K&K Equestrian at Ravine Farm: Horseback Riding Heaven
If you're looking for horseback riding in the Catskills, I can't imagine a more beautiful setting than K&K in East Durham. We visited K&K Equestrian Center at Ravine Farm under insanely blue skies and the place is simply breathtaking.
I mean, did you catch the intensely blue sky reflected in that narrow stream of water beside the fencing? Seriously, this might be a piece of heaven on earth, especially if you're looking for a trail ride through the woods.
My kids are still too little for trail rides, but they did enjoy some pony rides at an affordable $6 each. And they also explored the farm's rustic horseshoe courts and a pond covered with algae, turning it a technicolor lime green.
The colors seemed even brighter in person! When I stepped out of my car at K&K, I felt a little like Dorothy stepping out into Oz. But even on a less vibrant day, it's worth a visit. I'm not a regular horseback-rider but the prices seem very fair -- $50 for an hour trail ride or $35 for 30 minutes.
Plus, the have a bunch of adorable animals that the friendly tween-aged farmhands were happy to pass around. Here's Pete holding a duckling:
Cute overload! I wanted to kidnap the pair of pristine white lion head rabbits.
The young farmers also showed us how to feed the goats.
And there were a bunch of free-range ducks, rabbits and turkeys wandering around on the grass, too. A total delight for kids and animal-loving adults.
K&K is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Labor Day weekend. Call ahead for trail ride reservations at 518-966-4829. If you're going in the next couple of weeks, you may also want to ask for directions. There's a bridge closed on Route 27 (between Route 145 and Route 81), but it's easy to bypass if you know where you're going. Starting September 8th through October 28th, they'll only be open on weekends.
