Jersey Shore Magazine

j e r s e y s h o r e • S p r i n g 2 0 1 8 9 continued on page 10 Just Horsing Around Monmouth and Ocean counties have dozens of stables where you can learn to ride and pursue a variety of equine activities. Horseback riding provides health and wellness benefits, and furnishes a new way of looking at the world while allowing relaxation and a return to the natural. T he Jersey Shore and the outdoors go hand in hand. However, there's an outdoor activity that's commonly overlooked, something visitors and residents alike can enjoy: horseback riding. Not only does horseback riding provide health and wellness benefits (such as improving balance, coor- dination, and core strength), it fur- nishes a new way of looking at the world while relaxing and returning to nature. Horseback riders experience a sense of freedom that's quite differ- ent from other hobbies or athletics. Linda Marciante of Bountiful Blessings Farm in Howell said, "Jersey Shore vacationers should spend a day horseback riding to experience New Jersey's beautiful parks and farms." Each riding encounter is unique in its location and personnel, but what they all collectively share is fun. "Our riding program is designed to be instructional, exhilarating, relax- ing, and a memorable experience for everyone," said Linda Fazio of Chariot Riders in Manchester. Fazio said that both farm and trail riding can enhance any Jersey Shore vacation. Andy Kazie Before heading to the stables, it's always a good idea to "know before you go." First, decide which style of riding you'd like to try: English or Western. English style uses a smaller "tack," or saddle and equipment, which result in closer contact between the rider and the horse. Western style uses a larger saddle, which is designed for more comfort and stability, with a saddle horn and longer stirrups. The second-most important thing to do is to find the stable or farm that offers the type of lessons you desire. Some farms and trainers only offer horsemanship riding lessons, while others offer lessons geared towards learning the basics of trail riding. Do the research beforehand so that you find the perfect instruc- tor and stable for you. Advance reservations are a must at most stables. Inquire about rates, schedules, availability, and to shore up reservation details. Ask if the stable has helmets for riders or if you are expected to bring your own. Outside, which documented not only the change to the famed Casino Pier break in Seaside Heights after Superstorm Sandy's 2012 wrath, but more importantly, the personal journey each one of these legendary surfers has taken through the waters of the ocean and the tides of life, the connections they've made, and the lessons they've learned along the way. While surfers might be stereotyped as being extremely cut-throat com- petitive, these buddies encourage, inspire, and gain inspiration from each other. "There's nothing like surfing with friends, with people you've been surfing with for fifty-two or three years. You look out for one another and have a code of sharing with one another," Hale said. "I get as much joy from watching Rich, or Buck, or my son, Nash, or any of our gang on a wave as if I were riding it myself." "It's not an out-do you thing," Luthringer added. "It's a celebration." Like a surfboard that evolves from a large, rectangular blank with care- ful precision and a passion for craft- ing, a friendship also evolves and is shaped over time. Hale decided to display a long- board designed and crafted by his very close friend in the One Ocean Boulevard building as a way to incorporate a part of the Jersey Shore's surfing soul into its design. Luthringer's creation, the Luthringer 11' ¼" Reverse Rocker Custom Noserider Longboard, with its center stringers and classic design, contains enough reverse rocker in its tail so that any surfer can experience the pure exhilaration that is derived from gliding across the face of a wave with ten toes wrapped around the nose! But the board is so much more than an encapsulation of that Jersey Shore magic. It embodies a cele- bration of a beautiful friendship and serves to remind us all of such friends in our own lives. —Jill Ocone

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