If you're looking for the perfect winter adventure in Utah, Rocky Mountain Outfitters in Midway…read moreabsolutely delivers a magical, unforgettable experience -- especially during the Christmas season. From the moment you arrive, the staff makes you feel completely welcomed. They're friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about their horses and the beautiful area they work in. The seasonal horseback rides are incredible. Early in the season, you ride through the charming town of Midway, surrounded by snowy fields and mountain views that look like a Christmas postcard. Later in the season, the rides move up to Soldier Hollow, where the scenery becomes even more breathtaking -- open meadows, Olympic-era trails, and the Wasatch Mountains glowing in the winter light. The horses are gentle, well-trained, and perfect for beginners and experienced riders alike. But the true holiday magic comes from their draft horse wagon rides. Being pulled by beautiful Percheron and Belgian horses through thousands of sparkling Christmas lights at the Wasatch Mountain Golf Course is absolutely enchanting. The sleigh bells, the crisp winter air, the glow of the lights -- it feels straight out of a movie. Rocky Mountain Outfitters is a must-do winter tradition. Five stars without hesitation! Check out our video https://linktr.ee/reessroots

We booked a horse drawn sleigh ride for a new Christmas experience…read more It was fabulous. They took us on a 30 minute horse drawn sleigh ride through a light show at Jordanelle State Park. I had to book really early they book up fast and it was a nice but not too cold night. They also do sleigh rides for the Ice Castles at Midway. Our horses names were Lock and load beautiful Perchons. So if you want to do something different book now for next Christmas you won't regret it.

Last year we wanted to give our grandchildren an experience for Christmas instead of buying a toy…read morethat would just break. The grandchildren ranged from ages 3 to 14. We decided on horse riding lessons and were fortunate enough to find this family based business. J.R. and Chrissy were great with all our grandchildren. They were patient, kind and very knowledgeable. They worked with the schedule of the children's parents. They made the lessons both enjoyable and safe. One of our grandchildren was sight impaired, and they worked around that condition. Our grandchildren had such a great time that they asked their parents all year if they could have more lessons. We have decided to give them lessons again this year. We would highly recommend these lessons and these instructors for anyone from beginner to advanced.

From the owner: We provide horse riding lessons for beginners and all levels including riders with various…read moretherapeutic goals. Learning about horsemanship with these horses helps us all with so many aspects of our lives. If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, this can be a great tool. Come have a fun and safe riding experience with us!

Horses were saddled and ready to mount for the first scheduled appointment of the day. It was well…read morethought out and matched horses for riders ability and ages. Our family of 6 went. We had two wranglers looking out for our group. That was perfect. One was in lead, one was last horse. I felt it was very professionally ran. The horses were in great shape despite the hot weather. The equipment was in good shape. We always felt we were in a controlled, knowledgeable environment. After hour ride they helped everyone individually dismount and led horse to water. It's a cute set-up and barn and stables were very nice. PS It was my 70th grandma birthday party starting there before the village. They made it fun and extra special.

As a surprise for my husband's birthday, I gifted him a 60 minute trail ride. When we left our…read morehouse this afternoon (in Layton) it was sunny and warm, but the weather quickly changed while we were on our way to SLC. By the time we got to the barn, the rain had stopped and the weather was perfect. We were happy to have cloud coverage during our ride. When we entered the barn, we signed some waivers and then we went around the side of the barn to be given a horse. They make sure you and the horse will be a good fit (horses have different personalities just like people). Mine was notorious for stopping and snacking (did they give me my spirit animal?), but he was such a sweetheart on the trail. He listened when I pulled his reins and was such a good horse. While we were riding the trail, we saw so many deer. I don't think I've seen so many deer in one sitting. The horses can get spooked by the deer, but luckily no one got spooked. Right as we got to the top of the hill, the storm behind us caught up. At first it was sprinkling...no big deal. Some of the horses didn't like rain in their faces, so they'd turn to the side. We just had to pull their reins a little to keep them going. As we started to slightly descend, my husband's horse was NOT having it. It wasn't too happy about the rain and didn't want to keep going. The trail guides were great with talking him through how to get her calmed down and moving again (not that she was acting crazy or anything, she just wasn't having the rain and didn't want to listen). The rain only got worse. It started coming down so hard that it was stinging my ears. At this point we all had to stop and have our horses face away from the rain because a lot of the horses didn't want to move. We stood there for a few minutes until more help arrived. The guides hopped off of their horses and helped those who needed some extra help with their horses. My husband's was definitely one of them (we call her Diva now). The rain calmed down once we were close to the end of the trail ride. Once we made it back to the barn, the trail guides helped us off our horses and then we headed home. We were absolutely drenched and had to use the heater on our way home. We were so drenched that we were pouring water out of our shoes when we took them off. It was absolutely crazy and never rains that much usually, but I swear my husband and I bring the rain everywhere we go. We seriously had such a great time, even while getting rained on! We would definitely do this trail ride again. It was a fantastic experience that we'll never forget.

I found Bridle Up Hope as I needed to put in community service hours towards earning my Black Belt…read more I previously volunteered at a therapeutic riding program back in Maryland, so I wanted to volunteer a similar place to help give back to our animal spirit friends as well as the women in this program. I loved the mission Bridle Up Hope (BUH) stood for, so I asked to sign up for service. Bridle Up Hope provides equine therapy and empowerment for women. They have a riding program in which women learn to work with, take care of, and learn to ride horses to help with confidence and self-esteem, as well as work through challenges in life. They have great seminars and workshops open to those in the riding program including the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Yoga, self defense, and arts classes, among some of the activities and seminars. They offer scholarships for women to help with cost too, but the takeaways from this program I'm sure are priceless! My niece enrolled in a program similar to this, and she left with much more confidence! Bridle Up Hope also has a boutique for BUH accessories and clothing, as well as a beautiful event hall!

