Mounted police opt for equine transportation so they don’t have to deal with the squad car's wailing thirst for gas and justice. Avoid similar automotive appetites with today's Groupon for horseback-riding lessons and trail rides at Reno Riding. Choose from the following options:

• For $18, you get a 60-minute private riding lesson (a $55 value).
• For $29, you get a 60-minute trail ride for two (a $90 value).
For $99, you get a two-hour horse-management lesson and riding lesson for two (a $225 value).

At Reno Riding, Cara—an avid horse enthusiast and USPC–certified instructor—tailors private lessons to suit all skill levels and saddles up mounts for trail rides backdropped by the peaks of the High Sierras. Learn the difference between a gallop, a canter, and the thoroughbred two-step with 60 minutes of private instruction atop a trusty steed. Beginner lessons impart basic horse-preparation knowledge and introduce riders to such styles as English and Western Pleasure, and lessons for experienced equestrians teach advanced equipment and preparation know-how. For more in-depth tutelage, riding lessons combined with horse-management lessons educate duos in the intricacies of full companion care, such as stable-management tidbits, trailering and maintenance basics, and how to color-coordinate bridles with manes.

Riders confident in their saddle skills can take to the open Reno Riding trails for a 60-minute excursion. Depart from Reno Riding's Verdi-based barn to stride through picturesque meadows and relish the sights and sounds of the great outdoors, a recently remodeled upgrade of nature's "adequate outdoors."