04/01/2026
☆ REQUIRED READING ☆
This is going to be very long - so grab a Coffee & a Donut❗️
This is my 25th year open & I'm going to make a lot of things very clear. Not everyone will like what I have to say in this post ... which is fine. The minute you don't - scroll to the bottom & there will be a list of other local Stables 🤠
*I'm turning 5️⃣5️⃣ & no longer going to sugarcoat things. I have been sick most of the winter, Im STILL sick ... & I'll have many important Doc appointments this year - including an Orthopedic, a Pulmonologist, & a sleep study.
*I also have the dreaded task of having Stroker PTS soon, after his 27th Bday 💔 Not sure about Mysti'k yet - but I dont think she can be ridden anymore 😓 HotShot is doing AMAZING at 25 - but thats like 75 human, & he's HIGH mileage 🫣 Seems like every year lately - I've retired or buried one of my furbabies 🥺 I just retired & re-homed Cowboy & released BlackJack last Spring 😢 & now I have to find us some new, good, & affordable horses, ASAP❣️
#1. We DON'T take little kids!
We take 14 - 17 meeting our experience requirements.
100 hours for 14yr old -
50 hours for 15yr old -
25 hours for 16yr old -
10 hours for a 17yr old -
& 18+ zero riding experience.
*Even if we had horses & saddles suitable for littles - it doesn't change the fact that we use public trails. & not everyone we meet out there has good Trail Etiquette (whether on horse, or on foot - with their loose dogs &/or kids), & a lack of signage doesn't help. We've ran into bicycles & drunks on the trail, & both are illegal here ! Trees fall with no warning - there's Hornets, Turkey, Deer, & more. Think Whitewater Rafting vs Canoeing - IT'S NOT KID FRIENDLY.
#2. We also DON'T take more than 4 riders at a time. & NO, I don't want to expand, hire more help, etc. We don't have the room for more horses, & going bigger makes us like everyone else. Then guess who has to care for & feed them all Winter❓️ME !
*I always wanted to be small & unique. If YOU want to open & run a stable? Be my guest - we need more in Hocking. Warning - it's physically & mentally exhausting! We have limitations set by ourselves & insurance.
#3. If you're already scared of horses, we probably aren't the stable for you !
I've had folks literally ask me if they have to "ride downhill", near cliffs, etc. YES, of course - its Hocking Hills❗️️Just like the hiking trails here - all are beautiful & some are very Steep &/or Rugged.
*This is an ☆Adult Adventure Activity☆, & you'll need to help control your horse - we cannot do it all verbally/by routine for you. Become their partner, not a passenger ... it's more hands-on than a Zipline Tour! We do Demo before rides & Teach you the basics - so PAY ATTENTION ! & BALANCING on the horse, is also a skill you must strive for. Sitting like a sack of Taters doesnt work, & it's hard on their backs. Instead, folks literally want us to tighten the girth so far - that it's restricting the horses breathing & making sores 👀
#4. Give ACCURATE info. Lying about Age, Experience, or way off on Weight (we use a scale & have 10 # wiggle room) - will just get your ride Canceled. Suspect Ma*****na, Drug, or Alcohol use will get you Canceled. I don't Care what reason - I CARE that it affects your balance, cognition, & responses. & IT'S NOT SAFE for You, our Horses, or Anyone nearby.
*The Release paper you sign - says your info is true/accurate, you're NOT under the influence of Alcohol or Drugs, & it's a LEGAL document. YES, we want you to have fun - but we need to do it SAFELY. This isn't a Frat party or pony-ride at the Fair. Our horses run 1,000 to 2000+ pounds!
#5. Dress appropriately (you'll be given this info when making an appointment). This isnt a photo shoot or a country concert. Depending on the degree of error, your ride may be canceled.
*I'm tired of lending my socks & shoes - to those who think they can ride in flip flops & shorts. You CAN however - change clothes in our hay barn.
★ Much of this stuff so far - is why NO Walk-ins or Drive-ins❗️★
#6. Getting all this going every day, every season - takes time & ALOT of effort. ANY little thing causes delays. If a Horse didn't finish breakfast - are they Hurting? Sick? Choking? Maybe the last group got lost on their way here; a tree fell while we were out on the trail; we had to shelter from rain; or wait for the Farrier to come put a shoe back on. Or maybe I was up half the night worried about horses in the storms, or without power 🤷🏼♀️
*The point?... if your Itinerary is too cramped to enjoy extra time in the company of our horses - book with a bigger stable. FYI - Im closed & "Out-of-Office" Mon. & Tues. with everything else on my To-Do list.
#7. We will use our phones as needed while we guide you - we ARE NOT ignoring you - we live on horseback, & MUST multi-task 😊 We might be checking on the weather, dealing with a cancellation or short-notice refill, the Farrier, the Vet, an Elderly Parent, making a Doc appointment (because I hurt myself - again), or texting the Hay guy to tell him we're gonna be late !
#8. PRACTICE PATIENCE or contact a bigger stable. Yes, it CAN take several days for me to reply or give a definitive answer. Most correspondence is in the evenings, as I'm usually busy &/or outside dawn to dusk & beyond.
🅰️, we get 20+ new requests near daily, but we do try to schedule in order of request recieved. We are very small & there are limited options / openings. I may be waiting on info/answers from someone with a request prior to yours. The more details & options you give me, the more likely I can fit your group - I may have penciled you in already. Sometimes I need to get with the short notice request, rainout, or refill an opening - before the request that is for a month out.
&🅱️, I do MANY THINGS besides Sheduling ... from doing the Rides & Horse-care, to making Dinner, going for Hay/Grain or Groceries, paying bills, Doc/Vet/Chiro/shoeing appointments & more ... Juggling my responsibilities is trickier than you can even imagine. I fall asleep sitting at my books, over my late meal, & sometimes sleep thru my alarms!
*We are a boutique size stable & that IS NOT changing just because Hocking Hills is busier than ever. This also keeps the interactions personal, the overhead down, & the cost of our rides reasonable - 2026 PRICES are the same as 2025. You can find them under the services tab on this page, or on the website.
★You want to know why I write all this stuff? Because in 25 years - I thought I'd seen & heard it all ... but still have people pull new, stupid stuff. 300 # instead of 250, not told in advance a rider is BLIND, & more.
*Most of our few bad reviews ... are from the people this is written about. Even ones who showed up here lost - with kids (appointment was at another stable), insist they aren't lost, & we try to help them - but are still called "Rude" 🙄
OTHER LOCAL STABLES 🐎
Spotted Horse Ranch
Hocking Hills Horse Rides
Ellinger's (not sure have trails)
Pumpkin/Equestrian Ridge
Rose Moon Ranch
Uncle Bucks Riding Stable
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Smoke Rise - now ATVs - 2026?
BS Ranch - closed - in 2024?
Happy Trails - closed, in 2018
PSA - we do not endorse ANY other stable. We are far too busy to know what's going on at other places. It's simply a list of names - do your own research 🤠
"We dont do this for our health or sanity - but a love of horses".💘
