Horseback Riding In Northern California

If you own horses, you probably already know that there are numerous trails to ride, public & private arenas, gymkana & rodeo events, horse clubs, and horse related activities that you are, or could be involved with. And You won't need to look too hard to see that some parts of Northern California have kept in touch with some of the heritage that was once the backbone of society. You will find that some of the smaller towns still give horses the right of way on many of their main streets and side walks. Some have even created special pathways that run alongside the streets & sidewalks just to accommodate horses in their communities.

We would love to see this recognition and representation of our heritage displayed in more communities. That is partly why we are including it in this website.  We will continue to support and promote all types of family oriented, outdoor activities like these, and we can only hope that they can continue to thrive in as many of our communities as possible.

If you have information related to horse activities in northern California that you want to get out to the general public, just go to our Information page to submit your requests. we will gladly assist you in promoting your clubs' events, activities, or general information.

Horse Ownership: The Responsibillities And Rewards Of Being An Enthusiast

When we moved to the North Coast from Redding several years ago, one of the first things we did was start looking for a horse for Robin to ride. We looked around and found that we could not really afford a fully trained, ready to ride horse on the salary I was making at the time. We had heard about the BLM Adopt a Horse Program, and when we found out that they were going to have an auction in our area, we decided to go see what they had to offer.

We signed up to adopt, looked at all of the horses available, and put a couple of our choices on the list. We were elated when our first pick was available when our name was drawn and off we went, into the adventures of owning a "Wild Mustang". It was a real experience for us for the first several days, as we were not even able to get to the end of the twenty foot lead rope that she came attached to.

Well, to make a long story short, we learned during the first year of owning "Tamar", and after spending as much time as we could in the "Gentle Breaking" process, I was able to finally get on her and I only got bucked off once. 

Now, ten years later, we have one of the most loyal, easy going and dependable horses you could ask for. Tamar just loves to see Robin every day when she goes to feed her, and to date, the Veterinary cost  associated with Tamar amount to having her teeth "Floated" a couple years back. Other than that, she has been a super easy keeper. Now I'm not saying that this is typical, only that it is what we ended up with, and we would recommend the BLM Program to anyone who is willing to spend the time and effort to have a great horse with little up front cost.

Being a horse enthusiast has its' responsibilities as well as its' rewards. It is much like being an enthusiast in a 4X4 club, motorcycle club or any number of other clubs and organizations, except for one big difference:And that is that our "rides" require food and attention instead of a simple 20 gallons of gasoline and a few mechanical upgrades now & then. The commitment and responsibility of daily maintenance & up-keep of our equine freinds is a requirement, not an option. This one big difference is what separates us from the above and puts us in a slightly different category of enthusiasts.

It's one thing to jump in your fourwheeler, take it out on a six hour long trail ride, and when you are done, clean it up a bit, then park it & forget about it until next time you want to go out. Horses on the other hand require constant training, regular maintenance & daily up-keep. You can't just ride them and then put them out in the garage until next time. You need to feed and water every day, groom them, and more or less treat them like you would treat a member of your own family (one you like). You need to keep up on vaccinations and worming, and make sure they have proper foot care and maintenance, and a number of other mandatory requirements. 

Since you are here looking at our horse page, chances are, you love horses and you know what all of this means, and can relate. If  you are not a horse owner yet, but are considering taking the plunge, then maybe comming here will help you to make that decision.

Although owning horses does require a commitment, it is really not  as tough as it sounds. There are definitely a lot of really wonderful benefits that make that commitment well worth your time and effort.  

Having Horses is a lot like having  good freinds that are always there when you need them. You can talk to them whenever you need someone to talk to and you don't really need an answer back (unlike your spouse who probably has an answer for everything - even when you don't want one). You can even use them as excersise equipment to help you lose those few pounds you gained over the holidays too!

Another benefit is that Horses are mostly very loyal to their owners. They usually don't mind being the ones that do all of the work when you are out on a trail ride or running cattle, or competing in a gymkanna or rodeo. If you have done your job and treated them right, then they will be eager to please you. Doing the work you ask them to do is what they'll live for! They only require that in return for their hard work, you provide them with the care and love that they need.

You can click here to find out how to send us your Horseback Riding Pictures and we'll post them in our photo galleries - We will be posting information, events, a calendar and much more on this page. If you have any of the above that you would like to add to this website, send us an e-mail. We are also considering helping our visitors sell some of their own items through our website and are open to some suggestions. If you have an interest in selling items related to horses or other outdoor activities, please e-mail us.

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