Horseback Riding in Idaho Could Be the Next Great Before-School Tradition

Back-to-school is a big change of pace for children and parents alike. One thing that can definitely help with the transition is the promise of something fun for the family that perhaps hasn’t been tried before.

Great Destinations for Horseback Riding Tours and Many Idaho Trails to Ride

I’ve never owned horses myself, but have lived among them enough to be comfortable. A sort of “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV.” kind of person. There are horses behind our station and it is a delight to talk to them every day and feed them.

Perhaps an outing including horseback riding is in the future. When taking a novice to go horseback riding advise them ahead of time; wear jeans, go slowly, follow the guide, and most importantly, getting off a horse after a ride is kind of like walking after roller skating for a while.

For people just wanting to try something different, or don’t have friends who own horses, there are some different places to try.

• Pioneer Outfitters - north of Ketchum, ID. Start with 1.5-hour trips, through the mining town of Galena, to full-day trips near Sun Valley and Stanley, ID.
• Mystic Saddle Ranch - in Stanley, ID. Trail rides at Redfish Lake Corrals for a quick beginner ride or a full-day ride with choices around many area lakes.
• Granite Creek Ranch - 40 miles east of Idaho Falls, ID. Tours for all ages and riding levels, even hand-led horse rides for younger kids.

Maybe you have horses, or friends or family do. There are some great trails that your group may not have encountered yet. These trails vary from a half-mile for a quick trial run to 84 miles for a full-day outing of an awesome last trip before school starts.

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Maybe a summer horseback ride will become the next annual family tradition. You never know until you try.