| Dude ranches in general have a bad reputation | | | | 7. Safety - If you are enjoying your life, |
| among many of those who are truly interested | | | | safety should be a major consideration. Never |
| in riding and horsemanship. This is true of | | | | ride without a hard hat. After 65 years of |
| many dude ranches which cater to a clientele | | | | serious riding, at least a hundred falls and |
| knowing little about horses or riding and | | | | seeing and studying many accidents, I have |
| offer a pseudo western vacation where square | | | | developed some ideas about how to reduce |
| dances, wranglers with big hats, hay rides | | | | danger. Like most of the world's exciting |
| and cookouts are the main attractions. Not | | | | sports, horseback riding has inherent risks. |
| all ranches are like that and they are as | | | | They can never be eliminated, but they can be |
| contrasting in character and philosophy as | | | | minimized without losing much of the |
| the individualistic types who run them. If | | | | potential thrill and pleasure. Here are some |
| serious horseback riding on fine horses is | | | | of the ways to reduce risk: A) Match the |
| your main interest, here are some important | | | | horse and the rider carefully. B) The pace of |
| points to consider in seeking the dude ranch | | | | the ride should be slow enough for the |
| which will best suit you. | | | | ability of the least skillful rider in the |
| | | | group. C) Each rider should get careful |
| 1. OWNER ATTITUDE - Do the dude ranch owners | | | | instructions in how to handle this particular |
| or managers ride personally with their guests | | | | horse. A rider who is not in control of his |
| or do they feel they have more important | | | | horse can endanger others as well as himself. |
| things to do? If horseback riding is a top | | | | D) All ride leaders should be well qualified, |
| priority with them, they will participate | | | | have first aid training and be attentive to |
| often. If they don't, then riding cannot be | | | | all the riders with them. E) It is a vital |
| all that important in their program. Family | | | | safety feature that ride leaders should have |
| ranches with an established history are | | | | quick communications to summon help in case |
| generally a better bet than ones which have | | | | of an accident. Having a good plan in place |
| only been offering horseback riding vacations | | | | beforehand can save precious time. F) It is |
| for a few years. | | | | important to see that cinches are properly |
| | | | tightened, neither too loose nor too tight. |
| 2. THE HORSES - Do the horses used at the | | | | They should be checked before the rider |
| dude ranch belong to the ranch itself or are | | | | mounts and again after a few minutes of |
| they rented? Many ranches rent horses during | | | | riding since horses often puff up at the |
| the season only and are often unfamiliar with | | | | start. G) The ride leader needs to be alerted |
| the horses they get at the start of the | | | | to and aware of hazards like badger holes, |
| season. They have little control over the | | | | quicksand, down barbed wire and potential |
| quality of these animals and rented horses | | | | scares which might spook horses from game |
| are usually not of top quality. It is | | | | like moose, elk, bear and deer. H) As is the |
| certainly the cheapest option for a dude | | | | case with people, a small percentage of |
| ranch with a comparatively short season and | | | | horses cause most of the accidents. Safety |
| requires little investment, but it is not | | | | conscious dude ranches will be vigilant in |
| likely to produce as good a string as the | | | | getting rid of potential problems. They |
| horses which have been carefully selected | | | | cannot do this if they are not familiar with |
| over the years or raised and trained on a | | | | the horses they have. That is one reason why |
| ranch. If a dude ranch has its own horses and | | | | owning, raising and training them on the |
| many or all of them have been raised and | | | | ranch is best. I) Head accidents are probably |
| trained there, it shows a real commitment to | | | | the worst kind. Wearing a hard hat greatly |
| an excellent riding program. It is also a | | | | reduces the danger of them. One has to decide |
| pleasure for many guests to see newly born | | | | whether a pseudo Western experience with a |
| foals, stallions, brood mares and young | | | | Marlboro style hat is worth the risk. Most |
| horses in training. If the ranch has a broad | | | | dude ranches allow riders to ride without |
| selection of different breeds and types, you | | | | hard hats, but some do not. |
| are more likely to find the horse that suits | | | | |
| you. | | | | 8. Attitude to Horses - Ranches have totally |
| | | | different philosophies toward handling and |
| 3. CLIENT/HORSE RATIO - A vital factor to | | | | training horses. Training can range from the |
| consider is the client/horse ratio. If a dude | | | | often brutal, hell for leather methods of the |
| ranch has only one horse per client, the | | | | old West to the gentle persuasion of the |
| horses are going to be exhausted long before | | | | Linda Tellington-Jones ( TTouch approach. |
| the end of the season unless they are used | | | | Some ranches have about the same feeling for |
| very lightly. A hard riding cowboy will need | | | | a horse that they do for a motor bike and |
| half a dozen horses used in rotation so that | | | | others treat their horses like loved members |
| they can be fresh enough to work well for | | | | of the family. |
| months on end. Guests are unlikely to ride | | | | |
| that hard, but if they are going to put a | | | | 9. Working Ranches - Some dude ranches have |
| horse through its paces and cover some ground | | | | their own working cattle operation and others |
| in rough country, they will need at least two | | | | get all their income from paying guests. |
| or better three horses per serious riding | | | | Working cattle in partnership with a good |
| client. | | | | horse in the traditional Western sense can be |
| | | | an exciting and rewarding experience. In many |
| 4. TERRAIN AND LOCATION - Dude ranches vary | | | | parts of the West it is still the best way to |
