Some horse experience preferred, but not necessary. You’ll be compensated a weekly base salary, plus tips.

Wranglers
Wranglers focus upon proper horse care and grooming, horse fitness for service, tack assessment and adjustment of tack to horse and rider. They ensure the quality and fit for function of tack and equipment and bring any worn or defective equipment to the attention of the supervisor.

Each wrangler must learn ARA policies and procedures. Experienced Wranglers accompany rides, to learn these procedures, prior to being promoted to Trail Guide.

Trail Guides
The prerequisite for being a guide is to complete the training and demonstrated proficiency as a Wrangler. Guides focus on rider safety, horse and rider performance, navigation, rider comfort, and knowledge of emergency procedures. Guides and Lead Guides help ensure rider safety and maintain a minimum ratio of one Lead Guide or Guide for every four riders.

Lead Guides
Only lead guides may take riders on trails independently. Lead guides are required to ride with ARA for a minimum of six months. Lead guides are qualified for each trail for which they are designated as lead guide. To qualify as Lead Guide, each lead guide candidate must lead at least two rides, demonstrating competence on a given trail, under the oversight of a Lead Guide. Lead Guides direct the activities of Guides and Wranglers on the trail and ensure rider safety and implementation of emergency procedures.

INTERESTED? Click HERE to email. PLEASE attach your resume.

We’re riding our favorite trails by the light of the bright, full moon. We’ll depart the historic San Acacia Schoolhouse (home of ARA) at sunset, each evening.

Ride one of our exceptional horses, or bring your own.

2012 MOONLIGHT RIDES:

* Did you know? Historically, Native Americans kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to the recurring full Moons.

¤ March 3rd – 8th

March is called the Full Worm Moon: At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins.

¤ April 1st – 6th

The Pink Moon: Heralding the appearance of pink wild meadow phlox—one of the first spring flowers.

¤ May 1st – 6th

The Corn Planting Moon: When first seeds are sown in the soil.

¤ May 31st - June 5th

The Strawberry Moon: A time to gather and harvest the first ripe berries.

¤ June 29th – July 3rd

Thunder Moon: When the monsoon season begins and thunderstorms are frequent.

¤ July 29th – August 2nd

The Grain Moon: When our horsies’ favorite dish (alfalfa) is harvested from the fields.

¤ August 26th – August 31st

The Barley Moon: Time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley. (Another horsie delicacy.)

¤ September 25th – September 30th

The Harvest Moon: Casting such a bright light that this moon allows night work to finish the harvest chores.

¤ October 24th – October 29th

The Hunter’s Moon: When tribes lay in a store of provisions for the long winter.

* October is the last month of the year when you’ll find us howling at the bright full moon. Winter nights are just a tad too chilly. Come March… weather permitting… we’ll pick up right where we left off.

Questions? Call Dacodah: 575.517.0477 Or, click HERE to email.

Sign up for the historic Chief Joseph 5-day Trail Ride, scheduled for July 29th – August 4th, in Yellowstone National Park.

This is an endurance ride, averaging 20 miles per day. You’ll ride 100 miles, in 5 days, along the Nez Perce Trail of Tears.

It takes 13 years to complete the Chief Joseph Benefit Trail Ride – 100 miles each year for a total of 1,300 miles. Visit the Appaloosa Horse Club website to sign up, or learn more about this historic ride.

The truly stunning aspect of this ride is that the ONLY horses allowed on this special benefit trail ride are registered American Appaloosas. Imagine, witnessing 200 spotted horses trekking the back country of Yellowstone National Park.

* We rent Appaloosas to experienced riders. So, we can help you make this dream come true.

Brief History Lesson:
The Chief Joseph Trail Ride is so-named to honor the leader of the Nez Perce. As with most stories of Native American history, there is nothing pretty about this one. When the U.S. government tried to re-locate them – they chose, instead, to seek asylum in Canada. Traveling 1,300 miles over mountain terrain, with the U.S. Calvary in hot pursuit. They credited the athletic ability of their Appaloosa horses (a breed developed by the Nez Perce Indians in the 18th century,) for continually out-maneuvering the military.

We don’t want to dwell on all the negative aspects of this because it was a long time ago and people back then were too uneducated to know any better. ‘Nuff said.

We’d much rather glorify these stunning spotted horses. In 2012, this rides explores the stunning back country of Yellowstone National Park. Call us for more information.

* It takes 13 years to complete the Chief Joseph Benefit trail ride – 100 miles each year for a total of 1300 miles. The route follows the Nez Perce flight from the US Calvary in the late 1800’s. It originates in Joseph, Oregon and ends in Bear Paw Meadow, Montana, just 40 miles shy of the Canadian border. Where we’re sorry to say, Chief Joseph was forced to surrender.

We LOVE hearing from our new found friends and riders. Got something you’d like to say? LEAVE A COMMENT! 

OR, click HERE to SEND US AN EMAIL.

****************

Hey ARA!

