Western / Reining in Washington

Washington is really two riding states divided by a mountain range. West of the Cascades: temperate rainforest, mossy old-growth, coastal trails where the fog burns off by noon. East: high desert, Ponderosa pine, and the open country of the Columbia Basin. Between them sit the mountain passes themselves. The equestrian infrastructure spans the whole spread, guest ranches running multi-day pack trips into wilderness areas at one end, riding academies teaching English and Western year-round at the other.

The wet side is where most of the horses live. Around Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham, boarding and training barns cluster near the population, serving every riding interest the suburbs can generate. The mild, rainy climate keeps pastures green most of the year, and the trail systems, through the Olympic National Forest and a long list of state parks, reward anyone willing to ride in a raincoat. Trail-riding stables here run guided trips through deep woods and along the water.