Whether you’re an experienced horseback rider or just starting out, you’ll be sure to find a place that is accommodating to your level of skill and interest in Colorado. Following is information on a few of them.

Academy Riding Stables in Colorado Springs offers one, two and three hour rides along the scenic trails of the historical Garden of the Gods. The stables are open year-round and provide guided leisure trail rides for riders of every level of experience. They are very customer-oriented and want to be sure you have the best experience possible so a professional cowboy will match you with a horse that best suits your abilities! Children under 8 are welcome to ride and the stable provides pony rides for the younger ones – they even get to choose their own pony.

Academy Riding Stables recommends that you make reservations and you can get to their website at www.academyridingstables.com. They also have a toll free number you can call which is 888-700-0410 or email them at arsriding@adelphia.net.

The North Fork Ranch is located along the serene North Fork of the South Platte River. Very close to Shawnee, it is about an hour’s drive from Denver and one and one-half hours from the Denver International Airport. It is a 520 acre ranch that sits at an elevation of 8100 feet and is connected to the Pike National Forest, Lost Creek Wilderness and Mt. Evans Wilderness.

They offer all inclusive vacation packages with a wide variety of activities including Horseback riding, trail rides, hiking and other activities such as fishing and rafting. Additionally, the activities extend well into the evening with hayrides, campfire sing-a-longs and square dancing. They even have several children’s activities that include pony rides, a petting zoo and a kid’s rodeo. Visit their website at www.northforkranch.com for additional information. You can also contact them by calling their toll free number at 800-843-7895 or email at info@northforkranch.com.

If a romantic getaway is what you’re after, the Inn at Cascade might be of interest to you. They offer a wonderful 3 day excursion that begins with lodging in a southwestern suite of your choice, a romantic ’snack’ and a nearby wine tasting. On the second day, you’ll have the choice of two different ‘adventures’ – one being the ‘Paddle-n-Saddle’. This combines a half day of white water rafting with a riverside lunch with a two-hour horseback ride though the beautiful mountains of the Arkansas River Valley. After a gourmet breakfast on the third morning, relax as the Cog Railway takes you on a scenic journey through Pikes Peak. To end your perfect weekend, you will receive a two-hour massage upon returning to the Inn. The Inn’s web address is www.inatcascade.com.

If you’ve invested in a horse of your own, want to take riding lessons so that you can visit the stables and go riding with some previous experience or even if you’re planning a Horseback riding vacation, Horseback riding lessons are a definitely a good idea, especially for the beginner or novice rider. But even if you’re experienced in certain areas, you might want to go further still and advance your skills by training for competition riding or racing.

There are several different kinds of Horseback riding lessons you can take, depending on where your interests in the sport lie. There are clinics devoted to every age group and include training for ranchers, competition riding, lessons for the recreational rider and even classes on learning how to deal with problem horses. You can take one-on-one or group lessons or special classes taught by internationally renowned horseback riders.

The length of the lessons will vary and but most are normally for around one hour or so. Usually, when you arrive for your lesson, you will be given an initial assessment of your skills. Then the you and your instructor can evaluate what goals you want to reach and set up the type of lessons you’ll need based on that information.

Here are a few different categories of horseback riding lessons available, based on levels of experience, to help you determine which area you fall under.

Beginner: A person who has limited experience, is unable to post the trot (set the pace) and does not canter (cantering is slower than a galloping pace, but faster than trotting).

Novice: A rider who is capable of mounting and dismounting the horse without assistance, can apply basic aids, is comfortable and in control at a walking pace and who can ride for a moderate length trot and short canters.

Intermediate: A rider who has a firm seat (balanced and comfortable in the saddle), is confident and in control at all paces including posting trots, two-point canters and gallops, but does not ride regularly.

Strong Intermediate: An intermediate rider who is currently riding regularly and is comfortable being in the saddle for at least six hours a day.

Advanced: A rider who encompasses all of the above skills in addition to an independent seat, soft hands (light but commanding control of the reigns) and who is capable of handling a spirited horse in open country.

There are numerous horse stables across the United States and internationally that offer lessons at various levels. Browse around online to find one in your area, and be sure that you choose an instructor who you feel comfortable with so you can get the most out of your learning experience.

There are many beautiful Horseback riding ranches and resorts in Colorado. Whether you’re an experienced rider or just starting out, you’ll be sure to find one that is accommodating to your level of skill and interest. Following are a couple of places you might want to check out.

