Featured Video: Riding The Glass Skywalk

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2041

Afraid of heights? That’s totally natural. And for the acrophobic among us, the Glacier Skywalk at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, is probably not the best place to be. And it’s certainly not the place to ride a horse. But if you’re in the mood for adventure, and you and your horse have a very, very trusting relationship, why not give it a go?

Alberta-based trainer David Cowley of Two-Way Trust Horsemanship decided to put that trust to the test with the stunt in the video above. In it, he rides his Quarter Horse, Tucker, across the Glacier Skywalk. The glass-bottomed walkway gives visitors the experience of being suspended off a cliff’s edge over a 918-foot drop to the valleys and rushing water below. The Skywalk undoubtedly provides breathtaking views, but the sheer height is likely to cause a bit of hesitation and some sweaty palms for human visitors. Never mind equines.

Skywalk

Cowley says his ride is the first (and possibly last and only) of any horse-and-rider team over a glass skywalk. He’s probably right–this isn’t exactly the most horse-friendly venue. He’s outfitted Tucker with some hoof boots for traction and has some assistants on the ground for safety. Tucker looks curious about this strange surface in the video, but he seems game to go where the unusual path leads.

The Skywalk isn’t the only unorthodox place Cowley has asked Tucker to travel. The palomino has visited the observation deck the top of the the Calgary Tower during the Calgary Stampede – a stunt that might sound like a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but it’s one that Cowley has previously performed as part of the Stampede celebration with other horses he’s trained. No fear of heights will keep this pair from getting out there and trying new things.


Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com

10 COMMENTS

  1. OMG, I wouldn’t do that on my own feet, never the less sitting a horse! But I do love his Palomino Tucker! Brave horse! Crazy guy! LOL!

  2. Just watched the second video on the Calgary Tower, I can’t believe that Tucker is only a 4 year old. I want this guy to train on my horses!

  3. Awesome trust between horse and rider! Good looking palomino too! Noticed he was really looking down through that glass floor! Wonder what Tucker was thinking?

  4. Okay, I as a human wouldn’t even walk on that thing! This Palomino is brave! I notice the bucket, probably feed to encourage him if needed!

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