Head out to Pinnacle for leisurely trail ride

Around weedy meadows and through coffee-colored waters the ragtag band of travelers and their trusty mounts ride, as their journey continues in the shadow of Pinnacle Mountain.

Down wooded, dusty trails and up rocky summits they prod their horses into the November afternoon, reins firmly in hand, the leather of their saddles creaking, eyes scanning the forest.

And then, from somewhere in the woods, they hear ...

"I'm a cowboy/on a steel horse I ride ..."

Bon Jovi?

"and I'm wanted/dead or alive ...."

Welcome to a horseback adventure with Chief Whitehorse's Trail Rides at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. The song, and other Western-tinged selections -- the theme from Rawhide, Ennio Morricone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" -- are courtesy of a tiny speaker carried by trail guide Sanford "Buck" Slater who, with fellow guides Melissa Fields and Chris Hildahl, is leading 10 riders and their steeds through three miles of wooded trails that include two water crossings and a postcard-perfect stop at a meadow's edge for photos with Pinnacle looming in the background.

About an hour earlier at the outfit's barn on Barrett Road, the group of aspiring cowpokes that included children and adults listened as Slater, perched atop his quarter-horse bay named Sassy, gave instructions on how to handle their horses.

It's all part of the experience at Chief Whitehorse, which is owned by Buddy Burnside. He and wife Maureen have been running guided horseback tours for 28 years, starting first in their hometown of Conway, then moving to Mayflower and finally landing at the park six years ago.

"I've always loved horses and thought this would be a good way to make a living. I love it. It keeps me active," Buddy Burnside says as riders begin to gather at the red barn and another group returns from their ride to the strains of "Rawhide."

Among them were Kyle and Ginger Holton of Little Rock, who were celebrating daughter Eden's impending ninth birthday.

"She wanted to go horseback riding for her birthday," Ginger says, with Eden adding that they had heard about Chief Whitehorse from one of her friends.

"It was fantastic," says Kyle Holton. "I especially liked going through the creek. That was fun."

Eden summed up her experience succinctly and with a smile. "I liked riding the horses."

The Burnsides have 12 horses, and most all of them are gentle and suitable for beginners.

"We don't have any particular type we go for," Maureen Burnside says when asked if they seek specific breeds. "Just whatever is gentle and will let anybody ride them."

No riding experience is necessary. In fact, there's even a line at the outfit's website that says "SCAREDY CATS WELCOME."

There is a rider weight limit, though, of 240 pounds, and children under 6 can ride with an adult only if both can sit comfortably in the saddle.

Rides, which are about an hour long, are conducted under the watchful gaze of guides Fields, Slater and Hildahl.

Slater, who has been with Chief Whitehorse for three years, was a faithful customer before taking the job. "I came out here and paid at first. I'd come out about three times a week. As I gained experience, they noticed it and I ended up being a trail guide."

It's a family affair for Hildahl, who is the Burnsides' son-in-law and rides a horse called Warrior.

"I've been riding most of my life. I come out here to make it a little easier on them," he says. "I love riding and can't get away from it." Guiding, he says, "is a good excuse to ride and play and have fun."

For first-time riders who are maybe a bit anxious, Hildahl says to just "relax and trust your horse."

Fields, whose horse is named Joe, has been with Whitehorse for a little over a month. "Watching everybody have fun," is the best part of guiding, she says.

And the rides certainly are fun.

Leaving the barn, the riders and their horses head in a leisurely single-file line into the forest and down a ravine. A bridge is crossed and then there is a fording of the narrow Nowlin Creek. Later, the group navigates across the Little Maumelle River like Kim Darby in the 1969 version of the movie True Grit, or maybe like the gang in 1980's The Long Riders.

Well, not really. This part of the Little Maumelle isn't exactly wild or especially deep, at least not on this day (it should be noted, though, that after hard or long rains, rides may be canceled if the crossings become too swollen).

The narrow trail features several little rises and dips, and at a couple of points the route edges around meadows before slipping back into the woods. Fields, riding at the front, keeps a watchful eye over her shoulder, while Slater and Hildahl alternately check on the group and playfully gallop away (no galloping allowed for guests, though) and Slater occasionally plays snippets of songs from his speaker.

All the while, the horses clomp amiably along, responding to the slightest tug of the reins, eventually bringing their riders back safely to the big red barn.

"It's good for you whether you've never ridden before, or if you've ridden a lot," says John Collins of Little Rock, who rode with his wife, Brandi, and their son, Matthew, as another group of eager, wannabe cowboys and cowgirls prepared to mount up and move out.

Let's Do This is an occasional column of things to do off the beaten path in the Natural State. Have a suggestion? Email

sclancy@arkansasonline.com

Style on 11/22/2016