| greatly in the kind of terrain they have for | | | | move cattle from one part of a range to |
| horseback riding. Some are surrounded by | | | | another and to round them up in the fall. |
| flat, uninteresting country. Sometimes the | | | | Remember that there is a big difference |
| ground is very rocky and there are few places | | | | between rounding up cattle over a wide |
| where one can ride safely at any speed. There | | | | grazing area with varied terrain and driving |
| are superbly beautiful locations in steep | | | | a herd of cows down a dusty road at a slow |
| mountain valleys which severely limit the | | | | pace. Some ranches have authentic chances to |
| possible rides which are on steep and rocky | | | | work cattle and others stage it purely for |
| trails or up and down the valley. Some dude | | | | the guests. If team penning or team sorting |
| ranches can ride in every direction with a | | | | is something you want to try, check to see if |
| great variety of terrain from mountains and | | | | the dude ranch offers this opportunity. |
| forest to alpine meadows and sagebrush | | | | |
| plains. Others are very limited by steep | | | | 10. Pack Trips - If the dude ranch is near a |
| mountains, highways and no trespass | | | | national forest, it may offer the opportunity |
| neighbors. Some ranches are far from paved | | | | to take a pack trip into the wilderness for |
| roads and signs of civilization, but others | | | | an overnight or more. These wilderness trips |
| are located near highways and have buildings | | | | can be a marvelous experience and provide a |
| nearby. Some dude ranches have rides in | | | | chance to bond with the horses who will be |
| pristine wilderness areas and others have | | | | your close companions throughout the trip. |
| fences, traffic noises, paved roads, houses | | | | You will see country which would be difficult |
| near the riding trails and numerous hikers. | | | | to visit in any other way. Keep in mind that |
| It is important to find out how favorable the | | | | this is usually not an opportunity for fast |
| ground will be for the kind of riding you | | | | riding as pack horses should usually go at a |
| want to do. | | | | walk and trails are often steep and rocky. |
| | | | |
| 5. PACE OF RIDES - Few ranches today allow | | | | 11. Wranglers - America has been late in |
| riders to gallop around freely. Liability | | | | setting up instruction programs for |
| issues have become too important and it can | | | | wranglers, but the Certified Horsemen's |
| be hard on horses. Many ranches do not want | | | | Association now has an excellent program to |
| riders to get out of a walk and others go no | | | | instruct potential ride leaders. The British |
| faster than a trot. Rides can move at a | | | | Horse Society has excellent instruction |
| faster pace safely if they are kept small and | | | | programs for many years and the Federation |
| it is important to find out how big the | | | | Francaise d'Equitation has long had stiff |
| riding groups will be. Some dude ranches will | | | | requirements for ride leaders in France. A |
| take up to twenty people together regardless | | | | good wrangler needs not only to know how to |
| of their experience. Others will send out | | | | ride well, but they should be attentive to |
| groups of six or less carefully matched | | | | those behind them and their problems. |
| according to ability which allows guests to | | | | Sensitivity to riders and horses is the great |
| ride to the top of their ability. Determining | | | | virtue, not macho strength. |
| ability is vital in putting guests in the | | | | |
| most suitable group for them. To do this | | | | 12. Instruction - The horses at each dude |
| properly a ranch must not only get the riders | | | | ranch are trained in a particular way which |
| own assessment beforehand, but also evaluate | | | | may not be the kind of riding you are used |
| them on the spot. In this way a ranch can | | | | to. For instance, if you are a dressage |
| avoid having skilled riders bored and | | | | rider, you will need to adapt to the dude |
| inexperienced ones terrified. If a ranch has | | | | ranch horses. They cannot be retrained for |
| a broad selection of horses, it is of the | | | | the week you are there. Most places will give |
| utmost importance to match the rider to the | | | | at least some basic orientation as to how |
| most suitable mounts. The most spirited and | | | | they expect you to handle the horses. Some |
| highly trained horses would quickly be ruined | | | | will offer instruction from qualified riding |
| by inexperienced riders who would be in | | | | instructors which can be videotaped for your |
| jeopardy on their backs. | | | | later viewing to get the best results. If you |
| | | | are not familiar with the approved style of |
| 6. TACK - It is vitally important that the | | | | riding at the dude ranch you visit, you will |
| tack should be comfortable for both riders | | | | be more comfortable and get more out of the |
| and horses. Does the dude ranch have a broad | | | | riding with a few hours of instruction. On |
| selection of saddles? Are they careful to | | | | some ranches the horses are used to having |
| select a saddle which will not have | | | | their riders post the trot. Other places just |
| uncomfortable pressure points on a horse? The | | | | expect riders to sit in the saddle and bounce |
| rider can tell you if the saddle does not | | | | along. |
| suit, but the horse cannot. A poorly fitting | | | | |
| saddle can cause a horse to buck or act | | | | At their best, dude ranches can provide a |
| strangely and detract greatly from the riding | | | | superb horse riding experience now impossible |
| experience. Is care taken to give each horse | | | | in many parts of this highly developed |
| a bit which suits him and is fitted properly? | | | | planet. The scenery is spectacular, the air |
| The best procedure is to have a separate | | | | is clean and the climate excellent. It is |
| bridle for each horse. Obviously the | | | | ideal country for horses. Few places can |
| equipment must be well maintained and | | | | rival the Rocky Mountain West for riding |
| headstalls, reins, girths and latigoes | | | | holidays. |
| checked and replaced periodically. | | | | |
| | | | Copyright 2005 Bayard Fox and Equitours, Ltd. |