acacia riding adventures

That is what my 8 y/o granddaughter said after our ride. She loved the dogs and the horses and her first trail ride. I liked the guides and being out on the trail. A great experience. I will return.

We went on this ride to celebrate my granddaughter's 9th birthday. There were children and adults. Many of the little girls had never been on a horse. I had not ridden for 27 years and had difficulty getting on and off. But the cowboys were courteous and so helpful. We had a great ride into the hills. They even brought our food and set up tables so we could have a picnic. I had forgotten how much I love horseback riding. It will be a great memory.

My husband and I live in El Paso and have been on many 'guided rides' in the Southwest and on the East Coast. ARA topped them ALL! Our best friends from Washington, DC, flew out for a long weekend and for an authentic experience, we booked a 2-hour Canyon Ride with ARA. The staff (Dacodah, Jill, Dusty and our amazing horses: Romeo, Festus, Pepperjack and Fancypants; and the puppy pack along for the fun) was amazing. They guided us expertly through San Lorenzo Canyon where we had vistas unlike any we have ever seen before. Simply breathtaking. We gasped in awe, laughed ourselves to tears, whooped, hollered, and made memories with old friends and new to last a lifetime. We can't thank ARA enough or more HIGHLY RECOMMEND this trustworthy company for your own authentic trail riding adventure.

Very friendly staff and an incredible ride up and down and through the San Lorenzo Canyon. This isn't the usual around-the-barn-and-back ride. You go places and see vistas that you could only get to on horseback. It is an easy 45 minute ride from Albuquerque, but well worth it. The highlight of our trip.

My wife and I and another couple went horseback riding for two hours on the Canyon Trail. We had a great time. The trail was incredibly scenic with views over the canyon, desserta nd cliffs. We communicated that we were beginners and the trail we traveled was a perfect match for our skillset. The Staff, including Dakota, Dusty and Jill gave lots of great tips and made sure we had a great time and any dropped lens caps were always retrieved. Their dogs, including pickles, a chiwawa, tagged along the whole way and were a bonus since they were on the lookout for rattlers and coyotes and kept the horses in good spirits. I would highly recommend this operator for a horseback ride.

My family and I love to horseback back ride and do it on every vacation that we can. This is the only place near ABQ that allows young children to ride tandem which allowed our whole family to enjoy! (I have 4 year old and 6 year old nephews) Not only were they so patient about answering our questions but they were very quick at responding! But ARA definitely went above and beyond when we had to change our vacation schedule last minute due to a death in the family. They were so flexible and accommodating that it really brought a lot of joy to my family to still be able to squeeze in a ride before we had to fly home early. They are also very experienced riders with a lot of knowledge about the area and horses. The canyon ride was beautiful with amazing views! And my family loved the horses that they personally picked out for each of us to ride. They were so friendly and helpful and really do a lot to make every ride personalized and special. Without a doubt we will definitely be back the next time we visit ABQ!

We were a group of 12 national park rangers from Africa and had this riding activity arranged for us from Albuquerque. Some of us rode horses before, others not at all. The staff headed by Dacodah was very good in preparing the saddles based on the body specs for each rider, we enjoyed watching them choose the right horse for each of us, loading and unloading the horses for the ride to the starting point. The horses were well trained and after the initial anxiety we settled into the saddle and enjoyed the beautiful landscape, the trail crossing different terrains and ups and downs stoney sandy mica-ish soils. Dacodah led the group patiently, setting a pace that everyone was comfortable with. Beautiful scenery, a true Western activity. Highly recommended ( but be aware that the trail goes up and down and on the edge, not so good for anxiety filled people !).

If you want a true experience of what it must have been like for the Old West Pioneers to travel through the high desert, go horseback riding with Acacia Riding Adventures. The staff are friendly, helpful, attentive, and very informative. The owner, Dacodah Herkenhoff, a life-long horseman, trainer and farrier, is a very good teacher - and you will learn a lot about the land, horses, and history of New Mexico. The staff take excellent care of the horses, and teach you how to handle them properly. I wanted to explore some remote areas of New Mexico on horseback and Acacia Riding Adventures exceeded my expectations. We explored the mesas and trails of San Lorenzo Canyon, which is less than 1,000,000 years old, but has interesting rock formations estimated at 7-10,000,000 years old. Mr. Herkenhoff took time to let me find some fragments of turquoise, and other interesting rocks and the staff helped look for them! If you want a fun, interesting experience that you can learn something from while doing it - check out Acacia Riding Adventures. Also, you get a video of the trail ride mailed to you within a couple of weeks! It was great exercise and I highly recommend it! Thanks Acacia Riding Adventures for a wonderful experience!

