Happiness on horseback

The gentleman wanted his proposal to be something his girlfriend would always remember. A private horseback ride along a quiet mountain trail would set the right mood, he thought, so he called Gunstock Ranch to make the arrangements.

On the day the man picked to pop the question, he took his girlfriend on a motorcycle ride around the island. As they approached Gunstock Ranch, he suggested they stop to have a look around. Beside the corral, they saw a wrangler saddling a few horses.

"Can we go for a ride?" the man asked.

"Sure," said the wrangler, who, of course, knew about the surprise. And off they went.

Midway through the ride they dismounted, and the wrangler led the horses away so the couple could have some private time. "The man proposed, his girlfriend said yes and they walked to the top of the hill where a tent was set up and a chef was preparing a multicourse lunch," said Greg Smith, owner of Gunstock Ranch. "The woman was ecstatic; she said, ‘I thought we were just going for a motorcycle ride!’"

Pretty and peaceful, Gunstock represents the best of country living. Smith’s late dad, Max, founded the 500-acre working cattle ranch in Laie, at the foot of the Koolau Mountains, in 1973. Originally from Arizona, Max, a third-generation rancher, was Hawaii’s state veterinarian from 1975 to 1994. Five years later he was honored as one of the first 13 inductees into the Paniolo (Cowboy) Hall of Fame (www.hi­cattle.org/pani­olo­hall­of­fame.aspx).

Although Smith and his five siblings grew up in Kailua, they were expected to help with ranch chores on weekends and some evenings. "For me, going to the ranch meant a lot of work, so like most teenagers, I stayed away as much as I could," Smith said. "Things changed when my dad taught me how to rope cattle. I was 17 and I started competing in rodeos. It was so much fun, I got hooked!"

Smith doesn’t compete as often today because family responsibilities, ranch operations and a full-time job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service keep him busy. Even so, he leads trail rides whenever he can.

"I enjoy meeting and talking with visitors," Smith said. "I usually ride young horses to give them experience on the trail. The wranglers also do that, and after a few months the horses are ready to carry guests."

THE rides wind past African tulips, century plants, christmasberry bushes and Formosa koa and ironwood trees. During the fall and spring, participants can snack on guavas and Java plums plucked right from the trees. Two lookouts reveal spectacular views stretching from Kaneohe to Kahuku, and during the winter, humpback whales can be seen cavorting in the ocean.

Guides point out cattle lounging in the bushes, a World War II bunker, an old sugar plantation flume and, off in the distance, a cluster of trees that surround a pool called Wai­apuka. According to legend, Laie­ika­wai, goddess of rainbows, and her twin sister, Laie­lohe­lohe, were born in Laie. Their father, a chief, killed his infant daughters because he wanted a firstborn son, so the twins’ mother kept their birth a secret and gave them to different relatives to rear.

Laieikawai was raised by her sorceress grandmother Waka in a cave hidden by Wai­apuka. The only way to get to the cave was to dive into the pool. A rainbow arched above Laie­ika­wai’s cave home and followed her wherever she went.

Meandering on horseback through the wilderness, it’s easy to drift back to old Hawaii. Most of Gunstock’s rides are capped at just 10 participants. Many of the 30 horses on the trail ride string were born, raised and trained at the ranch.

"Because of that we know their capabilities and temperaments," Smith said. "Some of them are real characters."

For example, Dante is adamant about keeping his place in line. "He has to be second, right behind the guide," Smith said. "If another horse is there, he’ll speed up and swerve into that spot without the rider asking him to do that."

Buttons may be little, but she has a lot of heart and likes to walk fast. When Rondo sees guests, he’ll stick out his nose and wait patiently until someone rubs it. Ammo, another affectionate "people horse," will put his head on strangers’ shoulders.

"We’ve ridden with a lot of city slickers who’ve never been on a horse before," Smith said. "For them to bond with their horse on a relaxing ride is really special. We know they’ve had a great time, because when they dismount they have a big smile on their faces."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Sta-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.