Nature Trail Ride Experience

Climb into the saddle and enjoy your private Nature Trail Ride.  Jan Brubacher is your mounted guide along with her stable of trustworthy horses. Learn about Historic Fremont, settled in 1720 as you amble down country roads, passing the historic cemetery, through a working farm on to the fabulous Rockingham Rail-Trail network, a gem of deep woods, streams and ponds filled with flora & fauna forever protected on 1,704 acres of conservation land.  The ride is a wonderful experience as your horse walk calmly along green pastures with cows and chickens, past the historic cemetery and over streams of water through the cool forest and bright sunshine.  Return home with stories to share.  Don’t forget to take pictures!

What’s Important to Know

YOU WILL RIDE INDEPENDENTLY IN CHARGE OF YOUR HORSE!   YOU WILL NOT BE FOLLOWING horse-head-to-horse-tail dude ranch style as a clueless passenger. North Road Farm is a RIDING SCHOOL where folks come to learn to be riders – not mindless hacks. 

If you are a humane, skilled and fit rider, we may urge the horses to go faster at the trot, canter – even hand gallop!  Our goal is to bring you back in the saddle – safely, exhilarated with a big grin your face, not terrorized or traumatized.

You will have extra time to groom, connect and tack-up your horse.  For many riders, this is a special time to just be with your horse to discharge your tension, unwind and shift to a horse mind-set. We are always here to assist you.  Choose English or western gear adjusted to fit you and your horse.  Use our school helmets or bring your own.  You must wear long pants and shoes with a heel – for your safety.  No shorts or sneakers.

Don’t forget that bag of carrots or apples to treat your horse!

Pre-Trail Ride Lesson

All new, beginning or re-starting riders must take a pre-trail lesson first.  Our goal is to help you become an independent rider.  Sound good?  Well, yes because the trail ride will depart immediately after your lesson.

Here are equitation skills you will learn:

1. Mount/dismount horse.
2. Sit balanced in the saddle on your seat and pelvic bones. Did you know that right-handed riders lean to the right and ignor the left?
3. How to use your legs, seat, hands and voice to cue your horse.  Yes, horses are right and left handed also.  Learn how to ride them correctly.
4. Cue your horse to go forward, turn left, turn right and stop.
5. Sit and stand in the stirrups at walk and trot. Standing in the stirrups is great exercise and a wonderful way to learn how to trot with comfort.
6. Execute a hand-over-hand emergency turn to stop your horse from eating grass 🙂  There is nothing more frustrating that being helpless while your horse ignores your random commands.