ARA did a FANTASTIC job with our very large group !! (20 riders-14 girls ages 8-11 and 6 adult troop leaders). We went on a 2 hour sunset/moonlight canyon ride with girls and adults that had very little riding experience. The horses were so very well trained and behaved! We had several adult wranglers along interspersed through our group to help any of our troop members that needed it, whether it be calm verbal encouragement or instruction. We did have one accident that was a huge life lesson for all of us! Don't stop on the narrow, rocky slopes!! No one was seriously injured, though all were surprised. Some of our girls started the ride excited but scared or apprehensive, becoming nervous along the steeper portions of the trail, then ended the ride confident and excited ready to do it again! EVERYONE of our girls and adults finished the ride saying that was the best thing they'd ever done!! Hands down, ARA made this a trip they will remember and talk about for the rest of their lives.!! Thank you, Dacodah and the ARA riding team for a job well done!!PS. I did post photos separately from this comment.

Every time I travel anywhere I try to ride horses. I ride at home so am always looking for my next equine adventure. I've galloped on a Caribbean beach and swam horses in the surf. I've driven cattle in Hawaii, rode through snowcapped Canadian mountains and splashed through Florida rivers. All of those horseback adventures and this, hands down, was the best of the bunch. I saw plenty of reviews for ARA saying how amazing it was but was skeptical. How could the riding be THAT good? Well, I'll tell you. (So much fun that in the one week I was in town I went back to ride THREE times!)Dacodah heads up the operation and is a jack of all trades type. He schedules the trips, drives (and repairs) the truck, leads the tour, shoots HD video while taking pictures, shoes and trains the horses, wrangles the dogs and is an all-around great guy. He was superbly patient in the times I rode with him. He patiently helped tourists get unstuck from the dessert road they had no business even being on. He calmly guides novice riders on the how to (and how not) to ride as well as calmly guiding them through potentially hairy situations. He lavishes love on the horses and the dogs. You start out in a tiny town named San Acacia about an hour south of ABQ. The drive is picturesque so don't let it deter you. You arrive at the old schoolhouse where you meet your mount. Dacodah will ask your riding experience, height and weight to pair you appropriately. Then you head out to your destination. All three times I rode we jumped in the truck for a quick ride into the canyon nearby. We mounted up there and rode for about 3 hours. Ok, so I'm from Florida where the biggest "mountain" we have is the hill leading up from a sinkhole. The terrain at first intimidated me. We took off cantering up (and I mean up!) and down (really, really DOWN!) mountain ridges and canyon ledges. The horses were at times coming down slowly on their haunches, rocks sliding out from under them! We were flying over rocks the size of my head even on the flat areas. It took me about 20 minutes before I started to relax and let go of the back of my saddle. By the end of my first ride I was trusting that my mount (an awesome mare named Stormie, who I rode each time) was sure footed and agile enough to handle the terrain. The views and vistas are absolutely breathtaking! I'll never forget cantering up a mountainside to the top ridge and seeing the sun set over the New Mexico dessert in a rainbow of colors. It is absolutely quiet and peaceful out there with stars like I've never seen. And yes, we started our rides at sunset and finished in the dark. ARA provides water and horse treats on saddle bags as well as there being some drinks and light snacks available at the school house. However, I would recommend bringing a small cooler to keep in your car- you’ll get done late and there is NOTHING in San Acacia. By the time we got to ABQ one night everything was closed and we were starving.ARA's horses are fantastic. They will take care of you so trust them. The horses really seem to enjoy themselves, as do the staff (everyone was so nice!) and dogs that always accompanied us. Even my non-riding hubby (who I had to convince to come) enjoyed himself so much when we got back he immediately started planning our next trip to New Mexico so we could ride White Sands. The trip you take is seasonal- we enjoyed the mountain sunset ride but in the summer the river ride is an option and in the cooler months advanced riders can do the White Sands trip. If you want to know more check ARA's website/Facebook page for some awesome HD videos. (ARA GoPro's your entire ride as well as takes pictures which Dacodah puts on a CD for you to keep) But the videos in no way do justice to the sights you'll see and the feelings you'll experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this to any rider of any experience level. There is no better way to see New Mexico, and really, no way to get in the places we did unless you're on horseback.

