The Vacation Vaquera: An Interview With Donna Shade

The Vacation Vacquera @ Hocking Hills, Ohio USA

The Vacation Vaquera: An Interview With Donna Shade

By Gina McKnight

No Duplication Without Permission

Archived from the October 2024 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete

Nestled in the heart of southeastern Ohio, Hocking Hills is a breathtaking tapestry of nature’s finest work. This enchanting region, part of the Allegheny Plateau, is renowned for its rugged terrain, towering cliffs, deep gorges, and cascading waterfalls. Donna Shade, Hocking Hills’ official Vacation Vaquera, offers horseback guided tours through the impressive bridle trails. As you embark on these journeys, lush forests envelop you, the air rich with the earthy scent of hemlock, and the soothing sounds of babbling brooks accompany you and your horse, making for an engaging and immersive ride.

Amidst this picturesque landscape, horseback riding has become one of the region’s best attractions, drawing both locals and visitors alike. As a resident, I never cease to marvel at the beautiful landscapes that have been shaped over thousands of years and continue to inspire awe. Recently, I had the pleasure of catching up with Donna to discuss her horseback riding adventures, her beloved horses, and much more. Her stories and experiences add a personal touch to the already captivating allure of Hocking Hills, making each ride a memorable adventure.

Welcome, Donna!

GM: What an exciting adventure! The Hocking Hills is a beautiful area. What prompted you to create The Vacation Vaquera LLC?

VV: It's actually kind of a long story. I have been a trail rider most of my life, however when we moved to Ohio I stated to everyone that I was done with trail riding, I wanted to show my Arabian horses. We moved in fall 2019, didn't know the area or any people here. Not long into 2020, Covid hit and everything shut down. No shows, no meetings, no clinics, no way to meet anyone! The first thing that opened was the riding trails. I did not know Hocking even had bridle trails. I joined the Hocking County Ohio Horse Council local chapter, showed up at their yearly ride at Cowboy Larry's in July 2020 and finally met other horse people. I was invited to ride along with a few ladies. As we were riding and talking, I suddenly stopped, because my jaw hit my chest!! I exclaimed, "This has to be the most beautiful place I have ever ridden!” I went back to Hocking several times that summer and kept getting turned around. Now, I am good with maps and apps, but Hocking kept confusing me. I joined the Facebook group "Hocking Horse Trails" and read over and over how many people were getting turned around, not finding what they wanted to see, and being disappointed when they went home.

During this time I was a wrangler at The Spotted Horse Ranch, a trail riding horse rental stable, not far from where I lived. Some days were 12 hours long, in all sorts of weather and I would fall asleep at dinner. Most of my co-workers were in their 20's, I am more than twice that age… lol. It was a demanding job but I enjoyed the horses and happy tourists. At one point I did say to my husband "This is stupid. I am making a living with horses, however, they are not my horses. My horses get a pat and a promise that I will pay more attention to them tomorrow, and I never do. If I am going to make a living with horses, I want to do it with my horses.” Thus, the idea of being a guide for hire was born. My husband was super supportive. His thinking was that I already had the horses, the truck, the trailer and everything needed to go riding. All that I needed was the knowledge of the trails. Once the idea took hold, it wouldn't leave. Coming up with a catchy name was harder. I have always loved the word Vaquero, and what it stood for. It is Spanish for Cowboy, but I was not a boy. So I had to look up the spelling for Cowgirl, and it is Vaquera. Then, what to pair it with?? Well, most people that come with their horses here to Hocking are on Vacation, and it fits together really well. So basically it translates to The Vacation Cowgirl!

GM: Super cool! I love what you do! How long have you been in business? 

VV: I started in the summer of 2021, so this season will be my 4th year.

GM: Do you provide horses, or do riders bring their own horses? 

VV: Riders must provide their own horses. After working as a wrangler at The Spotted Horse Ranch, I knew that I didn't want all the work and expense of keeping a string of horses. Not to mention the insurance needed!

GM: What is the process to schedule a ride? Do you offer longer, shorter, or specific rides through the Hocking Hills trails? How do I sign up?

VV: The first thing people do is check my availability. Quite a few people are booking me prior to making their camping reservation. Once we find dates that work for both of us, I require a non-refundable deposit to secure the dates. The client determines what type of ride they want. I have taken people out for 1 hour and others out for 8+ hours. I do not have specific ride routes. Two weeks before a ride, I send out a survey asking the client a number of questions, one of them being "What is your #1, must see, destination?", and I make it work. There are 5 Horse camps at Hocking, I trailer to all of them, depending on where my client is staying, and we ride out from there. Most of my business comes from word of mouth and through Facebook. I do have a person who is in the process of building me a website, but it is not ready yet. Riders can message me, e-mail or call. I do prefer getting most of my messages through written word, of some sort, as it is much easier for me to go back and review correspondence, rather than depend on my memory from a phone call.

GM: There are so many trails to choose from! In your opinion, where is the best bridle trail in the Hocking Hills?

VV: The Hocking State Forest has between 40-50 miles of horse trails. There are other bridle trails nearby, but with the exception of 1 client, everyone hires me for the Hocking State Forest. 

In the Hocking State Forest, the scenery is always changing. Every 10 minutes it feels like you are in a different forest. The rock formations just take your breath away. The cliff tops and waterfalls (when they are running), well, I can honestly say that I have never seen anything more beautiful from horseback. Plus, everyone is happy. People on vacation are very different then people in their normal environment. For a lot of them, this is a once in a lifetime trip. I am thrilled to be part of this special memory for them.

