The Oxford English Dictionary defines a horse as “a large plant-eating domesticated mammal with solid hoofs and a flowing mane and tail, used for riding, racing, and to carry and pull loads.” However, Rowland Hall students might define a horse as “oh wait, you can ride those on interim, right?” For as long as I can remember, I’ve always surrounded myself with animals, but especially horses. There were horses next door to my childhood house, I went to horseback riding camps during the summer with my friends. I even took lessons for a few years with my sister. Horses still appear in my everyday life: I help take care of them to earn a few extra bucks, which is why, when I read that there was an interim centered around horseback riding, I decided to add it in my request lineup for interim choices. Although I’ve always had positive experiences with horses, such memories aren’t shared by everyone, and the horseback riding interim seemed exciting. Through all the stories I've heard—getting bitten by the horses, swimming in water along the trails, beautiful landscapes that stay with you—I was quite pumped to go on my interim trip.
Although the horses misbehaved sometimes, bums were sore, and we made countless trips to the general store for the supplies that we forgot, the 2024 horseback riding interim in Capitol Reef was amusing, eventful, and more than enjoyable. HaUhn Kim’s favorite memory of the trip was “getting to know the people with me, all the horses, and the wranglers there. It was also fun cooking and just spending the night in.” Meredith Maloy’s favorite memory was “when we all came back from horseback riding and just hung out and played ping pong.” A three-and-a-half-hour drive was the perfect start to the trip as our scenery palates were cleansed and the first round of gas station snacks bought. Our road trip brought us to the triangle-frame Airbnb we would be residing for the next three nights and four days when we weren’t out on the trails with our horses. As we unpacked, unloaded, and prepared for the next morning’s first meet with the horses and wranglers, we discovered the beautiful view we had off of our back deck, the ping pong table that experienced countless missed shots followed by hollering, and the beds that heard our snoring and sleep-talking after long days out in the sun.
Pleased that we were able to sleep in in the mornings, we woke up the next morning to snow, surprised to say the least. We all agreed that none of us were properly prepared with clothing to endure snow on the trails, and we tried to get in contact with the owner of the outfitting company. Our group ended up going, despite being skeptical of the claim that the flurries would clear and it would warm up closer to where we were going to ride. After another drive, one hour long on a mixture of terrain, we finally got to get paired with our steeds that we would be trusting with our lives for the next three days. Regardless of my taller height, I got paired with a horse named Boone, one of the shorter horses. He was well behaved and responsive to me, unlike Shaler Anderson’s horse, Dunny, who seemed like his only goal was to bite or pick fights with other horses. Eden August got paired with a pretty mare; her favorite part of the trip was “riding the horses and pretending to be country.” After getting a brief crash course and set of tips to use when riding a horse, we set off on our first trail ride. Experiencing a few hiccups, like horses trotting instead of walking, or horses nipping and kicking at other horses, we all started to get the hang of things and made our way to our rest spot where we had lunch. After our stop for Uncrustables, chocolate chip bars, and assorted trail mix, we mounted back up and headed back to the trailers.
Days two and three would follow a similar pattern, but with a switch out of meals, trails, and afternoon activities. We switched off organized cooks and clean up crews for breakfasts and dinners, although some people carried their weight more than others. Lila Bates proved to be experienced in the kitchen based on the way her grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, and tacos turned out. Tenzin Sivukpa also made delicious fried rice the last night that we were there; everybody was pleased with her recipe: carrots, peas, rice, soy sauce, and more, simple but satisfying. The next two trails that we trekked across atop our horses had stunning views that featured desert plains scattered with tumbleweeds, orange and red rock that lined ravines, and lucious green pastures. Lila Bates says, “My favorite part of the interim was getting to see the national park.” On the last day, we got the opportunity to “gallop,” although most of us didn’t reach the four-beat gait and instead did the closest, a lope. It was exhilarating and a test of our riding skills. As well, on the last day, we rode through a field filled with cows that the ranch owned. Though the cows’ “MOOs” were quite loud and somewhat aggressive, they moved back as soon as we got within 10-15 feet of them due to our horses' size that triumphed over theirs. After final goodbyes to our horses, wranglers, and saddle bags, we headed back to our Airbnb where goodbyes continued. Although we were all going to miss the occasional waves of wind that blew our deck furniture away; the dishes that everyone left in the sink before hurrying out the door, careful not to forget our helmets; and the cold temperature of the basement that we fought against with heavy, fleece blankets, we were all ready to head home. And we did! After canceling our hike in the morning due to our soreness and tiredness, we were able to make it back to the school by 1:30 where we saw the building where our dreaded finals would be held in two weeks.
Compared to other years’ bites, bucks, and mishaps, this year’s horseback riding interim proved to be successful in my opinion. Although some of us came back with aching backs or less time to study for finals and complete homework, the vivid views, unforgettable memories, and late-night snacks were worth it. Kate Weissman’s favorite memory was “hanging out with friends and seeing new places.” Shaler Anderson’s favorite memory was “getting to hang out with people I usually don’t hang out with and ride horses at the same time.” Filled with rides in vast expanses of Capitol Reef National Park that look like real-life paintings, chill movie nights with popcorn ending up in the cracks of the couch, and late-night talks with our chaperone Lauren Stivers about fond memories from growing up, horseback riding interim 2024 is one for the books.