‘Dream a Horse in the Ozarks’: Mother and daughter duo run trail ride business, plan horse camps

Ozark County residents Tonya Burgett and her 15-year-old daughter Lillian Hejdak are the dynamic duo behind “Dream a Horse in the Ozarks,” a guided horse trail riding business located in the beautiful remote hills of Thornfield. 

In addition to their normal offering of guided trail rides on their 60-acre piece of property in Thornfield and through the Mark Twain National Forest in the Glade Top Trail area, the pair are now offering 3-day horse camps this summer at the Gainesville Saddle Club Arena. 

Upcoming horse camps

The upcoming camps, which begin June 13, are offered in 3-day sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with participants attending for 2 hours each day. 

Those age 8 to 12 will have a morning session from 10 a.m. to noon, and those age 13 and older will attend from 1 to 3 p.m. There will be a limit of six riders per session. 

Camps will be offered weekly beginning next week and continue as interest allows until school starts in the fall. 

The camps are open to those age 8 and older, and both kids and adults are welcome to participate. The horses and all equipment is provided including helmets if requested. Participants do not need to have any experience with horses in the past to attend a camp. 

Campers will learn all parts of the equipment and horses, how to handle, tie, groom and saddle a horse and basic riding skills. They will also get to bond and play games with their respective horse. Tonya says the horses being used are very well-mannered and suited to beginners and children. 

The cost is $45 per rider for the 3-day class, a portion of which is used for each participant’s Gainesville Saddle Club annual fee, meaning that those attending the camp will be club members for this season. If a person chooses, Tonya is happy to allow the campers to participate in the Gainesville Saddle Club’s fun show with the horse they used during the camp. Although Tonya will not charge for the use of the horse, those participating in the fun show will need to pay the $12 fee to the Gainesville Saddle Club to participate in the fun show, which allows them access to all of the show’s events. 

The family and the business

Tonya and her husband Owen Stobbe, along with daughter Lillian, relocated to Thornfield from Wisconsin about two and a half years ago to be closer to family members residing in Ozark County.

Tonya operated a trail riding guide business for 11 years while living in Wisconsin and helped to rescue and rehab injured and mistreated horses. She has continued the trail riding business here, bringing 20 horses with them when they moved here. Tonya and Lillian now offer beginner 1-hour and intermediate 2-hour guided horseback trial rides from their farm in Thornfield. Trail rides are open to those age 7 and older. 

Tonya says Owen isn’t involved with the trail ride business or horses but works from home in the IT field and helped build the company’s website. In addition to Lillian, who attends Gainesville High School, the couple also has six adult children who are in college or pursuing lives in other parts of the country. 

Find out more

To reserve a spot in an upcoming camp, book a trail ride or to find out more about “Dream a Horse in the Ozarks,” visit dreamahorseintheozarks.com, call or text Tonya at 417-712-3222 or follow the company’s Facebook page.