Got_too_many_dogs
Mar 2021
So we did two rides with this place. We did a group ride with the kids and then a private tour just me and the husband.
First the group ride. This is the ride for the beginners and the little kids. You're placed with a well trained, gentle, experienced horse. You're in a group of other riders, probably 15 or so people. The youngest in our group was only 6 years old. This is a slow, uneventful ride through the desert. You get a glimpse of the giraffes at the Wildlife Park in the distance, you get some decent views. You're not in the red rocks of Sedona, this place is in Camp Verde so the landscape is brown and sparce but we enjoyed it. You ride through a cow enclosure and see baby cows and back at the ranch they have a petting zoo that I didn't know about which was soooo fun! They had a one week old calf and we got to pet it! They had baby pigs and chickens and ponies. It was a nice perk. Overall a super fun day and perfect for our versatile group of inexperienced riders. You'll feel safe, everyone will have fun. There's a lot of cowboys that work the ride so there's always someone close to your horse to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. Jacob led that trip and he was polite and friendly. We love that it's a family run business.
On that ride my husband was chatting with Thomas about a private ride. My husband and I are intermediate riders and we like a little more excitement. We picked the mellower option for the kids—which was great. But Thomas suggested that we do the Vinyard ride if we want a more off trail experience, so we booked it. This was SO FUN!!!!! Our guides were Thomas, Gary, and Eduardo. This ride was tailored more to our skill level. They made sure we were comfortable with how fast we rode etc. We rode along the river, through some gorgeous scenery. Much prettier than the first location. We got to cross the river on horseback and rode up to a scenic overlook. This was 100% the most fun we had on this whole trip! The guides made us feel super safe. They are extremely experienced and very nice. They were the biggest highlight (besides the horses of course). If you're an experienced rider, I recommend the private vinyard tour. It's a little more expensive but so worth it. I recommend wearing long sleeves no matter how hot it is outside. You'll scratch your arms on brush. Your shoes might get a little wet in the river, and bring water! This was one of those experiences we won't ever forget. We felt like cowboys in the old west!