I could think of a lot of ways to say “Thank you!” for the ride yesterday but I’ll just sum it up like this:

I hope that I don’t live so long that I forget the day that I crossed the Rio Grande… on horseback!

Many thanks from me (Walter), my wife Kelly, mother-in-law Joy and brother-in-law Nathan for a wonderful ride on a beautiful day. Kelly and I don’t get to New Mexico as often as we’d like but already look forward to seeing and riding with you again.

Your horse, Festus, had me feeling like I was ready to ride with the 9th Cavalry!

Until the next time: Happy Trails!

All The Best!
Walter M. ~ California

Just want to thank you for the GREAT Trail Riding experience. It was a terrific way to experience New Mexico! Such a pleasure to ride with you and Matt. Be sure to give those sweet horses, Gracie and Splendor, a treat for us and please do say HI to Paula for us. We will post some pictures on facebook when we get home.

Thanks again ~ Linda & Ben, Canada

Want to include pictures? Email us HERE.

Cinco de Mayo
Camp Out • Trail Ride • Full Moon Riding Adventure

May 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
In scenic San Acacia ~ about an hour south of ABQ.

Bring your horse. Rent a horse. Don’t miss out on this fully catered 4-day trail ride and FULL MOON TRAIL RIDING event!

The Scoop:

• This is a 4 day event ~ May, 3, 4, 5 & 6. You do not have to participate all 4 days. Join us for all, or part, of this fun time.
• It’s called a Wagon Wheel Trail Ride ~ Because we’ll camp in one central location, all 4 days. At ARA headquarters in San Acacia, NM. (About 1 hour south of Albuquerque.)
• Each day, we’ll head out in different directions, on different trails across the historic Rio Grande and into the stunning New Mexico back country.
• And, if you’re up for more big fun (which we highly recommend…) we’ll go back out after dinner to ride our horses under a bright, full moon!
• BRING YOUR HORSE. Or, rent a horse from ARA. (See below for more detail.)
• Plenty of space for camping with RVs, tents, etc. Heck, we even have a bunkhouse, if you want to stay warm.
• If you prefer a softer setting, click HERE to see hotels 10 minutes from ARA HQ. (Lots of riders board their horse at ARA and hotel it for multi-day events.)

COSTS:
$350, per rider, covering the full, 4 days. Which includes 4 days of 5 star meals.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner is included in this ride fee. (Lunches will be packed for picnics along the trail.)

* $100, per rider, per day, if you choose not to do all 4 days. *Be sure to list the days you will be attending when you fill out reservation form (see link below.)

HORSE KEEPING:

• You can keep your horses at your campsite at no extra cost. Should you choose… $20 corral rental, per day. $20, per day, additional, if you would like ARA to provide feed.
• Well-trained trail horses are available to rent from ARA:
  Cost ~ $45 Horse Rental [each day] Or, $135 for the full 4 days. [Thursday - Sunday]

Questions? Call us: 575.517.0477. Or, click HERE to send us an email right now.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE on this ride by clicking here. This form also includes horse rental, if needed.

HORSEBACK SCAVENGER HUNT

& WEEKEND TRAIL RIDE

In San Acacia, N.M.

MARCH 17TH & 18TH, 2012

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE!

Join ARA & the New Mexico Horseback Trail Riders on St. Patrick’s Day weekend for two fun-filled days of back country trail rides!

On Saturday, we’re doing a horseback scavenger hunt in the scenic back country ~ about 1 hour south of ABQ.

We’ve hidden shamrocks out there! Search for them with your riding group. Collect as many as you can because at the end of the day, the person who has found the most shamrocks takes home the pot o’ gold.

On Sunday, we’ll do a more relaxing ride exploring a different back country trail in the same general area.

COSTS: $20 Entrance fee per rider. This entrance fee goes into the pot o’gold and will be disbursed to winners at the end of the day. (More details to come.)

Bring your horse. Or, rent a horse from ARA.

DETAILS:
$10 Corral Rental, per day. $22, per day, if ARA provides feed.
$45 Horse Rental [Saturday] $60 for the weekend. [Saturday & Sunday]
Primitive Camping & RV Parking available, no charge.

Stay for the weekend and let’s make it a slumber party! Bring your sleeping bag and bunk in the historic San Acacia Schoolhouse ~ where we provide all sorts of exciting amenities. Such as heat and running water. $10 lodging fee for Saturday night.

Reserve your spot on the  St. Paddy’s Day Ride!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP ONLINE
Or, call us: 575.517.0477

1st Annual Poker Ride!

Saturday, January 21st

Registration @ 9 a.m. •  Rides depart @ 11 a.m.

What is a “POKER RIDE?”

It’s a fine excuse to saddle up, meet new people and have some fun with your horse. Who knows? You might come home a few bucks better off.

HOW IT WORKS: This is not a race.

Ride at your own pace, along a designated, scenic trail.

There will be stations along the way where you take a card for your poker hand.

Collect 5 cards in all and then return to the San Acacia Schoolhouse (ARA headquarters.)

Awards presented after the ride. There will be prizes for the winning hand, the worst hand ~ plus fun door prizes, too. And, like everything we do, it’s all for a really good cause.

