Lajitas Stables – Saddle and Paddle Combo

My friends and I went on a half day ride with Lajita stables. It was amazing. we had such a good time. We are experienced riders and we had two absolute beginners with us. They took such good care of those riders and we all had a blast. I have ridden all over the world, and this was such a great ride. So absolutely gorgeous and the horses were great and very well cared for. We call it "fat and sassy". Which is a sign that they love their horses. I want to try to do a 2-4 day overnight ride with them, that is how good this ride was.

Our guide Evo was GREAT! He went above and beyond to make this an unforgettable experience for us. We are total beginners, but felt very comfortable on the horses on this very rugged and absolutely scenic ride. What a memorable experience!! The epitome of Texas. Exactly what we had been looking for!! Warning though : if you are not athletic / do not have good body control and are a total beginner when it comes to horse-back riding, I'd recommend their tours from Big Bend Stables.

If you want the best big bend scenery in the cowboy experience way, this is the place. Don’t worry if you’re scared of horses, these horses/mules are very well accustomed to the trials. Went with my wife and my parents, guide was great, this was our second time, would use again the next time we are in big bend!

We loved our horse back riding 🥰 our guide Shelby was very friendly, knowledgeable and gave us great suggestions about what to do in town! The ride was beautiful with some great views. A must while you’re visiting.

What an experience! Definitely an adventure to remember for a lifetime. Be sure to bring lots of water, wear sunscreen, long sleeves, long jeans (no shorts), and closed toed shoes. Our guide, Evo, was 5-stars!

My wife and I had an awesome experience at Lajitas Stables on December 30, 2022. We booked the Saddle and Paddle and highly recommend it. Armando was our Guide and Leader and Lajitas Stables and was an absolute gem! Neither my wife nor I had any horseback riding experience and Armando put us both at ease and paired us with excellent horses that were just great. The ride was spectacular. We wrongly presumed that because we were truly beginners the trails we would explore would be flat and unexciting! Boy were we wrong. The horses know the trails so well we soon found ourselves overlooking amazing vistas and really getting the full experience by going up advanced trails and exploring really interesting terrain. Highly recommend Lajitas stables and if your lucky Armando will be your guide!

We chose a Saddle/Paddle Tour in which Lajitas Stables partners with Big Bend River Tours. We spent the morning into early afternoon riding horses, then a canoe trip down the Rio Grande. I highly recommend this package. It gives you just enough of a taste of both to satisfy. Now, for the review of the Stables. Janelle and Hailey were the best guides we could have asked for! Both were VERY NICE, INFORMATIVE, AND EXPERIENCED. They take you on a wonderful ride where you climb to beautiful views of Big Bend Ranch State Park, The Rio Grande River, and surrounding areas. The horses are well trained and a pleasure to deal with. I will admit...This was the highlight of my trip and unforgettable!

We booked the Saddle Paddle Combo, and it was a highlight of our week-long trip! Our guide, Kellie, was fantastic. I was very impressed with her attention to the safety and comfort of both the riders and the horses. We were well-matched to our horses, and we appreciated her orientation before we hit the trail (covering safety, basic riding instruction and a little bit about our horses' personalities). She was friendly, easy to talk to, and very knowledgeable about local wildlife, plants, and history. The scenery was rugged and beautiful, with mesas, canyons, and views stretching as far as the eye can see. I'm including a few photos, but they really don't do it justice. If you appreciate the beauty of the high desert, you'll love this ride. Kellie did a great job pointing out plants and wildlife. We saw a horned lizard, a collared lizard sunning on a rock, and numerous little whiptail lizards.We stopped to eat lunch in a scenic box canyon. Horses and riders both got a break from riding, and lunch was set up in a shady section of the canyon. The food was delicious, especially after a morning of riding! For me, the most important aspect of a trail ride is, of course, the horses. I won't ride anywhere where horses appear to be unhealthy or mistreated. All the horses at Lajitas Stables appeared to be fit and healthy, with shiny coats and bright eyes. My horse was quite a gentleman, very sure-footed and a pleasure to ride. All the horses on our ride handled the rugged terrain with ease.Once we got back to the stables, the transition from saddle to paddle was seamless and easy. The river guides picked us up and took us to a boat launch upstream. Despite a headwind and a low river, we had tons of fun. Canoeing the Rio Grande was a great way to see unique scenery that isn't accessible by car or on foot. After we landed and the guides loaded up the canoes, we were dropped off back at the stables. All in all, we had a wonderful time and would love to do this again someday!

The Saddle Paddle tour was an amazing experience for our family. First we spent the morning at Lajitas Stables where we saddled up for a great adventure. Janelle was wonderful and full of knowledge. My 12 yr old could not get enough about the plants and animals in the area. Lunch was wonderful and a pleasant surprise with the spread that Janelle presented. When we got back to the stables we found Mark pulling up for the paddle adventure. Mark was very fun and had 30 years of knowledge to share. He knew the area well and had lots of history and stories to tell.