Aspen Park Stables / Oak Meadows

Aspen Park stables, oak meadows, etc (they gave me like, three different names) in Victoria.

Just don't do it.

This is the place my classmate found and asked me to contact and book for a class trail ride.

They advertise safe horses for riders of all ages and skill levels, guided trails through Thetis lake park, and things like kids camps and riding lessons.

The first thing that bugged me about it was our trail guide for our ride was on foot. That's right, he was walking along on foot ahead of the horses. But, fine, if that's how they want to do it. Only, he didn't say a word to us the entire time, just marched along with his head down.

Not like I was doing much chatting. I didn't have the luxury of enjoying a pleasant chat, or the scenery.

In the first five minutes of the trip my horse threw me off. I've got a huge bruise on my side, a very sore neck and knee, and a headache that may be a mild concussion, so I'll be keeping myself awake for some time yet this evening.

I picked myself up, and immediately wanted to return to my car and go home, refund or not I didn't care at that point. The trail guide didn't even ask if I wanted to get back on the horse, he just assumed that I did, and because I didn't want to make everyone else return to the stable so I could quit and go home, I got back on the stupid horse. I should have gone home.

I was willing to believe at first that tossing me into a ditch was an accident. Then she tried it several more times throughout the ride. The reason wasn't because she was spooking either, it was because she was hell bent at getting up and biting the horse in front of me. Her skittering about underneath me, and her constant attempts to shake the reins out of my hands nearly dumped me in the dirt several more times throughout the ride.

And my horse wasn't the only problem, the third one up in the line kept snapping at and trying to fight with the one behind him, the same horse mine wanted to bite, and between the two of them this poor horse in the middle kept darting side to side and forward and back with nowhere to run. I suggested changing the riding order to separate these horses, but nothing was done.

I do have some experience riding horses I know what it feels like to be on a calm even tempered horse, and to have full control over that animal, and at no point did I feel fully in control of this horse. She threw a fit every time I stopped her, pulled against the reins every time I tried to turn her. Her ears were back nearly flat for the entire ride and all I had was 1100 lbs of pissy bitch beneath me. Even had I not been thrown, that horse would have been an issue the entire ride, and I wouldn't have enjoyed it. As it is, I can't tell you guys anything about the trail (other than that it was extremely slippery), or what we saw along the way, because I was too busy concentrating on keeping that horse away from the one she wanted to bite, and avoiding being killed by her whenever she decided she didn't want me in the saddle anymore.

I expressed my concerns to the stable manager. She didn't seem surprised, but was very defensive about her horse. Steer clear of the place. Safe reliable horses for riders of all ages and skill levels my ass. I'm lucky I wasn't seriously injured, and there is a good chance I'll never get on another horse.