By Sandy Zimmerman

(Photos by Sandy Zimmerman)

I wanted to visit a ranch to get away from the city and I did, but was surprised that this ranch is right in Las Vegas! Sitting on just under two acres, the Dream Walker Ranch is not a dude ranch.

The owners, Jenn and Matt Soria, really love their horses. Janna feels, “One of the greatest things about horses is that they are so therapeutic. When you are on your horse and out in nature, the only thing you think about is relaxing, all your problems and daily week stress seems to go away. When you come back and put your horse up after a great ride puts a smile on your face and really puts things in perspective. The tough challenges of life are not so bad any more. This is what it is all about, enjoying life.” You do not need a psychiatrist!

It is so nice to be able to get away from the city. I like to go to the mountains, wilderness, desert and places near Las Vegas. Jenn agreed, “Absolutely, we feel the same way about riding on the weekends. Matt and I bring our horses in the trailer along with some friends and we go up to Mt. Charleston, Lee Canyon, Kyle Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire. We are so close. There are some beautiful places to ride, a lot of choices.

We try difficult terrain each week as a test for the horses. Most of our friends are not experienced riders. It is a great way for us to get a feel for the horses and interview the riders to see how they liked them. This is a great experience and so much fun to go up there and ride. We are very lucky that they are in our backyard.

You are on your horse, one with nature, for a wonderful experience.” Just like in the old west, they ride around Las Vegas but there are no hitching posts.

Since I don’t know one horse from another, I would want to deal with a ranch that is reputable, one that we can believe when they say the horse is trained especially if someone has a child the family does not have to worry.

Jenn feels, “There is a horse for every rider whether you are looking to do things more advanced or for a family horse. This way the buyer can be sure the horse is adaptable to trails as well and can cross streets around stores without having issues.

We try to make the best match possible because ultimately I want them to be happy and the horse to have a good home.

When our customers come here, we tell them to be as involved or as uninvolved as they want. If they want to put the halter or tack on the horse they can, if they want to watch, that is ok too. We try to give them as much hands on experience as possible so if they buy the horse and bring it home, they know exactly what the horse is going to be like.

We encourage them to do anything they want while they are here with-in reason just so they can get a good feel for the horse. You can tell a lot about a horse while you are handling them. How respectful they are of your space. How well they listen to you when you ride them.

Jenn took me on a tour of their ranch where I met a black horse with blue eyes, a rarity in horses. What a beauty! And another horse’s unique color scheme of yellow mane and tail with a caramel body was very striking. The horses are like their pets. Jenn said, “We love each one individually, it is a pleasure to spend my time with them.”

They specialize in the Tennessee Walking horses and the Spotted Saddle horse known to be very comfortable to ride, great for trail and pleasure riding.

The happy couple makes trips to Tennessee about once or twice a month to find the best horses for trail and pleasure riding. Jenn explained, “After deciding which horses we want, our friends and family ride the horses and do all of the things people want to do with the horses. If the horses do all that right things we bring them back to Las Vegas and ride them through the streets around traffic, in order to test the horses to be sure they are ready to sell to people. Being in the city, our location is great for horses with all of the distractions we have to ride them by, so it works out great.”

For information or a free consultation, call 468-0915. By appointment, Winter: 9 am- 5 pm, Summer: 9 am- 7 pm. The Dream Walker Ranch, 5310 Grand Teuton Drive, near Durango and #95. www.dreamwalkerhorses.com