| 1: Is
there a weight limit?
2:
Are we allowed to run
(trot/canter/gallop/lope/jog)?
3:
How long do horses normally live?
4:
Can we bring our young child on the
ride with us?
5:
Where did we get most of horses?
6:
Is double riding allowed?
7:
Can we ride by ourselves?
8:
How many Acres does Double Dab have?
9:
Do we have to wear a helmet?
10: How old do you have to be to ride?
11: What type of clothes should we
wear?
12: Where did the name Double DAB come
from?
13:
How many horses do you have?
14: Is summertime your busiest season?
Do people come in the winter?
15: What type of animals have you seen
while on the trail?
16: What kind of dogs do you have at
Double Dab?
17:
Do you ride Western or English?
18:
Do your horses wear shoes? Why?
19: How often do the horses’ feet need
to be done?
20: How often does a horse need to be
groomed?
21: What units are horses measured
with?
22: What is the difference between a
horse and pony?
23: Can I wear a rain poncho or
raincoat?
24:
Can I feed my horse treats?
25: Can I bring my drink along on the
trail ride?
26: Can I bring my camera on the ride
with me?
27:
Can I walk the trail on foot?
28:
Can we bring our dogs?
29: Can we bring our own horses to
ride on the trail?
30:
Can we ride bareback?
31: Do I have to ride with my
children?
32: Do you accept Credit Cards or
Checks?
33:
When can I let the horse drink?
34: How old does a horse have to be to
ride it?
35: Do
we ride for fun?
36:
Do you race your horses?
37: Is a horse with blue eyes blind?
38: Can we choose the horses we
ride?
39: How far in advance do reservations
need to be made?
40: Must I take a lesson before going
on a trail ride? Even if I am a
beginner rider with no experience?
41: Should we tip our Trail Guides?
42: How big of a group can you take
out at one time?
43:
Do you ride in the rain?
44: Do you take groups out on the
trail during thunder and lightning?
45: Do I get to saddle my own horse?
1:
Is there a weight limit?
If you are
over 240 lbs, we ask that you tell us so
we can determine by your height and
weight if you are eligible to ride. We
have had riders from all weight ranges.
If you are a tall person who weighs over
300 lbs, we may allow you to ride.
Horses can only physically handle so
much weight for a full hour ride.
Eligibility to ride is based on
height-weight proportionality.
2:
Are we allowed to run
(trot/canter/gallop/lope/jog)?
Absolutely not! Here at Double DAB, your
safety is our number one priority. To
ensure the safety of both our patrons
and our horses, no running is allowed at
any time.
3:
How long do horses normally live?
Horses are a
lot like humans. Their life span depends
on a lot of different factors. A healthy
well-taken-care-of horse can live to be
30-years old. Some horses have lived
longer, and some do not live to reach
that age.
4:
Can we bring our young child on the
ride with us?
The youngest
child we will bring on the trail is
6-years old. Children younger than that
are prohibited on trails. Young children
must be able to sit on a horse by
themselves. Generally, all children
under the age of 10 will be placed on a
lead and led throughout the whole trail
ride by a guide. Children are not
permitted to ride on a horse with their
parents or a guide. We do not permit
double riding.
5:
Where did we get most of horses?
The majority
of our horses were born and raised here
on the farm. We do have a handful of
horses that were not born here. The
horses not born at the stable were
gotten either through private sales or
rescues.
6:
Is double riding allowed?
Sorry, we do
not permit double riding. It is not safe
and is very rough on our horses' backs
and legs.
7:
Can we ride by ourselves?
If you would
like to ride by yourselves on our
trails, you need to own your horse and
board it here. Due to legality, we
cannot allow you to ride alone without a
guide if you do not own your own
horse(s) here.
8:
How many Acres does Double Dab have?
We have 300
acres of beautiful scenic trails.
9:
Do we have to wear a helmet?
According to New York State Law, any
rider under the age of 18 must wear a
helmet while mounted on a horse at all
times. Anyone 18 or older may choose
whether or not to wear a helmet.
10:
How old do you have to be to ride?
Children
must be at least 6 years of age to ride
on the trail. All children under the age
of 10 will be placed on leads, and led
by a guide for their safety. Any child
under 6 years of age may go on a pony
ride at the stable.
11:
What type of clothes should we wear?
For safety,
we prefer that you wear pants, and
closed-toe shoes. We understand that
many of our customers are on vacation
and may not have these with them. We
will allow you to ride with whatever you
show up in. However, you will be most
comfortable if you have a pair of jeans
and closed-toe shoes.
12:
Where did the name Double D.A.B.
come from?
The name
Double D.A.B. came from the owners'
initials. Darlene and Douglas both have
the initials D.A.B. Thus, the name
Double D.A.B.
13:
How many horses do you have?
We currently
have 80 horses.
14: Is summertime your busiest
season? Do people come in the
winter?
Summer
is busier than winter by far. July and
August are our busiest months. The peak
riding season is from Memorial Day to
Labor Day. Summertime is also hay
season, so we are busy putting in hay
while serving customers. We do offer
trails rides, pony rides, and lessons in
the winter. However, we are not nearly
as busy with customers in winter. Of
course, even in the winter, we have a
full time job caring for the animals and
dealing with the blistery weather.
15: What
type of animals have you seen while
on the trail?
We have
seen a variety of animals including
deer, chipmunks, coyote, red tail
fox, porcupine, raccoon, skunk, snakes,
frogs, salamanders, crayfish, minnows,
and a large variety of birds including
Indigo Bunting, Blue Birds, Robbins,
Turkey Buzzards, Hawks, and Finches.
