COME RIDE WITH US!
If you are looking for a place to trail ride that is different from all the rest, you have found it!
All our horses and ponies are family members first, and have been with us for many years. Some as long as 7 to 25 years. They all enjoy being on the trail as you will see when you arrive because we do our best to ensure they enjoy the ride as much as you will! Therefore, we do things a little different than most riding facilities.
First, we do not use bits on our horses. Those are the metal pieces people put in a horses mouth. We allow our horses to eat on the trail and believe the ride is much more enjoyable for them if they don't have a chunk of metal between their teeth. This is just our personal preference.
Our horses are very important to us, so we only use ORTHOFLEX (Ortho flex) saddles on them - which means there is never an issue with our horses rushing back to the barn, you never have to deal with a horse throwing it's head in your face or going down the trail with his/her ears pinned back. Even though these saddles are $2,000 to $4,000 EACH, the panels move with the horses back and movement and therefore, they are never sore. These saddles cost a lot more than the average $350 western saddle most places use on their horses, but we believe our horses deserve the best and our riders enjoy riding a happy horse!
It is also important to note, we only allow each horse to take out a maximum of 2 rides per day, 4 days per week, so booking early if you would like to ride at a specific time or day is Strongly advised to avoid disappointment. Honestly, we do book quickly in the summer months! It never hurts to try last minute though in case we have a cancellation.
FAQS
If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us!
IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO BEFORE/AFTER WE GO FOR A RIDE?
Bring along your water shoes and visit Callaghan Rapids which is 1.2km down the road from us! The water is clear and clean and great for young children to as part is only just above knee deep from one side to the other. The older folk can sit under the rapids or swim all day long. Bring a floating devise, walk up the river and then float your way back down again! We put our chairs right in the water and use the rocks sticking up as tables for our fresh fruit and fancy drinks. Who needs to go to the islands? We have it right here! Water shoes are recommended as it can be slippery in places. THIS IS A WONDERFUL FAMILY LOCATION SO WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP IT CLEAN AND SAFE FOR EVERYONE'S USE. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY GLASS OR SHARP OBJECTS INTO THE AREA.
There is also fishing at the twin bridges so bring your gear and plan to spend a peaceful and relaxing day!
BOAT CRUISE: If you would like to cruise Beaver Creek and Crowe Lake, you can book a a 90 minute (or longer) relaxing boat cruise on a beautiful pontoon boat with Doug! www.crowelakecruises.com
DO WE NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE?
We will never leave our horses in the barn and saddled "in case" someone wants to ride. Therefore, you do need to call ahead for 2 reasons. 1) to ensure we have a booking available 2) if we do to ensure your horses will be ready for you when you arrive.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO BRING?
Long pants and Closed Toe TIE UP shoes such as running shoes. No open toe or slip on shoes of any kind please!
DO WE NEED OUR OWN HELMETS?
We provide ASTM approved riding helmets. Bike helmets are not suitable for riding as they are not approved by the equestrian testing facility.
HOW CAN WE PAY?
At this time, we are not big enough to warrant any type of credit card or debit machine so cash only is accepted or you are welcome to send an email money transfer to lorrie.t8@hotmail.com
DO WE GET TO RUN ON THE TRAIL?
Do you know how to ride? REALLY Well? Can you post on a horse? Many people have been on the "nose to tail" trail rides where the lead horse trotted or cantered and the rest followed. When that horse stopped, so did the rest. Our horses are NOT like that! They are more than happy to pick up the pace... but you need to know how to stop them again or they will just keep on going. As well, "posting" on a horse is very important to ensure the rider is not "banging" on their backs. Yes, the riders might think it is great fun, but I can assure you the horse is hurting. Our horses mean everything to us and I will never ask them to endure any form of uncomfort for anyone. If you do know how to ride, really well, we are happy to pick up the pace. However, that means you know how to post and can show us you are capable of being able to stop the horse on your own at faster speeds. If you have any other questions around the pace of our rides, please feel free to contact me.
CAN MY CHILD UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE GO ON THE TRAIL RIDE?
As stated above, we do not over use our horses and our ride is NOT similar to riding one of the horses you may have ridden in the South (Dominican/Cuba) or another riding stable. A small child does not have the mental ability or the physical strength to control a full grown 1,000lb horse. That is why we offer a very special opportunity for the younger kids. Our Cowpoke Adventure! (We may make an exception for a child who is 9 and will follow instruction well. If we find the child is unable to ride on the trail on their own, safely, we will bring the group back to the barn).
Cowpoke Pony Rides - For children under the age of 10, we will have a pony or horse, suitable to their size, ready to take them on their own little adventure. The pony ride is approximately 15 minutes.
$20.00 (regular)
$30.00 (extended)
If you would like the "Extended Pony Ride" Add $10.00 to the above prices, per rider. This if for the cowpokes who just can't get enough time in the saddle! We will add an extra treck along the Trans Canada Trail and return through a different field passing our "Green House" chicken coop where the kids can see all our chickens free ranging the fields, scratching and basking in the sun.
CAN MY CHILD RIDE WITH ME ON THE HORSE I AM RIDING?
You have to remember we are on a live animal. If your horse spooks at a deer or wild turkey in the bush, you need your full concentration and and your hands to control it. If you have a young child on the horse with you, it is impossible to hold the child and control the horse. Saddles are also only suited for 1 person which means 2 people in the saddle make it very uncomfortable for the horse as your weight is being placed where it shouldn't be when you make room for the second rider.
IS THERE A WEIGHT RESTRICTION?
The majority of our horses are 14.3 hands high (or about 4' 8" at the bottom of their mane at their shoulder). A saddle weighs between 20 to 28 pounds depending on which saddle we use. So, yes, we do have a weight limit for our animals. We ask that you respect these are animals and their comfort on the trail is very important to us. Please provide weights of all riders over 165lbs to ensure safety of our horses as well as yourself.