The North Fork Ranch was established in 1985 and is located along the serene North Fork of the South Platte River. Very close to Shawnee, it is about an hour’s drive from Denver and one and one-half hours from the Denver International Airport. They are a 520 acre ranch that sits at an elevation of 8100 feet and is connected to the Pike National Forest, Lost Creek Wilderness and Mt. Evans Wilderness.

North Fork Ranch offers a wide variety of activities including all inclusive vacation packages. There is something for everyone with Horseback riding, trail rides, hiking and other activities such as fishing and rafting. Additionally, the activities extend well into the evening with hayrides, campfire sing-a-longs and square dancing. They also offer several children’s activities that include pony rides, a petting zoo and a kid’s rodeo!

You choose from several different horseback rides led by one of their experienced wranglers through the stunning mountains and valleys of North Fork. Riding options including a Lunch on the Trail Ride, a Champagne Brunch Ride and an Overnight Pack Trip.  They even start with an orientation and instruction for their inexperienced guests who haven’t done much Horseback riding.

The ranch prides itself on providing a safe and fun atmosphere and welcomes families with children of all ages including infants. They also offer lower seasonal weekly package rates during May 27 – June 24, 2006 and August 19 – September 2, 2006. Visit their website at www.northforkranch.com for additional information. You can also contact them by calling their toll free number at 800-843-7895 or email at info@northforkranch.com.

Academy Riding Stables in Colorado Springs offers one, two and three hour rides along the scenic trails of the historical Garden of the Gods. The stables are open year-round and provide guided leisure trail rides for riders of every level of experience. They are very customer-oriented and even have professional cowboys that will match you with a horse that best suits your abilities. Children under 8 are welcome to ride and the stable provides pony rides for the younger ones – they even get to choose their own pony!

Academy Riding Stables recommends that you make reservations and you can get to their website at www.academyridingstables.com. They also have a toll free number you can call which is 888-700-0410 and you can email them at arsriding@adelphia.net.

Almost any baby is adorable.  Okay, there are some that only a mother could love, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  How could anyone not fall in love with ponies?  They have such a charm, children are attracted to them, children’s books are written about them, and horse blankets are made for them.

Yes, that’s right.  There are horse blankets made for ponies!  Some ponies do live in the wild and are without the luxury of a warm blanket for the winter.  It is unfortunate, for only the strong survive, whereas struggling weaklings in captivity are given a chance to become stronger.  These do tend to get pampered and loved and have their warm blankets to help them through their shaky developmental stages.

The National Park Service helps to protect the wild ponies.  There is a small island near Virginia where the wild ponies are herded across the waters to another island once a year.  This is a popular event, and the island is called Chincoteague (pronounced CHIN-ko-teeg).

An hour after they are born, ponies have the ability to walk.  They may stumble and struggle at first, but they learn fast.  The baby is called a foal and isn’t considered full-grown until age 5 or 6.  Most people who have horses will try to have the mare give birth in their barn, in a stall, and a warm horse blanket is provided for them after the birth.  If the mother has trouble with the birth, it is easier to monitor and provide care in a barn.

Many people, who think it will be a good idea to give their child a pony, do not realize the special care a horse needs as it grows and develops.  It is always good to sit down with your child and make a list of all the things any animal new to the family will need before purchasing.  Horses especially will need plenty of room to graze and grow and will need their exercise and good medical care if a problem were to develop.

You may want to start with a small horse, such as a mini, if you do not plan to have your child ride a horse.  The mini horse comes in a child-sized package!  Don’t forget the accessories that come with owning the minis.  There are horse blankets made just for this size horse.

Miniature Horses were created from breeding small horses that were used for work in coal mines to the small Shetland Ponies.  The babies were then bred to make even smaller horses.  The miniature breed is not actually considered ponies just because of their size.  Ponies are 14 hands high, compared to the 8 hand size of a mini.  But the baby minis are called ponies until they are grown, just as other horse babies.

You shouldn’t need as much horse tack for these mini horses because they are not used in the same ways as what is considered normal sized horses.  There are places that sell tack just for the smaller breeds.

What do you need for the proper care of your horse?  Besides things such as horse blankets, saddles, a horse trailer, the right food, clean water, adequate housing and roaming room, a horse brush, treats, careful training, and lots of love and attention?  You need veterinary care.