16: What kind of
dogs do you have at Double Dab?
We have 3
Australian Shepherds.
17: Do you ride Western or
English?
We ride
Western style here at Double DAB.
However, we do offer English riding
lessons. Trail rides are Western only.
18: Do your horses wear shoes?
Why?
During the
summer months, we do put shoes on all
our riding horses. During the summer,
the ground can become very hard. To keep
the horses’ feet from breaking, we put
shoes on them. We also travel along the
creek where the ground is gravel based.
The shoes help the horses with traction
also.
19: How often do
the horses’ feet need to be done?
Every
6-8 weeks, the horses need to have their
feet trimmed and shoes reset.
20: How often does a
horse need to be groomed?
Horses
should be groomed at least once a day.
Grooming a horse removes all fine dirt
and mud that can cluster up in their
coats. Regular grooming promotes a
healthy coat.
21:
What units are horses measured with?
Horses are
measured in hands. 1 hand is equal to 4
inches.
22:
What is the difference between a
horse and pony?
A horse is
anything taller than 14-2 hands (58
inches), while a pony is anything 14-2
hands or shorter.
23:
Can I wear a rain poncho or
raincoat?
Yes, you can
wear a raincoat. However, you cannot
wear a rain poncho. Anything that is
loose like a rain poncho or garbage bag
may scare the horses.
24:
Can I feed my horse treats?
Yes, you
may feed your horse. We just ask that
you ask us first, and that one of us is
present while feeding the horse. We do
not claim any responsibility if you are
to be bitten while feeding your horse a
treat. Acceptable treats are
carrots, apples, and horse treats. If
you would like to give your horse a
treat, but are afraid to be nipped, one
of us will be happy to help you or give
the horse the treat for you.
25:
Can I bring my drink along on the
trail ride?
We ask that
you do not bring anything on the ride
with you. The drink could be left in
your car.
26:
Can I bring my Camera on the ride
with me?
If you would
like pictures on horseback we ask that
you leave your cameras at the barn until
we get back, and we will take photos for
you. If you bring your camera on the
ride with you, we cannot be held
responsible if it lost, broken, or if
the camera spooks the horses.
27:
Can I walk the trail on foot?
These trails
are for horseback riding only.
28:
Can we bring our dogs?
No, please
leave your animals at home. We have a
wide range of animals here and would
hate for your pet to get hurt.
29:
Can we bring our own horses to ride
on the trail?
No, our
trail horses have their own
relationships with each other. They know
each other very well. It is not safe to
throw a new horse into the group.
30:
Can we ride Bareback?
No, for your
safety, all riders must ride with a
western saddle.
31:
Do I have to ride with my children?
No, you do
not have to. We prefer that they do have
a parent or guardian on the trail with
them, especially if they are under the
age of 12.
32:
Do you accept Credit Cards or
Checks?
We do not
accept credit cards of any type. We
prefer to be paid in cash, but we will
accept a personal check with proper
identification.
33:
When can I let the horse drink?
The horses
are allowed to drink as they leave the
barn. Before the ride leaves, the horses
are offered a drink at the water tub.
Horses are again offered a drink as we
cross the creek the first time.
Anytime after the initial drinks, we ask
that you do not allow the horse to
drink. If a horse is too warm when it
drinks, it can become sick (foundered).
34:
How old does a horse have to be to
ride it?
Horses have
to be at least 2-years old before they
can be ridden. However, we like to wait
until they are 3 to really do much
riding with them. Most of our horses do
not become full time trail horses until
they are 4 or 5-years old.
35: Do
we ride for fun?
We do this
business because we enjoy riding and
horses. All of our rides are
fun. Our first priority is safety
and our second is to have fun.
36:
Do you race your horses?
We do not
own racehorses (Thoroughbreds). The
horses we have here are strictly trail
and pleasure horses.
37:
Is a horse with blue eyes blind?
Blue eyes
are called watch eyes or glass eyes. It
is just a different eye coloration. It
does not mean that a horse is
blind.
38:
Can we choose the horses we ride?
We will pick
the horses out for you according to your
size and personality. If you have ridden
here before, you may request a horse to
ride, but there is no guarantee we can
give you that horse.
39:
How far in advance do reservations
need to be made?
A day or two
in advance is generally sufficient
notice for reservations. Very large
groups should be reserved a week or more
in advance. However, even if you call
last minute, we will try our best to fit
you in. It is difficult to tell which
days will be busy, so to ensure you can
ride at a time most convenient for you,
please call us as soon as you know when
you want to come.
No, lessons are not required before
a trail ride. When we first help you
mount a horse, we will give you
instructions for how to control it,
and your guide will help you
throughout the trail ride.
We prefer that you do tip the
guides. A majority of our trail
guides are volunteers. Also, tipping
is a sign of gratuity, letting us
know you had a great time on your
ride.
42: How big
of a group can you take out at
one time?
The largest
group that we take out at one time
is 15 people. We prefer to try and
keep the groups small. For
larger groups, we can split into
multiple rides. Those who are not
riding can tour our petting farm
or enjoy our picnic area while
waiting for others.
Yes! However, if the temperature
is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, we
will not ride outside. We
now have an indoor riding area. If
there is any question as to what
type of riding the weather and/or
trail conditions will allow, just
give us a call.
We do take groups out if it is
thundering, but we do not take
groups out in the lightning. If you
are on a ride when it starts to
lightning, we head back to the barn.
No, all horses are saddled by the
barn staff. If you would like to
learn how to saddle a horse, we ask
that you either take a lesson or
join us for a day camp.
|
No
running.
