hidden trails by horseback

A group of us went on a day's ride up to Craig's Hut. The ages of riders varied from 10 years old to 61 years old and ranged from beginners to experienced riders. We thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. The scenery was simply stunning and it was amazing how the vegetation and terrain changed over the distance travelled. Christian and Neil were fabulous hosts and the entire experience completely authentic. My mount "Chilli" was a great ride and my daughter fell in love with her little brumby "Chester". Highly recommend the experience and Hidden Trails.

Had a wonderful time with my bestie on 2012 muster. Laura and Christian are a lovely, friendly couple who take real care of their horses(seen some trial place that dont)

Wow, what an incredible adventure we had with Hidden Trails. The scenery was absolutely amazing, horses were so sturdy and well looked after but the most credit has to go to our hosts, Christian & Laura, who not only kept the delicious food rolling, kept us safe on our horses but also kept the laughter going from the start to the end of the trip. All of the staff/past riders were so helpful and really helped make the trip special for us. We will be back! John & Elli x x

I've been on quite a few rides with other companies but this one takes the cake!I've ridden since I was a little girl, so I was comfortable in the saddle, but my gosh my butt hurt after two days in it!The six of us decided to stay the Friday night before our ride. The welcome we got was fantastic. It was as if we knew these people for years. They were just so easy to be around. All the meals were delicious (chicken stir fry, huge steaks, salad rolls, desserts, they had thought of everything). The horse were matched perfect to the rider, and with six of us that can be a bit tricky! Riding to Craig's Hut was a dream come true for all of us and it was so special for us to experience it together. Mt Sterling was magical. It felt as if we were on top of the world! Riding through river streams… The list goes on!We had many laughs, sore muscles and a whole lot of excitement.Thanks to Laura, Christian and the crew. We will be back next year for more horsey fun!

Whilst staying at the Sebel Pinnacle Valley Resort, I met with some people who suggested I go horseriding here. I did just that... went riding with Laura (who owns the business) for 2 hours. Gorgeous horses & the bush environment is breathtaking. Very safe & professional. Will come back next time I am up this way.

I started this adventure standing outside Melbourne Airport wondering how I'm going to recognise the Hidden Trails vehicle, which is coming to pick me up, out of all of the thousands that are passing through the public pickup area. And then, through all of the gleaming mini-busses, limos, and private cars going by, comes a dusty LandCruiser troop carrier towing a well-used horse float – it's just got to be my ride! Amongst all the airport glitz how authentic is that? The first three days of this adventure involved moving about 100 cattle along fenced country roads and unfenced bush tracks. This was very challenging, hard work, and, at times, frustrating. However it gave us the opportunity to use the horses as tools to achieve a real result, in a way that horses have been used by humanity for millennia, before they became mere toys or sporting equipment in the modern age. The last three days were spent riding without the cattle (a relief, even though it had been great to achieved the cattle drive) along the Howqua River and up through the mountains of the Victorian High Country, with the peak experience being riding on a horse on the top of wind-swept Mt Stirling. The scenery and the environment were stunning – vast vistas of wild, high, mountains; cold winds on exposed mountain trails under a deep blue sky; clear, fast-moving rivers; snow gums and alpine ecosystems. The food was great, and plenty of it. The accommodation and facilities were extremely authentic to a re-creation of a heritage cattle drive, but sufficient and appropriate. The people I shared the week with, riders and staff, were great, healthy, friendly people with whom I was very comfortable. The evenings around the huge camp fires were wonderful social encounters with people with whom I was sharing great adventures. I'm an absolute beginner at horse riding; I went along because my daughter invited me to go with her. I had one lesson a few weeks in advance, but had no major problems on the trip. If you are going to try this as a beginner I suggest that you ensure that you are reasonably fit to start off with -- six day in the saddle when you are a beginner is hard work. I learned a lot about horse riding and by the end of it I could comfortably trot and I could sit on a horse that was cantering (just). Maybe next time I will learn to canter a horse properly! All of the other riders on the trip were more experienced than me; most of them were very experienced, regular riders. They and all of the friendly and characterful staff gave me endless help and advice which helped me to progress very quickly. I even got taught how to 'crack' a stock whip!If your holiday vocabulary includes words such as 'indulgence', 'pampering' and 'luxury', then you should stick to cruise ships and sitting around a pool in a resort; but if your holiday vocabulary includes such words as 'adventure', 'challenge', and 'authenticity', then this is the trip for you. This rates up there with the best holidays that I've had.

It was first time for me and my 10-year old daughter to ride a horse. I was a bit uncertain at the beginning but after some time and with encouragement from Lou I started to feel more confident and enjoyed the whole experience. The views are amazing, so peaceful and quite there! A weekend ride is next on our list. I would definitely recommend this!

The people running this are fabulous. The high country weekend ride was challenging but amazing. The views were spectacular. Although I was a bit apprehensive on some parts (ok, maybe most of it) I always felt completely safe and a big thanks to 'Swampy'. If you are lucky enough to meet this man, you are in great hands. The horses were matched perfectly and my horse 'Tyson' was a true gentleman. The food was delicious and the overall experience is something I will remember forever. Camping under the stars on a clear night after a couple of drinks and a 2-course camp oven dinner was a great way to end the first day. I would certainly recommend this.

I booked for the heritage cattle drive, a week long trip driving cattle into the high country. This was on my bucket list and I had feared a 'city slickers' type set up however I couldn't have asked for a more authentic experience. Christian and Laura catered for all needs, matched me perfectly to a great horse and although I hadn't ridden for over a year soon had the confidence back to really enjoy the trip. Food exceptional and staff friendly and experienced. Cannot speak highly enough of the care of the horses who remain free of the 'zombie trail horse' type so many other operators have on offer. Will certainly be back 10/10