spirit horse escape

When visiting South Dakota, going on a horseback ride was on our "must do" list. This is just what we wanted. They knew exactly which horse would be a good fit for each rider. This made the experience much more pleasurable. At first, the trail leads you right next to the highway, but no less than 5-10 minutes into the ride, you are in a very secluded, wilderness area; unable to hear the sounds of the highway. The trails leading through this forest were very nice. You were definitely able to feel "in the middle of nowhere" which is exactly what we wanted. The horses were all very nice and made the ride easy and enjoyable. The fact that it was only our family of 5, and no other people, made the ride much more pleasurable. Our wrangler, Heather, was very nice and knowledgeable. We felt safe in her company. Overall, it was very great and beautiful ride that we would recommend to anyone looking for a horseback ride in South Dakota.

Called at 10 in the morning and were able to get a 1:00 ride. It was a surprise for our 9 year old daughter who had never been riding. Linda and her husband were very kind and accommodating. Heather, our wrangler, was wonderful. Our daughter ended up having an anxiety attack when she got on the horse. Everyone there was wonderful and very calming to her. Heather put her in the front and led her horse and talked to her the whole way. She ended up having the time of her life because everyone was so kind and patient. I can't thank them all enough!

We called Spirit Horse around 8:00 AM looking to make a same-day reservation for horseback riding. We spoke with the owner by telephone and he said " sure, just come on in and we'll get you set-up for a ride. He explained it will be hot day (95+), so the horses can't go on a long ride because of the heat/elevation/work stress, but if we didn't mind a little shorter time period we could ride. So we opted for the shorter ride and greatly appreciated the last minute accommodation.This is a family owned operation and they are very friendly and nice people. Their horses are well behaved and work well with adults and kids especially important for those that have limited or no riding experience at all. After getting sized for horses and our saddles adjusted to fit us, we left the stable and headed northeast on the trail, meandering through small open fields, up and down small hills, amidst and near Black Hills Spruce and other pine trees. The fresh pine scent is an incredible and relaxing smell. It hadn't rained in this area much for the past couple of years, so the drought made the ride a little dusty, but not unpleasant.We will return here again for sure and appreciated the down home friendly experience!Spirit Horse is located approximately 7 miles west of Custer, SD on Hwy 16 on the north side of the road as you are going westbound.

We stopped by on the way back from Jewel cave to inquire about a ride and Linda was willing to take just my friend and I out immediately! There was to be a larger group in a few hours, but we didn't want to have to return, so we were thrilled. The helped us "seniors" on the horses and Buster & Sam were easy to ride and it was a quiet, shaded trail with some mine tailings, quartz, granite and other interesting rocks along the way. They also offer a "dinner" ride evenings with steaks, but call by noon if you plan to do that.I definitely reccomend this place for their professionalism and friendliness.

This was the first time my husband and I went horseback riding at one of these types of places, so there really isn't much to compare to. However, the staff was very nice and eager to help out when needed. There were 22 horses in the stable. It was our wrangler's first day on the job, but she did great. She owns a horse herself, and so she was very knowledgeable about horses. The loop was pretty, although it was mainly out in the open sun, rather than a tree-covered trail like I pictured.

We loved our ride. This trip was well organized; the horses were paired well with our varying rider abilities/weight. Two of us are heavy and we were "up front" about this when making our reservation, not wanting to injure a horse. Linda (the owner) and her crew had people on hand to assist with the mounting and dis-mounting of my mom who is 65 and had torn her muscle over her right rib cage. The scenery is average (they are restricted to certain paths by law) but we saw deer and a baby rabbit. It was nice to be on a horse again (not having ridden in 15+ yrs). It was sad we couldn't do anything other than walk (again due to restrictions).... not the company's fault though.... I would definitely recommend this and loved meeting Linda and her crew!

We did not stay here. Based on our horseback riding experience, we would. We were surprised to learn that SHE can accommodate a wide variety of people. The weight limit is 400 lbs. My 7 year old was excited to be able to ride a real horse. Horses are beautiful and are trained well. They didn't take off on us and obeyed our signals. Trail leader was friendly. It was like we were out riding with a friend. I highly recommend this place.