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6 things to know before you take your family on a horseback trail ride

It’s an adventure for the ENTIRE family, but before you saddle up and ride, there are a few things you need to know. John Stewart, Manager/Owner, K-Trails Equestrian Adventures, tells us more:Family Trail Rides

– There are a number of places within an easy drive: Fort Ben on the east side, Natural Valley in Brownsburg for the west side, K-Trails up north and Brown County State Park down south

– Safety tips: Wear a helmet. Even though these are well trained horses, they are still large 1500 lbs. animals. Listen to your trail guide.

– Communication: We try and teach our guests how to better communicate with their horse in a friendly and courteous manner. Horses don’t enjoy being pulled on or kicked just like we don’t like being yelled at all the time. Horses are very sensitive and can feel a fly land on its back, so you don’t have to kick them to get their attention. And I find that when people learn to calm down and develop a feel with a horse they end up being happier and find peace themselves.

Age and size of a child to ride: Age and size of the child and the temperament of the horse or pony. I want to give every kid a great first horse experience. We offer trail rides for children 7 and up but have ponies for those under 7 for a parent/child experience.

What to wear: Long pants and closed toed shoes are needed. Boots with a heel are preferred.

Who can or cannot ride: Pregnant women will be fine. Most actually enjoy the rhythm and peace while riding. But if people have balance and can sit on a horse they’ll be good.

Health benefits: It’s all about health and wellness… there are all kinds of therapeutic riding programs that prove riding is good for core development and overall health. But there are tremendous emotional and psychological benefits of connecting with a horse. They are the most incredible creatures and for many people meeting a horse will change the direction of their life.

K-Trails:

• Indy’s newest attraction, K-Trails in Hamilton County

• Guided horseback riding experience ideal for family adventures, groups outings, couples’ date night, etc. in beautiful Strawtown Koteewi Park

• Premium trail riding experience – this is not like most trail rides across the country where you just pay your money, hop on a horse like an arcade ride and get off 20-30 mins later. Each K-Trails experience includes an introduction to horses in our beautiful indoor training arena where we go over trail riding rules and guidelines, give some basic instructions so everyone has a great time and we also cover Leave No Trace principles and how to share the trails. Our goal is to introduce people to horses and give them a great horse experience.

• Strawtown Koteewi Park trails are shared by hikers, runners, mountain bikers and equestrians. We want to make sure people know how to show respect for others and share these beautiful trails.

• Hamilton County funded our beautiful new equestrian facility and it’s located in the new Koteewi Adventures area which includes Koteewi Archery, Koteewi Aerial Adventure Park and also where the Parks & Recreation Department is building a new tubing hill for next winter.

• Our guided rides are designed for people aged 7 years old and up but we have built a nice pony ring for parents or grandparents to lead younger guests, those with special needs or anyone really that just wants a pony ride.

To learn more, visit www.ktrails.com.