I had a blog about the Galloping Grace's Horse Ranch and several of you asked me how you can sign up. You can check them out at
We went twice last week and the kids loved it. It is completely free, they do accept donations. They don't make you feel like you owe then anything though. They run the Pumpkin Patch and Christmas Tree Farm on the corner of Paseo and Eagle Ranch as their two major fundraisers. They start at 3 years old. They allow you to come up to twice a month and schedule out about a month in advance. You can email them for an appt at trishkoester@ggyr.org. It is located off of Northern in Rio Rancho. First your kids will learn the safety rules. Then they will shovel manure- I am serious. My kids thought that was fun- I have weird kids, they also love to clean toilets. Then they brush, saddle, and walk the horse to the ring. They learn how to mount and ride. If they are confident enough and he thinks they're ready he'll actually unhook the lead rope and let them ride on their own. (He's just a few feet away.) It takes about an hour and a half. Max, the owner is the one who is teaching them and he is fantastic. Just a warning for the faint in heart- like me- last time we were there Max's son found a 4 ft long Bull snake right where we had just been. I realize that these are the "Good Snakes"- if there is such a thing. But it still frightened my a little. They embrace wildlife out there. His son wore it like a scarf the whole hour we were there and my kids really enjoyed touching it! My skin is crawling just thinking about it!
If you've ever gone to the pumpkin patch, and talked with the people, they really are super friendly. Very sweet. I have been meaning to go for a while. I don't get my pumpkins anywhere else now, just to give them my tiny bit of support. Definitely a must do! Thanks for the pictures, Susan!
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