One of the things a horse can encounter includes something called splints.  There are splint bones, not to be confused with the injury itself; however, splints do affect the area of the splint bones.  There is a bone called the cannon that is affected as well.  Blind splints occur between the two.  These are harder to diagnose and take longer to heal.

The locations of the splint bones run alongside the cannon bone, being attached by a ligament to the cannon bone itself.  The ligament is called the “interosseous ligament”.  Understanding the terms will help familiarize you when the vet comes to call.  This is helpful especially if you are a first-time horse owner.

Pain and swelling of the bone area occurs on the inside of the leg, just below the knees.  It is possible for this injury to happen to the back legs as well.  Splints normally would happen to a horse up to five years of age.

The condition can cause lameness for several weeks.  Fast, hard overworking can cause splints, so please be kind and considerate to your animal and don’t expect him to work until he literally drops from exhaustion.  Especially understand that the work load and pace must be reduced for the horse to heal.  Try to put yourself in his place.  The horse can’t tell you verbally when he’s had enough.  If you had a sprain or a fracture, you would want the same consideration from others.
The area will feel hot to the touch when inflamed.  Help your horse remain calm, keep him or her in an area where no one and nothing could spook, hose the hot area with cold water.  Allow rest.

Although you should reduce the workload, light exercise on a soft surface is recommended to encourage the healing bone growth.  It may take a few days of treatment with the cold therapy.  Surgery is possible, but it is not as productive as you would think and may increase the size of the splint injury.

Splints are usually caused by a hard hit to the splint bone area, such as another horse’s kick.  Working on hard surfaces is another possible cause, but this usually will affect both legs at once.

When you place your horse on rest and recovery, remember to put that horse blanket to good use.  If a horse is kept warm and comfortable, healing will be much more pleasant.  The horse blanket is like a jacket to a horse, and an injured horse may need his jacket more than normal.  If he is running fever from an inflammation, he may get chills.  If he is recovering during the cold weather season, the blanket may save an even bigger vet bill!

If treated properly, complete healing is expected.

As humans we are aware of the danger of staying in the sun too long. We know that if we spend too much time out in the sun we run the risk of turning a nice tan in to an ugly sunburn. In addition to being unattractive and painful we are also aware that sunburns can lead to skin cancer. We use all sorts of tricks from sunscreen to light weight covers to prevent are
skin from frying.

Because horses tend to be big and appear to be infallible (a trait that every horse owner knows is a illusion) we often forget about the affect that the sun has on our horses. Can you imagine what it’s like to have someone jump on your back when you have a sunburn? Well then you can most likely understand how a horse feels when you want to go Horseback riding but your horse has a sunburn.

Yes, horses, just like people, can sunburn.

Sunburn is most frequently seen on horses with  a light colored hair coat such as Appaloosa’s, Lipizzans, Paints, Pintos, Andalusian, and grays. Horse owners who own horses with white noses and a lot of pale skin around the eyes often find themselves treating their equine partners for sunburn. A sudden change in hormones, like horses that have been bred, can cause a horse to develop sunburn. Although dark horses aren’t typically irritated by sunburn the sun often bleaches the dark hair. In some cases severe sunburn is believed to lead to some liver damage.

Horse owners should also be aware that some medications can also trigger sunburn in horses. Tetracycline is one medication that has been known to cause sunburn in some horses.

Equine sunburn looks just like human sunburn. The skin turns an angry shade of pink or a violent red. If the skin is left untreated long enough it starts to chap and crack. Horses that are suffering from severe sunburn will start to blister. Sunburn can cause hair loss.

Treating sunburned eyes is fairly simple. All an owner needs to do is purchase a fly mask for their horse. When using a fly mask it is extremely important to make sure that the fly mask is kept clean. Simply use a hose and a sprayer to rinse the dirt and eye gunk from the mask. After rinsing the fly mask hang it in the sun to dry.

Some fly masks have an extension that protects the end of the nose from getting sunburned. If you do not own a fly mask that covers your horses nose all you need to do is rub your horses nose with sunscreen that you can purchase at your local drugstore.

