Our family SO enjoyed the chance to ride horses in the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park. And our experience with Sombrero Stables was wonderful, and truly one of the highlights of our trip. Our guides name was Lauren, and she did a great job of answering all of our very inquisitive 7 year old’s questions about the mountains and the animals that live there.
And the scenery? Breathtaking!
When we first arrived in Moraine Park, we filled out some paperwork and were led to horses chosen especially for us. When we first booked our excursion online, we let the Stables know our ages, approx weights, and riding ability. With that in mind they chose horses that suited us each best. Our horses were “Hercules,” “Call,” and “Chicco.” And they were all great.
Our daughter had never been on a horse before, and with Lauren’s help and encouragement she was able to ride for the whole 2 hour tour all by herself on her own horse! It was great for her confidence and I loved how Lauren had her directly behind her horse so she could keep a special eye on her, and be able to help direct our daughters horse should she need to.
Some of the highlights of our ride were seeing wild turkeys, tons of Elk, Mule Deer, and the Continental Divide! We took the 2 hour ride, and that was perfect for us.
To be honest, my butt was pretty sore after just 2 hours – I’m not sure I could have made the 3 or 4 hour rides right off the bat. So be aware if you haven’t ridden in a while – you may want to start with a shorter adventure!
Final Thoughts:
- Tour Guides do accept tips, and you will want to tip them by the end of your ride. Be sure to bring cash to plan for that.
- Wear long pants and close toed shoes.
- You will be given the option of wearing a helmet. My husband and I decided not to – but we had our less experienced daughter wear one for safety.
- You can book rides early in the morning to late in the day. Be aware the later it gets the cooler you may want to dress at temps start to climb.
- Ask your guides questions – ours taught us lots of neat facts as soon as she realized we wanted to learn from her.
- Coming in the Winter? They even have Sleigh Rides!
- Our ride cost $55 a person, check their website for current rates.
For more information: http://www.sombrero.com/
About Shannon SchmidShannon traded in her sensible NYC TV producer shoes (they were best for taking the subway), for a pair of Texas Cowboy boots when she married her best friend! He's at fault for making this Yankee a Texan! Shannon writes about all things that make a house a home. Her chief blogging inspiration is being the proud & slightly neurotic mom of a preschool age daughter.
You can find Shannon on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and her new favorite place to hang out, Google+.
I cannot recommend these stables highly enough. Our family had a blast, and you can’t beat riding in one of the most gorgeous national parks in the country!