Ranching Holidays

dotty1

dotty1

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My friend and want to hang out with the Cowboys for a week inSeptember. Has anyone got any recommendations for a good holiday. We are not sure where to go for the best experience.
We are both experienced riders and don't want to end up walking everywhere, we want to blast across the plains!!, we don't want it mega hot and def not wet.
It's going to be a trip of. Lifetime for me so want to get it right
Don't need to ride all day or every day so other amusement would be good. Currently looking at Montana and Colorado??, but all suggestions welcomed.
 
No actual experience of one but when I was looking for similar holiday, I really liked Wyoming, and you can actually join a cattle drive, so real working cowboys, sleeping under stars and riding across the plains. Personally I would prefer that to a dude ranch which is a touristy one.

Good luck in your search- I am very jealous!
 
We've just booked to go to Tennesse in May. Don't know if it will be good as not been yet! Chose Tennesse as also want to visit Dollywood and Nashville.
I want to gallop, ride a lot etc and friend wants to ride a little and not too fast. We're going to do cattle drive, team penning, trail riding. Can't wait!
Good luck with whatever you book :)
 
You need to decide whether you want to be on a dude ranch (think American tourists on holiday just out for a plod) or a real working ranch. Was told by a friend who worked on a dude ranch for a year that the more 'horsey' visitors found it quite frustrating at times, unless they'd paid mega money to tailor their own ride as such.

She was based in Wyoming and from her photos it looks stunning.
 
I did Ranch America. I was pretty sure I didn't want to chase cows and brand them and things, I am a huge western fan but also a veggie! I wanted to ride and that was what was important. I went to a ranch that didn't do huge numbers of riders(17) I went just at the end of the season, so that the weather was good but not boiling. I also chose the ranch because it lacked facilities for kids, it was more a base for hunters and people who went fishing and riding. It was based about two hours from Cody. It was on the high desert, but we also boxed out to the mountains and it was great.
Think about what you want to do, how many people you want around and about your skills. Do you want to look at the arse end of a cow at walk, or do you want to gallop over the plains. Because they twigged we could ride we even scaled a trail up the side of a mountain!!!

In my honest opinion it's really too short a time to go for a week, I'd try and go for two.
 
We don't want to be part of a large group and certainly don't want to walk everywhere, I think a working ranch would be what we are looking for but don't think we want to camp out!!, keep the suggestion coming, very helpful, wouldn't mind goin to Dollywood
 
When me and hubby wanted a ranch holiday (quite a few years ago now!) we ended up booking through Ranch Rider. We found the help from Tony really invaluable - I had a long chat with him about what we wanted and we ended up at the perfect place and had a great time. If it's going to be a 'trip of a lifetime' you really want to get it right, so it's worth booking through a reputable agent to get their input.
 
Google Ranch America, they do holidays all over America. Wyoming was super, we visited Yellowstone as well!
You don't have to book through them but they will give you some ideas of what is out there.
 
I went to Montana, I suppose it was a Dude Ranch, but there was plenty of cantering and galloping and long rides up the mountains to terrific long views. There was a bit of cattle work if that is what you wanted, but I see cattle every day at home, so I wasn't keen, although I did have a lesson on how to lasso, which I thought might come in useful!

We rode the day we arrived and the day we left, so there was lots of riding. One day a week the horses had a day off and they tried to arrange a rodeo or a day out somewhere, we were also able to visit a shop to buy horse stuff, I had a trip on boat to see the Gates of the Mountains, and also a long, long raft ride down a river, which got quite merry. It was early September, the schools had all gone back and the temperature was up to 30. Cooling my feet in a mountain stream with a can of beer is one of the best memories. They had enough rides for 2 weeks,although obvioiusly you had to cover the same ground closer to the ranch. We saw a bear and lots of birds, and the horses were very alert for rattlesnakes. It was great.
 
I went to bitterroot ranch in wyoming in 2010. We rode every day rounding up cattle etc. we also went to a rodeo one night. Whilst i enjoyed it and can recommend it, i have since done two riding holidays at ranches in argentina. I much preferred them to wyoming. A much greater variety of activities and the riding was a lot fastsr and you really felt a part of the work on the ranch. Last year i went to estancia huechahue in argentina. We rode for hours every day working with the gauchos on the ranch. One day we spent the day rounding up the cattle, moving them from one area to another, then helping split them up into groups so that they could be pregnancy tested. You could ride as much or as little as you wanted (i was still riding when it was time to leave for the airport). The riding was a lot faster than in wyoming. This is their website

http://www.huechahue.com/

It might be worth getting in touch with hollywoozle on here. She works for far and ride and arranged my most recent riding holiday for me. I couldnt fault them.
 
I stayed at White Stallion Ranch in Arizona many years ago, and absolutely loved it! Will definitely go back at some point when I've got the money going spare (ha! Might be a European horsey holiday for me instead, I think). We did full day rides, 'rodeos' (no horses/cows harmed!!), and rides were tailored to what the group wanted. Also, the ranch itself is lovely and the food was good. They also organised optional trips out so I did a bit of sightseeing on a few days and either didn't ride those days or did shorter rides.

Let us know where you decide OP - would love to hear where you decided upon and what you thought.
 
When I was looking I was told to book through UK companies, as there are loads of ranching holidays in the USA, with very variable standards. The chap from Ranch Rider said he sometimes arrived at a place, took one look round and left as he knew it wasn't suitable for GB clients.

All the reputable firms - Far and Ride, In the Saddle, Ranch Rider and others I can't think of have a good selection and you know that they have been carefully chosen.
 
does it have to be USA? How about south Africa really for the holiday of a life. It's 6/8 hours in the saddle and FAST ! so your really do need to be up for it. But I guarantee you'll not be disappointed !

DSCN0061_zps3249bc03.jpg
 
White stallion ranch in Arizona best holiday ever. Western lessons, barrel racing, fast rides, slow rides, mountain rides, team penning, accommodation is amazing, food fantastic.
 
Thanks for your suggestions we are off to White Stallion Ranch in September for a week!!, looks like there's lots to,do there too.
 
dotty1 said:
Thanks for your suggestions we are off to White Stallion Ranch in September for a week!!, looks like there's lots to,do there too.
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Have the most wonderful time! All of the riders we have sent to White Stallion have loved it so I'm sure you'll both have a great trip. Don't forget to post some piccies on here when you get back! :)
 
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