9 Days of Dates: Saddling up for horseback riding in Richmond
RICHMOND, R.I. (WLNE) — This was the Galentine’s date that made it out of the chat: saddling up for Valentine’s Day!
I’ve always wanted to learn how to properly ride a horse, and I finally got the chance thanks to my Galentine and equine expert Tiffany Murphy, the Richmond Preserve, and the hospitality of Tommy and Cam.
“In the front here we have Tommy, he is a 9-year-old French Percheron,” said Rhiannon Tomlinson, farm manager at the Preserve.
“He is a driving horse as well as a riding horse so he gives lessons and also can pull carriages. He is about 18 hands high and he weighs about 2000 lbs.”
“Cam is a Clydesdale. He is a 12-year-old Clydesdale,” said Tomlinson.
“He started out as a driving horse as a part of a 10-horse hitch team with all of his brothers. So he came to us coming off of driving and now he rides and drives.”
Tommy allowed me the pleasure of his company on our stroll to the riding barn.
But Cam was my trusty, and ever-so-patient steed during our lesson.
“Every horse is different, but the biggest thing is they’re gentle creatures,” said Tomlinson.
“So if you’re gentle to them, they’re going to be gentle back to you.”
Good news for this budding equestrian, and for anyone else looking to fall in love with horseback riding this Valentine’s Day.
But here’s the thing: if a lesson or a trail ride isn’t the thing for you and your special someone, you can still enjoy the company of these majestic mammals, without having to hop in the saddle.
“Maybe you’re not the riding type, so you want to sit in a carriage and drink prosecco and then go have a campfire, there’s a lot of things you can do with these horses,” said Tomlinson.
“So, if one thing doesn’t work for your partner or your best friend, you can make something else out of it for the other person too.”
Something for everyone, the horses included.
“It’s one thing for me to tell you that we have the best herd of horses in the world. But it’s another for you to come and see them. He knows!”
