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Horseback Riding & Trail Rides Near Kissimmee, Poinciana & Orlando: A Local's Guide
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items Osceola County is still cattle and horse country once you get past the theme parks, and some of the best horseback riding and trail rides in Central Florida are within 30 minutes of Kissimmee and Poinciana. Here are my favorite ranches, trail rides a...
Map
Forever Florida out past St. Cloud is a 4,700-acre wildlife conservancy, and their guided horseback rides take you through real Florida scrub, pine flatwoods and cypress swamp where you'll spot gators, deer and sometimes a bald eagle. Beginner-friend...
Forever Florida Horseback Riding
Horse World Riding Stables on Poinciana Boulevard is the closest trail ride to home and the one I recommend to every visitor staying near the parks. Nature trails through 750 acres of pasture and woods, calm horses for first-timers, and pony rides pl...
Horse World Stables
Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney's Fort Wilderness runs 45-minute guided trail rides through the pines and along the shore of Bay Lake, and you don't need a park ticket or resort reservation to book. It's the most polished ride in the area, plus pony rid...
Tri-Circle-D Ranch
Westgate River Ranch is a real dude ranch about an hour south of Poinciana, with guided trail rides through 1,700 acres, a Saturday night rodeo, and glamping tents if you want to make a weekend of it. It's my top pick for a family that wants the full...
Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo
3 Strands Ranch is a small family-run barn on the east side of Kissimmee that focuses on beginner riding lessons and kids' horsemanship rather than tourist trail rides. If your child is begging for lessons, this is the kind of low-key local place to ...
3 Strands Ranch
For riders who own or lease a horse, Rock Springs Run State Reserve near Sorrento has 17 miles of marked equestrian trails through sandhill, scrub and along the Wekiva River, with trailer parking at the trailhead. It's about an hour north of Kissimme...
Rock Springs Run State Reserve (Equestrian Trails)
Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont runs guided trail rides through rolling hills, lakes and old orange groves, about 40 minutes from Kissimmee via US 27. The scenery is unlike anywhere else near Orlando, and the guides are great with nervous first-ti...
Lake Louisa State Park Guided Trail Rides
Not a place to ride, but the Silver Spurs Rodeo at Osceola Heritage Park is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi and the heart of Kissimmee's cowboy culture. Catch the February or June rodeo to see real bronc riding and barrel racing; it's where...
Silver Spurs Arena
Most trail rides hand you a loaner helmet that's been on a hundred sweaty heads, so if your kid is going to ride more than once, a Troxel is the helmet every barn around here recommends. Lightweight, ventilated for Florida heat, and the dial-fit syst...
Troxel Equestrian Riding Helmets
Every stable on this list will tell you the same thing: closed-toe shoes with a small heel, no sneakers. Ariat's Heritage Roper is the boot half of Osceola County wears, comfortable enough for a full day at the rodeo and it sits right in the stirrup ...
ARIAT Women's Heritage Roper Western Boot
Shorts on a saddle equal chafed legs by the end of the trail, so wear long pants; Wrangler Cowboy Cuts are the original riding jean with the flat inseam that doesn't rub. Cheap, tough, and you'll fit right in at the Silver Spurs.
Wrangler Cowboy Cut Jeans
Kids outgrow boots every season, so I don't spend Ariat money on them; Smoky Mountain's Monterey youth boots are the budget pick that still has a proper riding heel and a sole that grips a stirrup. They also survive the mud at the Silver Spurs parkin...
Smoky Mountain Boots Monterey Youth Western
Florida trail rides go through wet pasture and cypress heads, which means mosquitoes and deer flies from May through October. A can of OFF! Deep Woods in the truck is non-negotiable; spray your ankles and neck before you mount up and the ride is a lo...
OFF! Deep Woods Dry Insect & Mosquito Repellent
A wide-brim straw hat is the sunscreen you don't have to reapply, and after a two-hour ride in the Florida sun you'll understand why every wrangler wears one. Stetson and Resistol are the classics, but any vented straw with a chin strap works for a t...
Straw Cowboy Hat
Ask before you feed any stable's horses, but most of the barns above are happy to let kids hand over a couple of Manna Pro apple treats after the ride. It's the moment my kids remember most, and a bag in the glovebox costs less than a gift-shop souve...
Manna Pro: Horse Treats