By Karen Reeves
Located in Northeast Arizona, near the small town of Concho you will be enchanted when you discover Woodenbridge Ranch owned and operated by Trish Beres-Zaabel and Jerry Zaabel. Their 80 acres back up to a portion of the Petrified forest and the Painted desert. Jerry created and maintains 4 miles of trails throughout the Pinon and Junipers on the property. There are a variety of natural obstacles to negotiate including rock ridges and a small wash. The trails are clearly marked and cover various natural terrain native to Northern Arizona. The White Mountains offer many different outdoor attractions. There are many lakes nearby for fishing. A diverse trail system is good for hiking and mountain biking. These trails are close enough to trailer your horse to while using this facility as base camp. They are near the city of Show Low for the convenience of shopping and restaurants but far enough away for no light pollution. The night sky offers an amazing view of the Milky Way at 6700 feet. Woodenbridge Ranch is designed for the horse and owner. One client refers to the property as “Horse land” because arriving there is like coming to a destination. Trish and Jerry strive to make this the happiest place on earth for all.
Jerry and Trish both grew up in the Midwest. Jerry spent the best summers of his childhood working as a guide for trail rides. His career in law enforcement and then the corporate world took him away from horses for a while. A job transfer brought Jerry to Arizona and back to having horses in his life.
Meanwhile, Trish turned her love of horses into a career in training. She pursued any opportunity she could find to learn every aspect of the equine world. Her journey has taken her across oceans to foreign countries and all over the U.S. Many different breeds and types of horses have crossed her path to develop insight into equine psychology. Trish enjoys working with people and horses to build a better relationship.
When they met in 2007, Jerry and Trish knew what kind of equine business they would create. One which would give
Jerry the opportunity to guide people through the beautiful Arizona terrain on horseback, while Trish could share her knowledge with others.
They are currently clearing land to build an obstacle course. Their first is a permanent bridge over a natural wash. Their plan is to create many obstacles using the terrain throughout the 80 acres with levels of easy to challenging. Woodenbridge Ranch will be hosting a number of clinics on topics such as confidence building for horse and rider, taking a horse from project to prospect, and dressage for the trail horse. They are planning to hold organized events in spring of 2020. They are working on a Welcome center which will contain an office, classroom, full bathroom and 1-2 person overnight accommodation. There is a 100 x 200 outside arena, a 60 foot round pen and an indoor arena for guests to work their horses in before trying the trails. There will also be a small gift shop for merchandise in the Welcome Center upon completion.
Extreme Trail Horse Association
OUR PARKS
48 / Sport and Trail Magazine
48 / Sport and Trail Magazine