You see people on TV saddling up on sprawling western ranches and hear stories about a friend of a friend who enjoyed a fairytale day at the beach on horseback.  What you don’t always see is that you don’t need to head west or splurge on an expensive resort vacation to enjoy a day of horseback riding.  In fact, there are many trails and horses awaiting you right here in Greater Raleigh.

Painted Sunset Farm is a family-oriented Raleigh farm that offers scenic trails, where you’ll likely encounter deer, wild turkey, foxes, rabbits or groundhogs. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned rider, you can enjoy Painted Farm’s relaxing western-style horseback riding experiences.

If you have a horse of your own and are looking for a great new bridle trail to enjoy, William B. Umstead State Park has more than 13 miles of bridle trails that travel through some of the most secluded and scenic areas within the park.  Get in touch with nature on this trail and introduce your horse to a whole new area.

For a comprehensive list of places where you can find trail rides, riding lessons, horseback riding camps, and shows, visit this site.