Horseback Riding in the Bronx

I’m from San Francisco. I can’t ride a bicycle (gasp!) And I certainly have never in my life been on a horse! So obviously I was absolutely thrilled when one of my best homies decided to get everyone to go on a horseback riding adventure in the Bronx to celebrate, in part, his birthday! Who knew horses lived in the Bronx?

I’m not going to lie– the experience was a little unnerving. Especially at first. We get there, sign some waivers that says who knows what, the horses are guided out of their stables and were told to just get on and hold the reins. I had an mini internal panic attack once up on the horse. Horses are freaking huge! Like they’re massive animals. That can kill people! 

So I get on my horse. It starts yanking its head around and I have no idea why. So naturally I was reprimanded because apparently I was pulling on the reins and hurting my horse. I had no clue! And felt bad. Two seconds later my horse starts moseying along– clearly ready to get this show on the road– and then the dude was all “control your horse, pull on the reins!” Mind you, I was under the impression that that hurt the poor animal. Wtf.

Regardless, it was a gorgeous day and here I was on a horse with some of my best friends, about to embark on a journey through the Bronx (well more specifically Pelham Bay Park) on a horse! YESSSSS!!!!

Without any low down, safety tips or instruction, we were off! I was lucky– my horse was named Whiskey, just like my recently deceased hamster, so I immediately felt like we had a connection. Whiskey was a solid trooper and we actually got along splendidly once I got the hang of guiding him, gently. Some of our other friends weren’t so lucky and basically were riding wild beasts. Who clearly did not wanna be ridden!  Even the leaders’ horses were jumpy at times.

It turned out to be an awesome outing and a fantastic opportunity to get out of the city! It was actually really peaceful trotting through the park trails, under the pretty foliage with the sun shining through. The only downside was that the horse in front of me kept farting. Not cool.

HBD GREG PAULLLLLLLLL 🙂

Chelsea is a San Francisco-based journalist whose passion revolves around exploring the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious.

Her work can be found in TravelPulse, Forbes, INSIDER, SF Gate and more. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine.