sage meadow ranch

I had the pleasure of riding with a close friend, who owns a neighbouring ranch, on Holly's reliable and footsure quarter horses over two days at the end of October 2014.As a change from the normal hacking I do regularly in the U.K. it was a relaxing way to view the very dramatic scenery, whilst exploring deep canyons and riding through beautiful forestry, with the shafts of sunlight breajing through the glades.Holly is an excellent host and her horses would give even the lost novice rider the confidence to enjoy a 3 hour ride.Don't go with the expectation of fast and furious gallops, but if you really want to enjoy the Dakota Hills and have a guide whose company you'll undoubtedly enjoy, I can strongly recommend Holly Henderson and her horses at Sage Meadow Ranch.

My husband and I took a wonderful, privately guided 3 hour horseback ride through hundreds of acres of beautiful South Dakota land! We traversed trails, dry creek beds, woods and open plains with views as far as Wyoming and Nebraska! The owner and guide, Holly, was very knowledgeable, safe and fun to ride with, and her sweet horses were very well trained and responsive. I would highly recommend this adventure when you are looking for a customized trail ride, without a whole lot of other people, all head to tail!

This place is about 1 1/2 hours away from Rapid City, 30 minutes from either Custer or Hot Springs. If you follow Holly's directions on the website, you will not get lost. Take notice of your surroundings though. Once you turn at the Firehouse, the road to Sage Meadow is all gravel. My Husband and I took 79 south from Rapid City to Hot Springs since he did not want to drive through the mountains and then followed the directions on Sage Meadows Website. We actually spotted some wild Buffalo off the side of the road! Very easy drive. Holly and her Husband own an expansive piece of land and we chose the 3 hour tour. She made us feel very comfortable on the horses. My horse was Pedro and my Husbands was Rillo. Holly provided us each with a water bottle for the trip as well. Her horses were well trained and responded to direction with ease. Most of the area you were able to steer the horse so that you were riding side by side which was an added plus to make it seem more casual. The look out point was breathtaking! We did not bring our phones with us, because let's be honest, the pictures would never do it justice! Holly was very informative about her land and told us a bit of history that it had. You can see the original stage coach trail still in-bedded in the ground!She took us up and down through the small hills on her property and some areas were more tight than others, but have faith in the horse and they will take care of you.I would suggest wearing long sleeves and pants because you do brush up on trees and low lying plants.She has a few,very friendly cats on property as well that are there to greet you while Holly saddles up the horses! Would gladly drive the distance again to experience the horseback ride and hospitality at Sage Meadow Ranch!10 Stars!

Visiting Custer State Park I could not do the nose to tail trail ride. My friend had only been on a horse once and I am a rider. We had a fantastic ride. My friend had a great "riding lesson" while enjoying the ride and I just rode like a trail ride I have always done. It was like being with my good friends! Thanks Holly!

We loved this experience! My husband is not an experienced rider at all, and I had not been on a horse for quite a few years. The horses were calm, yet you still had to tell them what to do and where to go, unlike some riding experiences where the horses have done the same trail day in and day out for years. We were able to see some lovely views of the countryside.

I'd recommend this ride to all ages and experience levels. Holly is so warm and engaging and does it right....horses are well trained and she gives instruction to everyone's comfort level. The ride is picturesque and I can;t enough about it. You gotta try it!

What a great riding experience with Holly. She is wonderful with her horses, made my daughter and me feel very comfortable and showed us an amazing ride and scenery. The stables are spotless and the horses beautiful. Would highly recommend Holly and Sage Meadow Ranch. A highlight of our trip to the Black Hills. Thanks Holly for a wonderful experience! Karen and Ashley, Pennsylvania

If you are going to ride horses I South Dakota this is the place to go. We had two absolute fantastic days with our family. Thank you Holly.

was a great experience for me and my boyfriend on our little getaway , love horse back riding , great views riding along the black hills ,would love to ride again when we venture out that way again