GM: When is your busiest time of year?

VV: October gets booked full first, then June would be my second busiest month.

GM: How many rides do you take in one day.

VV: Only one. When you book me, I am yours for the entire day. Sometimes if the weather is crappy in the morning my client will request an afternoon or evening ride.

GM: Do you offer overnight and/or horseback camping as well?

VV: No. There is no need to when there are already so many horse camps and cabins in the area.

GM: When did you meet your first horse?  

VV: Well, I was told that my very first word was "orsie". Not sure if that is really true or just how the story goes. I was born horse crazy. My earliest horse memory was living on a dairy farm, my parents rented the farmhouse, and my Mom had a horse named Bobby. The mailbox was very far away and she saddled Bobby to go get the mail. She would put me on the horse and I would either ride in front of, or behind her, to go get the mail. I had a little sister so she was up there as well. I was probably four years old?? My parents told me that it was only one summer that they had Bobby there, because they couldn't afford to keep doing it. But I remember it being the best memory of living there.

I clearly remember getting a jumping horse for my birthday at two. People say that is impossible, but I do!!! LOL!

GM: Wonderful! I can picture in my mind you, your little sister, and your mom riding Bobby to the mailbox. Describe a day in your life with horses...

VV: I usually get up around 7 -7:30 and head to the barn. The barn is about 100 feet from our house. Often I am still in my pajamas…lol. I feed the cats first, otherwise they want to trip me, feed the dog, also a tripper, and start getting the stalls ready for the horses to come in. Currently I have six horses. Four come in the barn and two stay outside. The four that come in are all in some stage of riding or training. The ones outside are retired. I bring all four in, each day, every day, that way they are easy to catch if I need them that day. Nothing is worse than having booked a client that day, and the horse I need knows it and runs away. And yes, I do have one that would be that way! I also have goats and donkeys that need to be fed. Once the morning barn chores are completed it's time for my coffee. During coffee I am checking my emails, phone messages and FB messages. If I have a client that day, I am usually back out at the barn one and a half hour before the scheduled ride. I groom the horse that I am using that day and load up. I am about 30 minutes from any of the camps or trail heads at the Hocking State Forest. Then I give myself 30 minutes to saddle and be ready to ride out. I am back home between 3 and 6pm, depending on the length of time my clients wish to ride. I kick the barn horses out at 3pm. If I am not there to do it, someone in my family will put them out. When I get home, I unload the horse that I used, amid the screaming whinnies and thundering hooves of the herd, put the guide horse in the field. It is the same thing every time, you think they would be used to it by now. Then I have the stalls to clean and hay to throw down for the next morning. I turn my truck and trailer around, clean out the trailer, put my wet saddle blankets on the flatbed of my truck to dry out for the next time. My husband usually has dinner cooking for me, unless it is an early day, then I do the cooking. We are very blessed, the pasture surrounds our house on three sides. We can stand on our porch and pet the horses. They have about a 12 acre pasture of rolling hillside. I have a medium size riding arena, so on the days that I don't have clients, I am working with one of my "green beans". Currently I have a seven year old 1/2 Arabian, 1/4 Paint, 1/4 Thoroughbred. I also have a two year old 1/2 Arabian 1/2 Tennessee Walking horse, that I am just now starting under saddle. My guide horses are a 16 year old Spotted Kentucky Mountain horse and a 12 year old Egyptian Arabian. I bought harness and a cart to teach my donkeys to drive. I haven't got that far yet with that project. So, you can see there is always something that needs my time and attention on the "off" days.

GM: The Hocking Hills is becoming one of Ohio's main tourist attractions. Have you encountered too much trail traffic? Has it interfered with your horses/horseback riding?

VV: That is a tough question. Earlier I mentioned that October is my busiest month. It can be insane. The most popular attractions on the bridle trails also overlap with where hikers tell other hikers to go. The people crowds become so bad, that there are posts everywhere now on Facebook about trails, where there are less people. The trails they are telling others about are the bridle trails. Many people complain or act disgruntled when they encounter horses or horse manure! There are people who are planning projects to help with this issue. I am not sure that most tourists understand that they are on the bridle trails. However, there are also others who are delighted to see the horses, so it is a mixed bag.

GM: Has it interfered with your horses/horseback riding?

VV: Not so much interfered but inconvenienced. One of the services that I provide is group photos. When it is busy, it's hard to take photos without random strangers in them. It also annoying to have to "wait your turn" to go into some of the box canyons or caves. These places are just too small to have large animals mixed with non-horse humans. Sometimes I have to encourage them to "move it along". Rides will take longer than planned, due to some of these delays.

GM: If you weren't riding horses, what would you be doing?

VV: I have no idea. I got my first pony at nine years old and have been riding for over 47 years. It's just who I am, and what I know. Maybe photography?

GM: What's for lunch?  

VV: Beef jerky, and an orange or apple and water. Sometimes I will throw in a granola bar.

GM: What does horsemanship mean to you?

VV: Horsemanship, to me, means always putting the horse first and your ego last. It also means giving them the best home possible, even if that home is not yours. Taking care of your senior horses right up until the end. Not sending them down the road for a few bucks when they are of no use to you anymore.

Follow Donna on Facebook @ The Vacation Vaquera

Visit www.explorehockinghills.com to learn more about the region