For the better part of my life, I have had a love affair with horses. They have been a part of the air I breath in each day. Something horse related runs through my mind each day. And without a doubt, they are forever resting in the depths of my soul for as long as I live.
I have had amazing horse experiences and made a million memories with friends and loved ones over the years. I have met and ridden famous horses, talented horses, a few crazy ones, and so many precious ones. I have been fortunate enough to ride many places in my life so far.
Amazingly enough, I had never ridden a horse on the beach in all my 40 years! This was something I really wanted to do on our vacation. I researched several different barns that offered horseback riding on the beach in Grand Cayman. And you know what is even better than riding a horse on the beach?
SWIMMING WITH THEM!
Handy Man gave me a lot of grief about planning this outing. We have horses. Why did we need to pay to ride them on vacation? I simply reminded him it was my Birthday trip, I have always wanted to and therefore, by golly, I was riding and swimming with horses on the beach as I crossed my arms and giving him a look not to be challenged.
I booked the ride!
An hour drive to the other side of the island, we pulled up to a little private home with a string of rental horses waiting out back. I had booked the 2 hour swim ride with Pampered Ponies, a highly recommended outfit known for it's well cared for, gentile and well trained horses. They were especially experienced with swimming in the calm, crystal clear Cayman waters off West Bay.
After brief introductions, we were sized up as riders and assigned to our horses. Mounted and ready, we headed down the road towards the public beach access. There were 10 guests and 4 wranglers on our ride for the day.
Handy Man was being a sport.
Not overly thrilled but a sport none-the-less.
There it was! A moment in time to always remember - the sand, water, horses and my two kids. A magical combination!
As we were walking the horses down the beach, I was chatting with one of the wranglers. He asked to see my phone and started taking pictures of us on our horses. I give photo credit to that amazing hand who managed to lead the group, photograph my family and keep us all moving in the right direction! We have the best photos of this memorable day, thanks to him!
After about a 20 minute beach ride, the group stopped at a little tie off point. The horses were unsaddled and we changed down to our swimming suits.
My Brown Eyed girl - smiling ear to ear like her momma! So excited.
Mr Blue Eyes - very focused. Reservation and nerves nearly boiling over.
Handy Man - half smile, for the camera only. The trooper.
Riders all mounted, it was time to enter the water.
Here we go!!
Inch by inch, the water crept up higher and higher.
Love that smile!
Nerves gone, his super star horse taking care of him!
As we ventured along and the water got deeper and deeper the shorter horses were obviously the first to start swimming. It was quite the equine observation. I could start picking up their changes in breathing patterns as well as noticed that a couple horses had started showing their teeth and almost grunting as they kept their heads above water and were conscious about not getting water in their mouths.
I have felt a horse's movements beneath my seat for the better part of my life. It is something I "know" and it is ingrained in my sensory like muscle memory. Feeling the ground actually fall from beneath your horse's hooves and the unfamiliar movement of swimming taking over is beyond explanation. The rhythm and cadence I have known all my life suddenly replaced by fluid movement supported like air lacking substance. It is foreign and yet calming and inviting to embrace.
Seeing this moment captured in photographs for each one of us truly made my heart burst.
This grin on Handy Man's face was one of my most favorite! I knew he was enjoying the experience and having fun!
Mr Blue Eyes' horse was a rock star swimmer!
Bunching up a little bit made me somewhat anxious. Like people, some horses are faster swimmers than others.
My Brown Eyed Girl's horse and mine were just steady swimmers. A mother daughter pair of horses - go figure.
Handy Man later said his horse kept trying to use his hind legs to tippy-toe off the bottom and he would feel the hind end sink and then power kick back up through the water. It was making him nervous at first and then he just laughed.
So amazing!
Beautiful water, such a unique experience!
And then... all good things must come to an end. The group made a banana-like sweep back to sold, sandy ground and we all resumed our single-file line back to shore. The waters slowly receding all around.
Once back on shore, we dismounted, got dressed and the horses were re-saddled for the trek home.
I truly did not want it to end. All four of us loved this experience. Even Handy Man admitted that it was one of the coolest things he had ever done!
A million thanks to Pampered Ponies for making this horse loving girl's 40th birthday experience a memory for all times!
"There is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse"
~Winston Churchill
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