By Jill Nagy
Some horse-crazy young girls grow up to be horse-crazy women. Two them are Sharon Capraun, owner of Dancing Horses, who recently moved to Lake George, and Connie Welsh, her pony wrangler.
When Roaring Brook Ranch had to close because of its owner’s illness, Capraun moved from Schroon Lake with 20 horses, a handful of ponies, and a petting zoo, to look after the property and operate her business.
Many of the horses were rescues from “not very good places,” Capraun said. Others were purchased at auction. While she may buy horses, Cabraun does not sell them.
“When I get them, I keep them,” she said, “They‘re not going anywhere.”
Capraun is 73 years old and retired.
“As long as I can get up on a horse, I’ll be here,” she said. “I can’t see myself ever having enough of horses.”
Capraun and her staff—mainly friends and relatives—take out groups of five or six people at a time for trail rides. Most of them are first-time riders and they receive a quick course in riding basics. Each trip is accompanied by two guides, one in front and the other bringing up the rear. On a typical day six our seven groups will go out. In extremely warm weather, however, the horses only go out in the early mornings. Trail rides are on the Roaring Brook’s approximately 300 acres, some of it hilly, and none of the trails are manicured.
Welsh runs a pony camp for small children. The youngest are led around on a lead while older ones can ride in a fenced-in ring.
The star of the petting zoo is a pot-bellied pig that recently gave birth to piglets.
The Roaring Brook property became overgrown over the winter.
“We cleaned it up and put in flowers. After all, we are women,” Capraun said.
If she is able to keep her business at the Roaring Brook site, she would like to add an indoor riding ring so that people can ride in the winter. She would also like to add programs for the handicapped. For now, however, she hopes to earn enough money from trail rides and children’s camps to be able to keep her horses over the winter after paying a portion of the proceeds to the property owner.
People are also welcome to “come up and just hang around, pet the horses, feed them carrots,” Capraun said. Capraun said, She also invited people to ride their own horses to the property and camp out. “I keep an open mind,” she said.
Welsh, like Capraun, has always worked around horses. “I always had horses in my life,” she said, “I always loved horses.” In addition to having been “a typical horse-crazy girl,” she has a degree in animal husbandry from SUNY Cobleskill.
Capraun has worked at dude ranches, riding stables, the Saratoga Race Course.
Dancing Horses opened officially with a ribbon-cutting and open house conducted by the Lake George Chamber of Commerce.
Dancing Horses is located at 2206 Route 9 in Lake George. Their email address is dancinghorses2022@gmail.com.