Knight of Surprise

Published in Niagara Farmer's Monthly - June 2011
Is there anything more romantic than riding along the beach at sunset on a horse with the love of your life?
How about if a knight in full armour gallops at you unexpectedly and proposes?

Kathy Buttigiege has seen many things during her 12 years of owning HorsePlay Niagara, but helping a boyfriend pull off a surprising proposal was probably the most amorous.

“We had a fellow coming out to propose to his girlfriend. She was out on the trail with two of her friends and had no idea he was the one behind it,” she explains. “He dressed up in a knights outfit and came riding down to her. She was terrified and didn’t know who this crazy person was riding at her with a full mask on. Then he stopped the horse right in front of her and proposed! She just about died.”

Buttigiege says her team will always work with people to make their day special.

“We’ve done a lot of different romantic packages and we try to accommodate them; especially with the engagements so we can make their day as special as possible.”

HorsePlay Niagara offers a variety of trail ride packages for anyone six years and older. There are romance and engagement packages, birthday parties, cook outs and general one hour or 1 ½ hour rides. They also have a petting zoo and playground for children to explore.

Buttigiege originally ran lessons and boarded horses on her farm, but “devoted herself totally to trail riding” because of immense interest from people wanting to ride in their area. HorsePlay offers rides along the Trans-Canada trail, the beach of Lake Erie, near abandoned quarries and through the woods.

“We’ve got such a beautiful spot to ride in,” Buttigiege says.

She says being able to share the experience of a first ride with someone is something she enjoys.

“I enjoy the combination of working with the horses, which has always been my love, and the people who are just starting out. Giving them the experience to go out and ride for the first time is the part I like,” she says. “We get all kinds of kids and adults who have never been on a horse; never even touched a horse, and they come here and it is so special. They get so excited about it.”

She says sometimes “they’re so nervous and they’re shaking when they get on the horse” but it isn’t long before they relax and enjoy the ride.

“We have a lead on the horse for anyone who is nervous. It gives them the confidence to go out, and usually about the time they get around the corner they start to settle and get relaxed. The horses do what the horses are supposed to do, and the person will calm down and get off the lead at that point. Or if they are really nervous they are welcome to stay on.”

Buttigiege says riding a horse and “galloping down the beach” is a dream for many people and a lot have it on their “bucket list”. She remembers when a woman in her late 80s was brought out to ride a horse for the first time by her children.

“She had never ridden a horse and always wanted to, so her kids brought her out and took her out on a ride. And she just loved it. She was so excited. We've had quite a few people who've had it on their bucket list. They come and they're so excited because it’s one of the things they've always wanted to do."

Buttigiege says horse riding is just as exciting for young children.

"For a number of years we had a little girl come out and she was blind and deaf…Her father would bring her here for a pony ride about three times a year and I‘ve never seen anything like it. That smile on this little girl’s face and her happiness every time she came anywhere near the ponies was really special. As soon as she touched the pony, her whole face would just light up. Her father said it was her favourite thing to do. And we loved to see her."

Sometimes the rides can be quite amusing as well, says Buttigiege.

"We have a lot of exchange students that are here for the summer and they come in and do a ride as part of their package. When you get 30 people on the back of a horse, and they don’t speak a word of English it’s always an amusing ride. There's a lot of hand signals going on and it's just fun."

HorsePlay Niagara is open seven days a week, year round. The only exception is if there is thunder and lightning.

“Any time there is a warning we don’t go out. But other than that, it’s rain or shine. A lot of people do go ride in the rain. Personally, I think it’s a blast. It’s a lot of fun getting caught in a down pour.”

Prices range from $40-$295 depending on the experience a person wants.

"One hour rides are $40/person. A short cook out, which is about 2 hours, is $95/person. That includes all the food and we stop and have a camp fire out on the trail and some marshmallows. There's a longer half day one that's $125/person. And we've got our romance packages are $295 for both people and that includes a picnic lunch with fruits, veggies and dip and meats and cheeses, so it's a really good lunch.”

They also do school outings, birthday parties and private rides.

“We get a lot of couples that just want to spend time together and we'll do a private ride with just them. And we do advanced rides for people that want to do some galloping."

HorsePlay Niagara is located in Wainfleet and reservations are required. To book your horse riding experience visit www.horseplayniagara.com or call 1-800-871-1141