Some horse owners, especially ones who are interested in showing, try to prevent the sun from damaging their horses coat by keeping them inside during the day time hours when the sun is the most damaging. Other owners prefer to keep their horses covered with a light weight turn out blanket or fly sheet to protect their horses hair coat. One of the reasons some owners prefer a blanketed horse to one kept inside is that they feel that keeping a horse stalled and completely free of sunlight can lead to depression.

My first experience with horseback riding was an encounter with a bumblebee, which spooked the horse I was on and in the blink of an eye I was in front of my horse, face first in the dirt. It sure would have helped if I had known what I was suppose to do.

Too many horseback riding beginners tend to just climb on and fall off then give up. As a little kid I learned how to ride my bike, without training wheels, but I had a loving parent or brother protecting me as I learned. The same thing isn’t likely going to happen with horseback riding so it is really better to have a complete horseback riding for beginner’s guide to horseback riding and get it right quick.

Why would you want this Complete Horseback Riding Beginner’s Guide?

This book takes you as a beginner, who knows little or nothing about horses, and gently leads you through all phases of riding, horse care, grooming and much more. It completely prepares you for your first real riding lesson so you start with knowledge, understanding and confidence when you mount the horse for the first time.

Here’s just a few things you’ll learn:

• Quickly learn and understand riding before you start paying for expensive lessons.
• Learn the basics of riding, tack, what to expect from your lessons, etc.
• How to overcome fears about riding and feeling scared around horses.
• How to determine what riding style you should choose – Western or English.
• Learn all about caring for a horse – how to feed, groom and handle them.
• Ways to save lots of money on trainers, tack and horses.
• What you need to wear – everything from helmets to boots.

All these topics, and many, many more, will be answered in this very thorough book that will take you from knowing nothing to being prepared to ride your first time out. You will literally be able to get a jump-start on horseback riding lessons by studying this book.

I have always loved horse shows, and I find them to be extremely exciting places to go. Part of it is the grace of the show jumping horses, but there is a lot more to it than that. Horse shows are a link to the past for me. You see, I grew up loving all things medieval. I would read folktales about knights and fair maidens, construct model castles, and even fire a toy catapult to my sister. Although horse shows have a more cowboy feel than a medieval one, there is something that is much older about them. The link between man and horse goes way back in European history. The same man in a cowboy hat jumping over an obstacle at a horse show would have been a knight in another place and time. That is why horse shows excite my imagination so much.

At one point, I was even thinking about buying show horses for sale. It was a pipe dream to be honest – I know nothing about the care and feeding of horses, but I have always wanted to own one. One time, I was so dismayed by the way some of the horses at the horse shows were treated that I wanted to take them off their owners hands. There is a lot of animal cruelty that goes on in horse training. Some owners are fair and just, but other ones are completely vicious. They don’t just want to tame the horses, but to completely break their spirit. At horse shows, you see many people who operate under this philosophy. Although their horses rarely win, they often do well enough to encourage the others to continue to act cruelly.

Because of this, I have begun to volunteer at horse shows to watch over the welfare of horses. In recent years, many of the horse shows have adopted more stringent guidelines about how the horses need to be taken care of. Anyone found in violation of these rules can be kicked out of the Pennsylvania horse show Association – or so they tell me. Although some of the people at the horse shows view me with suspicion, other ones take a more friendly attitude towards me. They understand that shows horse are about love of and respect for horses.  All the horse show ribbons in the world do not alleviate someone of the responsibility to care for his animals.

A Healthy Horse the Natural Way: A Horse Owner’s Guide to Using Herbs, Massage, Homeotherapy, and Other Natural Therapie.

Just as more and more people are embracing a more natural approach to their health and wellbeing, many horse owners are turning to natural therapies to keep their animals healthy and happy.

‘A Healthy Horse the Natural Way’ is the complete complementary approach to horse health, covering:

• herbs
• massage
• homeopathy
• Bach flower remedies
• Biochemic tissue salts
• Vibrational healing/energy fields

Natural therapies can improve a horse’s vitality and quality of life, bring balance to the body systems and emotions, help prevent illness, and assist in the long-term management of chronic disease states.

‘A Healthy Horse the Natural Way’ will help you interpret your horse’s health issues as they arise, and go beyond merely treating the symptom to finding the underlying cause.

Catherine Bird also teaches how and when to use a combination of natural therapies, and how to use them in conjunction with veterinary treatment. This practical handbook will add new dimensions to your horse’s health and help you develop an increasingly harmonious relationship with your horse.