Dressage in Mississippi

Pine forest is the signature of Mississippi riding. The state's national forests (Homochitto, Bienville, De Soto among them), carry thousands of miles of multi-use trail through rolling timber, and that's where the trail riding and pack trips concentrate. Around the edges, the terrain changes: the flat Delta plains along the big river, the Gulf Coast to the south. Small towns fill the gaps, and with them the guest ranches and boarding facilities that keep the Magnolia State's riders mounted.

The central and northern hills (gentle grades, dense woods), hold most of the riding academies and training barns. Jackson, Oxford, and Tupelo anchor the activity, with facilities teaching both English and Western styles. Then there's the Natchez Trace Parkway, the historic route running the length of the state; local stables and outfitters put riders onto scenic stretches near it, where the trail itself is a piece of history.