# Market for a themed Trail Riding Facility?



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Location location location, All gonna depend. If I had 20 horses in Surry County VA, and gave guided 4 hour trail rides Id go broke.
Kalua ranch in Hawaii does pretty good. All about the volume of people in a "tourist" mindset you have in your market. 
In all honestly they type of people you get doing this would be the exact same ones that would just come trail ride. Yet your expenses would be much higher.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

I would but I'd want to use my own horse.

This kind of thing would be good to market to groups - clubs, reunions, corporate offices (team building). People that already know each other would enjoy this kind of event more than a bunch of strangers.
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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

yeh that would be cool to host a themed (bring ur own horse) trail ride. Lots of people travel a bit of distance to do them. If you can get a DJ and have a bon fire dance after the ride and word gets out you can have a good thing.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Trail murder mystery!!
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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

While it sounds intriguing, you need to figure out the 'flavor' of your area and the population.

I think something like this would strike Hollywood types and glamorous and fun, while I personally think it's not something I'd want to do. I don't get into the whole role playing thing.


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## cmoon721 (Jul 11, 2012)

Well I never really thought of having it a bring your own horse type of facility but that is another idea. I know I would need to find the right place. I am trying to scope out Greensboro NC right now since thats where I am currently located. 

If anyone has any other ideas they think may make this type of facility work better please post them here.
Thank you for your input


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I wouldn't myself. I don't think I could get into the role playing part of it. To be completely honest, as someone who rides for a living something like that would read tourist trap to me and I'd expect to go into it having to ride with a bunch of folks that were completely inexperienced or 'weekend warriors'. 

That's not to say it couldn't be a profitable business, I just don't think that the true horse set would be the crowd you would draw.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

That's exactly how I feel, MHF. 

Riding in and of itself is exciting and enough of a draw for me, so I think while it_ could_ be profitable, it's not going to draw in actual riders so much as tourists who want to pretend to be someone and something they're not. :wink:

As far as bringing my own horse? You give me a good riding destination and I'll do it, but I'm not bringing my own animal who isn't used to being draped in a bunch of Renaissance stuff.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

LOL watch the old movie "Westworld"....Now that was a themepark!!!


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Joe has it right, needs to be located in a touristy area as that would be your bread and butter. 

Personally, I wouldn't use the facility. If I'm going to travel to ride a horse its going to be my horse first of all. Secondly, vacations for me are to get away from people and not head towards a tourist trap. I find nothing relaxing about crowds, buying trinkets or paying for overpriced meals.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

I was looking at it as a once or twice a year thing. You would need alot of land and generally use it as a fund raiser for a fire department of boyscout troop. To much labor to run without help and paying labor will sink you,.
A ride around here of about 100 riders is 16 miles, and does a Halloween ride. People dress themselves and horses in costumes. Its alot of fun.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

The theme for group trail rides around here seems to be 
"escape from home and drink beer" with little regard to other riders. 
I avoid a lot of those big groups.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Celeste said:


> The theme for group trail rides around here seems to be
> "escape from home and drink beer" with little regard to other riders.
> I avoid a lot of those big groups.


Had a guy who liked to drink go with me once on his arab. Most his beer ended up in his lap while trying to keep up. He didn't try opening a second can and never rode with me again.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

yeh I usually do smirnoff shooters, or have wine in a goatskin tied tot he horn. Who wants to be all bloated on beer ?


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Too funny. One of my friends bought a dead broke retired western pleasure show horse. Her husband took a whole six pack of beer in his saddle bags. He got so tipsy that he fell off of the horse that nobody could ever fall off of. Big laugh for everybody.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

I was racing this evil girl (stone sober), came off my horse, bounced off some rocks, couple broke ribs, knocked out, slurred speech. etc. I woke up on my horse. Ran into some guys at another trail ride that started laughing, said, :we remember you you were too drunk to stay on your horse we put you back on and got your hat for you"
Gee thanks guys I hadnt been drinking I had a concussion.


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## cmoon721 (Jul 11, 2012)

Well it looks like I need to do some rethinking of my idea. Thank you guys for all your input.
I have not yet ridden a horse drunk but i used to work with a guy who was the private ride guide at my old job who never came in sober lol. But he'd been doing it so long sometimes you couldn't really tell.


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## roanrider (Jun 13, 2012)

I am not that interested in the medieval them but I would definitely travel to one that was western or Indian themed. I think it sounds like a great idea.


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## newbierider (Mar 15, 2010)

I would totally do it, of course I also have attended murder mystery dinners etc..not to mention I often visit the Ren Faires, where else can you drink beer, let your boobies hang out and laugh at the queen??Now all that on my horse..I am there!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If I let my boobies hang out, I fear it might not be the queen they laughed at..........


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Boobies don't hang at ren fests. They're propped up with corsets!
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