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That's why, last September, I signed up for an adult riding camp. Rose Howe's Triple H Ranch in Monument, Oregon. Rose has a great reputation as an instructor, rider, and all 'round genuine human being. She offered lessons geared to the individual—both in and out of the arena and (this was a clincher) gourmet meals.

My friend, Dawn, and I signed up months in advance and began the countdown. A vacation without family obligations, cooking, or the need for a fancy wardrobe. Something we wanted to do just for ourselves—a unique concept for working moms.

As luck would have it, the morning of the trip I made a major misstep and severely lamed my left foot. I dried my tears, picked up some crutches, Ibuprofen, and an ice pack and asked Dawn if she would drive. Dawn gamely loaded my horse and gear and we were off. Worst case, I'd audit the lessons and eat the gourmet food. Staying home was not an option.

With a sense of happy anticipation (unlike leaving for a show —which is grim competitiveness), we hit the road, bound for new territory. We headed east past Hood River, then turned south through miles of gold-toned farmland. Gorgeous outcrops of rock and a spirit of adventure kepts our spirits high. We were going on vacation with our horses!

By late afternoon, we were travelling along the John Day River in way-the-heck out there Eastern Oregon. We stopped for gas and the attendant asked if we were going to cut cows. Ha!

We arrived at the Triple H Ranch, home of Rose and Darrel Howe, as the sun was setting over the hills, light fading on wheat-colored fields and scrub oaks. Deer and wild turkeys noted us with curiosity before going back to grazing. Big sky country.

Rose welcomed us with hors d'ouevres and a smile. We met our fellow campers, were assigned ride times for the next morning, and given a run-down of our weekend schedule. We'd ride in the arena in the morning, go out on the trail in the afternoon. Sylvia would bring gourmet meals at noon and dinner time. There were hot showers and a bath tub. What could be better?

In addition to her other skills, Rose makes her own cheese, raises fruits and veggies, butchers all things edible, and has a bee suit—ready to harvest honey at a moment's notice. She also proved to be handy with a skill saw—whipping up a stair railing for me, as I was feeling unsteady on my new crutches. Talk about hospitality!

The next morning, we awoke to the sound of wild turkeys—a sound I'll never forget. For such big birds, it's a silly, undignified warble—and it charmed me immediately. Nick wasn't nearly as pleased. He rolled his eyes and snorted. "They could be dangerous!," he warned. Over the next several days my 16.2 hand horse came to terms with the big, ungainly birds, although he still distrusted the flocks.

That morning I crammed my ace-wrapped foot into an unlaced running shoe and hobbled down to the barn. I was getting pretty speedy on my crutches (fun over uneven terrain) but not adept enough to lead Nick or saddle him. Dawn (who loves to sleep in) graciously acted as my groom.

Rose gave me a leg up, careful not to touch my bruised foot. I'd ride without stirrups if need be. I was just happy to be in the saddle in a beautiful corner of the world.

We began a semi-private lesson in the indoor arena, with Rose warming us up. Her instruction was clear, encouraging, and effective. Did I mention that she has the most lovely British accent? We began by standing in our stirrups, to ensure that our legs were underneath us. "Keep your foot light," she said, "Breathe deeply and soften your back. Breathe down into your leg and let your knees get soft and squeaky as you lengthen and stretch the front of your thigh. Think of letting your elbows get heavy and open your chest."

Rather than pulling the horse's head into position, Rose suggests letting the horse find out that it's more comfortable for him to lower his head and use his back. "Raise your hands if the horse raises his head," she advises. "When he's ready to lower his head, immediately give him more rein." This was difficult to do at first. Nick wasn't sure what was going on and I was stiff in the saddle, trying to protect my foot. Rose kept reminding me to slow my own posting and to relax my thighs. Soon, Nick and I figured things out and relaxed into a swinging trot. Rose's response? "Lovely! Good job! That's it!"

Encouragement is a large part of Rose's teaching style. She is quick to reward the rider for any attempt—no matter how small. And, with each bit of progress, she is equally quick to add new challenges according to the needs of the horse/rider pair.The end result? Happy, motivated riders and relaxed horses.

If you think you're merely in for a joy ride with Rose, think again. In fact, thinking is big part of what Rose expects her riders to do. One of her goals if for riders to learn to evaluate their own riding and develop a sense of feel. For example, one of Dawn's challenges was to maintain consistent feel (rein contact) in both forearms. As Dawn transitioned from trot to walk, Rose asked, "What happened when you popped up into a trot? How easy is to maintain those elbows, to maintain feel?" As Dawn learned to be more consistent, her horse responded with greater consistency in the bridle. Her encouragement improved each horse and rider—and gave them something to take home as well.

As promised, at noon Sylvia's truck was spotted coming down the drive with our gourmet lunch. Sylvia's wonderful meals and delightful company made meals a definite high-point. Our group compared notes and shared tall tales. You know how horse people love to tell stories. Rose kept us heartily entertained with her own escapades.

After lunch we set a time to meet for an afternoon trail ride—a chance to explore more of the country around us. But first, nap time! With full bellies and no one telling us what we could, should, or shouldn't do, we headed to our bunks for a leisurely snooze.

Rose woke us by mid-afternoon and we saddled up once again. By now, I'd ditched my crutches and could take care of my own horse—granted, at a halting pace. We headed through the cross-country field and onto a trail that wound past a natural spring and through juniper trees. Rose soon put us to work, using those same trees to her advantage. "Choose a tree on your right, and make a circle around it," she called. We alternated between circling left and right—effectively making us—and our horses— pay attention to our riding. It was a terrific way to make our horses think independent of the herd, watch their own footing, and do their own problem-solving. Those of us who felt the need for speed took advantage of a timber road to let the horses enjoy a run. From the most experienced, to the first time trail rider, a good time was had by all.

As we eagerly awaited Sylvia's dinner, we watched the turkeys roost in the trees. One by one, the birds got a running start, launched themselves toward a tree, and fluttered noisily into the branches—defying gravity. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner and the company of truly happy campers, having spent a fine day with our horses.

Our camp stay continued, alternating between arena lessons and lessons beyond the 20 meter circle. We spent a wonderful afternoon in the cross country field, letting our horses "pop over" fences if we chose, or practicing our position if we were less experienced or daring. Two hardy souls took off with Rose for a late-afternoon gallop, returning breathless and happy.

We spent our final morning in the outdoor ring, riding over ground poles and small fences, according to our interests and abilities. As always, Rose encouraged our efforts and applauded every success. We were given workable tasks, skills to fine-tune, and the confidence to try.

Much more than a series of riding lessons, camp was an opportunity to vacation with my horse. We tried new things in a non-competitive environment, without fear of looking foolish or being judged. We were in the company of friends—other busy adults who'd taken time off from being serious about their horses to have fun with them. Our time together was relaxed, encouraging, and educational. No one cared what we wore, who we rode with, or what level we rode at.

We didn't bring home any ribbons, but we didn't need any, either. We made new friends, travelled new roads, and braved wild turkeys together. Happy campers? You bet!

For more information about Triple H Ranch Equestrian Center call (541) 934-2088; email tripleh@oregontrail.net or visit www.triplehequestriancenter.com