On Horseback Following Mountain Trails in Big Bend, Texas, USA
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Big Bend is in the heart of the Texas Wild West and exploring the Chihuahunan Desert trails, overlooking the Rio Grande, is best done on horseback.
The Spanish called the Big Bend region, Tierra Desconocida, the "Unknown Land" and it's still a place of mystery and grandeur where the great Chihuahuan Desert meets the Southwest Rocky Mountains, riven by the mighty Rio Grande River. If you want to get the real cowboy experience, then horseback is the only way to go.
Of course you really need to be able to ride, something I've only tried a couple of times in my life, but I was promised that no experience was necessary - after all it was only three hours in the saddle, through some of the wildest mountain scenery. A quick lesson in how to hold the reins, signal left and right,how to stop, and we were off, climbing up the trail.
We left the Rio Grande down below and were rewarded with stunning views into Mexico and across to the Chisos Mountains in the Big Bend National Park. The path was steep and I started off clinging on for dear life, terrified I was going to fall. I needn't have worried, Rosie was more mule than stallion, and was constantly stopping to munch anything green she could see, however much I gave her a kick start. After a while man and beast reached some sort of compromise and, although progress was slow, it did give me the chance to take in the scenery, familiar to anyone who's ever seen a Western.
And it was just like the movies, as I learned that a Gulch is a V-shaped valley and Buttes are those steep sided hills that are flat on top and Mesas are the same, only wider. Mind you, towards the end of my ride, I began increasingly to feel like a Desperado, as my legs started cramping up, and could hardly wait for it to finish. And of course I found it impossible to walk, when I dismounted.
You can go on much longer trips, including overnights by the campfire, and special four or five day rides into old Mexico, but I think it'll be a while before you get me back on a horse - the only saddle I'm comfortable with is on my bicycle...
Useful links
Big Bend Information
Big Bend Stables offers horse riding in the mountains
Continental Airlines flies daily from Heathrow to Midland via Houston
Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa makes a good base
Texas Tourism Information
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