Day #5 -Thursday

HORSEBACK riding day! Erin and I got up early and drove to the Waipio Valley to take the scheduled Horseback riding tour. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time! To take a horse thru the valley and see some places that you just don't get to see unless you are willing to hike several miles up and down the rocks and hills! By the time we got there it was raining. Not to be deterred, we climbed into the 4 wheel drive van with 12 other people we didn't know to be cowboys for a day.

We got to the stables, though, I wondered a time or two if that van would just plummet over the cliffs, and began our orientation lecture. The lecture included how to get on and off the horse, when to lean forward, how to hold the reins, and what to do in the event that the horse lays their ears flat on their neck. We were also instructed that horses, much like people, do not like their "space" intruded upon by other horses getting too close. Great... :)



One by one we mounted our rides, the guides carefully pairing up horses with riders. Erin got a horse that wanted to lead the pack. I got the horse that none of the other horses liked. Figures. She is in front, me in the rear. Yeah.. our first day together and there are 12 people riding in between us.



About 20 minutes into the ride, one of the other rideres decided she wanted to take some photos, so she fell back behind me. Next thing I knew, Shady, the socially inept horse I was on, laid her ears back and began to make a fuss. I thought she wanted to climb the mountain beside the trail, or dump me on the ground. Luckily, I had ridden before, though, let's just say it's been a very, very long time. I pulled back the reigns and told her that she didn't need to get in a tizzy. Somehow she must have thought that I knew what I was doing because she calmed right down. You should have seen the look on the guide's face. Poor guy, thought he had lost a tourist! I assured him we would be fine, and the tour continued.

We rode for about an hour and half, thru streams of water, viewing waterfalls, wild mustangs, and baby colts. All the while it rained. It was a beautiful ride and believe it or not, not one person complained about the weather.