Holidays

Escape to... The Bar W Guest Ranch

Updated:

June 6, 2019

reputable horse riding vacations, Bar W Guest Ranch

Arriving at the ranch with my husband, Joe, in complete darkness, we were greeted at the gate by Dave Leishman, ranch owner and manager, and led to the cabin which would be our home for the coming week. After unloading the car I sat on the deck admiring the stars and taking in the sound of horses grazing in a nearby field. The log cabin was brand new, featuring wooden furniture and an extremely comfy bed. Drifting off to sleep, I wondered what the ranch would look like in daylight.

Building Trust with Horses

Updated:

June 4, 2019

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A Lesson in Building Trust - A First Nations teacher and horsewoman, Bella Capoose, had expressed the desire to go to the mountains again by horseback as she had done as a young girl. Bella’s friends, outfitters Dave and Joyce Dorsey, made the trip into the Mackenzie Valley of Tweedsmuir Park possible so that Bella could rekindle the memories of family and friends and a way of life that had depended heavily upon horses.

The Real Cuba – From the Saddle

Updated:

May 17, 2019

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The words Finally a Horse Back Ride in Cuba jumped out at me when searching through the Unicorn Trails website. The Tabaqueros Ride going right through Valle Viñales, my favourite part of the island, sparked visions of oxen-powered carts, tobacco fields, and memories of watching the sun burn off the mist in the valley of limestone mounds. Having lived in Cuba for just over two years in the mid-1990s, I had a strong desire to revisit the country to see how it had changed.

Giddy’up, Bon Voyage

Updated:

May 19, 2017

My colleagues sometimes ask about my commitment to overseas riding holidays. Why would someone who rides horses all day travel overseas to do more of the same? Why not go sit on a beach in Cancun and sip fruity beverages? Let me answer that, but first I should confess that as I write this, the buttery evening light slants across the trellised hillsides of a classical riding school in Tuscany wrapping up a good day in the saddle.

Hoofprints on the Cypress Hills

Updated:

September 6, 2016

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Trail riding across endless tall-grass Canadian prairie in summer sunshine, possibly through a herd of bison, was a long-term dream that drew me like an arrow to Saskatchewan. But it took the misery of a snowy six-month-long northern winter in Terrace, BC, to turn the dream into reality.

Circle Z Ranch - A Relaxing Retreat

Updated:

January 24, 2014

Circle Z Ranch, winter horse holidays, horse rider retreat,

The oldest continuously operating dude ranch in Arizona (since the 1920s), Circle Z Ranch in Patagonia is a 6500-acre oasis of peace and calm, perfect for a relaxing retreat. Managers Jock and Pamela Soper began visiting Circle Z in the 1980s as guests, fell in love with the ranch, land, and people, and are now in their third season as staff.

Destination: The World’s Largest Camel Fair

Updated:

May 7, 2013

Pushkar Camel Fair, horseback riding Rajasthan Desert in northern India, Marwari horse dancing, Indian horsback riding, World’s Largest Camel Fair

Never wear a backpack while horseback riding – especially in 35 degree heat when you’re going for a seven hour ride through the sand-blowing desert. I learned this the hard way on the first ride of my 10-day horse safari across the Rajasthan Desert in northern India (our destination: the world’s largest camel fair) and nursed rubbed-raw-by-sand-and-sweat shoulders for the rest of the journey. But in the end, my soreness became just another element of the experience of being pushed out of my comfort zone.

Horses in Paradise

Updated:

February 15, 2013

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The following November I would get a break from the damp and cold by giving a clinic on Hawaii’s second largest island. I was curious to see what it’s like to keep horses in a place that for most of us conjures up images of palm lined beaches and mai tais, not dressage shows.