Real Riding: Guest Ranches Catering To Equestrians

If you imagine slow, nose-to-tail rides when you hear the term ‘guest ranch,’ think again. We’ve tracked down six top ranch resorts with programs designed for experienced riders.

- Heidi Nyland Melocco

If your ideal vacation spot includes beautiful scenery, lively action, and fine horses, consider visiting a guest ranch. In the past, guest—or dude — ranches were known for their sedate trail rides tailored to city slickers in brand-new boots.

Today, however, many ranches are adapting to include rides that will keep savvy riders active and interested.

Here, we’ve put together our pick of riding-vacation destinations where you can ride fast, traverse serious terrain, learn to work cattle, or even participate in a real cattle drive. These ranches, recommended by the Dude Ranchers’ Association and as a result of our editors’ own travel experiences, have horses to match your riding level.

While most ranches don’t allow you to bring your own horse (for their herd’s safety), they work to keep their horses tuned up and ready to do more than simply follow.

Read on to find out where you can do some real horseback riding at guest ranches.

Bonanza Creek Country

This 25,000-acre Martinsdale, Montana, ranch is home to a herd of 1,500 cattle—plus all the horses necessary to take care of them. Eight to 12 guests per week are invited to join in on the family’s ranch work. The Voldseth family has owned the ranch since 1877, and the current owners are direct descendants.

Riding requirements: Because the challenging terrain around the ranch requires riders to have genuine know-how, this ranch accepts only intermediate-level and above riders.

“Good riders like to ride with other good riders,” says owner June Voldseth. She adds that many of the ranch’s guests are horse owners.

Riders must be able to canter outside an arena to help gather and move cattle. Most rides offer some fast-paced riding, but speed can be limited due to the mountainous terrain.