Which Ride Should You Choose?

As a base line, riders should be 7 years or older and at most 225 pounds. However, some rides have slightly different requirements. Make sure to double check the requirements for the ride before you book it! These requirements are strictly enforced with a scale during check in. 

Have honest conversations with the other members of your group to ensure they fit the ride requirements.

Prior riding experience is not necessary. In fact, many of our guests have their first ride with Swan Mountain Outfitters! A short safety speech and demonstration is conducted before every ride and our wranglers will be on the trail with you for instructions during the ride. All of our rides are at a walking pace in single file, making most trails novice-friendly. 

For those with prior riding experience, it is essential that you ride at a walk in single file. This is due to the length and steepness of our trails. This could be boring if you have a need for speed or more advanced skills, but what we consider difficult has less to do with your horsemanship and more to do with our terrain. 

For all riders, it is essential to remember that horses are living creatures, not machines. Even the best trained and most reliable horses can behave unpredictably or make quick, sudden movements that could result in a fall. We do our best to limit the risk of these moments, but horses will never be entirely risk-free by nature. 

Have honest conversations with the other members of your group about what their expectations and limits are.

Our rides require a certain degree of fitness. All guests must be able to mount their horse from the ground unaided- this means no step stool or mounting block! Ask yourself: Can you balance on one foot and stretch to the stirrup? Can you push off the ground with one leg and pull yourself up? Our rides may not make you break a sweat, but if you cannot get on the horse from the ground, you will not be able to ride. 

Once mounted, you’ll be maintaining a position that your body may not be used to. In this position, common areas of discomfort are the hips and knees. If someone in your group has pre-existing issues in their hips or knees, this could become a serious, painful, and unsafe situation. Please notify us of any pre-existing conditions before your ride. 

Stamina should be considered. If you cannot hike the trail, you should not ride the trail. In emergency situations this could be very dangerous. Additionally those without the stamina to hike the trails almost always have a miserable time riding the trail. A general rule of thumb is: If you can’t hike it, don’t ride it.

Have honest conversations with the other members of the group about what their expectations and limits are.

Parents may be surprised to find that their kids who begged and begged to ride may become bored or restless after just an hour or so.  Any fear of heights or vertigo that you have may be worsened on a horse. The possibility of emptying your bladder behind a tree instead of in a toilet… these are factors that some folks don’t foresee.

Have honest conversations with the other members of your group about what their expectations and limits are.