Synopsis:
Riding horses is about a lot more than catching a quick thrill. It’s about building a bond with another living creature, about rediscovering inner truths. It’s even about helping other people. Come along with Erick and the crew as we hit the trails of Tennessee’s ranches and wilderness areas with our new four-legged companions.
At Tennessee Dude Ranch & Guest Ranch, co-owner Tammy Young takes us through a little cowboy philosophy before wrangler Bryce Young leads us on a unique experience. Trail riding here offers an understanding of how people lived before technology, and even how our nation was built.
The Volunteer State earns its reputation once again at Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR), where Lynn Petr, Director of STAR, explains that rehabilitation of veterans or persons with disabilities is not about sympathy, but about rolling up your sleeves and working.
Pretty soon it’s time to head out on the trail again, this time for a two-day ride at Big South Fork with Southeast Pack Trips. Owner Larry McMillan shows us how to get lost in the wilderness east of the Mississippi—an experience most of us associate with vast lands out West. Horses enrich our lives, and having trails to enjoy them is both important and expensive, as TWRA Wildlife Manager 1 Rusty Dunn tells us. He is tasked with fixing multi-use trails as hikers, bikers and trail-riders wear them down, using revenue from “high impact” permits.
Join us as we show you how to use old-fashioned horse power to travel undiscovered wilderness in Tennessee and in yourself!