(ARA) - Are you the kind of pet owner who wouldn’t consider leaving home without your faithful four-footed companion? Have you found it difficult to arrange lodging for yourself and your pet on the road? You may be in for a pleasant surprise: there are hundreds of small inns and bed & breakfasts all across the country that are happy to have you and your dog -- and even many that welcome horses.

“Many bed and breakfast innkeepers are happy to accommodate pets along with their human guests,” says Randy Fought, founder of Bed & Breakfast Inns ONLINE. In business for nine years, the company (also known as BBOnline.com) provides a home on the Internet for some 5,000 small inns across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. “We make it easy to find an animal-friendly inn with just the click of a mouse,” continues Fought. “We have a ‘Pets Welcome’ button right on the home page that opens a state-by state list. There’s a button for ‘Inns That Welcome Horses’ on the home page as well.”

Here’s how innkeeper Fran Hand, of The Olde Square Inn, Mount Joy, Pa. explains her recent decision to allow pets. “One of our two beloved basset hounds died, and we decided to open our doors to people who prefer to travel with their pets,” recounts Hand. “I’ve seen breeds I never even heard of since then, and lately we had a standard poodle named Sam that danced while the owner sang.” For more on The Olde Square Inn, and its pet friendly accommodations, visit http://www.bbonline.com/pa/oldesquare/.

To see all of the nearly 200 BBOnline member inns across the country that welcome pets with their human guests, visit http://www.bbonline.com/petswelcome.html.

But what if your pet is a horse? Not a problem! More than 180 BBOnline member innkeepers welcome horses with accommodations that range from turnout to complete stable and indoor arena facilities. Randy Fought of BBOnline says, “We have had a listing of inns that welcome horses for several years. Innkeepers like it because it helps increase business.” He adds, “Of course the horse owners love it -- some people plan their entire vacation around inns that allow horses.”

In Petersburg, Ky., just a half-hour from Cincinnati, First Farm Inn offers a room for the owner, and stable space for the horse. According to Jennifer Warner, First Farm’s innkeeper, “A lot of event and dressage riders stop over on their way to horse shows. We have a couple from Canada who come through twice a year with their eight polo ponies in a semi-trailer rig. Once we had guests who were moving cross-country with two horses, two dogs, two cats, and three tanks of fish.” First Farm Inn’s pet and horse policies are online at http://www.bbonline.com/ky/firstfarm/horses.html.

Lisa Winters, innkeeper at Namaste Acres Country Ranch Inn in Franklin, Tenn., says many of her equestrian guests are repeat visitors. “We’re right on the historic Natchez Trace,” she relates, “and we get lots of people who stay for several days so they can ride the bridle paths that connect with our acreage.” More on Namaste Acres and its facilities can be viewed at http://www.bbonline.com/tn/namaste/.

It’s clear from a glance at the names of BBOnline member inns with horse accommodations that the owners must have an interest of their own in all things equestrian. A brief sampling:

* And The Horse You Rode In On, Dragoon, Ariz.

* Horse Haven Bed & Breakfast, Salisbury, N. H.

* Beddin' Down Bed & Breakfast & Horse Hotel, Salida, Colo.

* Dream Horse Guest House, Kinsman, Ohio

For a state-by-state listing of approximately 200 member Inns That Welcome Horses, visit BBOnline at http://www.bbonline.com/horse.html.

Whether you travel with the family pooch in the back seat, or tow your polo ponies in a trailer, it’s rewarding to know that wherever you are bound, you’re likely to find an accommodating bed & breakfast along the way with the help of Bed & Breakfast Inns ONLINE. Because bed & breakfasts are independently owned and operated, it’s best to contact the innkeeper and confirm the details of their pet policy, well before arriving with your pet.

Courtesy of ARA Content