The vast area of the United States provides an enviable variety of riding opportunities – from superb dressage instruction on the East Coast, to rugged cattle drives in the mountains of the West, and everything in between. There are a myriad of horsepacking trips, guest ranches, and stables offering instruction, but Equitours has carefully selected what we feel are the best of this country’s equestrian holidays.
The riding adventures listed below meet international standards for the quality of the horses, guiding and general ambiance. For 35 years, Equitours has run its own horseback riding ranch in Wyoming; raising and training horses, and offering rides for all ability levels. This ranch is a good place for riders who would like test their skills and hone their riding ability before trying an overseas tour.
Arizona/Utah - CANYON EXPLORER TREK - This challenging adventure is for those who have done other rides with us and want to explore new territory.
Arizona/Utah - GRAND CANYON WINTER PASTURES - Amazingly there are wide terraces on the slopes of the Grand Canyon’s north rim where the winter remains temperate and ideal for camping. This little known area, accessible only on horseback or by hiking, provides wonderful views from the seldom visited north side of the canyon.
Arizona/Utah - LONG VALLEY CATTLE DRIVE - This is one of the very few truly authentic cattle drives left in America. It takes ten days to move the cattle from the ranch in the Bryce Canyon area down to winter pasture on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It provides a unique chance to move back to a bygone era for a horseback riding vacation. Your cowboy guides are forth generation ranchers in the area.
Arizona/Utah - NAVAJOLAND - This popular horseback riding tour through the heart of Navajo country traverses the breathtaking Canyon de Chelly and visits other fascinating parts of the vast Navajo Indian Reservation. There are many opportunities to see the impressive remains of the ancient Anasazi civilization discussed in Jared Diamond’s best selling book, Collapse.
Arizona/Utah - THE TWO INN TRAIL - The ride offers the comfort of comfortable lodging while seeing new sections of this wild country each day and riding the same picturesque trails taken by Indians, Spanish explorers, cowboys, miners and outlaws in former times.
Arizona/Utah - THREE PARK SPECTACULAR - This grand tour covers the region in and around three of our most famous parks which are among our greatest national treasures. It affords views few tourists ever see and there is a special thrill in viewing it from the back of a good horse like the early explorers.
California - INTRODUCTION TO TEVIS CUP - California horseback riding has many facets and is the home for the Tevis Cup endurance race, probably the most famous in the world. One of the world’s great endurance riding coaches, can give you deep insights into this exciting race. It had to be canceled in 2008 because of forest fires.
California - REDWOOD COAST RIDE - The Redwood Coast ride will take you through beautiful redwood forests and give you long gallops along glorious beaches on fit, well-mannered horses. Wonderful wines of the region can be enjoyed with your meals, which are followed by evening entertainment.
California - RIDING AND TRAINING CLINIC - This is a chance to train with one of the world’s most successful riding instructors who has coached many champions.
Massachusetts - CLASSICAL DRESSAGE IN NEW ENGLAND
Vermont - SUGARBUSH TOLT TREK
Wyoming - BITTERROOT CATTLE ROUNDUP - The Bitterroot Ranch's cows are driven into the mountains on July 1st and must be rounded up and taken off the forest by the end of September. They fatten well on the succulent grass which grows quickly as the snow melts. We frequently move them from pasture to pasture on the high alpine meadows interspersed with forest and guests have the opportunity to help with this interesting and often difficult work. The last week of September we round up the cows and bring them down from the forest to winter on our lower ranch. It is quite an undertaking to find them all over 50 square miles of rugged mountains and forest. We and our guests spend many hours in the saddle hunting for them in this vast area.
Wyoming - BITTERROOT RANCH - The ranch raises purebred Arabian horses and Black Angus and Scottish Highland cattle. Guests have a chance to take trail rides and work cattle which graze for three months of the year in the adjacent national forest. It is also a fine place to assess and hone riding skills and to prepare for a riding tour abroad. The Bitterroot is the last ranch in a remote mountain valley traversed by a rushing stream. It is located at the place where the plains meet the mountains so that one can ride on all types of terrain.
Wyoming - DUDE RANCH VACATION WITH
OUTSTANDING HORSEBACK RIDING
Wyoming - WASHAKIE WILDERNESS PACK TRIPS - The Bitterroot Ranch makes a wonderful base for wilderness pack trips as it is adjacent to the 6 million acre Greater Yellowstone ecosystem (the largest wild area left in the lower 48 states). After leaving the ranch you can be deep in the wilderness within a few hours leaving all signs of civilization behind. The scenery is spectacular and there are almost always snow capped mountains in sight. Topping over a high mountain pass one can often see a herd of elk grazing in a meadow below or spot a big horned sheep perched incredibly on the side of a cliff. In the valleys one sometimes sees moose or grizzly bear.
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