Dude ranch holidays

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poppet

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Looking for summer holiday myself OH and two teenage girls. The girls and I ride although we don't have our own horse. OH is not at all interested in riding and is allergic to horses.

Went to Spain last time and girls were kind of bored sitting by pool for days. OH has suggested going to a ranch but I am worried that he would be really really bored. He said he would be happy enough but I am not convinced these kind of holidays cater for non riders. I've also heard that sometimes these ranches mainly do walk/trot so really need to be sure they would have something a bit more advanced.

Has anyone had any experience of them, or could recommend one?

I did discover you could go to Argentina and learn Polo, but price was on application ...... LOL
 
I have done a Dude Ranch holiday and loved it.......ok so it was almost 30 years ago when I was a child, but I can still remember it like it was yesterday! It was in NY state and it had riding for me, Dad and Mum and lots of other stuff for my non-riding brother. Things organised in the evening, but you didn't have to get involved....the only thing I can't remember is its b****y name!! will do some searching for you!
 
I can recommend the white stallion ranch in Tucson Arizona! Me and my fairly novice husband went and we had a great time.

They are very good at pairing you with suitable horses and consequently almost all riders, even those who started as complete novices enjoyed great fast rides!

Also, you can take part in team penning and they will organise barrel racing lessons for those who are more experienced.

Being so close to Tucson, if you have a car, there is plenty to see and do. My OH liked the Pima (sp?) air and space museum which has a field with literally hundreds of planes to wander round.
 
i would also recommend the white stallion ranch. Been twice and hoping to go again this year. They have a good selection of horses and it is very well organised. There are rides for beginners and more experienced. You are very well looked after and the only decisions you need to make are what rides to go on. They get many repeat visitors. Check out the reviews on trip advisor. Summer may not be the best time weather wise though if you don't like it too hot. Spring and autumn are best.
 
Hi poppet,

I sell horse riding holidays so will send you a private message on here (so that it is not considered advertising).

Our agency markets White Stallion ranch which other posters are recommending and we have lots of other options too, including a fantastic western ranch in Hungary for a more budget-friendly cowboy option. A lot of good dude ranches have plenty for the non-rider and for families and can cater to the more experienced rider wanting to canter and do a bit more pacey riding. The trips to Argentina are brilliant but generally quite pricey and not always so good for the non-riding hubby!

:-)

Holly
 
Thanks for replies everyone. Not had a chance to look into this more as my mum was taken into hospital quite suddenly and I haven't really had a minute. When things settle down I will investigate your suggestions.

Thanks again x
 
Check out Sundance Trails in Colorado. We picked it a couple of years ago cos I wanted somewhere where they had small, non-nose-to-tail groups so I was pretty confident I could get plenty of long galloping rides but also lots of other things going on to entertain my (at the time) non-horsey partner.
There are 2 rides nearly every day (Weds is horses day off so everyone can go Rafting, but as river was too low when we were there in Sept they offered a load of other stuff instead and let some of us use different horses so we could still ride) and there are loads of other things to do as well. We spent most afternoons shooting (they have a range of handguns for using on the outdoor target range, and also shotguns for clay pigeon shooting and a couple of other bits; unless you are using the giant amo guns its all included in the price). We also tried archery, hatchet throwing, horseshoes, roping and frisbee golf, so even if your OH didn't want to ride/can't with alergies there are loads of other things you can do together when you're not riding. They also organise evening activities most nights (campfire with cowboy poetry/ western singers, hikes, nice meal etc.)
There is a gymkhana type event at the end of the week with barrel racing etc, and then everyone gets to ride their horses bareback through the lake.
Owners were lovely and did a fab job of matching everyone we met with their horses and catering for my multitude of dietary requests. Would really highly recomend it. It is slightly more expensive than some other ranches, but I didn't find anywhere else that offers the same range of experiences for even nearly the same price.
 
That sounds amazing gnubee! I would love to go on a holiday like that but my OH doesn't ride so far, he is however up for giving it a go at the right time on a sensible horse and pretty sure western is a bit more comfortable for beginners? We love America and he is a big fan of shooting (slightly unhealthy interest in guns!) and general manliness so I'm sure he'd have a go at roping etc and I'm sure there would be plenty of barbecuing :-)

Is it too much to expect there to be a pool as well?
 
Most ranches have pools, you will need a swim or a wallow in a hot tub to ease your aching muscles!
Another idea is to combine a ranch holiday with a city break - the Wildcatter Ranch near Graham, Texas is 1 hr from Fort Worth and 1.5hrs from Dallas.
Wildcatter has a gorgeous infinity pool and hot tub, and they do fishing, canoeing, skeet shooting, quad bike treks. There's a gym and spa too, and the food is amazing.
This one is probably at the luxury end of things, but like most ranches you can just book two or three days rather than a whole week and stay in budget inns (most of the big chains have family rooms/suites for £50-£100 per night) the rest of the time if you are combining a ranch stay with the city.
One of the best things about the big centres with lots of ranches (Arizona, Texas etc) is the cowboy shopping - take minimal amounts of jeans and shirts with you and buy them over there, the prices and selection are amazing! Plus you may find a rodeo to attend, which even non horsey guys love, then there's american football, baseball etc. You can tell I'm a fan!
One thing about the riding - you might find that in high season most of the rides are walk/jog because of the heat. But the terrain and scenery make up for the lack of pace - at Wildcatter we climbed slopes that I couldn't even walk up. You just ease the reins, hold the saddle horn and gasp!
 
This holiday in Iceland would be hard to beat, just amazing!

http://www.ishestar.is/

I went on their round up tour, the whole country gets involved its a real spectacle and one you could be proud of participating in. The girls will not be bored, however not so great for non riders maybe. A little trivia.. the population in Iceland is approx 300k and approx 80k horses.
 
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