This excursion was absolutely AMAZING! I've ridden most of my life, but my husband has only been on a horse maybe 10ish times; we still paid a bit extra to do the ride as an advanced ride so we could canter on the trails and explore a bit more of the rugged paths less traveled. We had a BLAST! I rode Purdy and my husband rode Gus and they were both super well behaved and took great care of us. They tried to snack along the trail, but listened to us when we redirected them or when we were cantering and needed to slow down. The horses at this ranch are very, very well taken care of and it's completely obvious they're happy doing their job and not barn sour or tired of tourists. Their coats are glossy and they have great muscle mass and the ones we rode got along with one another perfectly. As a horse person, I really appreciated seeing them so happy and enjoying the trots and canters along the trail. I really wanted to take both Purdy and Gus home with us afterward; they were such amazing horses.
All the quicker gaits were done on the way to our lunch spot, which is located at a peak on the ranch with great views and picnic tables set up to soak in everything. The lunch was fresh and delicious! Ours was build-it-yourself turkey sandwiches, fresh fruit, chips, and cookies for dessert. There was also Hawaiian fruit juice and some sparkling apple cider to drink. Our guide even picked some fresh guava on the way up and we ate a few, but saved one for each of our horses and they absolutely loved the treat!
Ari was our guide and she was fantastic! She knows so much about the history of the ranch and the area and we really enjoyed hearing about how Gunstock got started and the quarter horse line that was nurtured there. We got to ride past the cattle on the ranch and they were not shy of the horses, but they didn't bother us. It was great getting to see the new calves too. Ari told us all about them and the other critters on the ranch, like the miniature horses and the donkey, as well as one of the palomino yearlings who was going to be sent to the mainland to train in barrel racing. Ari was obviously a skilled horse woman as well; when my husband's horse slipped a bit and spooked, she stayed perfectly calm and caught up to him and calmly told him to sit back and pull back on Gus. She got the situation under control immediately and I can appreciate that as someone who has lead trail rides at a prior job. I felt completely safe with her (yes, helmets are optional, but I always wear a helmet because you never know what can happen on even the most tame horses). She even did a few pictures for us at our picnic spot and I cannot wait to blow one up to print and put up in our home.
This ride made me wish I lived on Oahu, or at least didn't live in North Carolina, so far away. The ranch is run so well and the horses are so happy and the scenery is absolutely amazing. I would do this again in a heartbeat and I would pay the additional amount for an advanced ride again (worth every single penny)!!! Bring a tip for your guide and make sure to visit the other animals they have in the barnyard area. We got to see some brand new baby goats and they were so adorable! I highly, highly recommend this excursion. If you are a horse lover, you will love it. I will cherish the memories and photos we got, for forever. This was a trip of a lifetime.