Horses and Hot Chocolate

Summary

For this event, we will do the Horses and Hot Chocolate tour at The Wilds, a ten-thousand acre conservation center in Muskingum County, and one of the largest such centers in the entire world.

For those that love horses, we will hang with The Wilds' herd as we experience a day in the life of one of their horseback specialists. This hands-on experience will give us the opportunity to learn the basics of how to properly handle and care for a horse, or shower some of these noble animals with attention.

Activities for this meetup may include feeding, grooming, tacking, or providing enrichment. We also might enjoy a friendly game or two of horseshoes and make some hoofprint art to take home with us as a souvenir to remember our new horse friends. Hot drinks and cookies will be provided by The Wilds. Giddy up!

The Date and Time of This Tour

We will be doing the 10:30 a.m. Horses and Hot Chocolate tour on Saturday, March 29. The tour is scheduled to run until noon.

When and Where We'll Meet

We'll meet in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter in Reynoldsburg at 8:15 a.m. The actual address of this Walmart is 2793 Taylor Rd Ext, 43068. From here, those who want may carpool, and everyone can follow me to The Wilds (for those who want to make sure they don't get lost).

Please be on time, and please fill your tank before you arrive if you plan on driving. I will leave Walmart absolutely no later than 8:30 a.m., and anyone who is not there or not ready will have to rely on someone other than me to help him or her get to The Wilds!

Finally, please do not plan on being able to ride in my car. I only have room for one, and I am unlikely to head directly back to Columbus after the Meetup in any case.

What You Need To Do To Attend

Signing up for this event on Meetup won't get you on the tour. You have to go to The Wilds' website and actually buy a ticket. I have uploaded three pictures to this event page to help you see exactly what to look for when you go out to The Wilds' website to buy your ticket.

Availability for this tour is limited to 8 seats. This is The Wilds' cap on seating -- not mine! I've capped this Meetup at 8 to match The Wilds' cap, but the ultimate arbiter of whether or not there's space to go on this Meetup is The Wilds, not me! So buy your ticket early!

In addition, tickets for this tour must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance. This means that you won't simply be able to wait and buy a ticket for this tour once you get to The Wilds.

Furthermore, Wilds' tours often fill up fast. So if you want to go, I strongly recommend, again, that you buy your ticket well in advance. Please purchase your ticket and then sign up here for this Meetup so I know how many to expect. 😄

You may be asked to sign a horseback waiver after you buy your ticket. This event actually does not include horseback riding, so I'm guessing this is some sort of technical error or oversight on The Wilds' part? Though I filled out my waiver anyway. 😁

The Cost of Tickets and Parking

The cost of a ticket for this tour is $35. This is the all-inclusive price (it includes parking, fees, and taxes). Most Wilds' tours offer a discount for Wilds members, although this particular tour does not.

Notes on Parking

We will park in their main visitor lot and ride their free shuttle to the Visitor Center. The premium parking available on some other tours is not an option for this one.

Cancellations and Refunds

Per The Wilds' policies: In order to be eligible for refund and accrue no rescheduling fees, cancellations must be made at least 14 days in advance of reservation. Cancellations made within 14 days of reservation will not receive a refund.

If you buy a ticket and later wish to cancel or seek a refund, you will have to discuss this with The Wilds. I have no involvement with this, and I won't be able to help you. Their phone number is (740) 638-5030.

Food and Drink / After the Tour

Afterwards, we will leave The Wilds and head back to Zanesville, where we will stop at Muddy Misers Restaurant for lunch. Here are pictures of their menu from April 2024; I can't guarantee the current menu will not have changed at all, but I would hope the menu pictured here is at least somewhat representative of their current selection and pricing.

The actual address of the the restaurant is 112 Muskingum Ave, Zanesville, OH 43701. It is roughly a half-hour away from The Wilds and should be on the way back to Columbus for most, if not all, of us.

Know Before You Go

• Please come dressed for the weather with coat, hat, gloves, and boots as needed. This tour is outside in an unheated barn and lasts approximately 1.5 hours. Closed-toed shoes are required.
• Cookies and the option of hot chocolate or coffee will be provided by The Wilds.
• This tour typically runs rain or shine. In the case of extreme weather or road conditions, sessions may be canceled and a refund will be offered.
• This tour does not include a horseback ride.
• No prior experience with horses is necessary! 😄

The Wilds is in a rural setting with intermittent cell and internet service. While in my experience the cell service isn't quite as bad as their website will lead you to believe, and they do have free Wi-Fi at their restaurant and gift shops, still you shouldn't assume you're going to get great or even good cell service here.

Also, do not use rideshare services (Uber/Lyft/taxi, etc.) to travel to The Wilds. Even if you manage to find a ride there, there are no rideshare programs that serve the rural area of the state where The Wilds is located, likely leaving you stuck.

The gas station nearest The Wilds, which is either this this Sunoco station or these gas stations depending on how you go, is approximately 15 miles away from The Wilds. Please plan accordingly.

Directions to The Wilds

This is the way I generally take to The Wilds from Columbus. They've been doing major construction in Zanesville, though, so it's possible these directions might need to be altered a bit. Basically, once you exit I-70, you need to get to SR 146 E and take it to SR 284. At that point, huge signs will make it impossible for you to miss The Wilds (whose actual address is 14000 International Rd, Cumberland, OH 43732).

1. I-70 E to Zanesville, Exit 155. The exit naturally turns to the right and will take you south on 7th St.
2. Take 7th St. to SR 146 E (Marietta St.), where you will turn left (east).*
3. Follow SR 146 E for around 10 miles to SR 284, on which you will turn right.
4. Proceed around 7 miles to International Road, on which you will turn left.
5. Proceed 1/2 mile to The Wilds' entrance.

*Google Maps might have you instead turn left off of 7th onto Main, then right on 9th, then left onto Marietta. That's fine too.