This is not your typical pony ride. While most riding centers tend to keep their younger riders in the arena, the Blue Hills Riding Center offers the possibility to hit the trails and go explore the hilly woodlands right behind its barn.

Each kid will go with two staff members, one to guide the horse, the other one walking alongside and ready to help if necessary. While kids are not encouraged to formally take lessons until there are around 6, they will have opportunities during their ride to learn basic commands to steer their horse, stop it and make it go. There is no specific program for each ride, so do not hesitate to ask based on your kid(s) desires and dreams! A ride typically last about 30 minutes, but you can extend it - just remember that it can be tiring for children, and half an hour is typically enough, especially if it is the first time they are riding.

Kids will ride a variety of ponies for these rides. A pony is officially any horse 14.2 hands or shorter (a hand is roughly equivalent to 4 inches), and some of Blue Hills Riding Center's ponies are quite tall and near that threshold, adding to the excitement of children and the feeling that these are "real" horses.

You are naturally free to go on the trail with your kids, which is a good opportunity for an original walk in the woods. Horses are known to make wildlife feel less threatened than with humans, so it may be your chance to see a deer or two. The rides never stray far from the barn, but even a short loop is usually enough to find solitude and silence, only broken by the horse's hooves pounding on the trail's stones.

Rides are offered year-round, and take place except in extreme weather. Horses grow hair in winter and shed it in spring and summer, and are generally comfortable in a wide range of weather conditions. In summer, the trees provide ample shade for horses and their riders. In fact, a good idea for a summer day is to bundle a pony ride with a visit to nearby Houghton Pond for a refreshing swim

The center offers traditional pony rides in the arena too, so make sure you ask for a trail ride when calling for your reservation.

The center also offers adult riding lessons - call (617) 472 - 0649 for more information on their programs.