Missouri Foxtrot Ride

Introduction
Missouri USA
Experience the smooth-speed and agility of the exceptionally even-tempered gaited Missouri Foxtrot Horses while riding in the Missouri Ozarks - south of the glacier line in the heart of Missouri's cattle country. Relax and experience the pleasures of country living and ride over endless trails in the Meramec River Valley.

Your starting point is a small family farm set on the spring-fed Meramec River in East Central Missouri. The surrounding countryside is home to wild turkey, white-tailed deer and many other native Missouri animals. Great Blue Herons nest in the sycamores. Bass and trout flourish in the Meramec River and nearby streams. Your ride begins at your cabin door!  Explore rivers, caves, forests and farmlands.

Accomodation


Accommodations
This is a stationary ride, so all nights are spent at the same location.

Description
Our Cabin-Bunkhouse was built in 2005 from cedar logs hauled in by our own team of Percheron draft horses and constructed and decorated with a cowboy theme. Your surroundings will transform you to out west! There is a 6 person hot tub/spa pool to relax in when not riding. On cool evenings gather around the stone hearth, by the fireplace, made from local river rocks. Enjoy the view of our large lake from your porch, a very romantic setting for special occasions. If you want more excitement than just relaxing in the evenings in the quiet, calm of the ranch, you can always head into the nearby towns for movie theaters, music halls (bluegrass and western country music), and local watering-hole pubs. If you want to enjoy some other points of interest, during, before or after you ranch stay, the town of Cuba (12 mi) and Rolla (30 mi) have antique shops with quirky vintage items and there is a winery in the region as well! The Onondaga Cave is 25 minute drive form the ranch - guests favorite!!  Meramec Spring Park is beautiful in the spring and has a trout hatchery! Wi-Fi is available and laundry facilities are at the guests disposal.



Lodge
There is 1 private double occupancy bedroom in the main ranch house. It has a Queen size bed and its own private bath and shower.

Cabin
There is a 2-bedroom cabin. The cabin can accommodate 7 riders at the max, one group for the entirety or two groups can each take a bedroom; one room has 1 Queen size bed and the other room has 2 double beds. Finally, there is an optional futon in the living room for a single. The cabin is equipped with a full kitchen and stove, refrigerator, microwave oven, dishes, tableware, pans & cooking utensils and cable TV. The bathroom is shared in the cabin.

Room Occupancy
There is no single supplement fee if you are wiling to share.



Meals
Meals are not included in your package.

There are many local restaurants in Bourbon near the ranch which your hosts can recommend for you or else you can bring groceries on your own and make meals in the kitchen of the cabin! Bourbon has a nice grocery & deli open till 9:00pm. Guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol if they wish.

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to guests with special dietary restrictions with prior notice.

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


Riding Level
Your mount will be selected with your own riding abilities in mind. Rides are adjusted to each individual's riding abilities for the riders, as well as the horses! "Fox Trotting at its Finest," is what we like to call the special gaited horse rides we offer on our beautiful and healthy Missouri Foxtrotting Horses - they are smooth, quick, sure-footed and kind, able to handle the hilly and rocky 'outlaw trails' in style.

Horses
At the ranch we have a very special relationship with our herd of 30+ Foxtrotters, Tennessee Walkers, Quarter Horses and Draft Horses. We have bred, raised and trained them to provide guests with the finest riding opportunities. In addition, the "Big Girls," our Percheron draft horses, can be used for pulling the hayride wagon in the summer and sleigh rides in the winter.

Itinerary


Sample Itinerary- subject to changes
Below is a sample itinerary only. Upon your arrival your hosts will help you design a riding holiday that is right for you. You have many trail riding options, roping, horse-drawn hayrides or sleigh rides in the winter. In addition to riding there is hiking, bird watching or swimming in the nearby river.

Day 1
In the afternoon you arrive at the 500-acre family-operated cattle and horse ranch. Meet your hosts and settle into your secluded log cabin or room. Take time to admire the view of the sparkling lake from the porch of your cabin. Your dinner is served from an authentic chuck wagon while nearby musicians play Bluegrass music around the campfire. The evening ends with an old-fashioned hayride, behind a team of coal black Percheron draft horses, into the sunset. The following days will offer a variety of riding excursions into the Meramec countryside. Several days will include a short morning transfer for horses and riders, giving you a wide range of trails to explore.

Day 2
The morning ride introduces you to the gait of the foxtrot horse so that you will enjoy a smooth ride across the ranch, returning for a cowboy lunch at the house. After lunch it is back on the trail to explore rock bluffs decorated with drawings by the Osage Indians.

Day 3
Ride across country and over a ridge to a neighboring homestead that raises buffalo and other animals. Our host Fran will give you a tour of her farm, after which you will enjoy your lunch on the front porch of her log house while watching buffalo graze nearby. A fast-paced foxtrot ride returns you in time for dinner.

Day 4
Time to Cowboy Up! You can help saddle and load your horse before heading to Blue Springs Ranch. From Blue Springs Ranch you can see some of the most spectacular lookouts over the Meramec River. Your ride today will cover miles along river frontage and through farms, ranches and hardwood forests. You climb the landscape for impressive views from bluffs over looking the river. You will enjoy a saddle bag lunch overlooking the Meramec River. This is a challenging all day ride that you will not want to miss.

Day 5
It is time to saddle and load up to head deeper into Ozark country for today’s ride. We will be unloading our horses at the Brazil Campground to ride the Berryman Trail. You will be riding switch backs and thru thick stands of pine forest. You’ll enjoy your saddle bag lunch overlooking the forest.

Day 6
Transfer horses and riders to a completely different area: Dry Fork Creek. Ride on the Lenauer Farm, settled by German immigrants in the late 1800s. This unique farm still has huge stands of virgin timber though you will ride under huge stands of oak and maple and through pastures of cattle along Dry Fork Creek. Let you horse gait back to the woods to a natural rock bridge, complete with a cave and spring-fed pool of water. This is where you will have lunch today. Afterwards, a short ride takes you back to the ranch for the evening. Relax, fish, or reflect on the great day you've had.

Day 7
Departure after breakfast.



Non-riding Activities
When you aren't riding, you can choose to just sit back and relax in the hot tub or a rocking chair on the front porch with a beverage, or keep active and go fishing, hiking or bird watching. Nearby in the summer, the cool and refreshing waters of the Upper Meramec River provide great swimming holes and cool serenity amongst the scenic background of gravel bars, sand bars, and towering bluffs. Canoeing, Kayaking or Rafting down the Meramec River is easily available.
If you like star gazing or moonlight activities by campfire, we offer a BBQ grill and fire pit, and wood to make a marshmallow roasting fire nightly!
We can also arrange stagecoach rides, a tour of our cattle pastures and a tour of a local historic cemetery dating back to 1869.
Onondaga Cave in Leasburg Missouri is also just a 20 minute drive from the ranch.

Rates and Dates for Missouri Foxtrot Ride

Dates Note: Extra days possible -- please inquire.
Sold Out Dates (as of 5/16/2023): all dates sold out except July 16 to 22

Other Info
Meeting: Bourbon
Airport: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
Transfer: --

Climate:
                                            Bourbon area