Apple Orchard Trail Rides      

WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND RELEASE

Riding is available 7 days a week, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sundays thru Thursdays.  Fridays and Saturdays 10:00am - 11:00 pm with night rides begining at 5:30.  It is $20 dollars for a one-hour trail ride. Night rides are slightly higher and children are encouraged for both rides.  Children are able to go on the trail ride as long as they are 6 years old and older.  If they are under 6 than they can get put on a big horse and enjoy a Walk Around.

There is an exception on weekends from September 8th through October 28, when half-hour rides are standard, and the cost is $15. You can ride for an hour for $30 if you wish. Again, the half-hour ride standard occurs only on Saturdays and Sundays at the end of September and most of October. Otherwise, one hour rides are standard.

It is important to make a reservation to ride. You can inquire by e-mail or telephone as shown below, but all reservations must be made by telephone so we can talk directly to each other when setting up. That way, all special considerations can be addressed. Please call (952) 492-2785 or 1-800-662-7753.

For an extra special treat check out the campfires on the weekends. 

Your trail ride will be more enjoyable if you're comfortable. Here are some tips on WHAT TO WEAR:

SPORTS BRA (if applicable): Not everyone thinks ahead on this, but it's a real good idea. For almost all horses, the trot is more bouncy and jarring than their other gaits. (In order of increasing speed, the ordinary gaits are walk, trot, canter, and gallop.) Anyway, the trot is used quite a bit, and even a little trotting can be too much if you don't have support.
FOOTWEAR: Cowboy boots, shoes that tie, or snug-fitting slip-ons are preferable. They give you control, and that's one less thing to think about in comparison to flip-flops, sandals, loose slip-ons, or high-heels. Native Americans are known for moccasins and/or bare feet, so that's up to you. They're known for bare-back riding, too, but we find that saddles come in pretty handy most of the time.
LEGWEAR: Jeans are great, or at least long pants. But not thin, silky, or slippery slacks. Shorts are not a good idea, either, because bare legs rubbing repeatedly against saddles can result in chafed skin. Some girls and women have shown up in dresses (well, they were here for weddings at the orchard and discovered that trail rides were available, so it wasn't their fault). In those cases, we lend them each a clean pair of jeans, whether they're a perfect fit or not.
SHIRT or JACKET: You can always take it off if you're too warm. That's better than finding out you're too cold. But we always have clean shirts and jackets to lend, so don't be shy about asking. We want you to feel good when you ride!
HEADWEAR: Helmets are available for your use free of charge. You're not required to wear a helmet. You can ride bare-headed, which is the most common. But cowboy hats are good-looking on horseback riders, so don't hesitate to dust yours off and bring it along. We like that!

All riding is done at your own risk. Before riding, all riders will read and sign a waiver holding Minnesota Harvest harmless.

Join us for after-the-ride campfires in the evening. We have a really good time sittin' back and enjoyin' barbecue, food & drink, and tossin' horseshoes under the lights. That's how the cowboys do it here at the ranch after the work is done. The Night Ride with campfire is $30 -- add all the great tasting food for an extra $7.00. You must call ahead to set this special evening ride up.

Jennifer our head trail guide

A great day of riding horses at the orchard
We were at your establishment yesterday with our daughter and her friend who are both six. Amara, our daughter, wanted to try horseback riding and we could not find anywhere to bring her. Everywhere we checked there were age or height requirements. You guys called me right back after my email and got us an appoinment so we could take her. All of the staff there were great, especially the lead rider. One of the girls was scared (she was on Big Al) so he leashed her with his horse. Then, as we were riding Amara's horse (Skittles) wanted to eat the grass and she got a little nervous when she couldn't make Skittles listen. She started to cry and told us she was scared but the lead rider got off of his horse and walked with both girls horses so they could feel better and continue to ride. I was amazed, as this happened at the very beginning of the trail so he walked the entire way( his horse followed along as though it too had a rider)! I just wanted you to know that we all had a great time and will certainly be back when the leaves start to change!! It is fabulous down there and very worth the drive for our family.

Here is a picture of the girls having a grand time on their two horses! And lovely pictures of them on the quiet ride home!!!
--Thanks! Shonda and Gordy