Has anyone attended the week long trail ride at Circle E Ranch in Belvidere, TN? I am planning to attend one this year and was wondering what the footing was like on the trails? I wasn’t sure if it was rocky or mostly grass. Any other tips and pointers would be greatly appreciated!
It can be incredibly muddy if it has been raining. The water comes off the plateau and soaks the land below which is thick woods. In the Fall, the leaves cover big slabs of slick rock on the trails. I had a horse almost go down, and another did go down. Horses should be wearing borium on all four and smart riders will be in helmets.
It’s not ‘easy’ riding, at all. The climb out of the ‘holler’ on the Sawmill side was slick, deep, and scary as crap.
I can’t say I’d go back.
Oh my! We always ride with helmets, but I was hoping to hear the footing would be better. Both my ponies right now are barefoot, but I will be discussing the possibility of shoes today with the farrier. Hopefully it won’t rain a lot before we go!
I found it really treacherous. The hidden slabs of rocks were scary. Esp on the far side of a creek. Not fun.
I camped there last August. It’s pretty typical for Tennessee. Yes, it’s rocky, but not horribly so. It’s no more steep and slippery than everything I ride. My barefoot horse was fine, although I had boots just in case. The sawmill side is supposedly easier than the new side. We rode the old side because that is where we camped, and in two days, that was all we needed.
