‘Anyone have good balance?’ The person asking is a cowboy called Cody who’s stood by his steed on a Texan ranch.
No sooner than I’ve raised a hand I’m encouraged to get in the saddle, slide back and stand up on the horse’s bare butt.
I’m clearly no cowgirl because the unfurling to upright proves a lengthy, nervy manoeuvre, but eventually I’m vertical enough to merit a ‘Yee-haw’!
Texas is in America’s southwest and is the country’s second largest state after Alaska. It’s bigger than Spain and is impossible to cover in a week, so I’m sticking to an area close to Austin known as ‘Texas Hill Country’, a gently undulating region famed for wine, German heritage and cattlemen.
At its heart is the town of Bandera, which is considered the cowboy capital of the world and is where I’m standing on the backside of that horse.
Thankfully there are other less daredevil activities available at Rancho Cortez, like feeding longhorn cattle, a Texan breed whose horns can measure 8ft tip to tip.
For an authentic Wild West feel the tiny town of Bandera (population 800) is hard to beat. Cowboys still canter down its dusty strip, hop off their horses and swagger into a bar, spurs and all.
Its surrounded by ranches, most of which sit on hundreds of acres of land, have pools and are great for spending a day or night.
Jo Kessel visits Bandera, Texas (population 800), stands on a horse and gets lassoed by a cowboy in Texas Hill Country
Jo tests her balance and cowgirl skills on a trip to Texas Hill Country, an area close to Austin known for its wine, German heritage and cattlemen
At the heart of Texas Hill Country is Bandera, considered the cowboy capital of the world
Here in Bandera, cowboys still canter down the dusty strip, hop off their horses and swagger into a bar – spurs and all, says Jo
Mayan Ranch offers hayrides to a cowboy breakfast served in the woods – think scrambled eggs, spicy beans and crunchy bacon.
And at Dixie Dude Ranch you can be lassoed (congratulations cowboy Zac for catching me) before heading off on horseback; no riding experience necessary.
The one-hour trail crosses a parched, hilly landscape that’s pocked by cacti, oaks and thorn bushes.
It’s like a scene from a Spaghetti Western, especially when the Stetson I’m wearing gusts off my head and is chased down by a galloping cowboy who resembles a young John Wayne.
Cowboy boots are de rigueur in these parts and at Bandera’s Western Trail vintage store I snare a square-toed, pre-loved $50 (£38) brown pair.
They’re perfect for a night out at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar, legendary for its live country music, dance floor and Wednesday steak nights.
For $10 (£8) they provide sides and salads; all you’ve got to do is barbecue your own meat on a communal grill.
After eating I spot cowboy Cody approaching, palm outstretched, eyes twinkling. ‘Let’s dance,’ he says. Moments later I’m being whirled and twirled in a honkytonk two-step with a real-life wrangler…who’d have thought?
Mayan Ranch offers hayrides to a cowboy breakfast served in the woods – think scrambled eggs, spicy beans and crunchy bacon
At the Dixie Dude Ranch, Jo explains that you can be lassoed and head off on horseback with no riding experience necessary
It is, however, time to move on from the cowboys. It’s a twelve-hour drive from Texas’s top to bottom, but no journey in the Hill Country takes longer than 90 minutes or so.
Locals are friendly and greet you with a ‘howdy’ or ‘how ya’ll doing?’ But there’s also another language. Germans settled here in the 1840s – some of their original stone houses still stand – and brought their native tongue with them. It morphed into a ‘Texas German’ dialect that’s spoken even now in certain towns.
The shops on Main Street in historic Fredericksburg have German names as well as ‘Wilkommen’ signs, including one outside a store selling cowboy boots that cost a whopping £380 new. Thank goodness I went second-hand.
By contrast Fredericksburg’s boutique Truelove Hotel is all-American, with a string of bijou clapboard cottages that have rocking chairs on their porches.
Breakfast’s freshly squeezed orange juice and a warm biscuit (similar to a scone) served in a wicker hamper.
Apparently you’ve not been to Texas if you haven’t climbed ‘Enchanted Rock’, a nearby solidified liquid magma batholith deemed sacred by Native Americans.
It’s a lung-busting twenty-minute slog to the top from where there are views of surrounding wineries. Early settlers brought grapes with them and Texas wine-making is now a burgeoning industry.
You can try some at Signor Vineyard: their Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and dry; the Alberino is refreshingly fruity and the red Tannat is a bold, full-bodied cowboy vino which packs an almighty punch.
Due to the German population that settled in Fredericksburg in the 1840s, many of the restaurants and shops still have German names
Food’s good too and it’s not all rustic meats and beans. The 7-course tasting menu at Fredericksburg’s Cabernet Grill is fine dining at its best. The quail stuffed with candied jalapenos, seared lion’s mane mushroom and gourmet take on a pig in blanket (called a ‘Texas Twinkie’) are outstanding.
I’d been drawn to Texas Hill Country by the cowboys, but find myself enjoying so many other unexpected experiences.
Like feeding giraffes and stroking rhinos (their skin’s surprisingly soft) at Longneck Manor, a conservation preserve outside Fredericksburg.
Like dancing in the German town of New Braunfels’ Gruene Hall – a historic live music venue built in 1878 where Kris Kristofferson once played. No cowboys to two-step with this time.
Then there’s tubing, a Texan pastime which involves sitting in a giant rubber ring for a couple of hours and letting the current drift you down Comal River. Temperatures soar over 100 degrees in summer and it’s a great way to cool down.
Despite riding horses and all that dancing, however, it’s my credit card which gets the biggest workout. Leave space in your case because Texas has duty free shopping. The chic boutiques are in the town of Boerne; the premium designer outlets are in San Marcos.
And for beef jerky the convenience store Buc-ee’s is a must – it comes in umpteen flavours from cherry maple to Korean BBQ and Jalapeno Honey.
One thing’s for sure, Texas Hill Country caters for all tastes. Whatever you do, wherever you go, you’re sure to have the ride of your life.
