RS Vacations – Big Bear Lake, CA

Laurel & Rony

Back in the ‘olden days’ when I was a child, you could ask any little girl what their dream present would be and they would answer “a pony”. Having only raised a son, I’m not sure what little girls ask for anymore. An iPhone??? I was very fortunate that I actually did have a pony as a child. We also had another horse, 2 goats, 2 dogs, 2 cats, a rabbit, hamsters, a bird and my brother actually had a boa constrictor for awhile. I guess 8 kids just wasn’t enough for my parents…..

Kirstin & Prince

Anyway, my pony was a shetland named ‘Rony’ and I loved her very much. We would ride around my backyard, and when I got older, in the empty field across from the old drive-in theater screen. Rony kept me on my toes though. She was an escape artist and liked to kick out the wood fence that was at the back of her pen and go roaming around Boulder Bay. I can’t tell you how many Saturdays I spent walking around our neighborhood with a Polaroid in my hand asking “Have you seen this pony?”  She had an uncanny ability to know when Saturday was because she only seemed to do it then. As soon as I saw her I would yell her name and she would put her head down and wait for me to come over and harness her. I swear she had a smirk on her face though!

Brianna & Magic

When I became a teenager and was too big for Rony, we sold her and our horse ‘Ginger’ to a family that had two younger girls. Many years later, my brother came over to our house for dinner and brought his new girlfriend for us to meet. As we started talking about ourselves, we discovered that it was her family that bought our horses! Small world!  Now, almost 20 years later, my brother and (now) sister-in-law have twin 18 year-old daughters and they have been riding since they could walk. Mom and daughters do Gymkhanas on a regular basis and are all amazing horsewomen!! My niece Kirstin was even crowned “CGA Queen” for 2012.

Kirstin-CGA Queen 2012

Horses are a ton of work and expense and you have to be truly dedicated to them for the long haul, but they have a lot of love to give. They truly become members of the family.

Brianna & Magic – Best Friends

You don’t have to own a horse to let your little girl experience the fun of riding. Baldwin Lake Stables can take her and your whole family out on an amazing ride right here in Big Bear. They even have sunset rides that will take your breath away!

RS Vacations has cabins available – including Bear Ranch Retreat, a beautiful western themed home that will complete the “Cowgirl” experience! Visit us at our website and book the perfect Big Bear Cabin today!