Dude, Where's My Horse? Pack your sense of adventure and head West for Dude Ranch experiences unlike anything else. By Dina Mishev
Little dudes on the ranch
I am expecting a beast ready for the glue factory. Let me restate: I am hoping for a beast ready for the glue factory. Saber, a fit and feisty seven-year old gelding, is most definitely not that however. He is most definitely beautiful though. And most definitely a good teacher. At least that's what the head wrangler tells me when matching me with him the day of my arrival at a dude ranch tucked into the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. On my pre-arrival questionnaire, I did not hesitate on the question about my riding ability: "None," I wrote in enormous block capitals.
"None" isn't the actual, exact, total truth, but I reasoned the ranch didn't need to know about an Icelandic "pony" (yeah, right: "pony" my bruised bottom) tossing me onto Iceland's scratchy lava fields a mere 15 feet out of the corral two years prior. Or the time a friend and I rented horses – unguided – for two hours but were back at the stables in one because our horses had tired of us and neither of us knew how to prevent them from turning around and heading home when they decided to. Or the time I spent the entirety of my half-day ride astride a horse while it munched, nearly unmoving with the exception of its mouth and neck, on tasty grass in a meadow just out of site of the barn because I didn't have the heart to kick it and tug up on the reins. I guess the actual, exact, total truth would be that horses intimidated me a little – all right, a lot. I loved The Black Stallion and had dreams of riding bareback through a field of wildflowers and of rounding up a herd of cattle like any red-blooded (and romantic) American kid, but without a proper introduction to horses, the reality of my interactions with them is less than stellar. I come to a Wyoming dude ranch to get that proper introduction. And Saber, evidently, is going to be the horse to do it.
Six days – and much blood, sweat and tears – later, Saber has done it. The wrangler is right. Saber is a
A place to hang your saddle
great teacher. As are the ranches' riding instructors and even my fellow dudes. Most already have riding experience and I learn from watching them. Imagine this: horses don't break if you kick them or pull on the reins. I conquer my fears and ride, albeit not bareback, through open meadows in the mountains around the ranch. I help herd cattle. I even ride Saber across a raging whitewater river, er, creek, er, dribble. And it's all better than anything I had dreamed about. Better even than anything in The Black Stallion. But the riding turns out to be only part of each day. I also try my eye at trap shooting, take in a rodeo in town, eat more and better food than I have in quite some time, and learn how to identify some animal tracks.
Whatever level of rider you are or the kind of dude ranch experience you're looking for – bare bones to luxury – Wyoming has it. Here are four very different ranches scattered throughout the state for you to try.
Ranch at Ucross: Horses, golf and tennis, oh my! If you want your riding, but golf too, this is the dude ranch. Nestled in the foothills of the Big Horns 27 miles southeast of Sheridan and 18 miles northwest of Buffalo, Ranch at Ucross accommodates 100 guests at a time in a variety of lodgings – everything from cozy cabins to a hunting lodge perfect for larger groups. Horseback ride through sage-covered hills, catch a big brown or rainbow trout in Piney Creek or in one of the ranch's stocked ponds, relax by the heated pool, play a game of tennis or horseshoes, or golf at one of three nearby courses.
Gros Ventre River Ranch: Nestled between the cowboy cosmopolitan town of Jackson and Grand Teton National Park, Gros Ventre River Ranch combines the best of the two with a riding-centered program. You get one horse for the duration of your stay and, together, the two of you explore the Gros Ventre Mountains, which look out on the Tetons, to your heart's content. Enjoy family-style meals in the ranch's dining room or one of the adjoining decks.
On the trail
Pre-meal, order a cocktail or appetizer in the bar, lounge on the front porch in a rawhide rocker, or sit in front of the river-rock fireplace. In addition to the dining room, the main lodge also has a library and a kid-friendly rec room complete with pool table, board games, VCR and easy access to an outdoor fire pit. Need a break from ranch life? Take a night off and head into Jackson for the rodeo.
Bitterroot Dude Ranch: At the foot of the largest and highest mountain range in the state (that's the Wind River Range for those a little sketchy on their Wyoming geology), the Bitterroot Dude Ranch has horses that can actually tear your attention away from the scenery (you'll see this is no small task as soon as you set eyes on these mountains). Bitterroot horses are all Arabian and many have been raised and trained on the ranch. Trail rides are always available, but because the Bitterroot is a working cattle operation and family farm, there are plenty of livestock-riding chores too – wrangling, cutting and roping, to name but a few. Horses and cattle not enough? There are also sheep, llamas, ducks, geese, chickens, peacocks, dogs and cats. Children are welcome and seem to love the lambs and foals.
Hideout at Flitner Ranch: When luxury outfitter Abercrombie & Kent sends clients to a dude ranch, you know it has to be a pretty special dude ranch. And there's no doubt Hideout at Flitner Ranch is. Not only does Hideout have all the ranch activities dudes expect, but also gourmet dining, cowboy chic cabins, and scattered luxury touches available when only 30 guests are allowed per week. But don't think pampering means prissy: throughout this ranch's 100-year history, many things have changed, but horses and cattle remain the heart and soul of the place. Today, 1,200 head of Black Angus mother cows and over 100 quarter horses follow the same trails up into the Big Horn Mountains that have been used by the Flitner family since they homesteaded the place a few generations ago. For those who don't want to work with the herd on the range, there are day trips to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, to the Red Gulch Dino Track Site, and, on premises, trap shooting, fly-fishing and hiking.
Nothing stokes a hearty appetite like an adventure-filled day in the great outdoors. Whether riding horseback along the Continental Divide or rafting the Snake River, Wyoming visitors often find they get hungrier here than they do at home. read more
Whether you're traveling to Wyoming by air, by car, by RV or on horseback, you can find the information for planning your travel here. read more
