Horseback Riding at Captiva Farms
/KITC would like to welcome back guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel. During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival. During a non-pandemic winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.
I have always wanted to be a cowboy. Perhaps it was growing up in Saskatchewan or watching a lot of John Wayne movies as a kid. I ended up working at a library. I love my job, but it still isn’t a cowboy.
Luckily, I was able to explore my inner cowboy at Captiva Farms. The farm is about a thirty-five-minute drive north of Ottawa near Wakefield. The farm offers horseback riding for all different levels. Our family certainly fell into the beginner category.
When we arrived on-site, we were greeted by three employees wearing cowboy hats and blue jeans. Looked like we were at the right place. After filling out all the waivers and forms, we were presented with our horses and led them to a training area. David’s horse was Santana, Sandy had Zoe and I was riding Cleo.
We met Karine who gave us instructions on how to advance and stop the horses. We also learned how to turn the horses to the right and left.
Now, it was showtime. Karine taught us how to mount the horses and with some assistance, David and Sandy were able to do so with ease. I would argue that Cleo was the largest of the three horses thus I needed a small set of stairs to mount Cleo.
After some practice, we mastered stopping, turning and advancing. It was now time to hit the trail. Karine led in the front while Laura was behind us. Both guides were very outgoing and friendly. The scenery was stunning. We were treated to a pastoral landscape with jagged mountains providing a scenic backdrop.
Karine shared that the plan was to leave the land undeveloped so people would have a beautiful view while doing their trail rides.
Cleo was a pleasure to work with. She actually made me feel like I knew what I was doing. She did try to stop and eat grass but who could blame a horse for trying to get a free meal. David and Sandy also had a great experience with their horses.
We travelled through varied terrain including tall grass and forest. My favourite was going through the forest. We went up several challenging uphills and descents. Nothing too extreme, just enough to get the adrenaline going.
The guides provided plenty of assistance when we passed through muddy spots on the trail or close to trees.
Soon enough, it was time to head back to Captiva Farms. I was frankly sad to leave Cleo. I totally get the bond that develops between a rider and their horse. I know Sandy and David felt the same.
There is a good chance my inner cowboy will get a workout in the future at Captiva Farms.
For more information about trail rides and everything offered at Captiva Farms visit, www.captivafarms.com.
Stephen and his family were provided with the experience for free but all views are his own.
