- Breeding
- A Brief History of Horse Breeding
- Breeding Costs: Things to Consider
- The Missing Equine Link: How the Modern Horse Came to Be
- General Horse Articles
- How to Care for Your Horse in the Winter
- Horses in Art: An Abridged History
- Establishing Rhythm, Don’t Interrupt Me
- Horse Feeding
- A Look at Horse Feed
- 5 Horse Feeding "Don'ts"
- You’ve Got the Right Feed, Now What?: Proper Feeding Practices
- Horse Grooming
- eZall Shine & Detangler Transforms Ratty Manes and Tails Into Flowing Tresses
- Mane Saving Ideas
- An Overview of Horse Grooming
- Horse Health Issues
- Vital Signs Tell Horse's Condition
- How to Care for Your Horse in the Winter
- Horse Dental Problems and Prevention
- Horse Training
- It's Hard to Get Back to Basics When You Haven't Been There To Start!
- Training Mythunderstandings: Applied Heeding: Backing
- Training Mythunderstandings: More Early Lessons for the Green Horse
- Horses & History
- A Brief History of Draft Horses
- The Feral Horse and Its Impact
- The History of Overalls
- Horses & Sports
- Halter Horse Show
- How to Prepare for Your First Equestrian Competition
- Nearly $7 Million Generated Annually for the District of Columbia
Choosing The Horseback Riding Vacation That’s Right For You
03/23/2009
As you’ve probably guessed by your Google searches, it isn’t easy deciding what riding vacations to choose. Every site claims to be the best deal, and with dozens of packages to choose from, it’s hard to compare different horseback riding vacations.
As we’ve discussed previously on GoEquine.com, there are a lot of different horseback riding vacations. Some riding vacations involve trotting through the pineapple fields of Maui, while others focus on the rough-and-tumble western riding that won the West. As you’ve probably guessed by your Google searches, it isn’t easy deciding what riding vacations to choose. Every site claims to be the best deal, and with dozens of packages to choose from, it’s hard to compare different horseback riding vacations.
The first key to picking out perfect horseback riding vacations for you and your family is the same key to picking out a spouse: know thyself. When you know what you want in life, it makes decision making (whether over wives or riding vacations) a whole lot easier. So in the name of knowledge and progress, we’ve compiled a list of the different riding vacations available so that you can decide what appeals to you:
1. Riding Clinics
Riding clinics are the horseback riding vacations’ equivalent to a yoga retreat. The idea is to use your riding vacations to improve your abilities, in this case riding and jumping. Through education, exercise, and practice, you can return from your riding vacations rested as well as invigorated. Because these riding vacations focus on education, the bulk of your day will be centered around classes and practice. However, you will leave with an improved riding technique, so you can take something back from your vacation besides a tourist t-shirt.
Ideal for: The secret and not-so-secret perfectionist, young adults, students of all ages
2. Ranches
Many horseback riding vacations take place on a ranch in some form or another. There are two kinds of ranches that host riding vacations: guest ranches and working ranches. Guest ranches are essentially riding vacations where riding and vacationing are the two main sources of income for the ranch. Think riding vacations where bed-and-breakfast meets the Old West. Working Ranches on the other hand aren’t in the business of riding vacations so much as they’re in the business of raising cattle and bison. Your riding vacations’ main focus will be exploring the surrounding landscape by yourself, as most of the ranch hands will be busy tending the ranch.
Ideal for: Inexperienced travelers, fortysomething singles, cowboy-lovers
3. Western Style Drives and Trains
If you like your riding vacations to be seeped in history and adventure, consider Western-style drives. Some companies offer wagon trains, combining riding vacations with a pioneer trek. Participants ride horses or drive wagons for several days, stopping only for meals and nightly camp. For higher-octane riding vacations, consider a horse or cattle drive, where you help move the herd from one location to another, sleeping under the stars.
Ideal for: Wild West fanatics, adventure seekers, History Channel buffs
4. Wilderness Rides
Wilderness rides are riding vacations that go off the beaten trail, often into barely-visited areas of the country. “Wilderness rides” usually refers to the riding vacations which are accompanied by vehicle support (cooking equipment, medic, etc) which catches up with the party every evening. “Pack trips” are horseback riding vacations that follow similar routes to the wilderness rides, but use pack horses to bring the supplies instead of vehicles. This allows the participants to head into more uncharted areas of the wilderness where cars couldn’t follow.
Ideal for: Adventure-seeking couples, back-to-nature enthusiasts, parent-child bonding
5. Specialties
Many of the horsebacks riding vacations listed above are aimed at the average person. Certain riding vacations are designed to attract special groups of people who don’t normally fit the mold of the average rider. Many riding vacations companies offer family packages, where young children can go on outdoor adventures with their parents. Special horses and trails are available for those weighing over 210 pounds, and all-female riding vacations are becoming increasingly popular as well.
Ideal for: Families, nonconformists, libertarians
Once you’ve decided what kind of riding vacations appeal to you, the rest is easy. Search the internet for a few different riding vacations, compare prices, and go with whichever gives you the best bang for your buck.
