If you love to horseback ride - or if you have always wanted to
learn, you'll love our ranch!
Our horse program will exhilarate riders of every ability. We
walk, trot, and canter across tens of thousands of acres of Colorado's
spectacular Rocky Mountains. You will fall in love with the variety of terrain at your
disposal - beautiful vistas, interesting geologic formations, open parks,
wooded areas, and abundant wildlife.
Experienced
wranglers accompany small groups of riders to provide the personal attention and
instruction necessary to ensure that you enjoy your days in the saddle.
Morning rides leave the ranch at nine and return for lunch.
Afternoon rides leave by one-thirty and return about five.
Adventuresome
riders can take a pack lunch and spend the whole day exploring the sage
plains, the aspen topped ridges, or the dark timber of the Roosevelt National
Forest.
Special brunch or lunch rides,
team penning, and instructional rides are
scheduled each week.
Because we're not limited to
trails, much of our time is spent riding side by side.
"Wow! That's the only way to describe the views, the
horses, the food, and the staff. We had a great family
vacation."
The Laramie River valley is home to cattle and bison ranches. Our
neighbor's buffalo can be seen in the background of this photo.
The valley
is also home to a wide variety of wildlife including antelope, elk, moose,
eagles, and coyotes that you'll often see while horseback.
Kids six and over are provided with a complete riding program.
In addition to spending lots of time in the saddle, kids and adults will
have the
opportunity to learn the parts of a horse, learn about tack, and learn
to groom and saddle. Real horse enthusiasts can get up early and head for the barn
with our wranglers to saddle their own horse.
Children under the age of six enjoy pony rides in
the corral and around the ranch. It's a great way for young riders to learn about
horses and develop confidence.
"It was awesome! Every day we rode our horses - saw scenery we
thought could never be topped and every day we finished our ride and said
'That was the best ride ever!'."
The Program :
Orientation
Your first full day at the ranch will begin with an orientation.
You'll hear about horses and their natural instincts. And we'll demonstrate the basic skills you'll need to know.
With a large string of fine riding horses, we will find a horse that is
just right for you and your level of ability.
Each guest is assigned a horse for the duration of their stay.
"We adored our horses! - Flax and Dusty, we love you!"
Horseback Riding Instruction
Before leaving for your first ride, we ask all guests to demonstrate
their horseback riding skills in our arena. As you ride we look to see
that your tack is properly fitted and that you are safe and comfortable with
your horse before heading out the gate.
Experienced riders will be on the trail following a short orientation. New
riders, or those who desire a refresher course, can stay in the arena a little longer
for additional instruction.
Beginning, intermediate, and advanced instructional
rides are scheduled during the week so you can work on your
riding.
These rides begin in our arena where we practice
specific skills; learning to post while trotting, for example, and
then progress to the trail where you can practice some more.
The goal of our orientation and instructional rides is to make
sure that our guests have the safest and most enjoyable vacation possible.
Team Penning
Team penning is all the rage in the West. It's a simple game in
which riders sort and move cattle in a timed competition.
Twice a week our guests gather our small herd of steers from their
pasture and bring them back to the ranch for team penning.
Once in the corrals, you'll learn to separate (or "cut")
selected steers out of the fifteen or so in our herd.
It's your job to move these steers to the other end of the arena and into a pen before they can escape back to their buddies.
What makes this so much fun is that the steers often do not cooperate!
Cookouts
For the all-day cookout ride guests can choose between a
long ride through the Roosevelt National Forest and a shorter more
direct route along LaGarde Creek.
Non-riders and kids who were back at the ranch
participating in our children's program are driven to the
picnic site.
You'll be greeted with ice cold lemonade and iced tea, lunch
from the grill including vegetarian options, and goodies sent by our baker.
After lunch you can pull off your boots and refresh your feet with a dip in the cold
waters of nearby LaGarde creek. Or you can just kick back and
reflect on your week's adventures.
For the return to the ranch, you will have
several rides to choose from.
"This stay at your ranch has been not just a relaxing
retreat from my regular life, but a truly enriching and expanding
experience. Something I will always treasure! I was
completely comfortable with all the accommodations, relaxed with
everyone's warmth, exhilarated by the riding experiences."
Overnight
Overnight pack trips are lots of fun! It's the only
activity for which there is an extra charge. Space is limited to seven
guests, so it's
best to let us know when you reserve if you want to schedule a night under the stars.
We require a minimum of five overnighters to run this event.
In addition to 1300+ deeded acres which make up the
Laramie River Dude Ranch, our operation is conducted on public lands under special permit from
the U.S. Bureau of Land management and the U.S. Forest Service.
Come and experience the Colorado Rockies as they once were - beautiful views, wildlife, and
dark night skies filled with stars.
