Horseback Riding – Big Rock Stables at Ponderosa

This week we drove to Tennessee to visit family and have a nice week long getaway. Staying in the Smoky Mountains was very relaxing, it’s such a gorgeous place.

One of the top things we wanted to do was ride horses in the mountains. The kids looked forward to this and were giddy with excitement. It’s so different to ride horses in Tennessee than it is in Texas. The trails are a steep incline and decline with a beautiful view, unlike the flat country back home.

I called several locations in Pigeon Forge to compare pricing, availability and length of trail ride. We decided on the Big Rock Stables at Ponderosa. I read a few reviews on Yelp and from a conversation I had with them over the phone I realized the ride was longer for roughly the same price as their competitors. Therefore we knew we would get more for our money.

For $29.95 each we rode for one hour – roughly 3.5 miles, received a bag of feed for the petting zoo, a bottle of water and an ice cream of our choice.

The trail ride was exactly what I expected – each horse following one after another at a steady pace. Although several of us in our family are experienced riders we knew we were not renting horses but instead going on a guided tour. This worked best with having Gabby with us.

The guide kept Gabby right next to him and put a lead on her horse which gave me more confidence while I rode my own horse. Noah rode behind me and although I was comfortable with him riding since he has his own horse at home he rides regularly, they had a guide walk along and keep his eye on everyone. Noah’s horse was a little stubborn and the helper assisted him when he needed it.

My little cousin wanted to go with us and since she is only four years old they let her ride with me for an additional $14.95. It was the cutest thing ever, she sung the whole time about being a cowgirl. I loved being able to see her experience her first horseback ride.

We had a great time. The guides were very friendly and went above and beyond for the kids. The took very good care of us and made sure everyone had a great time. The horses were calm and beautiful.

After the ride we played at the petting zoo for a while and ate our free ice cream. It was a fun venture!