The only multi-day trips I have heard of which use horses are hunting guides who sometimes just use horses for packing when people go moose or caribou hunting. But I would start there, by researching hunting guides. Since you have done week-long trips before, you are probably used to camping so you will not be put off by wilderness conditions. The thing to remember in Alaska is that there are not necessarily a lot of places where trails and access go on for days of riding in the wilderness. It can get very brushy and rough. But it’s a big place…
The other thing I would do is actually call some of the better-rated riding companies and get their input. I looked online at some of the day rides and for what it’s worth, I have some links here and my impressions.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti…er_Alaska.html
Homer is a beautiful place and this trip would take you down by the water and apparently, down to the salt flats where this guy keeps his cattle. Any horse tour in Alaska is going to show off beautiful scenery, but this area also has a variety of terrains, including some wide open spaces. The Yelp reviews are very positive. The distances here would make overnight trips very possible, I just don’t know if the company does them.
http://alaskahorsemen.com
This place on the Kenai Peninsula looks like fun, and the Copper River area is gorgeous. The website and ratings are impressive, but I would prefer the Homer trip myself because I have hiked several of these Kenai trails or been to the lakes and they appeal to me more as hiking trips, just because the areas are heavily wooded… Although… it might be nice to have the horse haul you up some of those hills. Also, the lakes are cold but GREAT for swimming! The area is mountainous. The trails I have been on are not steep or scary though, more like foothill hikes to alpine lakes. In my opinion, the mosquitos would be way worse here than on the beaches and salt flats near Homer.
Be sure and check climate in some areas. For instance, I notice a day trip riding place in Seward. Seward is beautiful but like Valdez, it is in a rain forest and you would be wise to count on rain rather than counting on clear weather.
http://www.denalihorsebacktours.com
For great weather, look to the interior; near the parks by Denali (like the link above which is in Healy, right next to the park), or near Fairbanks or Delta Junction (which has a lot of hay farms and a small horse community). Back to the Healy thing: there are wild bison and lots of caribou in this area and lots of open spaces, so it would be a very interesting area to ride in. Also, the farther north you get, the longer the summer days, which is a lot fun. I would definitely call this woman and pick her brain about a multi-day trip.
A bigger horse community is in the Mat-Su valley, near Palmer or Wasilla. It is a gorgeous area (but all the areas are gorgeous) which gets decent weather but sometimes windy. Wind can be a good thing though, because it keeps the mosquitos at bay. I am kind of surprised that no one from Palmer or Wasilla has commented on this thread because there is a healthy community of horse people and I believe a few are members of this forum.
Good luck, and I hope this has been of some use to you!
