Riding in the USA and Canada: pounds, minimum age, parks and provider notes
In the USA the weight limit is stated in pounds, not in kilograms.
What is stated differently in descriptions of North American rides, with examples from Arizona, Texas, Florida, Montana and Banff.
Weight in pounds
Providers in the USA state weight limits in pounds, not in kilograms. One pound is 0.4536 kilograms; divide the number of pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms. Ask whether the limit applies with clothing and equipment. Some providers name other requirements instead of a weight limit, such as a maximum BMI or a minimum age.
Minimum age
Several providers name a minimum age. That applies to the offer, and we list our rides as offers for adult riders. The minimum age belongs to the provider’s statements and to your planning if you book with teenagers.
Helmet
A provider in Paradise Valley in Montana writes that helmets are required and provided and that the horse is assigned by staff (according to the provider). Whether a helmet is included is stated by the provider. We give no assurance that equipment protects.
Parks and terrain
Several rides lie in parks or protected areas. According to providers, rides lie in state parks and national forests, in Canada in Banff National Park. Whether a ride runs in a park and which rules apply to horses there is stated by the provider. We read no riding rule for these parks.
Weather
The weather ranges from 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit in July in Las Vegas (according to NOAA, about 40 degrees Celsius) to minus 14.9 degrees Celsius as the mean night minimum in January in Banff (according to Parks Canada). In Zion National Park day and night may differ by more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit according to the National Park Service. Read our guide on climate tables for this.
Questions for the provider
- What is the weight limit in kilograms, and does it apply with equipment?
- Is there a minimum age, and does it apply to all participants?
- Is a helmet included?
- Does the ride run in a park, and who grants the permission?
- How long are you in the saddle, how long does the introduction take?
- What weather is to be expected at the start time, and what happens in a thunderstorm or heat?
- Until when is cancellation free?
Sources
- Florida State Parks, Lake Louisa State Park, floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/lake-louisa-state-park (20 miles of unpaved multi-use trails). Read in the browser on 11 October 2026.
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020, station Las Vegas McCarran. Original CSV read on 11 October 2026.
- Parks Canada, Banff National Park, Weather conditions, parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/securite-safety/meteo-weather. Read on 11 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Zion National Park, Weather and Climate, nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/weather-and-climate.htm. Read on 11 October 2026.
- Offers: Viator pool and GetYourGuide hand cards, as of 11 October 2026.