Riverview Ranch
& Resort
Horse Rides
Mini Horse Rides
Petting Zoo
Slow, Safe, and Controlled Lead Line Rides One Rider At A Time
Private Experience
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
To make an appointment call or text Wrangler Roger at 608-331-0000
Our Horses are Trained to be Calm Around Little Humans
All horses, including ours, are large, strong, and prone to react as any prey animal might. We work hard here at Riverview Ranch to keep our horses well socialized with humans and other animals to help them overcome their natural instincts to run when they hear sharp noises or see something unexpected. Our horses are well bred, healthy, and strong, but they are gentle giants. They are aging gracefully and most of their youthful exuberance has grown out of their systems. We feel comfortable bringing groups of people into the pasture with them because we know each horse very well.
All our rides are slow, controlled, and safe lead line rides. We allow kids to lead Bullseye (with no rider). We allow older kids to lead a full size horse (with no rider) if parents are comfortable with it. Parents are allowed to lead a full size horse with their child riding as long as everyone, including the horse, is comfortable with it. This makes for great family photos.
Help Us Keep You Safe
Keep your toes out from under the horses' hooves. Wear shoes that will protect your toes. Horses weigh over a thousand pounds, and their hooves are hard. This is something to keep in mind any time you are around any horse. Wranglers here at Riverview Ranch will remind you to keep alert for horses hooves as they step forward, backward, and sideways. Most of our guests are unfamiliar with the way horses move so this is something we watch for all the time.
Come with a healthy respect for the back end of a horse. We ask that visitors avoid walking behind a horse. Our horses are trained to allow people and other animals to walk behind and under them. They are very calm and respectful of small animals and humans. But it is a bad habit to walk behind any horse you do not know well. So this rule is to instill good habits in our guests and visitors that will keep them safe around all horses.
Day Visit: What To Expect
Arrival
Sniff & Greet
Text Wrangler Roger at 608-331-0000 with your eta. When you arrive the dogs will be very excited to sniff and greet you. Please stay near your car until a wrangler comes out to welcome you.
Please, please, please, watch for small animals as you move your car. Especially backing up.
Liability Waiver, Helmets, Safety Brief
Boring, But Important Stuff
We require everyone who comes for the Horse Riding and Petting Zoo to sign a liability waiver. If you won’t sign, please don’t come onto the property. We also require anyone riding a horse or mini-horse to wear a helmet. We have helmets and we will get the right size for you as you fill out the liability waiver.
Wrangler Roger will go over some important safety instructions, give a short history of the ranch and answer any questions.
Petting Zoo
Meet all the critters at your pace
Wrangler Roger will take your family/group to visit the Horses, Goat, Mini Horse, Mini Pigs, Chickens, Ducks, Dogs, Cat, Turtle, and Guinea Pigs. You dictate how much time we spend on the zoo. Younger kids tend to spend more time with the smaller animals. While we visit the zoo Wrangler Sabina will saddle a horse or mini horse.
We can skip the zoo entirely if you prefer and go right to the riding. We take our cues from you and your kids.
Ride A Horse
Or A Mini Horse
Kids and Adults under 200 lbs may ride a horse on lead line. We do not allow free rein riding unless you are taking regular lessons.
While we do the rides we will have the mini horse or goat available for the rest of the family to enjoy. You can brush Bullseye’s mane and tail or you can lead Bullseye just like Wrangler Roger leads the big horse.
More Details below.
How's Your
Yee Haw?
We are looking for actors and actresses for our upcoming film “Home on the Riverview Range.” You can audition for the part by putting all your passion into a really good Yee Haw while Mom and Dad are filming.
Send your best Yee Haw to Wrangler Roger. You may just see yourself in our movie.
Happy TRails
Thank You For Coming
After an hour we will end the riding. We recommend visitors wash their hands after petting the zoo.
We ask that you please watch for small animals around your car as you drive away, especially backing up.
One hour is enough time for everyone, even in a large family, to have a turn riding.
We appreciate your business and hope to see you again some time.
Day Visitors, and overnight guests who Ride a horse, Please leave a review on our google listing for Riverview Ranch.
Overnight Guests Please leave a review on our Google listing for Riverview Resort.
Payment Options
Coordinate with Wrangler Roger, 608-331-0000, (text or call) before paying.
Group Rate: $190 for up to 4 people for one hour. Additional visitors are $15 each.
Kids under 3 get in free.
Check – Confirm time slot by mailing a check, made out to Riverview Ranch, to 2689 S. River Rd., Galena IL 61036. 1.5% discount if the check arrives 7 days prior.
Bring cash and pay on arrival. If you do not respond to communications within 24 hours we may cancel Reservation.
Venmo @RiverviewRnR
what our ranch visitors have to say
Animals
Horse Rides & Petting Zoo
Children two years and younger get in free. While the Wrangler is leading the horse with each rider the rest of the group will be watching, taking photos and petting our dogs, goats and other critters in the pasture. Feel free to walk alongside the horse to encourage riders or to take pictures. We take everything very slowly. Kids who are not riding may run around in open pastures and yell at the top of their lungs as long as they are responsive to safety instructions.
Unicorn Rides
If your child is into unicorns you have come to the right place. We have a deal with the trolls who live down the road. They supply us with pixie dust, for a small fee of course, that can turn a horse into a magical unicorn for about one hour. The trolls get the pixie dust from the fairies. Our unicorns can fly, but riding a unicorn in flight is considered to be very adventurous. So we do not allow children to ride a unicorn in flight except in cases of extreme imagination.
Special Visitors
Five minutes extra horseback riding for anyone who can answer this question correctly: “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood? …
Answer 1: “A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.”
Answer 2: “A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could, if a woodchuck could chuck wood.”
——————————————–
Book a special visitor to make your kids’ visit even more special.
Woody, from Toy Story, or Lilly, the Unicorn can show up to brighten someone’s special day.
