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Best Places For Horseback Riding In Minnesota

Horseback riding can provide countless hours of fun and entertainment, but maintaining horses can be a costly undertaking. You may not have the time or resources to keep horses full time, but that doesn't mean horseback riding is not possible. Most of these locations are under an hour's drive away from the Twin Cities, making it very convenient to tackle a riding experience. With these stables, you and your family can learn to horseback ride without the high costs of keeping a horse. For those who already know how to ride, many of the stables listed below provide guided trail rides.

River Valley Ranch
16480 Jonathan Carver Parkway
Carver, MN 55315
(952) 361-3361
www.rivervalleyhorseranch.com

River Valley Ranch provides riders with hour-long guided tours. In order to take advantage of these tours, riders must make reservations by phone. The tours are given near the ranch in the scenic Minnesota river valley, located about 25 minutes southwest of Minneapolis. Riders must be at least 50 inches tall in order to participate, and the ranch gives discounts to groups of 20 or more.

HHH Ranch
16032 180th St. E.
Hastings, MN 55033
(651) 338-2792
www.hhhranch.net

HHH Ranch offers trail rides at local parks, and rides are suited to the ability of riders and the size of the group, according to the ranch's website. Horseback riders are welcome to become involved and help prepare and saddle their horses for the trail ride. In addition, the ranch offers horseback riding lessons and horseback day camps for children. The 61-acre camp is complete with nine stalls and four miles of wooded trails for use by all, according to the website.

Related: Best Hotels In Minnesota For The Young And Hip

Hiddenbrook Peruvians
36205 Hastings St. N.E.
Cambridge, MN 55008
(763) 689-1864
www.hiddenbrookperuvians.com

Hiddenbrook Peruvians provides one-hour and three-hour trail rides on Peruvian Paso breed horses. The one-hour rides are conducted during the winter months and are available for riders of any skill level. The three-hour trail rides are provided for 18-and-older pairs with previous riding experience. Most rides are conducted in local state parks, according to the Hiddenbrook Peruvians website. The company also provides pony parties and riding lessons.

Bunker Park Stable
550 Bunker Lake Blvd. N.W.
Andover, MN 55304
(763) 757-9445
www.bunkerparkstable.com

Bunker Park Stable provides an excellent outing for children of any age. The stable offers trail rides, pony leads, lessons and day camps. In order to participate in an hour-long trail ride, children must be eight years old and at least 52 inches tall. Those under eight years old are welcome to participate in 25-minute pony rides. Helmets are required for all participants under 18 years of age. The stable is located on about 1,600 acres in Bunker Hills Regional Park.

Roselawn Stables
24069 Rum River Blvd.
St. Francis, MN 55070
(763) 753-5517
www.roselawnstables.com

Roselawn Stables is a great place for children who wish to learn to ride horses. Roselawn provides riding lessons and day camps for riders of all ability levels. It has camps as short as two days or as long as a week, and children ages seven to 17 are welcome to enroll. Fundraisers are available to help cover the cost of camp, according to the Roselawn Stables website. The stable also has an equestrian team for children ages 12 to 18.

Related: Best Running Clubs In Minnesota

Kristyn Gansen is a freelance writer covering all things Minneapolis. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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