What Everybody Ought To Know - About Selecting A Dude Ranch

The People Who Read This Will Enhance, Avoid Trouble And Guarantee Themselves An Incredible And Quality Experience !

Riding Skill Requisite - It's paramount if your going to enjoy the ride that you have the skills to do it safely at the pace intended. The dude ranch should make every effort to ensure that all riders are well matched to the ride and the difficulties are explained as clearly as possible. A horseback ride rated as advanced could be ruined by someone who gets frightened going beyond a slow canter when most in the group expect long gallops. We encourage those who want to test and sharpen their skills to find a place to practice at your level or take a few lessons if it’s been a while since you have ridden.

Side Bar... Riders with experience in English tack need not feel daunted at the prospect of riding western style, as it does not take long to adapt to the deeper seat and neck reining.

Rate Your Horseback Riding Ability - A very important first step in selecting a riding vacation. For most rides, it’s critical to have a good understanding of the basics and some know-how in riding cross-country.

Some dynamics to take into consideration are:
Do you ride Western or English tack?
How much riding can you reasonably do to prepare?
Will it be restricted to an arena, or trails with a varied landscape?
Are you in decent physical shape with decent stamina?

Do you have a particular horseback riding vacation in mind, but don’t meet the riding criteria, consider joining an instructional program where you can gain the basic skills and self-confidence.

Greenhorn: A rider who has little experience, is unable to post at the trot and does not canter, lope or gallop.
Novice: A rider who is able to mount and dismount without help, able to apply basic aids. Is at ease and in control of the horse when walking, moderate length posting trots, and short canters, or the lope.
Intermediate: A rider who has a solid seat, is confident and in control at all paces, but does not ride on a regular basis.
Savvy: An intermediate rider who rides regularly and is comfortable in the saddle for several hours per day.
Old Hand: Considered to have ALL of the above skills, plus an independent seat, soft hands, and capable of handling a high-spirited horse in the open country.

Remember, you can learn to ride well enough, but you have to be ready to make the effort.

Finding The Perfect Dude Ranch
A Dude Ranch is as distinct in personality and way of life as the unique individuals who operate them. If you take your riding seriously and riding great horses is your foremost interest, here are some important points to consider when looking for the dude ranch that will best fit you

OWNER MIND-SET – Do the individuals who own or manage the dude ranch ride with their guests or do they think they have more important things to do? They will join in often if riding is a priority with them. If they don't, then riding probably isn’t an important in their program. Hired managers can be great, but managers can come and go. This can present a problem with continuity, especially true if the owners have not been involved in the riding program.. Generally, a Family Dude Ranch that has an established history is a better bet than ones which have only been operating for a few years.

HORSES – Are the horses owned by the dude ranch or are they rented? If rented keep in mind that the owners and wranglers are often unfamiliar with the horses they get at the start of the season. Remember they have little or no control over the quality of these animals. Rented horses are usually not top quality horses.

A dude ranch that has a good string of horses usually has it's own and many or all of the horses have been raised and trained there. This shows a real commitment to an excellent riding program. If the dude ranch has a wide-ranging selection of different breeds and types, you are more likely to find the horse that suits you.

GUEST& HORSE AVAILABILITY - A vital factor to consider is the guest/horse availability. Does the dude ranch have more than one horse per guest? If not then the horses are going to be worn out long before the end of the season unless used very lightly. If you are going to put a horse through its paces and cover some ground in some rough country, then you will need at least two or possibly three horses.

LANDSCAPE AND LOCALITY – Landscapes can vary greatly and is important to keep in mind when selecting a dude ranch for riding. Is the landscape rocky or is it flat boring country? Are there places in this rough terrain that can be ridden safely at any speed? Mountain valleys which are located on steep and rocky trails can severely limit possible rides.

A dude ranch may offer you a ride where you can go in any direction with a great variety of landscapes, from mountains and forests to lush green alpine meadows and sagebrush covered hills. While another dude ranch might be very limited in what they can offer because of steep mountains, roadways and private land. A dude ranch might be far from highways and towns, yet others are quite the opposite and located near paved roads and local communities. On some ranches you can ride all day without seeing another person, but at others riding trails can be crowded with other adventurers. Some have rides in unspoiled wilderness areas and others have fences, noises, paved roads and houses near the riding trails. It is important to find out how complimentary the location and ground will be for the kind of riding you want to do.

SPEED OF RIDES – Legal responsibility and concerns may have a dude ranch hesitant to let riders to get out of a walk or go no faster than a trot. Safety is key when it comes to you and your family! It's important to find out how big the riding groups will be. A faster pace can be done safely if the groups are kept small. A dude ranch may take up to twenty five or more people regardless of their experience. While the more responsible dude ranch will take out groups of seven or less and be carefully matched according to their ability. This allows guests to ride to the best of their ability.

