Horse Riding

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEATHERWOOD MOUNTAINS A Leatherwood Mountains handler offers a private lesson to a young rider.

Enjoying the fall colors in the saddle

BY JORDYN DANIELS

Just say it is an old-school way to enjoy autumn in the High Country. But also be sure to say “giddyup.”

Horses fit the Blue Ridge Mountains like fingers in a riding glove. While it is home to the Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve and the longest, continuous running equestrian event in the United States at 99 years in the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show, there are also premium spots to saddle up and mosey around while in awe of the fall colors.

Bring your own horse and be sure to venture out on the 26 miles of carriage trails at the Cone Manor Estate, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Alternatively, you can park near the estate’s Bass Lake and enter the trails a mile below the grand old architectural wonder dating back to the late 1800s, Flat Top Manor.

If you didn’t bring your own horse, there are plenty of options for unplugging from the digital world for awhile for a day of adventure and fun.

Specializing in the Cone Estate riding adventures is VX3 Trail Rides (828) 9630260 (www.vx3trailrides.com). Back at the turn of the 19th into the 20th century, Bertha Cone had the trails designed to be no more than an 11 percent grade. Moses Cone was also known as “The Denim King,” and the couple made the estate their summer respite. Now the entertaining guide, owner Tim Vines, leads individuals or groups out onto the trails, year-round, weather permitting. The rides are custom and around 2.5 hours. Be sure to book in advance, the tours book up quickly.

You might also check out Leatherwood Stables down the mountain a little bit in Ferguson, with some 75 miles of trails to ride and explore. They consist of woodsy paths along beautiful ridges, old logging roads, creek crossings, as well as a mixture of long climbs and descents. It is a 4,000-acre resort on the boundary separating Watauga and Wilkes counties. (800) 462-6867 (www.leatherwoodmountains.com).

Whether an experienced cowboy or a little green in your horsemanship, Dutch Creek Trails offers horseback riding adventures in Vilas, a little east of Boone. Known as a “cowboy poet,” owner Keith Ward admits that he lives on the wrong side of the Mississippi, born and raised on a farm in the Appalachian Mountains. (828) 297-7117 (www.dutchcreektrails. com).

At Banner Elk Stables, in addition to a scenic ride on the flanks of Beech Mountain in Avery County, you might be riding a horse that was used in a movie, according to the business’ website. They describe it as, “a memorable, high mountain trail ride in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.” (828) 898-5424 (www.bannerelkstables.com).