Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Equine and Wine Adventures

Vineyard riding with Wine Country Trails by Horseback
Vineyard riding with Wine Country Trails by Horseback

‘The weather is finally starting to cool,” I said to Patrick. “Let’s do something outdoorsy, just you and me.”

“If we’re going somewhere without the kids, I want an adult beverage to be involved,” he answered.

“Fine. But you’ll have to get on horseback to get it.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Sabrina Fortyune, owner of Vineyard Trail Rides (951-595-3503; vineyardtrailrides.com) told me that she got into the business because she loved riding “so much that I wanted to share it with others. We offer a few different rides in several different locations, but I lead them all. The first is the Country Ride [$100 per person, $160 per couple] up in the Ramona grasslands. The whole ride is about two hours. You ride for an hour through cattle and oak trees, and you hop off and have a picnic at the edge of a pond for 30 minutes. I provide a complimentary bottle of wine, either chilled Chardonnay or room-temperature Merlot. Both are from Wild Horse Vineyards up in Paso Robles. Then you ride back for about half an hour.”

It’s a good ride for beginners, she said, “and it’s been very well received. Most people don’t want to get off the horse at the end.” Riders should wear “long pants, tennis shoes or boots, a hat, sunglasses, and a jacket if the weather requires it. And they should bring water and whatever food they want to eat.”

More experienced riders might prefer the River Ride ($120 per person, $200 per couple). That takes about three hours total, and it runs through the Los Peñasquitos River basin. It’s fun because we guide the horses in and out of the rivers.”

Finally, for the proper cowboy or cowgirl, she offers “the John Wayne Special ($350 per person). It’s an overnight camping adventure with horses. In the summer, we do it in the mountains; in the winter, we use a private ranch in the desert. All meals are provided, along with most of the equipment. All you need to bring is a sleeping bag, toiletries, a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and any medications you might need.” The first day starts with a four-hour ride to the campsite, which is equipped with showers and restrooms. “We have hors d’oeuvres and cocktails for an hour, and then later, we have dinner and dessert ’round the campfire. In the morning, we have a big breakfast before going on a two-hour ride. Then we have a snack break and head home.”

Fortyune assesses riders in order to figure out the right horse. “I’ll size them up — I wouldn’t put a tiny lady on the biggest horse — and I’ll ask about their experience with riding. And I can usually read a person in terms of confidence.”

Meanwhile, up in Temecula, Elizabeth at Wine Country Trails by Horseback (951-506-8706; winecountryridesbyhorseback.com) told me, “We offer two different packages. You get to ride through the vineyards at Wilson Creek Winery, Monte d’Oro Winery, and a grapefruit orchard by South Coast Winery. With the Ride and Wine package ($99 per person), you get a 90-minute ride and then certificates good for tastings at Wilson Creek and Danza Del Sol. Our second package is Ride and Vine ($125 per person). That gets you a 90-minute ride and vouchers for tastings at four different wineries: Wilson Creek, Danza Del Sol, Lorimar, and Baily.”

All of the horses are rescued quarter horses, “and they come in all different colors.” The ride, said Elizabeth, gives you a peek at “the less commercial side of the wineries, and it’s gorgeous. You travel through mountains and countryside; I like to take the last ride [2:30 p.m.], so that when I come back the sun is starting to set. During the ride, you have a guide in front and one in back of you, but the horses aren’t nose to tail. You get a real sense of riding. If we’re busy, we may book up to 16 riders, but we’ll break them into smaller groups. And we’re busier on the weekends. If you book during the week, you’ll get a more relaxed experience and probably a smaller group.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego seawalls depend on Half Moon Bay case

Casa Mira townhomes sued after losing 20 feet of bluffs in storm
Vineyard riding with Wine Country Trails by Horseback
Vineyard riding with Wine Country Trails by Horseback

‘The weather is finally starting to cool,” I said to Patrick. “Let’s do something outdoorsy, just you and me.”

“If we’re going somewhere without the kids, I want an adult beverage to be involved,” he answered.

“Fine. But you’ll have to get on horseback to get it.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Sabrina Fortyune, owner of Vineyard Trail Rides (951-595-3503; vineyardtrailrides.com) told me that she got into the business because she loved riding “so much that I wanted to share it with others. We offer a few different rides in several different locations, but I lead them all. The first is the Country Ride [$100 per person, $160 per couple] up in the Ramona grasslands. The whole ride is about two hours. You ride for an hour through cattle and oak trees, and you hop off and have a picnic at the edge of a pond for 30 minutes. I provide a complimentary bottle of wine, either chilled Chardonnay or room-temperature Merlot. Both are from Wild Horse Vineyards up in Paso Robles. Then you ride back for about half an hour.”

It’s a good ride for beginners, she said, “and it’s been very well received. Most people don’t want to get off the horse at the end.” Riders should wear “long pants, tennis shoes or boots, a hat, sunglasses, and a jacket if the weather requires it. And they should bring water and whatever food they want to eat.”

More experienced riders might prefer the River Ride ($120 per person, $200 per couple). That takes about three hours total, and it runs through the Los Peñasquitos River basin. It’s fun because we guide the horses in and out of the rivers.”

Finally, for the proper cowboy or cowgirl, she offers “the John Wayne Special ($350 per person). It’s an overnight camping adventure with horses. In the summer, we do it in the mountains; in the winter, we use a private ranch in the desert. All meals are provided, along with most of the equipment. All you need to bring is a sleeping bag, toiletries, a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and any medications you might need.” The first day starts with a four-hour ride to the campsite, which is equipped with showers and restrooms. “We have hors d’oeuvres and cocktails for an hour, and then later, we have dinner and dessert ’round the campfire. In the morning, we have a big breakfast before going on a two-hour ride. Then we have a snack break and head home.”

Fortyune assesses riders in order to figure out the right horse. “I’ll size them up — I wouldn’t put a tiny lady on the biggest horse — and I’ll ask about their experience with riding. And I can usually read a person in terms of confidence.”

Meanwhile, up in Temecula, Elizabeth at Wine Country Trails by Horseback (951-506-8706; winecountryridesbyhorseback.com) told me, “We offer two different packages. You get to ride through the vineyards at Wilson Creek Winery, Monte d’Oro Winery, and a grapefruit orchard by South Coast Winery. With the Ride and Wine package ($99 per person), you get a 90-minute ride and then certificates good for tastings at Wilson Creek and Danza Del Sol. Our second package is Ride and Vine ($125 per person). That gets you a 90-minute ride and vouchers for tastings at four different wineries: Wilson Creek, Danza Del Sol, Lorimar, and Baily.”

All of the horses are rescued quarter horses, “and they come in all different colors.” The ride, said Elizabeth, gives you a peek at “the less commercial side of the wineries, and it’s gorgeous. You travel through mountains and countryside; I like to take the last ride [2:30 p.m.], so that when I come back the sun is starting to set. During the ride, you have a guide in front and one in back of you, but the horses aren’t nose to tail. You get a real sense of riding. If we’re busy, we may book up to 16 riders, but we’ll break them into smaller groups. And we’re busier on the weekends. If you book during the week, you’ll get a more relaxed experience and probably a smaller group.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Issa aide collaborates with Ukrainians

Carlsbad's Tracy Slepcevic, Warrior Mom, and her ties to RFK, Jr.
Next Article

Mang Tomas, banana ketchup barred in San Diego

What will happen to Filipino Christmas here?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader