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