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First a little “full disclosure”; we were introduced to camping with horses and riding foxtrotters at Brushy Creek. Our riding club, Ozark Ridge Riders, has been coming to Brushy Creek every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend for at least as long as we have been members (about 9 years). It’s hard to be objective about Brushy Creek; could be called our “second home” on the trail and we consider the owners and the staff our horse-riding family. In recent years we have had the opportunity to visit a lot of horse camps with trails throughout the country from Florida to South Dakota. Brushy Creek continues to be our favorite spot in Missouri and we think most travelers would place it in the top five in the country. Our recent trip on Labor Day Weekend reinforced our grade of “Excellent”. It rained four of our five days but we still had a great time. Because the trails are rocky, drain well and are maintained by Brushy Creek, we were still able to ride between the rain drops a couple of hours each day. Some of our members do not have living quarters trailers but Brushy Creek has some wonderful cabins. The Cabin group had some friends who did not have horses but Brushy Creek has some of the best rental string horses you will find (even for grandchildren). Meals are optional which is helpful for those on a budget or new to camping; but also nice for those tired of cooking. Normally we would sit around the fire and tell lies but with the rain we retreated a few times to their mulit-purpose “John Wayne” room in the lodge for TV, ping pong, sofa sitting, nap taking, potluck dinner and of course horse stories. The facilities for horses and people are clean and safe. The owners, George and JoAnn Becker, and their team, Johnnie, Diane, Susie and Roger are all horse people; always ready to help you become a better rider or maybe find that perfect horse. Both of our horses, Banjo & Dusty, came from their companion business, Valley Springs Foxtrotters in the same beautiful Ozark Mountain valley as Brushy Creek. Whether you are new to horses and camping or a saddle bum who would be just as happy wet and dirty as long as you are riding, we recommend our “second home on the trail”. |