trail rides
I offer guided trail rides FOR EXPERIENCED HORSE RIDERS ONLY. My horses are athletic, mountain savvy and sure footed, but do require direction on complex trails. Currently I can take only one or two riders out at a time.
These are Tevis quality endurance rides that start at 8,000 ft in altitude and go up to 12,000+ feet. If you are an endurance rider these are the rides for you! Many of the rides cover a variety of terrain such as steep incline, backcountry bushwacking, open pasture, rocky switchbacks, river crossings, wetlands and high country descents.
During your ride you will experience stunning scenery, forest, mountains, rivers, lakes, streams, wildlife and wildflowers in the Santa Fe National Forest and Pecos Wilderness of Northern New Mexico. The availability and route of the rides offered varies with the conditions including weather, fire, smoke, dead-fall or season. All rides are situated on the East side of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range from the Mora Valley, unless otherwise agreed upon.
The weight limit for my riders is 175lbs. Check your safe weight to height ratio with this table, and please be aware that if you appear heavier I will ask to weigh you.
Please read over the selection of rides listed and choose one that fits your style and desires.
Once we have a date and time for a ride in place please print and sign this Release and Hold Harmless Form and bring it with you on the day of your ride.
You are welcome to bring your own horse(s) for a greatly reduced rate. I recommend traditional metal horseshoes.
Additional services:
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General rate is $75 per hour (2hr per person minimum)
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Guided rides with your own horse at an agreed upon rate
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Overnight camping trips
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Drop camps/Pack-in trips for campers who don't want to haul their stuff
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Lessons
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Training & Tune-ups
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Other requests
LOCAL ACCOMODATION
ride 'em like u stole 'em
Totally weather dependent! Improve your seat with this fast pace ride. Trotting, some speedy turns up and down through water, controlled cantering, full speed gallop, steep rocky inclines.
1 - 2 hrs
$150 per person. 2 people max.
ginger up
Roundtrip mountain madness, from low valley to high country and back. Lot's of up, down and across. Stunning mountain views, racing river, thick forest, some steep incline, beautiful vistas, historic pastoral landscape.
2 - 3 hours with leg stretch and photo stops.
$200 per person. 2 people max
gonna ride 'till i can't no more
A fast walk, rocky terrain, some switchbacks. Cantering whenever possible. High altitude. Ability to control your horse and move them on.
Get into the heart of wilderness on the right trail! Lots of saddle time, with a nice long rest beside a stunning high mountain lake. Possibility that you will see marmot, coyote, wolves, elk, deer, bear, mountain lion, fox, skunk, hawks, eagles and more.
8 - 12 hours depending on route
Lunch stop
$300 per person
Skyline Ride
Not a speed ride due to the fact that the trail is mostly rocky gentle rise. It does get steep with drops, sharp rocky footholds, and zigzag switchbacks up to the skyline. High altitude. Ability to control your horse and move them on and up.
Absolutely stunning top of the world 360 degree views at 12,000 feet. Includes an hour long rest beside a sheltered scenic lake on the way down from the crest.
6 hours
Bring your own horse for a reduced rate!
$250 per person
Fall Foliage Rides
Brilliant Aspen yellows and rustic Oak reds woven into a blanket of evergreen against a deep blue New Mexico sky. Enjoy a stunning ride through some of the finest fall foliage in the Southwest.
Ride to be determined. I will cater to your budget and desires.
$250 per person
horses 'n' me
Land and horses have been the essence of my life since I was born. One of my first memories was sitting atop a large draft horse on the farm on which I grew up in England. My early years passed with riding, schooling, training, and competition, but then life took a more academic, global and activist trajectory.
Today, in another world apart I am firmly grounded by my adult farm life where horses are central to the day. Here, on the Eastern edge of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, the close proximity of the Pecos Wilderness in the Santa Fe National Forest has become a perfect opportunity to utilize my skills in some of the most spectacular scenery of the West. This not only takes brains, but well trained horses! My horses learn they are part of a team through groundwork and daily handling. We trust each other and like any good relationship this takes time and kindness.
I have an interdisciplinary PhD in Biology and History, focused on the intersections between the environment, science and technology. In the last 20 years I became alarmingly aware of the tragic state of the natural world and made radical changes to my lifestyle to address this. Today I live completely off-grid and strive to be carbon neutral and waste free. The last two decades have been consumed with creating a low impact sustainable lifestyle all made possible with strong hands, brute strength and personal ingenuity.
I'm a gardener, builder, designer, renewable energy tinkerer, critical thinker, writer, social justice activist, eco warrior, horse trainer/whisperer, watcher of wilderness, collector of nature, guardian of waterways, lover of trees, dreamer and much more. All I do has evolved from a life experience of rural living dovetailed with a globalized and educated experiential worldview.
I have also tasked myself with protecting what is left of the natural world. Resources such as oil, gas, coal, wood, gravel, etc. (which the earth is running out of) have to come from somewhere and their extraction invariably compromises the land, making it both unusable and unlivable. This is a high price to pay for the conveniences of the modern world. Being cognizant of this and striving to make choices that improve the environment and our lives is important if we are to bequeath a living thriving planet to the next generation.
Horses, education and activism are core to my life, and protection of the environment is a banner I shall always fly.
ride request form
Please submit this ride request form and my secretary will get right on it!
