Workaway International is a US-based recruiting company that provides young people with the opportunity to live and work in the US for six months at a world class resort.

Participants in the program gain international work experience while improving their work skills and marketability. Plus, they get a lot of opportunities to have fun and make new friends.

As their summer came to a close, we wanted to send the girls off with a distinctly Texan experience. So we saddled up the horses and treated them to a memorable horseback ride through Lehmann Legacy Ranch.

Here are the pictures:

The girls had a great time, as you can see in these shots, and we were sad to see them go. We’re looking forward to participating in more international opportunities like this in the near future.

Thank you to the girls for all their hard work this summer!

Here are some basic horse riding tips to help you prepare for your next adventure.

The Meet & Greet

Approach your horse in a calm, confident manner and make sure he sees you coming. Horses are very adept creatures; they will sense if you’re nervous or scared, and your mood can greatly affect your horse’s attitude.

Always remember to relax. A well-trained horse will not try to hurt you on purpose. More often than not, he is just a little scared. It’s your job as the rider to assure him that everything is OK and that you mean him no harm. If you’re feeling comfortable, stroke him gently on the withers, the high point of the shoulder where the neck meets the back, to show him you’re friendly.

Getting on Top

Once you’ve introduced yourself to your horse, it’s time to mount him. Before hoisting yourself up, have your riding instructor check the stirrups to make sure they are the right length for you. This is essential for a comfortable ride.

To mount your horse, stand on his left side, grab hold of the reins with your left hand, and put your left foot in the stirrup. Now grab the back of the saddle with your right hand, and bounce of the ground with your left foot while simultaneously pulling yourself up. When you feel balanced, swing your right leg over the saddle, put your right foot into the stirrup, and gently lower yourself into the saddle. Congratulations! You’ve mounted your first horse.

Going for a Walk

Many horses are trained to respond to the pressure applied by your legs. To get your horse to walk, squeeze both legs against the sides of the horse. This should signal to the horse that you want him to start walking forward. If he doesn’t respond, you can give him a little incentive by gently kicking his sides and making a clucking sound with your tongue.

Now you’re on the move. Wait! What’s that ahead? It’s a low-hanging branch, and it’s about to sweep you right off your horse’s back. You need to learn to stop. But don’t worry—it’s easy.

Putting on the Breaks

When you want your horse to stop moving and stand still, pull back on the reins firmly and say “Whoa” like the cowboys do in movies. Once your horse has stopped, ease off on the tension; otherwise, he’ll start walking backwards!

Leading the Way

Steering your horse is like steering a car. When you want to go to the right, pull the reins to the right. When you want to go to the left, pull the reins to the left. Your horse will feel the rein’s pressure on his neck and will move accordingly.

Depending on the horse’s training, you may need to apply pressure on his sides in addition to pulling the reins. This technique is a little more confusing, but it only takes a couple of tries to learn. If you want your horse to go right, pull the reins to the right and apply pressure to his left side. Think about it this way: When you pull the rein to the right to signal a right turn, you’re actually applying pressure to the left side of the horse’s neck—it’s kind of like you’re pushing your horse in the direction you want to go.

Hit the Trails with Confidence

So there you have it—the basics of riding a horse. Of course, this is only the beginning. There’s a lot more to horseback riding that a trainer would be happy to teach you.

If you’d like to take horseback riding lessons from an experienced rider and instructor, come on out to BlissWood at Lehmann Legacy Ranch. We offer horseback riding lessons for kids and adults. It’s a ton of fun, and there’s plenty to see on our 650-acre working ranch when you’re sitting high.

What better way to enjoy the beauty and serenity of Central Texas than on a romantic horseback ride with your sweetheart?

One hour west of Houston, Texas, our 650-acre working ranch is home to some of the most breathtaking scenes in all of Texas.

Saddle up and ride to your heart’s content.

Vast rolling meadows, peaceful oak forests, bubbling creeks, and serene ponds await you and your significant other as you explore the Lehman Legacy Ranch.

Want to explore beyond the ranch? Enjoy a leisurely horseback ride along the quiet country lanes of Cat Spring, Texas.

Guests ride for less! Click here to learn more about our guided horseback tours and other enjoyable on-site activities.

Need horseback riding lessons?

