While the horses were being prepared for our ride, I heard one scream. The men nearby looked…read morenervously in my direction. I couldn't see what happened, but the sound and their reaction were very unsettling.
A woman came out of the barn and turned out to be our trail guide. The man who first attended to us was kind and friendly, but he explained that she would be leading the ride. Unfortunately, she was not welcoming at all. She seemed upset, impatient, and aggressive from the start. I felt intimidated approaching her, and she made my friend nervous as well.
When she told us to line up by the fence, her instructions were unclear, which caused confusion. My friend ended up going the wrong way, and I had to go find her. When we finally lined up, the guide was visibly annoyed. The whole interaction felt tense.
During the ride, she smoked the entire time while on the horse, which I have never experienced before on any trail ride. She barely spoke to us, and there was no effort to provide any kind of tour, history, or friendly conversation--something I've come to expect from these experiences. Instead, she would occasionally yell things like "Isn't this relaxing?" or "Aren't you having fun?" while continuing to shout at us if we were too slow.
She repeatedly told me to kick my horse to make him go faster. I've ridden before, and it was clear this horse was very tired and possibly overworked. When I expressed that I felt bad, she became visibly angry, stopped, and insisted I kick him anyway, comparing the horse to a car needing gas. I felt pressured and uncomfortable, but the horse was too exhausted to respond regardless.
I chose to let the horse move at his own pace. We paid $50 each for this ride, and if the horse is tired, I'm not going to force it. The ride itself lasted less than an hour, so there was no reason for the level of frustration she displayed.
Overall, the experience left me feeling uneasy, tense, and stressed rather than relaxed. There was something very off about the entire situation. I would not return.