Clark County: the Clark County Pleasure Riders and the Circle T Club. All of them have a slightly different focus and event dates, allowing the riders a variety of options to practice their riding skills. In both the Saddle Tramps and the Circle T Club, club members go trail riding, often meeting up at Wild Rock County Park southwest of Willard to ride the more than 40 miles of trails.

“We ride trails all over the place,” said Sue, one of the members of the Saddle Tramps. “We will talk about things as we ride, such as horse care and what to feed them. When we stop, we take care of the horse and set up camp.”

For the Saddle Tramps, Wild Rock holds a special place in their hearts, as it was through their efforts roughly 30 years ago that led to its establishment as a county park. The members of the club are now a lot older, but many of them can still recall the work they did to get permission from the county to cut down trees to make horse riding trails, with many of them putting in the back-breaking work to establish the first trails alongside their horses.

“We started the trails years ago,” said Sue. “This was all a wooded area before. We asked the county and we worked to cut the trees down ourselves. Before we knew it, the county decided to pursue putting in a campground at the site.”

Since those early days, the park has changed a great deal, as have the clubs. Jean, the current leader of the Saddle Tramps, said the Circle T Club has gradually grown to handle a lot of the maintenance of the trails in the park.

“Our numbers have dwindled and we’re not as young as we used to be anymore,” she said.

Besides Wild Rock, the Saddle Tramps club members said there are other places that horseback riders will go to enjoy trail riding, including locations outside of Clark County. Each location is different, they said, allowing horse and rider to work together to either meet a challenge or simply enjoy their bond.

“Every one of us has gone out of state to ride,” said Becky, another Saddle Tramp member. “Wyoming, Fort Robinson, the Black Hills are some places we’ve all gone. It’s a whole community out there, where we can meet other people and go places to talk about the places we’ve been.”

“Some places are flat and simple to ride on,” added Jean. “Other places have hills and other challenges. But you don’t have to go where you and your horse aren’t comfortable.”

While trail riding, horseback riders can often come across obstacles. Some are physical such as a hill or a stream, while others can be more unpredictable. Many of the riders said it’s not uncommon to encounter wildlife while out riding, with some animals, such as deer, providing little difficultly for a horse, while others, such as bees, being much more of a danger.

“You see a lot of wildlife when you’re on horseback,” said Becky. “I’ve walked right up to deer on a horse. The deer hears the hoof falls and think it’s another deer. Turkeys are another animal you will often encounter, and they can be tricky. They will often roost up in the trees and drop down on the trail in front of you when you start to go by. That can spook a horse.”

“Bees are another danger,” added Jean. “This time of year, ground bees are a danger. You can step on a nest and they can sting a horse on the underside where it’s sensitive. A lot of horses also don’t like crossing streams. You have to train a horse to cross a stream.”

ATV riders and bikers can also be a common occurrence while out trail riding. At Wild Rock, the Saddle Tramp members said the horses, ATV riders and bikers have all come to a pretty good understanding and respect each other when they have encounters. However, there are still dangers for riders when riding in other areas, including roadsides, where encounters with people who are less understanding are more likely.

“Because of our location at Wild Rock, we have a lot of ATVs and bikers that are familiar with the horses and the horses are usually ok with them,” said Sue. “But in other locations, they don’t get along. Instead of slowing down, some ATV drivers and even some car drivers will go fast when passing or pass really close to try to spook the horse. People don’t always understand how dangerous driving fast and close to a horse is for the horse, the rider and the driver. If you spook a horse, it could cause a serious accident, worse than hitting a deer. A horse is 1,200 pounds. You don’t want that going through your windshield.”

To prevent such accidents, the Saddle Tramps said that people should be considerate when moving around horseback riders. Slowing down and giving riders space helps a great deal in providing safety for all parties. For people on foot, the riders said making noise such as starting a conversation with the rider as they approach can help keep a horse at ease during an encounter.

“It helps if they are just being aware,” said Linda, another member. “Don’t be quiet. If you’re coming up behind us, just say, ‘Hi.’ The horse will know that you are a person and shouldn’t be spooked. Remember, they are prey animals: their first instinct is to run away from the things that scare them. Their vision is not very good. There is a certain amount of trust that they have in us as the rider. By interacting with us, the horse knows that you’re human and that you’re OK.”

Overall, the Saddle Tramps said that trail riding in Clark County can be a very enjoyable experience no matter the time of year. While fall is a favorite among riders because of the cooler weather, they said riding is something they do throughout the year, even during the winter months. The experience of riding itself brings its joys, as every rider in the group could recall fond memories of taking their horse out on a trail and roughing it like cowboys of the Old West.

“Everybody here started out by camping in tents and sleeping in the backs of pickups,” said Sue. “Younger families are the ones you will often see take part in rough camping. It’s a lot of fun, but not something you tend to do as you get older.”

“We will ride for most of the year,” said Jean. “You can even ride in the winter, but we don’t do that too much if it gets really cold or icy. We also don’t like to ride much in November, especially around the gun deer season. But we all do love riding in the fall. It’s a cooler time of year.”

For the riders, the camaraderie, the bond and work they put into their horse and just being out in nature are some of the best things that come from trail riding.

“Horses make everyone equal,” said member Janell. “It’s not just sitting on a horse like you sit on an ATV. You have to take care of them, feed them. There’s a bond there.”

“It’s a wonderful way to enjoy nature,” added Jean.

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTOS