I've got a wonderful travel resource to share with you today! I first met Nancy D. Brown when we interviewed her about her great travel resource, What a Trip!  We were happy to catch up at TBEX (the Travel Blog Exchange Conference last summer), and I was so excited to learn about her latest venture. Her blog, Writing Horseback, is about horseback riding vacations. We had a horse when I was a teenager. My husband went to ranch camp every summer. How has this gotten away from us? Reading WritingHorseback is a joy - real tales of horseback riding vacations and adventures. I love it!

We were lucky enough to sit down again and chat with Nancy, about her new site, horseback riding in Norway & Ireland, what makes a unique horseback riding adventure, and more. Here's what she had to say...

Nancy Brown horseback riding in Cancun, Mexico  

WE: Please tell us about your site, WritingHorseback.

NB: At Writinghorseback, I have combined my passion for horses with my love of travel.

WE: What was the genesis of WritingHorseback?

NB: I have owned and ridden horses since my youth. My travel writing has me all over the globe and most of these places have wonderful horseback riding
opportunities. As I am also a lodging editor for www.uptake.com I thought it would be fun to share my horseback riding discoveries with readers.

WE: What have been some of your favorite places to ride?

NB: Horseback riding in Kauai at the Princeville Ranch was a change of pace. We rode horses through a 2,500 acre cattle ranch and ended up at a waterfall
where we ate lunch and swam. The Kay El Bar guest ranch in Wickenburg, Arizona was a blast. We rode Tennessee Walking horses through the desert,
littered with huge Saguaro cactus. I felt like we were extras in a Wild West movie.

WE: Where would you like to go horseback riding?

NB: This summer I'll be traveling to Norway. I can't wait to ride a Fjord horse. I would love to ride an Icelandic pony to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.
On my list is to ride a Welsh pony from bed and breakfast to a series of B&B's. Of course, horseback riding in Ireland is on my "must do" list.

WE: How do families with different levels of riding experience plan a horseback riding vacation?

NB: That's a great question. In fact, I wrote a blog post about "How to Choose the Best Horseback Riding Vacation"

There is a helpful website, http://www.duderanch.org/ that screens member ranches to make sure the horses are safe for guests. Most dude ranches are aware that not everyone wants to ride all day long and some guests don't want to ride at all. Most guest ranches offer swimming, skeet shooting and fishing, while upscale ranches have spas for those saddle sore legs.

WE: What makes a unique horseback riding vacation?

NB: Often times dude ranches were once working cattle ranches; some still are. Offering guests a horseback riding vacation allows ranches to keep a part of the wild west alive. I'm researching a post about a group of farmers coming together in Pennsylvania to offer guests a farm stay with horseback
riding included. This is a way for families to keep their farms and ranch property in the family and help supplement their income while offering
their guests a new experience.

WE: There's a certain magic about horseback riding that allows us to reconnect with our spirit. What brought you to horseback riding?

NB: As a child, I used to wish upon a star every night for a horse. My spirit came alive when I was around horses. Now that I no longer own horses, I jump at the chance to go horseback riding whenever the opportunity crosses
my path. Horseback riding is one of the few places I don't cart along my laptop or use my cell phone. In fact, I was horseback riding in Arizona and
someone's cell phone went off. Boy did that horse jump. Horses and electronics do not make a good partnership. Horses and the great outdoors, now that's magic!

Nancy Brown as a teenager on her Quarter Horse Pampa at Point Reyes
National Seashore, California 

WE: Thanks so very much, Nancy! We'll definitely have to go horseback riding when we're in Ireland this fall - you've inspired me!

For more information, please see:

http://writinghorseback.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WritingHorseback

Twitter @ridinghorseback