On one of our trips from Texas to Ohio we stopped at a truck stop near Joplin, MO and visited the Caribou Coffee. We each took turns writing our summer 
plans on the board…and I drew our logo just to ‘leave our mark’.
Memorial Day generally kicks off the summer season with our horses. Does it with yours? What plans do you have? Will you show or trail ride or go for a drive in a cart? Will you be inspired and start your first colt or will you schedule time to take your old pal for a ride even though you haven’t for the last couple of years?
Maybe you have a destination you have always dreamed of going; riding on the beach somewhere or riding an Icelandic in Iceland!
I have kicked off my summer already by showing Newt and Jac as well as doing some trail riding here in Texas. I want to ride at a few different state parks over the summer (any suggestions?) as well as riding the trails in PA and ME. I would also like to visit at least one ‘horse camp ground’ where they have trails, arenas and cabins to stay in…again, any suggestions?
Here’s to a happy, horsey summer.
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So glad you are coming back to Ohio for a visit try Hocking Hills they have cabins, trails and lots of things to do, running a special on their hide a way cabins see link http://www.GetawayCabins.com there are so many Parks you can enjoy in Ohio too! Have fun enjoy your trip stay safe.
Keep the blogs coming love them all!
We run a horse rescue in Hempstead Texas and we just found out that through a generous grant from the ASPCA, we will get to travel to Raymondville, MO and participate I a week long series of clinics with two of our Spanish Mustang rescues! We re thrilled and know that God sent us this tremendous opportunity!!! We can’t wait!
I’m gonna start doing Parelli with the QH gelding I ride, Woody. Also try to teach him to groundtie (he used to know how). Maybe show him in halter or trail. Will see what I can do really, I only have him once a week 😉
Hey, @Wendy — how do I get invited on THAT wonderful ride? 😉 Sounds awesome!
Another place that was truly awesome to ride in — if you’re willing to hop the pond — was Tuscany. Obviously we didn’t bring our own horses. We stayed with the wonderful folks at Rifugio Prategiano. The Maremman horses are fantastic — very sure-footed, been-there-done-that, etc. I’d go back there, too!
My goal for this summer is to ride my sulky TWH – who mistakenly thought he was retired!
We are heading to Crawford, NE next week to stay at Fort Robinson! There are no televisions, the barns are awesome, there are cabins, officers houses or rooms in the enlisted men’s barracks. So much history with over 20,000 acres to ride! Its a great getaway!
We do not have a cabin, but you’re welcome to pitch a tent or hook up your trailer. http://www.stonerranch.com or find our FB page Stoner Ranch Performance Horses. We are located in SW Tx where the hill country begins…..or ends. (depending on which way you’re headed) 🙂
Gettysburg, PA! Horse camps, and guided battlefield trails. A beautiful and sacred place as well as a wonderful lesson in American History that isn’t in the typical history book.
I will be spending my summer continuing to get the first year of riding on my four year old Paint gelding. I will be learning lots from this horse as I think he has as much if not more to teach me as I have to teach him. Summer in Kauai with beautiful sunrises and sunsets and trail rides with panoramic views of our beautiful island.
I am hoping to ride at Fort Robinson, NE, trails through the Black Hills. I have friends that highly recommend it! I hope to ride there with a couple of my friends, there is camping or cabins to rent and stalls to rent also…..
I am part of a women’s riding group called Las Caballeras. Every fall we hold a ride on Catalina Island where 50 ladies camp and ride with their horses for a week. We barge over the horses, caterers, masseuses, a vet, all our gear, and wranglers to care for the horses when we’re not riding. We also bring in hot showers and flushing toilets. We camp in a cove on the back side of the island and have a wonderful time playing games on horseback, laughing, and riding the hills and valleys of this wonderful island. This will be our 20th year. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
You should come to Colorado. I’d even take you to dinner. 🙂 We have stunning trails and some horse campgrounds. My horse is on 40 acres bordering Chatfield Lake State Park (near Denver), which is a fun place to ride.
Haven’t had a chance to go but heard a lot about cook forest scenic trail in clarion pa
Along with the perkiomen trail through green lane pa (have a campground, but no cabins)
Also evansburg park, and valley forge park.
My bucket list is take my arabian to the beach 🙂
My summer goal for my mare is to get her road safe. I’m talking AMISH level road safe. It’s only been six weeks and a couple of outings per week, but she’s come a long way already. I began to focus on road work so that we can ride across the United States someday (it’s on my bucket list, as well as riding across Ireland to see the castles). To anybody who has a goal that seems overwhelming, just get started. You only build momentum if you get the ball rolling 😉
If you want to ride gorgeous trails, go to Acadia National Park. The Rockefellers created an incredible trail system for carriage driving and riding. Bar Harbor and Cadillac Mountain are near the campground, so you can enjoy shopping, dining and hiking when you’re not busy enjoying the incredible riding trails. I was blessed to attend a trip to the park with a private school I worked for as a Barn Manager/Ed Tech. We brought our own horses, rented stalls available in the campground, and camped in the trailer (4 horse with sleeping quarters). Make reservations, it’s a popular destination.
Andrea-Maybe we will meet you down the road! Jesse wants to ride across the U.S. also…and I want to visit the castles in Ireland. I have hiked Acadia and climbed Cadillac Mountain but haven’t ridden there. Maybe this year I will!
We started showing our horses in may and we do everything from trail riding, to youth rodeos, to ranch rodeos, to county fair, to working ranch horse shows, to jumping lol our horses have to do everything… Custer State Park in South Dakota is a great place to go trail ride and camp, there are hours and hours of trails! 🙂
My bucket list trip is Turkey. To ride and see the ancient ruins of the Coptic Churches. But … that probably isn’t a wise idea considering it’s the middle east and I’m female to boot. So, the next down is Mongolia!!!
Highly recommend Brazos Bend State Park : http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/brazos-bend
The grand Teton national park in Wyoming is a must ride! There is camping all over! It’s so beautiful I led trail rides out there for a summer and had a lot of opportunity to explore, such a great park!
Stacy, you should try trail riding in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in ND. It is rugged badlands area with trails that lead out to hills, buttes, draws, and plateaus. There are wild horses, elk and buffalo that roam free in the park. Teddy Roosevelt lived here for a time before becoming president. Check it out!
Where in ME? I grew up in buckfield and last year, after being away from horses for almost 25 years, i took my 4 year old bacck to my hometown (I now live in MA) and rode the trails of my youth with him. Was overwhelming to come full circle….the trails were still in amazing shape thanks to an active snowmobile club:)
I am from the China area. Most of my family is still there and if you stop in at the China Dine-ah in China, Maine you might even see my mom.
Sister creek ranch in Sisterdale, tax is a beautiful hill country horse retreat. Lake sommerfield state park also has horse camping, and Parrie Haynes in Killeen tx.
Virginia is for lovers but it should be horse lovers. James River State park is a great place to ride and camp. Plus our area is full of history. A short drive down the road to Appomattox you will find the courthouse where our country was reunited after the Civil War.
Zalaski in athens ohio (I think it’s in athens or close). They have lots of trails.. A little place you can stop and eat , drink a beer. They rent horses or use your own. You can check out moonsville tunnel (suppose to be haunted) very pretty view.
Oh boy. I’m going to tell all my horse friends “Stacy — as in, WESTFALL — totally asked my advice. No big deal.”
Here are a couple FANTASTIC places to trail ride if you’re into beautiful vistas: Hay Creek Ranch in Nemo, SD. Lovely cabins to rent (or you can tent it/stay in your trailer, too), Doug is a WONDERFUL host/trail boss/all-around person. I cannot recommend that place enough. They’ve also set up the “twin” Hay Creek in AZ, which I hear is beautiful; haven’t made it there yet but hope to!
Another place to go would be Medora, ND. There are a myriad of places to stay with close access to Sully Creek State Park and/or Theodore Roosevelt Nat’l Park. Gorgeous riding!
Happy trails!
Lol, lots of ND comments…interesting!
Cedar Lake outside of Heavner OK (SE Oklahoma) is a National Park with horse camps that have slots for trailers (pull thru or back in) with pens that have elec/water hookups or you can do rustic camping, in the beautiful mountains of the Ozarks, nice clean restrooms w/hot running water and 100’s of miles of marked trails. No arenas or cabins.
Horse Heaven Ranch Resort outside of Talihina, Oklahoma (www.horseheavenranchresort.com) has some good horse trails, arena and cabins.
Lots of folks from Texas come to both of these areas to ride. Will need a well shod or barefoot type boots for the horses as it is rocky in both places. LOVE both places.
Try the trails at Wrangler. I believe it is part of Land between the Lakes in Kentucky/Tennessee. I have not been out there yet, but I so want to go.