There’s a romanticism associated with the Old West that’s both wholly and undeniably American. The image of a cowboy riding a horse across wide, open spaces is one that’s ingrained in the fabric of our country’s culture, like the stars on the American flag. Utah is a state that celebrates this part of American culture; you’ll find ranches dotted all across the landscape of the Beehive State, sprawling farms and horse wranglers as common in its deserts and plains as ski resorts and snowboarders in the mountains. But none of these horse ranches in Utah is as irresistibly charming as KB Horses at Red Ledges. The locally-owned horse ranch offers riding lessons and guided trail rides year-round with the mission of connecting humans and horses in perfect harmony.
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The image of a cowboy atop a horse is as American as it gets, and in Utah, this icon is celebrated in a very 21st century way at female-owned and operated KB Horses.
Image courtesy of KB Horses
KB Horses Owner Bren Metzger had a very different life once upon a time. “While working in a demanding career of starting high-tech software companies in Silicon Valley, a mutual friend invited me to go horseback trail riding with her at a ranch where she boarded her horse,” she says.
Image courtesy of KB Horses “Martha introduced me to an old cowboy named Ralph Alouicious MacNamer (Mac), who convinced me I should get a horse and learn how to ride.”
Metzger took the wise cowboy’s advice, not knowing how it would ultimately change her life.
Image courtesy of KB Horses “Mac was right,” she says. “I found horses to be a calming, grounding influence for me and a much-needed distraction from the rigors of my career.”
After that, Metzger and horses were inseparable. “Mac taught and coached me for a year and never let me ride with a saddle until I could walk, trot, and lope bareback,” she says. “The day I learned to lope bareback, I hit the fell off seven times before I was successful.” But these falls were a turning point.
Image courtesy of KB Horses “I can still hear [Mac’s] voice in my head, ‘Ya know, kid, you’re just going to have to get pissed off enough to let that mare of yours know who’s boss.’ It was a turning point in my life and a huge lesson,” she muses, adding, “No one has pushed me around since that mare.”
It was her “aha” moment. “When I experienced the success and feeling of true freedom while loping my mare bareback, I thought to myself, ‘someday, I want to be able to give this gift to others.’”
Image courtesy of KB Horses A seed was planted in her soul; the desire to share this kind of unbridled (literally) freedom with others.
A few years later, in 2002, Metzger retired to Utah with her husband Don and the idea for KB Horses in her heart. In addition to her training with Mac, she’d formed a tight friendship with a talented horse trainer named Kirsten Ferron and was ready to turn her dream into a reality. So, she teamed up with local ranches to offer equestrian services in Wolf Creek Ranch and Promontory.
Image courtesy of KB Horses In 2007, Red Ledges, another multi-thousand-acre community in Utah, approached Metzger and asked to start their equestrian program. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, KB Horses works exclusively with Red Ledges and does pretty much everything imaginable with these majestic creatures; there are lessons and guided trail rides, horse-drawn wagon and sleigh rides, and even horsemanship classes.
Image courtesy of KB Horses The goal of all of these things, says Metzger, is helping people find and form a partnership with horses.
The sprawling 2,000-acre Red Ledges property is some of the prettiest in all of Utah, and there’s no better way to experience it than by horse.
Image courtesy of KB Horses But even more beautiful than the scenery of this Utah ranch is the relationship between horse and handler.
“We treat our horses individually and match them with our guests based on personality, riding experience, and physical size,” explains Metzger. “Our horses are engaging, present with their rider, sure-footed, and kind-minded.”
Image courtesy of KB Horses Of course, the horses’ demeanor has everything to do with how they’re handled, and for Metzger, there’s no relationship more true, nor beautiful. “We touch thousands of people’s lives every year, teaching them how and, more importantly, why they can and should understand, respect, and honor this unique animal, the horse.”
Because at the end of the day, KB Horses is about more than an experience or activity, it’s about education and connection. “We educate our guests on the importance and value of horses and how they have contributed to humanity worldwide, especially here in the West. We wouldn’t be here [in the West] if it weren’t for the horse,” says Metzger.
Image courtesy of KB Horses Can you imagine how different our country would look without horses? This would be unimaginable and much less joyful. So come to Utah and enjoy a trail ride at KB Horses, where you’ll discover so much more than the environment and the equines; you’ll learn about our place and relationship with the wide, wonderful, wild world.
Many thanks to KB Horses Operations Manager Sydney Bull for sharing the story of this inspiring small business in Utah. Learn more about KB Horses at its website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
Image courtesy of KB Horses
“Martha introduced me to an old cowboy named Ralph Alouicious MacNamer (Mac), who convinced me I should get a horse and learn how to ride.”
“Mac was right,” she says. “I found horses to be a calming, grounding influence for me and a much-needed distraction from the rigors of my career.”
“I can still hear [Mac’s] voice in my head, ‘Ya know, kid, you’re just going to have to get pissed off enough to let that mare of yours know who’s boss.’ It was a turning point in my life and a huge lesson,” she muses, adding, “No one has pushed me around since that mare.”
A seed was planted in her soul; the desire to share this kind of unbridled (literally) freedom with others.
In 2007, Red Ledges, another multi-thousand-acre community in Utah, approached Metzger and asked to start their equestrian program. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The goal of all of these things, says Metzger, is helping people find and form a partnership with horses.
But even more beautiful than the scenery of this Utah ranch is the relationship between horse and handler.
Of course, the horses’ demeanor has everything to do with how they’re handled, and for Metzger, there’s no relationship more true, nor beautiful. “We touch thousands of people’s lives every year, teaching them how and, more importantly, why they can and should understand, respect, and honor this unique animal, the horse.”
Can you imagine how different our country would look without horses? This would be unimaginable and much less joyful. So come to Utah and enjoy a trail ride at KB Horses, where you’ll discover so much more than the environment and the equines; you’ll learn about our place and relationship with the wide, wonderful, wild world.
Of course, KB Horses is just one of the many wonderful small businesses in the great state of Utah; please nominate your favorite attractions and businesses for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Only In Utah article. And be sure to follow Only In Utah on Facebook and Instagram to learn about this region of the Beehive State’s most incredible places, attractions, and events.
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Address: KB HORSES at Red Ledges, 3181 Lake Creek Rd, Heber City, UT 84032, USA
