This is a picture of me trail riding in southern Arizona. As you can see in the background, Arizona is more than just flat desert land. This is one of my favorite outdoor activities. You can be surprised at the amount of muscle strength involved in riding horses. Usually it takes a good month for your muscles to adjust to the daily grind of trail riding.

Oh, Ranger!

"The Long, Long Trail A-Winding—"
Hello, hiker, how does it go? How far to camp—a mile or so?
Just a little way farther,Just around the next corner,Just this big hump and another,Just a mile or two more.
How far is a mile, I'd like to know,When you're hitting the trail on a tramp? Oh, a mile is as far as you've yet to go Till you've hoofed it on into camp.
—Rhymes of the Rangers

Hiking/Trail riding in National Parks can be an Adventure!

The legions of stay-at-homes who know the trail but vicariously, some because of apprehensions of the rigors of the wilderness, some because it is too much work, others because of queer notions of the dangers involved, have some weird ideas about the trails. To answer a few of the questions that are asked of the rangers:

-Yes, you might meet a bear. Just give him a chance and he will amble into the woods. No, you needn't fear wolves, or mountain lions.
-Altitude? Yes, it affects some people. Those with weak hearts should avoid trails that lead into the higher mountains.
-Yes, carry a compass, if you wish, but in the high western mountains you don't need it as much as in the eastern woods, because in the Rockies or the Sierra or the Cascades you can always see some high peak for a landmark. Yes, sir, the trails are well blazed, with a capital I carefully cut on trees, and small piles of rocks, known as ducts or cairns, and junctions are marked, but it's a fact that some hikers can't read or won't, and some of them do get lost.
-Yes, ma'am, women can do it. Thousands of them do hit the national park trails without male escorts. In fact, more women are seen on the park trails than men.
-No, you don't need a guide to hike the park trails, but sometimes it adds to the fun to join a party under the leadership of a ranger naturalist, who conducts hiking expeditions without charge in the national parks.
-Guns are out, Dude. No shooting, except with a camera. In fact, guns are forbidden, in the parks.
-Shoes? They're the most important item of your costume. When you hit the trail, the shoes do the hitting all the way. Cheap, poorly made shoes are no economy. Good shoes, with strong soles, are essential. High ones are preferable, large enough so that you can wear two pairs of socks, silk or cotton next to the feet, wool next the shoes.
-Clothes? Well, something tough and warm. Khaki knickers stand the gaff. Women as well as men wear them. A light raincoat is useful in occasional showers. A warm woolen sweater is needed for the cool mountain evenings, when the campfire warms only one side of you at a time.
-Yes, bring a knapsack, one that rides comfortably on the back. It will hold the raincoat, sweater, the extra pair of socks, the flashlight, the toothbrush, and the lunch. The hands should carry nothing, unless a walking stick.
-A camera? By all means. Preferably a small one that straps on the belt or hangs from the shoulder. Bring plenty of films.
-A first-aid kit of the Boy Scout type is useful. You probably will never use it, but if you need it at all you need it much.
-No, speed isn't the thing on the trail. The race is to the tortoise, with the slow but steady "poison oaker" stride. They seem to be just barely moving along, but they keep going while the speed-burners have to rest.
-Trouble? Forget it, unless trouble troubles you. Then have someone call up the rangers on the nearest trail telephone and they will arrange a "drag out."
The "drag out" is the emergency service maintained day and night by the national park rangers for hikers in distress. Maybe night falls on a hiker who neglected to bring a flashlight. Maybe he loses his nerve on a steep down stretch of Yosemite's spectacular Ledge Trail. Maybe she has missed the trail and is lost. Maybe it's a sprained ankle, or a more serious accident. Maybe it's morning, noon, or past midnight—a ranger is always on duty at headquarters to make the "drag out" if need be. Most of them are unnecessary, but the rangers must always respond to the call for help for the sake of one in ten who actually needs it.

Reference:http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/albright3/chap8.htm