There are a lot of special “only in St. Croix” moments to be had here daily, and some that occur on only really special occasions. This past weekend. Wendy and I were able to see Cane Bay from a whole new perspective, from the back of a horse, when we took a sunset journey with Equus Riding Tours.
Our guide, Stephen O’Dea (also known as “The Cane Bay Cowboy”) met us at Off the Wall near Cane Bay Beach at 4 pm and set us up on our horses, Paddy for me and Blarney for Wendy. He gave us each a short lesson on how to sit and balance in the saddle, hold the reins, and put the brakes on. After we were both comfortable, the group set off on a lush green trail winding up the hill above Cane Bay. When we got to the top, we stopped to take photos and take in the gorgeous view of the North Shore coast. Stephen even showed me how to stand up in the saddle of the horse, and our fellow riders Julia, Shelby and Bonnie were a pretty good inspiration for horse standing too.
We headed back down the hill to Cane Bay, trotting down North Shore road, cars and pedestrians slowing down to say hi and check out our horses along the way. The diners and drinkers at the new restaurant Eat @ Cane Bay gave us a toast from the open air balcony. We rode onto the beach, into the sunset, the waves lapping at our horses’ hooves.
Then, Stephen gave us the opportunity to take the horses into the ocean and move from riding into actually swimming 
with the animals. What an amazing experience. Stephen was fully dressed and cowboy-hatted, leading us out into the water with Paddy and Blarney while the other horses rolled around in the sand. Swimming with the horses was a completely new thing for us, but Stephen was so confident and such a great guide, that everything was fun and relaxed. It was such a unique adventure, and Stephen was able to tailor the trip to everything we were capable of (even if we didn’t know it!) and give us a truly personalized experience.
If you’re looking for a great, fun activity to do with friends and family, for locals and visitors, definitely check out Equus Riding Tours. It was such cool way to experience the island, and riders of all ages and experience can enjoy the trip. The Cane Bay Cowboy is a wonderfully friendly and entertaining guide too. Take a sunset ride for the best views and photo ops and then stop off for a drink or dinner at one of the restaurants on the North Shore coast for a truly unforgettable and unique evening.
sounds great! how long was the ride, did you have riding experience, and how much did it cost?
It was so fun, Tom. The ride was 2 hours long, and I did have experience riding as a kid, though I hadn’t ridden in easily 10 years. Wendy had ridden before but not regularly. They instruct and guide based on your experience. The rate is $80 per person and the maximum amount of people in a group i s 5 people. Hope that helps. You can find Equus Tours’ info on the GotoStCroix.com Land Activities and Family Friendly Pages.
I can’t wait to try this. I’ve been wanting to do this since we’ve been coming to St. Croix. We will definitely do it next trip.
I´ve known Stephen since I was a little girl and even though I now live in Spain I still remember him very well. You describe him as if it was just yesterday….and its been close to 12 yrs I haven´t seen him!
Go Stephen…….he also does donkey races, if anything those a re a lot of fun to watch!