Bridle Party, Missoula, Montana

Barns have an honest smell. Clean, but real. The smell of work and time well spent. No attempts to pretty it up with Spring Rain or Crisp Linen aerosol. Entering a barn provokes you to be in the moment, to ignore your cell phone and anything or anyone else not immediately present. Even if you're just visiting, the effect is there. So, if you get invited to a hayride or some such, R.S.V.P. with a definitive "yes", and be sure to fully participate - and try to visit the barn.

Saddle Up, Missoula, Montana

If you've ever had that perfect garment or pair of shoes that fits just so and makes everything better by the wearing, you have some insight into how important a good saddle is to a frequent rider.  (If you've ever come off a horse with a big old blister on your backside, yours is a different insight, namely that your ride should have been shorter since your last jaunt was years ago. That would be me, learning the hard way.)
Custom saddlery is a mix of art and relevant science, involving the study of Natural Horsemanship. Indulge your inner curious cat by visiting the site of the Bitterroot Saddle Company.