Have no fear. Learning to ride a horse for the first time is a fun and exciting adventure, and nothing can compare to sense of power you’ll feel sitting atop our beautiful horses as you explore the breathtaking surroundings.

Carol and her staff have years of experience teaching horseback riding and training horses.

We offer horseback riding lessons for adults and children. Adult lessons: $50 per half-hour. Child lessons: $25 per half-hour.

Click here for more information about Central Texas horseback riding and our other enjoyable on-site activities.

You’re horses will be stalled as long as you stay in our Texas vacation cabins. Enjoy a daily ride on the ranch or head out to explore the country lanes of Cat Spring; since it’s spring, wildflowers are blooming most everywhere you look.

After a day in the saddle, you’ll find relaxing on the porch of your cabin delightful.

BlissWood Horseback Ride

It’s fun and relaxing at BlissWood, whether you are working or playing.  Our BlissWood Crew gets to experience what guests experience at our Texas Bed and Breakfast, and recently our great crew took a long horseback ride and found out why guests enjoy their rides and come back for more.    Memories are made and savored, and especially for one of our crew, Jan from Canada.  She said she will never forget this wonderful experience on horseback, a great Texas memory to take with her on her continuing trek.

From time to time we we hear from our guests once they’ve resumed their travels – something we always appreciate. Below is a letter we received from one of our recent guests, a Swedish lady who delved into the lifestyle of our Texas guest ranch with gusto.

Dearest Carol,

Mikaela and Dukey

I wish for you to have wonderful guests who appreciate the quality of the services you are giving, the breathtaking surroundings, your animals, activities, and the good food your chef is preparing!

Back in Sweden I have a friend who runs a tourist agency. One of the first things I will do in Sweden after Christmas is to put you in touch with each other.

The horse I rode, Dukey, has a very sensitive soul; he noticed every little change in my voice or movement. I’m grateful to him because he helped me to heel an issue from another time.

With your professional and empathetic instructions we managed to stay on the horses, and I enjoyed it very much (you heard me singing and laughing – I forgot for a while everything else around me).

Have a great week. Loving thoughts from

Mikaela

Thanks for the letter Mikaela. We enjoyed having you stay at our Texas Vacation Ranch and especially had fun on the horseback ride. Come back when you can!

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Mikaela and Dukey after the ride.

Swedish and British guests enjoy horseback riding in Texas.

Carol and her staff have years of experience teaching horseback riding and training horses. While it is fun to teach students of all ages, it is perhaps most rewarding to teach children how to ride.

Children are eager students. They love the horses immediately, and are gentle with them. At the same time, they are thrilled by the sense of power they feel when the horse does what they ask it to do. Horseback riding is incredibly empowering for children; it is a tremendous responsibility to have reins in hand. They’ll learn many lessons that will prove relevant in all aspects of their lives.

The horses at our Central Texas vacation ranch are gentle, and used to being ridden by all levels of rider. This is the perfect place to introduce your child to horseback riding.

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Learning the ropes.

The joy on that face says it all.

It was a beautiful mysterious horseback ride in the fog.

Our most popular teenage guest got her birthday wish with another horseback ride at our Texas Guest Ranch.     Because her birthday is close to Christmas, her wonderful parents let her choose what she wants to do every year, and for the past four years her wish has been to come back to BlissWood.  Here she gets to satisfy her love for animals, as this lucky birthday girl gets to be upclose and personal with our ranch animals.  We love it when we can share what we get to experience every day here at BlissWood.

British ladies enjoy texas horseback riding

One of the best parts of having a bed and breakfast is that we get to meet people not just from around the country, but from around the world. Our guest ranch outside Houston recently hosted families from Britain, who thoroughly enjoyed their experience in the American Southwest.

Western saddle horseback riding is different from English saddle. Riding out in Central Texas is different from riding in Britain. It was fun to compare and contrast our experiences with those of our British guests, one of whom commented that horseback riding at Blisswood was the best ride of her life. What a compliment!

British dads enjoy showing their babies the guest ranch.

While the moms took advantage of our Texas trail riding, the dads took the babies for a fun golf cart ride around the ranch. At the end of the day, all were pleased.

Treat your family to a getaway at our guest ranch. It will be an experience you’ll always remember.