The Vacation Vaquera LLC

20/01/2025

Well, this was my last group of riders for 2024. These ladies are also some of my regulars. They have hired me every year for the past 3 years. We were so lucky that the weather stayed nice for so long this past fall. They too, wanted to go some place that they hadn't been, so I took them to Crystal Falls. Crystal Falls trail had been closed each time they had been to Hocking prior to this trip. The trail near the end, was muddier then it had been, both both ladies agreed that it was worth the mud, once they got to the falls. And yes, it was running. Riding with these ladies was a wonderful way to end my season. I am taking reservations for 2025. June and October are always the first to fill up. Don't delay in contacting me for my availability, after all, I am just one person and I hate turning anyone away... lol.

10/01/2025

This is my next-to-last group from 2024. I have a few that without fail, hire me every year. Even though, they really don't need me anymore. This year they asked to go somewhere new. So in October/November, I took them to newly legal trail to Painted Ledges one day. Another day we made the ride to Old Man's Cave and back. Then, since the weather had been holding so nicely, we meet up at Pike Lake to ride for a day. I am trying to learn all the trail systems that are within a 1 hour radius of Hocking. This will expand my offerings for those of you who don't want to ride at Hocking, but are using a campground or cabin as your home base. Or, you know Hocking and don't want/need a guide there, but would like to try someplace new.

02/01/2025

This next pair of young ladies were so fun! (I know, I sound redundant), but it's true! They were local and hauled in for the day. The nice thing about haul-ins, is that we can be real flexible, when it comes to weather. This day in October was just perfect!
The little red horse is a Mustang. Each time I ride with someone who is mounted on a Mustang, it makes me want to have one again. They are just such wonderful horses.

31/12/2024

Sterling, Athena and I, would like to wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2025!
Happy New Year!!

22/12/2024

These ladies hired me for 2 days, while here at Hocking. Just like so many other riders, they have discovered that riding is only one thing to do while here. Hocking Hills offers so much to go see, and do! More and more riders are coming for a week and alternating riding days, with site seeing days. When you book me, about a month prior to your ride, I will send you a Hocking Hills Visitor Guide. This guide lists all the restaurants, hiking trails, outdoor activities, indoor shopping, festivals and the list goes on and on. Yes, the riding is amazing. However, if this is your once in a lifetime "bucket list" event, don't you want to see even more??
If if you don't hire me, you can request a Hocking Hills Visitors guide to be sent to you. Go to the website and request one. I will put the link in comments.

17/12/2024

This next group was so much fun! I was hired for 2 days. They took up a good part of the lower area at Cowboy Larry's. They did the whole group cooking thing and invited me to eat with them. While I took the ladies out riding, the guys did what they wanted for the day. These men were so supportive and helpful to their ladies. Each time we rode back into camp, it was like there was paparazzi waiting for us. I loved that when I shared their google photo album, they added their own pictures as well. It was easy to see that this fun group had an amazing time when they got together. For their last day riding with me, they all wanted tee-shirts.

13/12/2024

Happy National Day of the Horse!
These are my two incredible Guide Horses.
Al Muthalass BJ -100% Egyptian Arabian, more commonly known as "Sterling".
Sweet Sweet Athena- Kentucky Spotted Mountain horse. She is also my Cowboy Mounted Shooting horse.
These amazing co-workers make my job so much easier! I couldn't do what I do, without them.

11/12/2024

This next group was a lot of fun. The client who set the ride up, is a one of my first friends when I moved to Ohio. It was hard to live in one state and relocate to another, so we had to establish a "base" here in Ohio. My husband and I rented a cabin at Smoke Rise Ranch. We would come once a month to meet with a realtor, until we found the farm where we now live. Smoke Rise folks are such a wonderful group of people and I am still friends with them. I join them in the summer, when I am able to, and help rob the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway once a month.
Anyway, this fellow planned the ride with friends of his, who rodeo. I always wanted to join the rodeo circuit when I was in my teens. I'm just a little older than that now.. lol. But it's fun to be around people who do.

05/12/2024

Oh my, I have fallen behind on posting!!
This next couple hired me for one day. They were celebrating their wedding anniversary! I always think that it is wonderful to be included in special occasions like that. I love that they will look back through pictures, years from now and remember "that time they rode at Hocking". Their mules were pretty awesome as well.

27/11/2024

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!

25/11/2024

This next pair of ladies hired me for three days in a row. It's always refreshing to take young people out at Hocking. I am a huge supporter and encourager of anyone younger than me, who are riding horses. They are the next generation who will work hard to protect and preserve this horse lifestyle, which we all love, and have put so much effort into. These will be the future guardians of our beloved trail systems. The ladies were riding OTTB's. That means, Off the Track Thoroughbreds. It's wonderful to see these former race horses transition to a second career as trail riding mounts. We had a fantastic time riding together!

21/11/2024

Apparently someone is using my business phone number trying to scam people. Please don't fall for it!!
The number I post (1 740-248-5038) is a google telephone number, strictly for incoming calls or texts. When I call people, I use my real land line number.
Hackers and criminals like that, just need to get a job!!

20/11/2024

This group of ladies hired me for 2 days. We rode two different loops out of Pine Creek. It was not their first trip to Hocking, so we went on trails that they hadn't been before. 3 out of the 4 horses were off the track Standardbreds. Some of them were Hanover bred, which is special to me. Back when I was a teenager, Hanover Shoe Farm was about 45 minutes away. Dr Ann Moretta was part of the 4-H Introduction to Veterinarian program, which I participated in. We spent one night at Hanover Shoe Farm on foal watch. I also have a cousin, who for many years, was a mare/foal handler at that farm. It was neat riding with the Hanover retired racing horses.

12/11/2024

This was a fun group of ladies. One was Mom, the other daughter, daughters friend and Mom's friend. Mom used to be a 4-H leader, and daughter grew up in 4-H. Now, I was in 4-H as well and thought that I knew all the songs.
I was wrong... lol!!
Over the two days they hired me, they sang songs that I had never heard of. I guess it goes to show that the variety of camp songs that are out there, are endless.

10/11/2024

The litter pick up ride was a great success!!!
I handed out 15 drawstring bags to riders. Inside was a garbage bag, glove and a snack. I know that there were others out on the trail who were also picking up litter from other trail heads.
Huge thanks to "LOVE HOCKING HILLS", who supplied the garbage bags, gloves and snacks.
This will be a yearly event, on the first Saturday in November each year. When I planned this I didn't know that it conflicted with the state OHC meeting. There were more people who told me that they would have been there, if they weren't already committed to the meeting.
Thank you to everyone who picked up litter!!
If you have a suggestion to make this event bigger or better, I would love to hear from you!

09/11/2024

You still have 30 minutes to get your supplies for the litter pick up ride at Hocking. I am at the State Horsemen's camp entrance.

06/11/2024

You may recognize this lady and her beautiful steed from earlier postings. This is the third time that she has hired me this year. She is fairly local and enjoys mid-week "getaways". The past 2 times she brought friends. This time it was just myself and her. We had a lovely two days of riding together.
I look forward to riding with her again, as she has offered to guide me around her local favorite bridle trails. It's just a matter of me figuring out when it will work for my schedule.

03/11/2024

How cool is this???

The Vacation Vaquera: An Interview With Donna Shade