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| The Vacation Vacquera @ Hocking Hills, Ohio USA
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The Vacation Vaquera: An Interview With Donna Shade
By Gina McKnight
No Duplication Without Permission
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
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