Tryon Western Adventures

Please meet at the General Store located at Tryon International Equestrian Center (25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC, 28756), 30 minutes prior to your reservation time. You will sign a waiver and then board a shuttle bus to take you to the location of your trail ride.

Please take care to dress appropriately for the ride and for any potential inclement weather. Please note that this includes wearing long pants and close toed shoes. Please always listen to your trail guide as they will be the one responsible for keeping this adventure as fun and safe as possible.

ATTN! WINE ADD-ON INFO: Guests that have purchased the ADD-ON Wine Tasting will be dropped off at the Overmountain Vineyards directly after finishing their trail ride and picked up approximately an hour afterwards.

List of Do’s and Don’ts for a Safe and Enjoyable Ride:

Do:

-All Participants must sign a waiver.
-All Participants must wear a helmet at all times
-Dress for the weather. Jackets with zippers are easiest to add or shed when riding.
-Wear jeans or pants for the most comfortable experience in the saddle, to prevent pinching or chafing.
-Wear closed-toe shoes.
-Listen to your guides’ instructions at all times
-Communicate with your group about hazards on the trail, instructions from the guides ahead, and more.
-Warn other riders if you will be passing them from behind
-Actively participate in the ride. YOU must tell your horse where to go and at what pace.
-Leave room between yourself and the horse in front of you. Some horses do not like their personal space to be crowded.
-Stick to the marked trail.
-Lift low hanging branches up over your head, rather than pushing them forward, to ensure they don’t snap back at the horse behind you.
-Use your body position to help maintain your horse’s balance while traveling uphill (tilt your body slightly forward) and downhill (lean upper body back, push feet forward in your stirrups so legs are in front of the cinch/girth).
-Keep calm. If you have a problem or feel uncomfortable, speak up and ask for help!
-Trail rides may be closed without warning due to inclement weather, including heat or storms, for the safety of horses and riders alike.

Do Not:

-Leave the group or cause your horse to speed up beyond the pace determined by the guide(s).
-Panic. If something goes wrong, screaming, jerking or kicking at your horse will escalate the situation.
-Let go of your reins at any time. The reins are your steering wheel and brakes.
-Jerk on the reins, kick forcefully, or hit your horse. Gentle communication is all it takes to get your horse to respond to commands. If needed, you can slowly increase the pressure of your aids. Once the horse responds, immediately
-RELEASE the pressure of the cue to let the horse know they “answered the question” correctly.
-Smoke or drink while on horseback
-Take off your helmet once mounted
-Litter on the trail. If you packed it in, pack it out.

Weight Limit: 275 lbs.