My daughter and I rode twice with Holly while vacationing in the Black Hills. Holly is lovely. She is excellent company on the ride and a great guide. She only takes 4 people max per ride, and she only does one ride per day. The horses are heathy, beautiful and responsive. It's obvious Holly takes excellent care of her horses and knows each horse well. The facility is well maintained. The highlight is the terrain and beautiful scenery. Although cantering is not allowed (due to liability), we did trot when the terrain was suitable and Holly encouraged us to ride along side her when the trail opened up rather than following along nose-to-tail like a typical trail ride. Our ride was very enjoyable and peaceful. The ranch is located out in the middle of the country in a beautiful setting. It took us 30 minutes to drive there from the town of Custer. Or 50 minutes from the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park.

If you are going to ride horses in SD, this is definitely the place to do it. Our ride was just my husband, daughter and I (groups of four max) so it was like going out with friends rather than a tour. Holly was so accommodating and worked us in even though we were a last minute booking. We rode up and down the hills and were able to move our horses about freely when in open areas. My husband and I booked this because it was something our daughter wanted to do but in the end was a highlight of our SD vacation.

Sage Meadow Ranch was the third of three trail riding expeditions we took in the Black Hills. We are experienced riders who only had a couple of days to ride, so we decided not to bring our own horses. When we arrived at Sage Meadow, we knew that this place was different. Holly greeted us and gave us a brief tour. Her facility was immaculate. Her horses were well trained and a joy to ride. It was definitely the best of the three trail experiences we had on someone else's horses. I have already recommended Sage Meadow to several friends. If you are looking for a spectacular ride for all riding levels, you should definitely ride with Holly and Dave!!! I am so glad we did!

The day after Labor Day (September 2, 2013) my husband and I scheduled a late afternoon riding session at Sage Meadow Ranch--between Prindle and Hot Springs in the Southern Black Hills of South Dakota. Early in the day we were somewhat worried that the clouds in the sky would prematurely end our scheduled horseback riding--but as our appointed time neared the sky cleared up and we enjoyed postcard perfect weather. That was an additional benefit as the scenery we saw as we approached Sage Meadow Ranch was quite majestic. The prairie interspersed with stands of trees and dry river beds collectively painted a picture of nature that added to the wonderful adventure of our horseriding experience.We met Holly--the owner and proprietor of Sage Meadow Ranch--at her stable as she was getting our mounts prepared for our riding session. Both my husband and I were provided young (5 and 4 years old) Palomino geldings--which were well trained yet spirited enough to provide us with a riding experience beyond the traditional 'follow-the-leader trail ride'. Holly (and her apprentice Lynne) made certain that all safety precautions were covered before we even sat on the saddle. Their attention to our safety and comfort with the horses made the experience most enjoyable. I can write a novella on our riding experience yet it would simply not come close to the spiritual connection that I experienced with the setting and the horses. What ever rating system is used to evaluate stables/trail riding services used by Trip Advisor...I would suggest that Holly and Sage Meadow Ranch earned/deserves at least one point more than the top score. From now on our main purpose for heading toward the Hills will be to visit Sage Meadow Ranch.

Thanks Holly, & Hay for the great ride. We all enjoyed the ranch and the ride. The evening ride just topped off our day. Thanks

Thanks to Holly, Dave, Hailey, and Fresca, we had a fantastic ride at Sage Meadow Ranch. The 2 girls helping out were the best and took extra time and attention to be sure our daughter was comfortable on her horse before taking off on our ride. She loved her horse Durango and was so excited to be there that she (we) didn't want to leave and could have ridden all day if possible. The horses are all so well trained and beautifully groomed and cared for, we had no worries at all. This is some of the most beautiful peaceful country I have ever seen, and the best places to ride ever!! The ride was so personable and we had a great visit while we rode, it was so good that I forgot about pictures, but we will be back and will get photos next time around. Holly and Dave have a beautiful place and if you are ever in the area, please give them a call for the best trail ride experience ever, this is NOT your typical nose to trail ride and you will enjoy the beautiful wide open space. Thanks for a wonderful time!! The Grovenburgs - Sioux Falls SD