The Siuslaw news., July 28, 2021, WEDNESDAY EDITION, Page 12, Image 12

2B | WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
C&M from page 1B
that this summer; everyone
just seems to be in a rush
this year.”
Now that the state has
opened back up, travelers
are in a hurry to get out and
do things. As a result, one
of the things Chastain and
his employees wish people
in the area would remem-
ber is to drive more care-
fully on Highway 101.
“It’s very busy and scary
out there,” said Chastain.
“There are lots of people
and the 101 hasn’t seen the
type of traffic it’s seeing
now in years. Slow down,
relax, breathe in the fresh
salt air and enjoy the activi-
ties that we have.”
The busy part of the
year tends to be mid-June
through September.
“It’s not anything new to
see this type of traffic on
the highway, it’s just been
a while,” he said. “With
everything that’s gone on
with COVID, everybody is
in a hurry. You see it every-
where.”
Currently, the stables are
busier than before the pan-
demic began.
“This year from spring
break on has been just like
summer. It doesn’t slow
down,” Chastain continued.
“It’s very good, but this is
the first month of the sum-
mer and I’m already feeling
like I do by the end of the
summer! We’ll make it, but
it’s going to be a long year.”
Fortunately,
Chastain
has help from his employ-
ees with maintenance, such
as keeping up the riding
paths, and the tour guides
on staff tend to the horses.
As much work as it is,
Chastain loves what he
does, and takes great care
to make sure his visitors
have a memorable, safe ride
that is unmatched by any
other activity available in
Florence.
“My favorite thing about
the whole experience has
been the kids and seeing
the smiles on their faces,”
he said. “The elderly as
well. Everybody is great,
but those two ends, seeing
the results are what make it
worthwhile.”
With the state opening
back up and mask man-
dates being lifted, Chastain
gets to enjoy those smiles
even more.
“With 90% of the peo-
ple, I can see their smiles
again,” he said. “I couldn’t
see those kids smiling, and
now I can. It makes my
day.”
Open year-round, C&M’s
only closures are on Mon-
days and Tuesday from No-
vember through Mid-Feb-
ruary for the winter season.
Tours run rain or shine
unless it’s unsafe; if a ma-
jor storm comes through
the area, Chastain will not
risk the safety of his visitors
or staff, but minor coastal
rains would not stop rides
from taking place.
Rides range in dura-
tion and intensity from 15
to 30-minute corral rides
for kids aged 5 years or
younger to one- to two-
hour beach or dune tours,
and even private tours for
two to nine guests. For ad-
vanced riders, C&M Stables
offers a morning adventure
ride for those experienced
enough to comfortably trot
and canter on the beach.
After guests complete the
required registration forms
and waivers before their
ride, the tour guide staff
will pair the riders with a
horse suited to their level.
Guides stretch the hors-
es’ legs, assist guests with
mounting their horses and
thoroughly explain com-
mands and general safety
for the tour.
Once all guests on the
tour are mounted, the
guides lead riders in a sin-
gle-file line out of the corral
and to the path on the other
side of Highway 101.
Emily Shymanski, one
of Chastain’s tour guides,
has been working for C&M
Stables since 2004. Over the
years, she has trained many
horses and taken numerous
guests on rides in the area.
Shymanski discussed how
rewarding her job has been.
“I started this horse, and
now he takes little kids on
the beach, so there’s per-
sonal gratification and a
sense of accomplishment
that comes along with that,”
she said. “It’s hard work,
and you’re tired at the end
of the day, but it’s so dif-
ferent from being mentally
stressed out.”
The tour to the beach
goes along the side of Baker
Beach Road and behind the
Day Use Area lot, through
the dunes and out to the
beach.
“This little gravel road
next to us is Baker Beach
Road and leads to the Day
Use Area,” Shymanski said.
“At the campsite, there are
four camping spots, and
you can horse camp here,
but they don’t have cor-
rals here. Up on the road
behind the stables there is
horse camping where they
have permanent corrals
out, so anyone can come
and trailer their horses in
for the day and go out and
ride the trails on the beach
and camp.”
The Baker Beach Park
is somewhat hidden but
is completely open to the
public.
“Lots of people in Flor-
ence don’t know this is here
because it’s not marked on
Highway 101, so you might
just drive right past it,” said
Shymanski.
In addition, if you aren’t
on horseback, the parking
lot for Baker Beach’s Day
Use Area is fairly far from
the beach.
“There are so many other
beaches where you can go
and park right next to the
beach, so this deters a lot
of people because you have
to walk through all of the
soft sand and it’s a bit of a
hike down there,” Shyman-
ski said. “Then you have to
hike up over the dune and
down again. It’s kind of se-
cluded and you have to put
in a little more effort to get
out to this beach to get to
your destination.”
Although it is a trek, one
bonus is at that point on the
beach, visitors won’t have
to reckon with motorized
vehicles as they would fur-
ther south on the dunes.
“North of the river is
horses and hikers only, and
south of the river is for mo-
torized vehicles, so there is
no intertwining of the two,”
said Shymanski. “North of
the river we have snowy
plover on the beach, which
is an endangered bird, so
there are no dogs allowed
on the beach, no motorized
vehicles and no kites, even,
because they mimic a pred-
atory bird and makes the
snowy plover less likely to
nest here.
“It’s horses and hikers
only up here and it’s really
nice that we have enough
beach that we can split that
up,” she said. “Other towns
further down the coast
don’t have ATVs and hors-
es separated.”
Once riders have gone
through the forest and
dunes, they will reach a fi-
nal dune crest to go up and
over before reaching the
beach, which gets windier
as the day goes on.
As Shymanski said, “The
first ride of the day is al-
ways the nicest weather
you’ll have on the beach.”
Upon reaching the beach,
riders take their horses
south down the coast and
are allowed to bring their
horse to a trot, provided
they leave sufficient space
on all sides of their horse
from other riders.
It is also important to
follow directions and main-
tain distance at this point,
because what one person
does could affect all other
riders.
“Horses are herd an-
imals,” Shymanski ex-
plained. “I have to think
about how my ride will af-
fect everyone else. If I took
off running right now, your
horse is going to go with
me.”
This is why riders may
not go faster than a trot un-
less they are on the Morn-
ing Adventure Ride for ex-
perienced riders.
Looking out at the ocean
and down the coastline,
Shymanski beamed and
noted, “People have pic-
tures of this on their office
walls; this is my office.”
At this point in the tour,
guides stop the group
and position them to take
photos on the beach with
their horses before turning
around to head back to the
dunes. If you’re lucky, you
might see whales spouting
in the ocean as you ride
back in.
Once back at the corral,
guides assist riders with
climbing down off their
horses and exiting the sta-
bles.
No matter what ride you
choose, you are guaranteed
to learn something new
with a different experience
each time.
For more information,
visit C&M Stables online at
oregonhorsebackriding.com
or CandMstables.com, or
call 541-997-7540.
On Siuslaw! Go Viks!
541-997-8474
3231 Hwy. 101 N, Florence
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