Loving Vermont Living: What To Do

First came the lessons and getting used to the equipment, then came the fun. Dan was great with us, he took his time explaining the process, the hand signals, the driving, and throughout he kept his sense of humor and knowledge of the area, which put us at ease. If you have never been ATV riding, then you are missing out – just imagine having a big bulky powerful piece of machinery in between your legs and drive around tough rocky roads, fields and dirt.

We were told to wear old/dirty clothes because we would get even dirtier – we did, and it was totally worth it. At one point, after riding for a while, I noticed my son who was riding with my husband had fallen asleep. He was literally so relaxed and so comfortable that he fell asleep. I was with my daughter and I kept pointing out things for her to see and she had a blast. Seriously, give the folks at N.E.K Adventures ATV and Snowmobile Tours a call and arrange a tour, it’ll be an unforgettable experience and don’t forget to tip your teacher and guide.

Jose & Max (5 years old)

Then we were off to a horse stable, so we could experience horseback riding. I rode a horse once when I was 5 for about 5 minutes at a zoo – this was the extent of my horseback riding experience. My kids can barely ride a bike – now we’re about to ride a horse – what were we thinking?!

Debby - Owner of DND Stables

Debby Newland, the owner of DND Stables, was super pleasant and understanding of how fearful we were. She found the best horses for our personalities and matched us accordingly. She found a smaller horse who was super calm, easy and friendly for my daughter who was about 8, my son was about 6 so she decided to ride with him on her horse – he was leading the group so that made him feel special. Then my husband and I were given two strong horses who were super easy to maneuver, which was ideal for our non-existing horseback riding skills.

Giddy up! Off we went one horse following the other, over the hills and into the woods and we were off. A delightful experience, clouded by our own fears and apprehensions, but the horses did their thing. My daughter felt super comfortable with her horse, my husband was sliding off his, and my butt was hurting, but the whole time we were enjoying the ride. The beauty of these animals and their strength to carry us and ride around and jump and run. It was unreal. Another experience we highly recommend for people 5 and up, and with Debby of DND Stables even those with zero experience can easily enjoy.

Look Daddies, we're on a horse!

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