After years of not being able to saddle up and steer a horse through Catalina Island’s many scenic trails, the island tradition that dates back to the 1930s is now back as members of the public can once again hop on a horse and ride the trails. “I get really emotional sometimes when you hear people say they had the best day ever and that everything is right again now that the horses are back in Catalina,” said Jeff Skelton, founder of the recently opened Catalina Island Horseback Adventures, which is now taking members of the public through the island’s rolling hills, by its scenic cliffs and even through a golf course on horseback. “It’s a unique experience for each individual and people will probably even go through a range of emotions. That connection between a human and a horse can be very magical,” he said. Horseback riding on Catalina dates back to the 1930s when the Wrigley family, who developed the island, brought horses to Catalina. In the 1930s they established El Rancho Escondido, an Arabian horse ranch which is still open today but does not offer horseback riding. But public horseback riding was part of the island tourism draw for decades until 2008 when it was shut down by the Santa Catalina Island Co. over concerns that wildfires had transformed the area into a potential flood zone. While there have been no public rides available until now, for about 10 years Skelton has been riding on the island with a private group called Los Caballeros, who bring their horses to Catalina once a year for a weeklong excursion. It was on one of these rides that Skelton got the idea to open his own horse rental business on the island. “It’s just something really special. As Philip Wrigley once famously said ‘the best way to see the island is on the back of a horse.’ And I agree, it’s just a special place and a special experience,” he said. Skelton worked with island officials for about two years and on Feb. 22 he took his first group of visitors out on the trails. “It was really exciting. We got our permit and I walked out of City Hall and it was kind of an emotional moment. Literally the next morning we could start taking guests out on rides and we did. We just opened the gates and we’ve been very blessed that people have been showing up everyday ready to ride,” he said. The company offers two different rides that both begin with a trek directly through an 18-hole golf course. “It’s really neat. We’re able to engage with the golfers and ask if we can play through and 100% of the time they wave us on through and many times take pictures of us crossing across the course,” Skelton said. From there riders go up to the canyons where they get to enjoy cliffside views, often see wildlife as well as the city below and even the mainland. “There really is a lot you get to see on a horse; it’s really spectacular,” Skelton said. Catalina Island Horseback Adventure is open daily for morning and afternoon rides. Riders must be 9 years of age or older. Ride costs range between $149-$179 per person. For information go to catalinahorseback.com