Jill Conjura ZawillaPhenomenal Riding Experience! This is a must do horseback riding adventure and is the best there is anywhere in the world!! DON'T MISS IT!!!! ARA is the Epicenter of Enchantment that has changed my life, I can't get enough of it!!I am Bringing my horses and buying one down there, I'm a LIFER to the ARA Family!!!!

Coming to Albuquerque on my yearly visit, I wanted to do something really memorable. Little did I know Dakota and Acacia Riding Adventures would not only fit that bill but give me the best time on a horse I could ever have imagined. Now I used to ride often as a kid, and felt that it was pretty much like ridng a bike. Turns out I got that right. Dakota was the true laid back professional. After calling him from Hawaii and a brief conversation, he knew exactly what I wanted. That being a complete opposite experience from the usual "nose to tail" single file trail rides which is all you can find in Hawaii where I live. He told me to come out on Sunday as he and some more experienced riders and those that boarded horses with him usually got together for a three or four hour ride that was more technical in nature which included running down desert washes, climbing near vertical canyon walls, cantering over mesas with incredible views and a great if not exhilarating ride in his truck through the desert pulling a horse trailer containing five of the best trained, best mannered horses I ever saw. Dakota not only matches your skills with the horse mine's name was Festus, he matches the saddle to you. This eliminates the uncomfortable slippage and off-balance feel you get with an ill fitting saddle. His instruction was relaxed, confident and filled in everything I forgot about the right way to lead a horse. Indeed I learned a great deal. Add to this the great comraderie from the three charming ladies that joined us Sharon, Jenna and Christina, and I got what can only be described as the perfect Sunday afternoon. The country was exquisite. I felt I was riding with John Wayne or Gary Cooper through the Hoodoos and canyons of a classic western. Anyone that doesn't have the experience of a lifetime withe Dakota and Acacia riding adventures only has themselves to blame. Arrogant cowboy? We laughed about that all afternoon! Anyone that wants the perfect desert riding experience give Dakota a call. Acacia Riding Adventures! Mahalo Nui Loa!Aloha,Scott MartinKaneohe, Hawaii

This will be the first ever review I have written that is not a happy one but feel I must write it. First, let me tell you I have no experience riding a horse and shared that with the owner who accompanied my friend (who by the way enjoyed this excursion) and I. The owner kept telling me repeatedly what I was doing wrong, how it was my fault for this and that, etc. Since he told me before mounting the horse that all rides are geared to the skills of the person riding and that the horse knew what to do, I was shocked to be talked down to by this arrogant cowboy! He also told me the horse was picking up on my fears when in reality the horse was picking up on my frustration and anger that the owner was lacking compassion and lacked the willingness to be gentle with me, such an unexperienced rider. I regret going on what could have been a beautiful and delightful moonlit ride in the desert. This may be a good time for experienced riders and for riders who could relate to the owner's ego.

This was incredible, both me and my wife had a great time. To be honest, this was my wife's idea and I was a bit apprehensive, but I really enjoyed myself. I had zero experience in horse riding, but they were excellent and accommodating. They really made it easy for my to learn and enjoy myself. We went on the canyon ride and the views are spectacular. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

While I was in Abq training for a deployment and found out I had just one day free and clear to do what I wanted to do. I wanted to ride but my horse was back in CA. I searched around online and found great reviews. I talked to a Abq local equestrian that I had a date setup with later that day and she too recommended Acacia. My personal opinion is that all the reviews are spot on. Dacodah knows what he is doing. From the shoes he personally puts on his horses all the way up to the tip of their ears his horses are dialed in for a great ride. We went on some trails and terrain the likes of which I don't have where I keep my horse out in the CA Antelope Valley. I started riding seriously two years ago and this ride was the best I have been on. If only I had trails and scenery like this in my own backyard.