Ashland, KY Outdoor Activities

The staff at Equestrian Ridge Farm has been tending to steeds and riders on its 200-acre estate for more than 10 years. During riding lessons in a medley of styles—including dressage, single driving, and trail riding—trainers educate equestrians of all levels at the facility’s two large, indoor arenas. The barn houses between 15–20 horses at any given time, a handful of which are reserved for lessons or reenactments of chase scenes from The Lone Ranger. Equestrian Ridge also offers under-saddle training for horses by an experienced instructor who tailors each session to the steed’s temperament and riding style.

Lurking in the darkness of moisture-saturated topsoil, the mud ninja challenges only the toughest competitors to attempt his 5K obstacle-laden course. Serving the dual purpose of allowing entrants to live out their reality-show fantasies while helping to raise money for Autism Speaks, the Mud Ninja race requires participants to crawl through mud pits covered with barbed wire and scale steep walls before leaping onto multiple mounds that punish imbalanced racers with a splash. Throughout the 5K course, contestants splat into mud pits in front of hundreds of spectators. The Little Mud Ninja race scales the course for younger racers, and an after-party engages all with music and a plethora of food vendors.