Determining ability is vital in putting guests in the most suitable group for them. To do this properly a dude ranch must not only get the riders own assessment beforehand, but also evaluate them on the spot. In this way a dude ranch can avoid having skilled riders bored and inexperienced ones terrified. If a dude ranch has a broad selection of horses, it is of the utmost importance to match the rider to the most suitable mounts. Height and weight are important, but so are the rider's seat and the sensitivity of their hands. The most spirited and highly trained horses would quickly be ruined by inexperienced riders who would be in jeopardy on their backs.

TACK – It’s essential that the tack be comfortable for both you and your horse. Does the dude ranch you have in mind carry a wide-rang of saddles? Are they careful to select saddles which will not sore (rub on painful pressure points) a horse? You can tell you if the saddle does not fit, but the horse cannot. A saddle that does not fit a horse properly can cause a horse to buck or act out and spoil the riding experience.

Does the equipment fit properly and is it well maintained. It’s extremely important that latigoes are checked and replaced periodically (you wouldn’t want your saddle falling off in the middle of a ride). If you ride an English, Western, Australian or another type of saddle be sure and ask if the ranch provides any or all of these. If not, ask if it would be ok to bring yours.

WELL-BEING & SAFETY – Your well-being and safety should be your #1 priority when selecting a dude ranch. Ask the dude ranch about their safety record or if they have had many horseback riding accidents.

Growing up on a ranch in northern Wyoming and having had the pleasure of taking out hundreds of horseback rides in Yellowstone National Park, I have decided to include some ideas about how to lower the risks. Like any other adventure sport, horseback riding has inherent risks. Be aware and ever mindful of these risks, and if you’re not sure about the possible risks ask someone, there are never any dumb questions when it comes to your well-being and safety. Risks can never be eliminated, but they can be minimized.

Here are some of the ways to reduce risk:
A) Does the dude ranch match the horse and the rider?
B) Will the pace of the ride match the ability of the least competent rider in the group?
C) Are thorough instructions given on how to handle the horse you’re going to ride? If you’re not in control of the horse you can endanger others as well as yourself.
D) Are those leading the ride well qualified, have first aid (cpr) training? Are they helpful and conscientious? Its extremely important that they pay attention to all the riders with them.
E) Does the dude ranch have a good plan in place for swift communication in case of an accident? Having a well thought out plan can save precious time. Does the plan call for those leading the ride to be provided with cell phones (do the cell phones work in this particular area) or radios, and is there someone to immediately answer a distress call from the person(s) leading the ride? Swift communication to summon help is very important and can sometimes save a life and flight for life helicopter evacuations are often the best alternative.
F) Always check your cinch (before you mount) to make sure it properly tightened, not too loose or too tight. Its always a good idea to check your cinch (ask your ride leader if this is done) after riding a ways as some horses often breath in and hold it while being cinched which can result in a loose cinch after riding for a while.
G) Inform the ride leader of any hazards like holes, down barbed wire, sharp objects and any possible threat which might spook horses such as big game animals, deer, birds, grouse, etc. any one of these can cause a horse to spook and run off. Grizzly Bear was a big one in Yellowstone National Park.
H) Horses cause a small percentage of most of the accidents. I have found that most people, because of being careless or lacking concentration , will be involved in most of the accidents.
I) You can reduce the risk of head injury by wearing a hard hat (recommended). Check to see if the ranch requires hard hats or if this is optional.

WORKING CATTLE RANCHES – Keep in mind that there is a big difference between rounding up cattle over varied terrain and trailing a herd of cows down a dusty road. Some ranches offer you a unique opportunity, the chance to actually work cattle while others stage it purely for the guests. Check to see if they offer other opportunities such as team penning etc. (keeping in mind you riding ability) if you think this is something you would like to try.

PACK TRIPS – If a dude ranch offers pack trips and you think this may interest you ask about the packages they offer (day trips, over night or extended 2 days or longer) their guests.

A trip into the wilds can be an awe-inspiring experience, and can provide you with an opportunity to develop a special relationship (what all horseman strive for) with the horse your riding who will be your closest companion throughout the trip.

A great way to get away from it all, relax and see some beautiful country which would be hard to do any other way.

WRANGLER – A good wrangler rides well, is vigilant, attentive, sensitive toward the rider and horse, has a genuine concern for the safety of the rider and their horse.

TRAINING & INSTRUCTION – Remember, the horses at each dude ranch are trained in a certain way. So, if you are not offered a riding style you are not used to, you will need to adapt your riding style to the ranch horse. Unfortunately horses cannot be retrained for the week you are there. The dude ranch should offer you some basic instruction on how they expect you to handle the horses. If you’re unfamiliar with the accepted style of riding at the dude ranch you’re going to visit, you might feel more relaxed getting some instruction. Usually ranch horses will neck rein and some will respond to leg pressure.

With all that said, I have taken many inexperienced riders out without incident and they and I have had a lot of fun and some great experiences. So if you’re an inexperienced rider don’t let that stop you from enjoying one of the greatest adventures of a life time! A horseback riding vacation.

Visit often… Jean and i will be updating and adding valuable information and resources that will be important to you.


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