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Spring’s Featured Attraction: Lawton Stables

Feb 8, 2020

Subject: Lawton Stables Trail Rides

Type: Horseback Riding

Location: Harbor Town’s Lawton Stables, 190 Greenwood Drive, Hilton Head, SC 29928

Cost: $75 High Season, $65 Low Season, $100 private ride

Reservations: Yes

Audience: Everyone ages 8 and up

Experience: Lawton Stables, located on Greenwood Drive in Sea Pines Resort, offers one hour guided trail rides among the flora and fauna of the Sea Pines Forest Preserve.  Additionally, they offer pony rides for smaller children, a small animal farm where visitors can feed goats, pigs and llamas. They also have a horse boarding facility.

The experience starts at the check-in and gift shop where guests are asked to sign a waiver and are weighed, (the maximum rider weight allowed is 240lbs.  To ensure no delays, it is recommended that guests arrive at least thirty minutes before their rides start.  After the check-hand stamp, a riding helmet is provided free of charge. They highly recommend wearing a helmet,  but it is optional and you’ll need to sign an additional waiver if you decide not to..  Thirty minutes before departure, we are given a thorough safety briefing and instructions on riding the horse. This includes keeping at least five feet between horses and keeping the reins loose.  If needed, guests are given small steps to mount their horses.

With one guide leading the way and another bringing up the rear, we leave the stables, with the horses traveling in a single file line in, what seems like, a well-rehearsed routine. The two guides ensure we safely cross Greenwood Drive and then lead us on into the Sea Pines Forest Preserve.

Once inside the preserve, you really get to appreciate the natural beauty and what much of the island probably looked like before it was developed from the 1950’s onward.  Riders travel through Cypress swamps and tall pine until reaching Lake Joe,  – our route then took a left turn left around Fish Island and Lake Joe, getting glimpses of the Wildflower Field, Lake Thomas, and the Alligator Boats, which, during this ride, were covered for the winter months.   Throughout the trail, our two guides keep us well informed of what we’re seeing, including a huge, sprawling Live Oak tree that is reported to be over 500 years old and the oldest on the island! They were also happy to answer any questions and politely remind us that we’re responsible to make sure our horse does not eat the native vegetation of the preserve, including the bamboo at the head of Lake Joe.  Our ride lasted approximately one hour and before dismounting, we had the opportunity to have a picture taken with the horse.

Thoughts: This is a very nice, relaxing activity to do any time of the year and a great way to experience the natural beauty hidden inside Sea Pines.  The horses are all very gentle and well trained. The two guides attending our group were very friendly and informative as well as ensured everyone stayed safe and had a good time.

Scoring (1-10):

Recommend: Yes

Contact: P= (843) 671-2586   W= www.lawtonstables.com

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