I love coming here! There's a positive atmosphere when you walk in. The lessons are to help you,…read moreand helping you gain confidence through riding horses.

10/10 experience here. My boyfriend and I have gone horseback riding in a few different places as…read morewe enjoy traveling but this by far has been the most informative and professional experience. You can genuinely tell they care for their horses deeply. We had Meghan as our guide and she was amazing. We did an exercise before starting the trail to grow trust between us and the horses which I appreciated. I had Kahlua, such a sweet girl who loved her head scratches. If you're looking for a fun, intimate experience, definitely book here! Carrie helped us book and was also incredibly kind. Thank you Meghan and Carrie for a great experience! (:

My Experience with KB Horses…read more I chose KB Horses because I wanted to enjoy a guided trail ride, and I understood before participating that horseback riding involves inherent risks. I did not expect a risk-free experience. My concern is not simply that I fell--it's how the situation unfolded and how it was handled afterward. Before the ride began, the wrangler assigned me a horse named Breezy. I recall being told that Breezy had a "waddle" and that I should let her know if I noticed the saddle shifting. Because of that conversation, I paid close attention throughout the ride. Near the end of the ride, as we approached a steep downhill section of the trail, I felt the saddle begin slipping sideways. Remembering what I had been told, I immediately called out to the wrangler that my saddle was slipping. She turned around and came back toward me, but before she could reach me, the saddle shifted farther toward the downhill side and I fell directly onto my right hip. After the fall, the wrangler repositioned and tightened the saddle before asking me to remount for the short ride back to the stable. I told her my hip hurt, but at that point I believed I had only suffered a bruise. Over the next two days, the pain and bruising became much worse. Medical evaluation ultimately revealed injuries that required MRIs, injections, and months of treatment. I incurred approximately $3,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses. Two days after the accident, Brenda from KB Horses contacted me to check on how I was doing. She thanked me for my feedback, told me she had reviewed my comments with her staff "to make sure everyone is following proper protocol," and said she wanted to ensure "the situation does not occur again." I appreciated that outreach and believed my concerns were being taken seriously. As time went on, however, I became disappointed by the company's response. The written description of the incident that was later provided on the company's behalf differs from my recollection of what happened during the ride. I also requested the incident report that the company and its attorney relied upon when responding to my claim, but it was not voluntarily provided to me. I recognize that horses are animals and that falls can happen even when everyone is doing their best. My purpose in sharing this experience is not to suggest that horseback riding can ever be made risk-free. Rather, I believe prospective riders--especially beginners or those with limited riding experience--should ask how saddles are checked during a ride, what procedures guides follow if a rider reports that a saddle is slipping, and what additional precautions are taken before steep downhill sections. I'm sharing my experience so that others can make an informed decision before booking a ride.

Hot, No Shade, Buggy was today's hike. Left too late to miss the sun beating down on me…read more This is a nice beginner trail that is paved with bark. If you go to the end of the trail, it takes you to an off leash dog park. Dogs are welcome on this trail, but please keep them on a leash and pick their poop up and dispose of it properly. **Leave no trace #hikingbootsoverheels

This is it can be a moderate to advanced level trail depending on if you go off on the small…read moreinclined trails that branch off everywhere throughout the area. It's beautiful, you can see the mountains and the small valley at the base of the lone peak mountain from the trail. it's mainly bark pieces for a majority of the trail. *If u have a dog and put their poop in a bag then haul it out don't just leave it on the trail* Enjoy the beautiful areas we have and keep them clean so we can all enjoy them :)

The trainers are very experienced and absolutely know what they are doing. It's also very clear how…read moremuch they love and respect the horses. I do think that the advertisement for 'all levels' of lessons is tailored more towards children. The adults I saw taking lessons seemed much more advanced. I had ridden on and off for years, and wanted to get back to basics because I lacked any real knowledge of appropriate technique. I was also interested in the emphasis on dressage because roughly speaking, it's about moving with the horse and using your body more than the reins. The acutal lessons itself made it clear how knowledgable the trainers were. However, every other aspect of the experience was negative. The indoor ring was busy with multiple lessons occuring at once and people tacking up the horses while trying to give appropriate space in close quarters, which is where I felt the most ill at ease. I was new to the space and the personaliity of the horses, and I didn't want to do anything incorrectly by spooking a horse or interrupting a lesson with a question. I felt like a nusience and a waste of their time. Other people seemed to be treated with more patience (like the parents of the children taking lessons and lobbying for their child to be put on a certain horse), but for some reason, it felt like I couldn't do anything right. I was there to learn and it was discouraging since I would drive 40 miles round trip for each lesson.

Southern Belle Riding and Ammie the owner are by far the best place to board and take lessons. My…read moredaughter has been through many trainers and none of them have taken the time to get to know her or even stand in the arena with her during a lesson. Ammie is very detail oriented and can fix even the toughest habits the rider or horse may have. Daily she checks the horses to make sure everything is ok I never have to worry about them or my daughter in her lesson. There is not one bad thing I could say about Southern Belle!!