Ranch Terra - a place where adventure meets nature in a unique way

In the small town of Irinovac, near the Plitvice Lakes National Park, there is Ranch Terra, where visitors can experience the magic of nature in a unique way. This ranch offers visitors a unique opportunity to connect with nature in an intimate and personal way, embarking on an unforgettable experience of riding through untouched nature.

We thank Ranch Terra for their time. Read the interview with them below:

1. Tell us something about yourself, what you do and what your offer includes?

We are a family ranch located not far from the Plitvice Lakes National Park, in Irinovac, only 2 km from the main D1 road. Our love is horses, and we do off-road riding. We ride through the area's spectacular wilderness, and at our ranch, off-road riding can be experienced by people of all experience levels. We work with children, seniors, beginners, intermediate and advanced riders. We have gentle, calm horses for children and beginners, but also more energetic horses for advanced and experienced riders. We offer different tours and terrains - 1, 2, 3 or 4 hours of off-road riding and two longer excursions - a five-hour excursion to Ranch Deer Valley and a seven-hour excursion to the Barać caves. We also offer "engagement" two- or three-hour trips and gift certificates for birthdays and celebrations, and new offers and trips are constantly in circulation. Our approach is individual, that is, from the very beginning, when booking an appointment, each of our guests receives a service that strives to inform, guide the guest and, in accordance with his wishes and possibilities, choose the best possible tour. Our guides for off-road riding, who further enrich this experience, are responsible for the performance of the riding itself, and are always available to the guests for any questions. As part of our ranch, we also offer accommodation in the form of rooms in a family house, so that people who want to spend more days at our ranch have that option.

2. How long have you been in this business?

We have had horses for about 12 years, and we have been doing tourist-off-road riding for 10 years.

3. What is the most interesting thing for visitors at the ranch?

As they get older, but usually they are funny adventures on horseback rides and excursions. At the ranch itself, it is usually interesting for visitors to watch the beautiful scenes of our herd galloping relaxed and happily in its large pasture and to get to know the four-legged members themselves (horses and dogs - Lora and Nora).

4. Up to how many people can be in a riding group?

Depending on the riding level of the group members. If, for example, it is about beginners, the group can contain a maximum of ten people.

5. How long is the riding route?

We offer different routes, some for beginners and some for advanced riders only. For beginners and families with children, we offer a 1-hour horseback riding tour, which is also the shortest tour. For beginners who would like to get a little more taste of off-road riding, a 2-hour tour and even a five-hour trip to the Ranch Deer Valley can be organized, while more advanced riders can choose any of the mentioned tours, often longer ones, for example, a trip to the Barać Caves .

6. How many horses do you own?

We currently own 15 horses, two of which are colts.

7. Are they difficult to maintain?

Depending on the time of year, but certainly horses are a big responsibility and life with horses requires dedication.

8. How much time is needed for basic horse training?

Riding a horse is a process of a few months, depending on the horse and its purpose. It can start from the age of 3, and this is preceded by the basic socialization of the horse, which is carried out from a young age (getting acquainted with other horses, animals, people, learning to use a halter and harness, leading from the floor, lifting legs, etc.). In any case, the horse is an animal of habit, so all these patterns should be repeated often.

9. Do you cooperate with someone from the destination?

Currently, we often cooperate with the Ranch Deer Valley and the Barać caves as part of our longer excursions, where we enable our guests to experience and get to know the surrounding sights of this region, which we reach on the backs of our horses, in addition to off-road riding. We are pleased to cooperate with the main attractor of the area, Plitvice Lakes National Park in the form of their promotional packages where guests get a certain discount on our service, and with the surrounding stakeholders of this destination, renters and service providers (restaurants, hotels, campsites, private accommodation, etc.) to which we offer services that their guests use with pleasure.

You can reed more about Ranch Terra here.