When: January 21st. Registration begins @ 9 a.m. Hit the trail @ 11 a.m.

Where: ARA Headquarters, The Historic San Acacia Schoolhouse, 111 San Acacia Rd., San Acacia, NM.

Cost: $30 per hand. Option for 1 extra card at trail’s end for an additional $5.

Reserve your spot on the ARA POKER RIDE!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP ONLINE
Or, call us: 575.517.0477

What is a Competitive Trail Challenge (CTC)?

* Click HERE to find dates for ARA-hosted ACTHA Rides.

A Competitive Trail Challenge (CTC) is a trail ride competition that is a 6-10 mile trail ride with judged obstacles (mostly natural) along the way. Each obstacle has its own judge. This is not a timed event.

You are encouraged to ride with your group, family, or friends. When you come to the obstacle & judge, you perform the obstacle one rider at a time. These trail rides usually take from 2-3 hours. After you return from your ride, you can eat some lunch and prepare for the awards ceremony. Ribbons and prizes are given to 1st -6th place for each division. Jackpot cash is also awarded.

These rides provide a natural setting for your horse and are a lot of fun! At the very least you will enjoy seeing great countryside on horseback and get to know a network of horse lovin’ trail riders such as yourself!

* Insurance requires that you must be an ACTHA member to go on these ride. For more information, click HERE.

There will be 6-8 judged ALL NATURAL obstacles along Acacia Riding Adventure’s approved ACTHA trails. Here are some common obstacles you can expect to find on these rides:

• crossing streams
• crossing bridges
• riding up/down steep hills
• backing around obstacles
• dragging a log
• opening/closing gates
• jumping over a low log
• riding through vine styled obstacles
• trotting over spaced logs
• stand in position while a loud noise is present
• walk on/around plastic tarp/bags
• trot/canter from point A to point B

Don’t own a horse? Don’t worry! ARA horses are available to rent for this competition. (We’ve been listening to the buzz about the barn and our trusty steeds are eager to give this a go!) Contact Dacodah Herkenhoff for more information. 575.517.0477

A great excuse to gather horse lovers from near and far, for 3 days of trail riding, pot luck dinners, tall tales around the campfire, and lots, lots more.

NEW MEXICO HORSEBACK TRAIL RIDERS
CENTENNIAL TRAIL RIDE

Friday, January 6, 2012 through Sunday, January 8, 2012

RIDES DEPART FROM:

Acacia Riding Adventures – San Acacia, New Mexico

THREE DAYS OF RIDING:

There is no charge to participate. Minor costs for food and boarding pay for the Band and the Caterer. Join us for 3 fun-filled days of Trail Rides to celebrate New Mexico’s 100th Birthday!

Our Friday afternoon ride takes us to Indian Hills, the geographic center of New Mexico, along soft, sandy back country trails.

A full day (5 hour) Saturday ride takes us through stunning New Mexico back country. Sunday we trot off to a secret destination.

DETAILS:

• Park RV’s, or set up tents, at Acacia Riding Adventures, in San Acacia. Rides depart from here.
• There are plenty of clean, affordable hotels in Soccoro, just 10 minutes from ARA. Click HERE to view hotel options.
• Corrals are available for boarding your horses.
• Rental horses are also available.

RSVP and reserve horses with Centennial Ride Team Organizer:
Dacodah Herkenhoff: 575-517-0477

Sunday is our first Scavenger Hunt.

Saddle up and join us for a very good cause.

THIS IS A FUNDRAISER:
Helping families having trouble affording horse feed and facing the grim reality that they may have to give them up. We’re providing feed for them, to help supplement their cost, and enable them to keep their beloved horses. Your entry fee in the Scavenger Hunt goes toward purchasing feed.

HOW IT WORKS:

• Every 4-6 weeks we will try to put on a Scavenger Hunt!
• Each hunt will be in a different spot, around the general San Acacia and ABQ, NM areas.
• We’ll provide maps with clear hints. You MUST follow the map, so you don’t miss out on one of the destinations. Or, worse yet, get lost.
• You can retrieve the hidden item, without getting off your horse, and carry it back to the finish line.

TWO LEVELS OF COMPETITION:

• Division 1: Teams that will not trot, canter, lope etc., will compete against one another.
• Division 2: Teams who’d like to make it a race will compete in this group.
  • TIP: A sure fire way to get kicked out of the competition ~ NO RIDER is allowed to run past another group without first letting them know they are approaching them. We don’t want any injuries from a spooked horse or rider!

Scavenger Hunt Rides are Sunday afternoon adventures, beginning promptly at 2:00 p.m. when we’ll have the briefing and pass out clues. Be saddled and ready to go.

Cost: $35.00 for a team of 2 riders. $45 for a team of 3 riders.

HOW TO REGISTER:
RSVP via text or email to Mellisawb@comcast.net or 505-250-1400. Payment will be collected at the event prior to start time.

Sign up with the ARA Riding Club to be advised of future Scavenger Hunts.