There is something incredibly magical about this area of Northern New Mexico.  It’s the  vibrant culture (imagine adobe houses, old Spanish churches, sun-baked small towns and shops full of handcrafted Native American arts). It’s the wild landscapes where the desert meets the mountains, with pinon and juniper trees that are thousands of years old.  It’s the unique cuisine with a multitude of speciality dishes only found in this small corner of the earth.  Blue corn pinon pancakes with chokecherry syrup, anyone?  It’s the quiet, the wide open skies and huge expanses of land that invite you to relax, unplug and reconnect to yourself.

It’s all of this and so much more.  Come discover it for yourself on this 7 day, 6 night trip into the Land of Enchantment.

October 20th-26th, 2021

~ Find your Wild Cowgirl Self and Refresh your Life~

• Picture yourself waking to a crisp mountain morning, sky so blue that it defies description, bringing your coffee out to the veranda and watching the world slowly wake up around you.

• Imagine going to the horses, being greeted by nickers and soft breathe, and knowing the day ahead is going to be filled with beautiful places and amazing riding.

• Feel yourself in the saddle as you climb up mountains paths, splash in the river waters of the Rio Grande and gallop through the sandy arroyos of the painted desert.

• Taste the heat of green chili on your tongue followed by the sweet/sour sensation of a prickly pear margarita or a decadent piece of dulce de leche cake.

• Feel your muscles relaxing as you sit in the hot tub after a day of adventure with your horse and gaze at the stars that seem so close you can almost touch them.

• Envision the bright colors of Santa Fe with handwoven rugs, textiles, traditional artwork, jewelry and ceramics all blended together with the desert brown adobe buildings and traditional architecture that is New Mexico.

• Imagine yourself enjoying a week full of laughter, camaraderie, adventure and joy and going back to your life fully refreshed and rejuvenated.

The Horses:

We get the joy of riding on trail savvy horses that will be carry us to beautiful places for our week together, and the most amazing part is that they are all rescue horses that have been trained and rehabilitated to be trusted trail partners.  At the barn and on the trail, everyone that works with the horses adheres to a natural training method, a philosophy of working with horses based on their natural instincts and methods of communication.  Many of the horses come to the rescue facility not only with malnourished bodies but broken spirits and by slowly rebuilding the horse physically and mentally through a relationship built on trust, respect, and understanding our riding partners have blossomed into healthy and happy horses who love their job.  They will take care of us all through our time together.

Our Accommodations and Food:

While with the horses, our home base will be a 140 acre ranch located at the southern most point of the Rocky Mountains,  40 minutes east of Albuquerque and an hour south of Santa Fe.  Our lodgings will be at quaint house just minutes from the ranch. The two story house is nestled on a juniper and pine tree ridge overlooking the valley below. Decorated in a rustic and eclectic southwest style, the guest house and surrounding area is landscaped for relaxation. Wooded paths lead to reading nooks, hammocks for naps, meditation alcoves and quiet spaces for yoga. There is a  hot tub will be waiting for us after a day in the saddle.  The property is teeming with vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and berry bushes just ripe for the picking. If we have some extra time and energy, bicycles are available for further exploration.

New Mexican cuisine is wholly unique, rich with local ingredients, slow cooked meats, and spiced with roasted green and red chili. The kitchen is stocked with all the provisions needed for a European style breakfast, lunches of light salads or soups, and evenings filled with sit down, family style dinners, relaxing next to a fire and gazing out at the stars. We do like to visit a few local restaurants that showcase our amazing culture.

Our Guides:

We are lucky to have Justyn and Mel, the dynamic mother and daughter duo who run Enchantment Equitreks, as our guides and leaders during our trip.

Their passion for horses has spanned from ranches to show rings, race tracks to trail rides. For many years Mel and Justyn traveled all over the world for riding vacations and worked with their local horse shelter rehabilitating rescue horses. It was in 2012 that they decided to combine their love of travel, trail riding, and rescue horses. In 2013 they sold their house in town, moved to the country, and jumped into their dream with only three rescue horses.

From then on they have become the trail guides, wranglers, horse trainers, hostesses, and all of the many positions it requires to run this family business. “We want to keep our business small because we don’t want to lose the intimate and personal touch with our clients. We hope they feel like they’re here riding with friends and become part of the family,” Justyn explains.  Mel and Justyn are ready to take you on a New Mexico adventure.

Cancellation policy:

If you have to cancel, costs are fully refundable, except for deposit and bank service charges, up to 120 days before the start of the trip. Between 60 and 120 days before the trip, 50% of the costs are refundable. If you have to cancel 60 days before the trip, the costs are nonrefundable, but are transferable to another person. The $1000 deposit is nonrefundable. However, this deposit amount may be transferred to another excursion if space is available.

Please fill out all liability and release forms 4 weeks prior to the trip and return them to Joy Rides Coaching at joyrides.dgo@gmail.com.  If you are unable to download them from this site and fill them out online, please contact staff to get copies via mail.