At Equine U., horse owners and enthusiasts alike enroll for a day of instruction and tips about grooming and riding. With the picturesque French Broad River Dude Ranch as a classroom, a team of experts leads sessions that pluck volunteers from the crowd for up-close demonstrations. Among the scheduled aficionados is Randy DeBord , who will showcase the body work techniques developed by Dino Fretterd, a certified equine massage therapist who has created an equine bodywork system that enhances the symbiotic relationship between rider and horse. Randy will also demonstrate the importance of pairing bodywork and hoofwork in order to strengthen posture and performance, and Shawn Gannon shares his secret to attaining balance in the saddle after just minutes, rather than hours or years of jousting defeat, with a system stemmed in the laws of physics.

Set amid the Great Smoky Mountains and along the trickling shores of the French Broad River, the aptly named dude ranch that serves as the base for these equine activities has entertained families for nearly two decades with cowboy-centric programming. There, experienced guides have helped thousands of beginning riders hop into the saddles of arabian horses for rides along scenic trails. In addition to equine entertainment, guests can also whitewater-raft, tube, or fish in the river. And above the pastures in the river bottom they can explore the dusty villa of Rough Cut, an old Western town with a saloon, dining room, and dance room where live bluegrass bands keep visitors dancing in order to prevent heated pistol duels.