Horse Trail Chicks

When I (Monica) was a teenager I rode a lot on the beaches of Cape Cod. Swimming horses in the ocean is one of my favorite memories. So, imagine my excitement when I discovered that I could ride in the ocean during a recent vacation in St. Croix. I signed up for a private ride with Cruzan Cowgirls, a horse rescue that supports itself by leading horseback riding tours. They take in abandoned and abused horses and nurture and rehabilitate them so they can be adopted out if possible, and some that are rideable stay on the farm and provide mounts for their tours.

As you might guess, most of the horses are mixed breed, on the smaller side, strong, and mostly unflappable. My horse, Alien, was a very pretty Palomino gelding, friendly and steady. Jessa, my guide, told me that he grew up in the wild and when he was only a few months old his mother was found dead in the forest. He survived on his own for several more months until he was finally located and captured, skin and bones. Under the care of the Cruzan Cowgirls, he flourished and is now one of their dependable tour horses.

We started out riding in the rain forest, which was not actually wet but very much a jungle. In the warm, moist climate of St. Croix, plants grow like crazy. The guides ride barefoot in shorts, but I, of course wore shoes and a helmet – safety first!

The Cowgirls maintain a network of trails with good footing. We walked through dense growth and past huge trees.

After a trot and canter in a field, we climbed to a high point where we could see the ocean and stopped to enjoy the view. Then we wound our way along the brilliantly green trail dotted with tropical flowers, to the beach.

Then, the best part of the ride – going into the ocean! Alien knew what to do and followed Jessa’s horse’s lead out past the breakers. They don’t ask the horses to actually swim, but the water was up to my thighs. A few times the swell lifted Alien’s hooves off the bottom and we floated along. We paralleled the beach for quite a ways, and it was magical! I had the biggest smile on my face when we rode back up on the beach. All too soon, the ride was over, but I will never forget it.