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Horseback riding in Long Island parks

BY PAT BURSON | pat.burson@newsday.com

June 11, 2008

If you want to explore some of Long Island's nicest parks and natural settings, you could take a car or go on foot. Then again, why not consider taking in the sites from a unique vantage point - like, say, astride a gentle trail horse?

Several local and state parks have miles of bridle trails and, for a fee, provide guided horseback rides for children and adults through some of the Island's most picturesque and bucolic settings.

The following locales - spread from western Nassau to eastern Suffolk - will appeal to novices and advanced riders alike.

Hempstead Lake State Park

Trail rides operated by Lakewood Stables, 633 Eagle Ave., West Hempstead.

Phone: 516-486-9673
Web: thelakewoodstables.com
Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m., except Sundays, when the last ride leaves at 5.
Cost: $40 a person

Novice and experienced riders ages 13 and older can saddle up one of three ponies or more than 30 horses for a one-hour walk, trot or canter along nine miles of bridle paths in the 775-acre park, overlooking three lakes and an 18-hole golf course. Trail rides are first-come, first-served with the last ride going out one hour before sunset. Groups of five or more should call ahead and make a reservation. The stable also offers lessons ($40 for half an hour), a therapeutic riding program for children with special needs and 15-minute pony rides.

Belmont Lake State Park
Trails operated by Babylon Riding Center, 1500 Peconic Ave., North Babylon.

Phone: 631-587-7778
Web: babylonridingcenter.com
Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends
Cost: $45 a person

Guided and private trail rides through about five miles of bridle paths are arranged by appointment. To ensure they're comfortable, riders get a 15-minute mini-lesson in the ring before hitting the trail. One or more instructors will accompany groups of up to four people. Riders must be at least 12 years old to be permitted on the trail.

Deep Hollow Ranch
Theodore Roosevelt County Park, Montauk Hwy., Montauk

Phone: 631-668-2744