Our Fully Appointed Stable Lets You Ride Through History

Bring your own horses and ride the entire ranch at your leisure. Nice soft dirt trails are all over the 100 acre estate. A two stall barn with large paddocks can house up to 6 horses in separate containments. Ride the same route traveled by James Marshall when he lived in Kelsey and worked in Coloma. Steep yourself in history as you pass the many Gold mining artifacts along the trails. Hitching rails and benches are located at many view sites so you can stop and sit a spell while imagining what it was like in 1851.

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About The Horses

If you can’t take your own horses, you can schedule a 2 hour trail ride with Valeri on one of her Missouri Fox Trotters, a gaited breed that moves out with energy to burn. But beware; to ride one is to want to own one. If you have never ridden a fox trotter, boy are you in for a treat.

The Trails

El Dorado County is horse country, considered by Cowboy Magazine as one of the top 10 locations for equestrians. From this location you can get to many additional trail heads within a 30 minute drive or less. Ride the river canyons at Cronan Ranch or try your hand at a section of the famous Tevis Cup endurance ride trail. Drew Barner trail head is just past Georgetown with miles of cool trails in the deep woods. Or if you prefer ride around the lake at Folsom or Sly Park. Everything is close by and Valeri can tell you how to get there and what its like so you know which suits you best.

Visit the Historic Chateau Trails web site for more details.

Ace's Story

About Missouri Fox Trotters: Did You Know?

When fox trotting, the head and tail are slightly elevated, giving the horse a graceful carriage. The rhythmic beat of the hooves, along with the nodding action of the head, give the horse an appearance of relaxation and poise.

The ideal fox trotter travels with animation, rhythm and style. The horse travels in a collected manner, and the trotting carries a rhythm. The head should nod, the ears should indicate the step, and the tail should be part of the rhythm.

The step should be springy, consistent and smooth. The up and down motion should not be noticeable, but rather a smooth gliding gait without swinging.

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