I Wanna Be a Cowboy

Five days of horseback riding and I am sore all over!  But the pain was worth the gain.  Our whole family had a blast at the Hunewill Ranch nestled in the Eastern Sierra foothills near Bridgeport, CA.  This was our second visit.  Our kids loved it sooo much last year, they begged to come back, something they've never done before on any of our other vacation trips!

Hunewill is a family-owned working cattle ranch, currently run by the 5th generation of Hunewills. Their unmatched hospitality keeps families coming back year after year.  During this visit, we met one family who's been coming for over 20 years! 

This place is simply gorgeous.  Even in August, the meadows are green, watered by the Sierra snowmelt. Riding across the fields, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, giddy with happiness, opening up the best present you could ever wish for.

For the cowboy wannabes, there were roping lessons, an all-day ride up into the mountains to bring down cattle and herding, cutting and loading cattle onto a trailer

It was hard leaving at the end of our stay even though I don't think I could have ridden another minute.  We rode approx. 4 hours every day which doesn't sound like a lot, but I was sooo tired by the end of the week. I don't understand; isn't the horse doing all the work?
Note:  Apparently one hour of horseback riding (galloping) burns approx. 400 calories (varies a bit depending on your weight).

Goodbye for now Hunewill!  Hope to see you again next year!