Western / Reining in North Carolina

North Carolina packs three distinct riding worlds into one state: Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountain trail country in the west, the horse-mad Sandhills in the middle-east, and quiet coastal plain in between. Guest ranches around Asheville and Boone run mountain trail rides; the Piedmont around Raleigh and Charlotte holds polished riding academies. Stitch it together with state parks, the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, and a long list of designated equestrian trails, and there's more saddle time here than most riders expect.

The Sandhills are the state's equestrian capital. Southern Pines and Tryon anchor a serious English scene (eventing, dressage, show jumping), layered over a foxhunting tradition that goes back generations. The concentration of top-shelf boarding and training barns here is unusual for the South, and the calendar of competitions runs deep. The mountains, by contrast, ride Western: guided forest trails, multi-day pack trips, and rustic guest ranches strung through the Appalachian foothills.