Baguio Insider

Visitors to Baguio’s premier horseback riding area, Wright Park Riding Circle, are usually surprised to see a white pony with a shock of pink hair, or sometimes a brown one with a bright orange mane. In recent years, the Pony Boys, experts in giving little kids their most memorable first pony ride, have learned that children prefer white horses (thinking they’re “nicer,” i.e. “more mabait,” than the brown ones) and to make them even more attractive, have taken to dying their hair or puttiing a little pink paper flower on their hair. Don’t worry, the hair dye does no damage to the horse.

For those of you coming up, horse rides are at Php300/hour ($6.00).

Here are some tips for your child’s first pony ride:

1. Get your kid excited about his first ride. Let him know what to expect, walk around the area first and point out other little kids who are riding horses, too.

2. Wright Park Riding Circle is the best for first-timers as there is an inner ring for those who just want the horse to walk; the outer ring is for more experienced riders who make the horse trot or canter. Plus parents can watch their kids and document the ride with photos and videos.

3. If he is afraid and does not want to ride a horse, do not force him. Wait another year, until he gets a little bigger and himself asks for his first ride. My brother fell off his horse on his first ride and that traumatized him until he got to 6 feet tall and realized he could brake with his feet on a small horse. LOL.

4. If he agrees to ride the horse, contract it for only 30 minutes first (Php150). You can always extend.

5. The Pony Boy might ask you if you want the child to go on trail, do not agree to this. Your child should be a little more experienced in handling a horse before going on a supervised trail rides from Wright Park, as they will be passing the streets and there are many awful drivers out there who enjoy “spooking” a horse by blowing their horns.

6. If someone has to ride behind your child, the best one to do it is the Pony Boy, not the yaya (nanny), because she won’t know how to control the horse in case it breaks into a run. Your kids will be safe with the Pony Boys as they are experienced, honorable and take pride in their work. I recommend you choose the older ones (the Pony Grandpas), especially those in cowboy attire (because they are of the “old school” and their families have been doing this for generations). Teenage Pony Boys are just assistants to those who own more than one horse and are not as astute, of course.

7. Make sure your child rides in the Inner Ring. Take photos up close at the start and at the end of the ride. Zoom in for photos taken while he’s riding. DO NOT WALK ACROSS THE OUTER RING TO GET A BETTER PHOTO. You might get run over by a horse and rider!

Lastly, please know that Wright Park is on the hill above the Wright Park Riding Circle (the latter is sometimes referred to as “Ride Park”). It is one with the long stairs leading to the gazebo and Pool of the Pines across The Mansion. So the Riding Circle is NOT a park. Only horses and riders are allowed in the ring. One time, there was a yaya pushing a baby stroller “promenading” in front of the whole crowd (what was she thinking?!), and she and her charge were almost run over.

If you do this right, your child will have many happy memories like I did. My first pony ride at 7 years old in Baguio led to riding lessons at D’Rossa, many beautiful summers and weekends in Baguio, my first horse - a thoroughbred named Jupiter - with whom I explored all the possible Baguio trails (including Mt. Santo Tomas), and 35 years since my first ride, I still get that wonderful feeling of excitement everytime.

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Author’s note: This is the first of a series of articles on riding. I will tell you about the different riding areas and trails, and the long special relationship between Baguio and horses, areas that are off-limits, and more.