Artillery Ridge Horseback Tours/Riding Facilities

Well, as trail rides go, this wasn't too terrible... but I was rather disappointed with the out-and-back route of this supposed 'battlefield tour'. We were expecting to make the loop across the battlefield and back around by the Round Tops. Found out too late that we had clearly booked the wrong stable for that. Now I know why their web page is so vague in regards to the 'tour' info, and totally lacks any info regarding a ride route. Artillery Ridge merely offers a ride out across the center of the fields and then back again, on the exact same trail. They also do not have a trained battlefield guide, but instead rely on a pre recorded tape to narrate your 'tour'. And as other reviews have mentioned, the narration doesn't always match up with your actual location (plus several people on our ride had problems with audio equipment that failed to work properly, myself included). In summary... if all you want is a relatively generic trail ride, then you may not be too disappointed. If you are expecting an actual tour, where you will ride near some key points on the battlefield... or at least have an opportunity to interact with someone who knows a little bit about the history of Gettysburg... then this ride is not for you. I highly recommend that you check into some of the other available historical tours instead (from other stables, or the various options offered via the visitor's center). I feel like my family wasted over $200 on this ride--was expecting something a lot different, considering the high price.

My husband and I were inexperienced riders, so if you if you are thinking of going on the tour and are also inexperienced, this review is for you! The perspectives of the battlefield during the tour were excellent. You get a good sense of the terrain and can really picture the action as you ride. Those are the pros. The cons are that you may be somewhat uncomfortable on the horse and in the summer it gets extremely hot on the trail. It is difficult to really pay attention to what the guide is saying because you are spending a lot of your mental energy getting comfortable with your horse, making sure it doesn't eat the grass, readjusting yourself while the horse relieves itself, swatting at horseflies, etc. At one point, my horse actually turned around and attacked the horse behind it, because the other horse was annoying mine by walking too close. And last, but not least, there's one really grouchy wrangler who yells at everybody all the time and generally makes you feel like a jackass. I know it's probably difficult to manage a group of inexperienced riders, but she could have lightened up a bit.

We have visited and toured the battlefield any times, this was the best. It was very informative. The guide was very knowledgeable, the wranglers did a great job of matching the horses. The price was better than other tours. We will take this tour again.

First: The horses were great and the wranglers really did a great job making it a safe environment for everyone. They matched riders with horses exceptionally well and were fantastic in that regard. We drove 2 hours to get the "officer's viewpoint" of the war and were very disappointed by the route that they took (there were other trails that were available and the tour was an "out and back" so you didn't see anything new on the return trip). The absolute worst part of the ride was that the "sound system" was horrible - no one on our tour was able to understand it - they tested it with the music and yes, we could hear the music - but the narration was scratchy, faded in and out and was worthless. Plus with the line of horses stretching so far, those of us in the end would hear (when we could hear) "look to your left...." but we only saw trees - so we missed the actual "tour" by the randomness of where we were placed on the line. It was a nice ride and my 8 year old son had a blast riding and in the sense that it was a two hour fun family event it was okay - but it was an awfully expensive ride and we felt like we had wasted valuable time because we came to Gettysburg for historical background, not just to ride a horse.

I am a fairly experienced rider and I own an ex-racer at home. I ride mostly english and have taught lessons in the past. This ride is really aimed toward people who have little to no horse experience but was fun for me as well. I really enjoyed hearing the audio tape as we rode through the fields. You could almost picture the battle! If you are an experienced rider, it can still be a great experience but please be perpaired to accept that they are going to use the same rules for everyone. It is a walking trail ride only and they do treat everyone as if they have little to no experience (i.e. you can't mount or dismount without staff being there to assist). However, I understand that not everyone is completely honest about what they know (or rather don't know- there was an obvious example of this type of person on my ride) and they have put safety first. However, since you have headphones on and are listening to that it is not rediculiously boring. It is about seeing the battlefield, not the riding experience. As for the care for the horses. I found the horses that I saw to have a generally healthy appearance (some a little overweight but I did not see any underweight horses). I did not see any with saddle sores or signs of obvious abuse. They are obviously bored to tears with the trail, which can be expected. All of the horses that were on the trail with me appeared to be safe for beginner riders. As far as the complaint that the horses were trying to eat while on the trail, of course most horses will attempt to get away with this, my horse tried once and when she discovered that I was someone who knew what I was doing and was not going to permit it, she never tried it again. The trail guide were giving good instruction to beginner riders as to how to control this. As for the riders "cantering" beside us while we were walking. The only time I saw this was if someone needed help, or if we were goign to cross a road. The guide up front stopped and the one from the back and middle rode up and used flags to stop traffic and allow the riders to cross safely. The horses were use to this and no one on my trail had a problem with it. Overall, it was a great experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to see the battlefield from a different perspective. Great for first time riders and still good for more experienced riders.

To:You I love horses but never get to be around them....... This will be fun and a GREAT experience!!! I can't wait to go!!! Thank You "OH SO VERY MUCH"!!! From:A can't-waiter

First off for everyone on here complaining about the horses you need to understand an important fact. Horses are wild animals, have been for hundreds of years, and will continue to be. We will do our best to tame them and make them ridable, but non the less they will sometime do what they think they can get away with. If you a novice rider the horse will be able to sense this and will most likely try and take advantage of you. If you let them, they will continue to do this the whole trip. You need to be the one in charge and not give in to what the horse is trying to get away with; just like with a child. Being raised with horses all my life and breaking wild horses every month, I have learned that confidence and caution will get you a lot further with a horse than cockiness, ignorance, and giving in. From my experience this is a great place for begginers and family's to spend the weekend together.

I don't know if some of the tour guides who run this place are simply inexperienced or just plain stupid. I rode there this past weekend and I took the two hour ride. It was reasonable priced and I was placed with a large horse named Buster. He was a thoroubred/percheron cross.At least that was what I was told by the elderly male tour guide. When I asked how many hands Buster was, the same guide snidely said,"I don't know sir." Once on the trail it was okay, but whenever we stopped Buster wanted to eat so badly that he would take the right side of his reins into his mouth and yank them from my arm. Judging by the wear on the right side of his bridle, I would say that Buster had a long habit of doing that. When I attempted to bring this to the attention of the elderly guide(the genius) he walked away before I finished and snorted, "You're in control of the horse sir." It was obvious that these people are more interested in making a profit that the welfare and behavioral issues of their horses.

We took the "riding into history" battlefield tour. As frequent Gettysburg tourists, this is our favorite way to see the battlefields. I am an experienced rider, but my fiance is not. We both enjoyed this ride, however, for those looking to really get out and ride, this is NOT the tour for your. This tour is designed for people who have little or no riding experience. It is a walking tour only. That said, it was a wonderful experience and we plan to do it again. The prices are high, but that is common in tourist areas. The horses are well cared for, despite what an earlier review says about this place. As with any repetitive trail ride, you will find horses that are bored, but they are healthy, plump, and sound. The staff takes good care of the riders and stops traffic at any street crossing. There were three guides on our tour, and they had great control of the group.

This last review was outright fabrication. I LIVE here in Gettysburg, and my family and I trail ride at this stable twice a month. The horses are well cared for, fat and there have never been any signs of mistreatment. Except for ONE grouchy woman, the staff are fantastic, and since we are regular customers, I know each of them fairly well.