Horses and Riders An Emotional Gift for Your Family

Photo courtesy of Circle B in Lancaster

While North Central Massachusetts may not be the first on anyone’s list of horseback riding options, the radar reveals spots for horses and rider. Also, families who want to get started with horse life can find a few regional spots to keep top of mind.

Where to Get Started

Some factors to consider when getting started are: What age group will ride? What discipline interests riders? How far will aspiring riders be willing to drive? Does the town of residence have a local 4-H or pony club to help with education on basic horse care and horsemanship?

Davis Farmland in Sterling makes a great regional place to start. At that farm, riders may start with a pony, which will help them or family members see if riding is something for them.

Cornerstone Ranch in Princeton offers classes, trail riding, riding tours, workshops, and more.

Where to Get Supplies

Low Places Ranch makes a good place to start for supplies. The ranch offers high quality hay, feed, and other tack. Low Places also offers hay testing and, recently, riding courses.

When a barn needs support, a great place to begin is with the folks at Barn Depot in Lancaster. Horse people operate Barn Depot, and they know all about what makes a good barn, stable, and stall for a horse family. Barn Depot offers doors, handles, hay racks, matts, chew guards, and more. Reach Barn Depot by phone or visit online, since the office is not a retail spot. And, for those needing a barn built, the sister company, Circle B Barns, can provide support in the construction work.

Where to Ride

Anywhere along Nashua River makes for lovely riding, and so does Groton Town Forest. Check the state’s website to make sure a particular route is open to the public for horseback riding.

Squannacook River Rail Trail offers 3.7 miles of crushed stone and horseback riding is allowed. Trail end points are at the intersection of Depot and Center streets in Townsend and in the Bertozzi Wildlife Management Area in Groton.

The Lake Denison Recreation area in Baldwinville also has trails for horseback riding.

On the Topic of Therapy

Photo courtesy of Circle B in Lancaster

Long known to have a therapeutic effect on humans, horses have large hearts and, it is said, feel very intensely what their riders feel. For that reason, among others, horses often equate to healing and relief from anxiety.

Rein in a Dream, RIAD, in Lancaster offers therapeutic horsemanship and animal-assisted therapy. RIAD specializes in services for children and adults with a wide range of mental health, cognitive, and developmental challenges.

Another farm offering therapy, non-profit High Ridge Harmony Farm in Westminster focuses on animal-assisted healing. Retired and rescued animals stable here.

In the age of too many individuals spending too much time on screens, giving the gift of outside time riding makes a real gift, indeed.

North Central Massachusetts offers a variety of riding options for individuals and families.