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Experience smooth speed and
agility of the exceptionally even tempered gaited
Missouri Foxtrot Horses while riding in the Missouri
Ozarks - south of the glacier line in the heart of
Missouri's cattle country - famous for its
extraordinary biodiversity of plant and animal
species. Relax and experience the pleasures of
country living and ride over endless trails in the
Meramec River Valley. Your starting point is a small
family farm set on the spring-fed Meramec River in
East Central Missouri. The surrounding countryside
is home to wild turkey, white-tailed deer and many
other native Missouri animals. Great Blue Herons
nest in the sycamores. Bass and trout flourish in
the Meramec River and nearby streams. Your ride
begins at your cabin door! Explore rivers,
caves, forests and farmlands.
 IRMO01
Rates include accommodations, breakfast, lunch and 2
dinners, 5 riding days
7 days/ 6 nights $
1,095 Single: +$250
2008 Dates:
04/13-04/19 05/04-05/10
09/14-09/20
09/28-10/04 10/12-10/18
10/19-10/25
... additional dates are available
for groups of 3+
Gratuities: 10-15%
suggested
Taxes: included
Meeting:
Bourbon
Airport: St. Louis
Transfer:
n/a best to rent a car
Pace :
Moderate, trots and canters
Tack:
Western
Horses:
Missouri Fox Trotter, Tennessee Walker, Quarter,
Percheron
Level:
Intermediate (can be
adjusted for private groups)
Min/Max Riders:
2-6
Notes: Smooth gaited
horses - no posting required. Shorter rides can be
arranged throughout the year
Sample Itinerary
Day 1: In the
afternoon you arrive at the 500 acre family-operated
cattle and horse ranch. Meet your hosts and settle
into your secluded log cabin or room. Take time to
admire the view of the sparkling lake from the porch
of your cabin. Your dinner is served from an
authentic chuck wagon while nearby musicians play
Bluegrass music around the campfire. The evening
ends with an old-fashioned hayride, behind a team of
coal black Percheron draft horses, into the sunset.
The following days will offer a variety of riding
excursions into the Meramec countryside. Several
days will include a short morning transfer for
horses and riders, giving you a wide range of trails
to explore.
Day 2: The morning ride
introduces you to the gait of the foxtrot horse so
that you will enjoy a smooth ride across the ranch,
returning for a cowboy lunch at the house. After
lunch it is back on the trail to explore rock bluffs
decorated with drawings by the Osage Indians.
Day 3: Ride across country and over a ridge to a
neighboring homestead that raises buffalo and other
animals. Our host Fran will give you a tour of her
farm, after which you will enjoy your lunch on the
front porch of her log house while watching buffalo
graze nearby. A fast-paced foxtrot ride returns you
in time for dinner.
Day 4: Time to Cowboy
Up! You can help saddle and load your horse before
heading to Blue Springs Ranch. From Blue Springs
Ranch you can see some of the most spectacular
lookouts over the Meramec River. Your ride today
will cover miles along river frontage and through
farms, ranches and hardwood forests. You climb the
landscape for impressive views from bluffs over
looking the river. You will enjoy a saddle bag lunch
overlooking the Meramec River. This is a challenging
all day ride that you will not want to miss.
Day 5: …its time to saddle and load up to head
deeper into Ozark country for today’s ride. We will
be unloading our horses at the Brazil Campground to
ride the Berryman Trail. You will be riding switch
backs and thru thick stands of pine forest. You’ll
enjoy your saddle bag lunch overlooking the forest.
Day 6: Transfer horses and riders to a
completely different area: Dry Fork Creek. Ride on
the Lenauer Farm, settled by German immigrants in
the late 1800s. This unique farm still has huge
stands of virgin timber though you will ride under
huge stands of oak and maple and through pastures of
cattle along Dry Fork Creek. Let you horse gait back
to the woods to a natural rock bridge, complete with
a cave and spring-fed pool of water. This is where
you will have lunch today. Afterwards, a short ride
takes you back to the ranch for the evening. Relax,
fish, or reflect on the great day you've had.
Day 7: Departure after breakfast. |
Three Creeks Ranch
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