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Logan Canyon: heaven for horses and riders By
Rachel Irvine Jan Mackay sat about eight feet in the air. She was eyeball level with the branches, looking directly into the leaves of the maple trees. She ducked to avoid hitting her head, and then turned to rejoin her friends. She covered the distance in half the time it usually takes her, because she was using four legs instead of two. She pulled back on the reins, uttered a low "whoa" and swung her right leg over the saddle slowly sliding down the body of the horse. She tried to walk away, but her legs were stiff. She smiled, tried to bend, and cried excitedly, "Oh my knees, I think I'm saddle sore." Hesitantly she took a few steps, leaning heavily to the right and then to the left. After a few minutes her legs started to limber and a fluid motion came to her stride. Mackay had just finished her first horse ride. Bryan Lundahl can't remember the first time he rode a horse. He has been around horses his whole life. He was raised riding, feeding and grooming horses. He built Beaver Creek Lodge in Logan Canyon, where anyone can come and ride. Beaver Creek Lodge is 27 miles east of Logan, along U.S Highway 89, nestled in Logan Canyon, surrounded by national forest land. Lundahl built the three-story log building seven years ago, after graduating from Utah State University. People can stay overnight at the lodge, or come for the day to ride horses in the summer and fall. On average 60 to 70 people a week come to ride at the lodge. Lundahl has 22 horses available to rent from one to four hours at a time. Lundahl has trained six of the horses himself. It takes three to four years to "break," or train a horse to become gentle enough to be ridden by a novice. Breaking requires a lot of patience and dedication to the horse. Each breed of horse has special characteristics. Most of the horses at Beaver Creek are Arabians. Their average weight is 1,200 pounds. Arabian horses are known for their intelligence and mountain climbing ability. Arabian Horse America reports Arabs as the oldest known breed of riding horse. They originated in the Middle Eastern desert. Arabians evolved with large lung capacity and incredible endurance due to those harsh conditions. Their spinal column is one bone shorter than other horse breeds. Because of the short vertebrae, Arabians have a unique walk called overstepping. When the hind legs move, they step just in front of the spot the front legs have just left. Overstepping gives a much smoother ride to the person sitting in the saddle. Some horse breeds have a choppy walk, giving a spine-jarring ride, making the rider feel like a jackhammer trying to break through cement. Part of the fun of horseback riding is watching other people ride. An experienced rider can ride a galloping horse, and their upper body doesn't even appear to move. It's as if the legs of the horse belong to the rider, like a Centaur from ancient Greek mythology. Beginning riders bob up and down on a racing horse like a yo-yo. Good riders have perfect control over the horse. They can turn corners quickly using only the slightest touch of the reins. Lundahl and his three trail guides match up a horse with a rider, novice or experienced, before the trek begins. All riders are required to sign a release form. Next comes a 15 minute orientation, on how to direct the horse by turning the leather reins left and right in your hand, and how to whoa, or stop. "I would rather take people out who have never ridden than someone who has been on a horse one or two times and thinks they know everything," Lundahl said. "The less experienced are more teachable, and will follow the trail guide's directions exactly." "I can tell what kind of rider someone will be when they mount a horse," Lundahl said. A good rider will take a few minutes to get to know the horse. They move the horse around in a circle to see how it handles. Some horses respond to the slightest touch of the reins. Others require a stronger tug. The riders get a few minutes to let the horse get to know them as well. They pat the horse on its long nose, and allow the horse to sniff their hand, shirt and hair with nostrils so large a person could easily stick three of their fingers in one hole. Riders are reminded that the first rule of riding a horse is to treat the horse with respect. After the orientation, the ride begins. A one-hour ride costs $18 a person for a group of four or larger. A four-hour ride, with lunch, is $70. You must be at least 7 years old to ride, and a trail guide accompanies all rides. Fall is the best time to ride according to Lundahl. The temperature in the canyon is usually around 60 degrees. The leaves on the maple trees look like elementary school children have colored them with bright red, yellow, and orange crayons. Fall is also mating season for elk. A ride with Lundahl and his crew usually includes listening to the elk bugle. The bull elk call to the cows with a high-pitched whistle. The cows will answer with a low grunting noise. Elk are prominent in the backcountry of Cache National Forest. The most enjoyable ride offered is a trip to Swan Peak, Lundahl said. It is six miles up the canyon, and takes four hours. You can get a custom ride, which includes eating a homemade lunch on the trail. The horse's hooves make a melodic, clumping sound, mixed with the occasional snort from their nose. After riding awhile the smell of leather from the saddle and reins mingles with sweat and the fresh air of the mountains, until the odors weave themselves together like fibers of an Indian rug, becoming almost inseparable. After a few hours on a horse the smell will latch onto the rider seeping into skin and clothes, lingering for days. After about two hours on the trail the riders have climbed beyond the tree line, leaving the maples, aspens and pines behind, and facing the rocks that lay ahead on the trail. The higher your horse climbs, the stronger the wind becomes, seeming as if you have reached the end of all civilization. "When you get to Swan Peak, you can see everything, and there is not another person around," Lundahl said. One can look to the east and see the sunlight touch the pale blue surface of Bear Lake causing sparkles to dance across the water. Beyond the lake are mountains rolling on and on, for miles, seeming to threaten and beckon at the same time. "I enjoy watching the riders learn and progress on the horses," Lundahl said. "It gives people a chance to see places they normally can't get to." Lundahl and his crew have taken people of all different skill levels. The most memorable group Lundahl took consisted of 54 Japanese students ranging in age from 11 to 13. They flew into Salt Lake from Japan and drove straight to Beaver Lodge. He took them riding for three days. He said in the entire three days not one of the students said a word. Lundahl said it was challenging to communicate with the kids, and he was never sure what they thought of the experience. "You don't have to talk to communicate with horses," Jan Mackay said. "Just a little nudge, and you can go your way. It is worth any soreness I'll have tomorrow."
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