How far can you go on a Corralitos trail ride adventure?
It takes you some 25 miles inside the vast Corralitos Ranch, a cattle ranch 16 miles west of Las Cruces.
That’s 290 square miles of sagebrush and chaparral-covered prairie surrounded by mountains ~ a beauty and nature lover’s dream.
You can also think of a Corralitos Adventure as Therapy on Horseback.
Good therapy, by definition, is supposed to help you feel better, sharper, and more capable than when you started it, right? Well, a Corralitos trail ride does all three.
GET FIT (MENTALLY & EMOTIONALLY)
- Imagine two STRESS-FREE hours of riding time. No matter how awkward you feel when you first get on the horse, you relax within minutes. That bobbing dance you do with the horse rising and falling beneath you to the soft clip-clop music of his hooves is the BEST OUTDOOR MASSAGE. Ever.
- Now imagine an additional self-indulgent hour plus to EXPLORE ancient caves, old mines, abandoned historic buildings and every once in a while, to gawk at how BIG and beautiful this part of the world is . . . . . . . aaaaah!
- Take as many photos and videos as you like. (You will take LOTS of both, just as my friend, Carolyne, and I did.) And take them when you like. (Once when I wanted to stop to take that perfect shot, all I had to do was holler ~ and the trail guide halted the whole shebang for the event.)
GET SMARTER
- Learn the HISTORY of the OLD WEST from Billy Prewitt, the trail guide and real cowboy. Billy knows the land, its history, and tells it in a way you won’t forget.
View from horseback of guide Billy Prewitt and surrounding mountains on the return leg of a Corralitos Ranch trail ride.
- The Corralitos trail ride is an interactive experience. View the ruins of one of the Butterfield Stage stations while standing on the route the coaches once rode between Missouri and California. Come in contact with tribal people who once roamed the area, including Apache, through their art ~ located on rock walls all over the ranch.
GET SKILLS
- However skilled a rider you are now, YOU’LL BE A BETTER ONE after your Corralitos adventure. This holds true whether you describe your horseback experience as “Zero” or “I ride every week.” The ranch boards a number of horses experienced with all kinds of riders and Billy will pair you up with the right one.
- Get ONE-On-ONE RIDING LESSONS ~ direct from the HORSE! Just as every Corralitos trail horse knows how to travel well with other horses, they also know a thing or two about us humans (and what they can and can’t get away with!)
Take my horse, for example. Gentle enough, yes, but kind of a wise guy, too, who kept stopping to munch on shrubs while walking. Yet, after a while, as I learned to lead, he learned to follow.
Meet my “wise guy” horse, showing off his handsome profile at the end of our Corralitos trail ride adventure.
Other stuff you’re sure to experience on your Corralitos Adventure.
Historic ruins and landmarks, some tracing back to the early 1800s when the land belonged to Mexico. And landscapes so lush, they look good even from inside a cave.
View from inside a Robledo Mountains cave on a Corralitos Trail Ride.
Prehistoric caves, artifacts, and rock art up close.
Apache drawing outside cave entrance in Robledo Mountains, one of several Indian rock drawings on Corralitos Ranch.
There’s a lot to see and, hey, horseback riding is FUN!
When you look back on your Corralitos trail ride, you’ll remember it as a terrific outdoor learning experience. And one of the most relaxing adventures you’ve ever had.
Plus, thanks to Billy Prewitt, you’ll also get well-schooled on Southwest history and . . . cowboy fashion!
(If you’d like custom-made boots like those Billy is wearing below, ask him after your ride ~ he’ll let you in on his source!)
Corralitos trail guide Billy Prewitt’s custom-made cowboy boots and spurs.
