Video: Riding the Skywalk

Equestrians are already risk takers and thrill seekers — after all, we climb aboard thousand-pound animals for fun. But would you ever ride your horse on the Glacier Skywalk?

Horsemanship trainer David Cowley was looking for the ultimate test of his “Two-Way Trust” method, and may have found the ultimate challenge — he rode his horse on the Glacier Skywalk of Jasper National Park in Canada, the glass-and-metal panoramic observation platform suspended over a 900-foot gorge among the snowcapped peaks of Alberta.

The horse was decked in protective boots, which we imagine are both to protect the glass surface as well as provide traction. We also assume that all necessary permissions and engineering answers were previously sought, making sure that the Skywalk could support the concentrated weight of a horse and rider.

A few interesting questions arise as we watch this video — can the horse truly perceive that he’s walking on glass 900 feet in the air? Or does the horse see parts of his own reflection, perhaps wonder at the change in feel of the ground, unaware of his great height? Either way, this is certainly a unique test of a horse and rider’s relationship.

To learn more about David Cowley’s Two-Way Trust Horsemanship, visit his website.

Would you ride the Skywalk with your horse? Let us know in the comments section!

Go riding.