Your Horse riding vacation at our guest Ranch is choreographed to match your riding skill with the horse and the trail.  Group sizes typically limit at 6-8 riders with a maximum staff ratio of 6 horse riders to 1 wrangler.   After check-in we will meet you at the round-pen for a riding orientation and quick analysis of your riding prowess. With clearance from our wrangling staff, more advanced horse riders will ride more challenging trail sections, crossing creeks, ancient mining flumes and other trail obstacles.

  Opportunities for novice horse riders and younger riders include round-pen and arena horse riding instruction, easier trail sections, and level ranch perimeter trail rides that are shorter and closer to our ranch base.  Novice riders will find the Western Riding style to be user friendly, while experienced English riders will find the application of their existing horsemanship skills in a new setting to be rewarding. Our equestrian program is based on stock that is bred and trained by our staff and family so that we know intimately the personalities and traits of our horses. Here are some of the horses in the dude string that you will meet on your trail riding holiday.

We keep our best stock available for our 6 day packaged itinerary and limit our wilderness pack trips to three day events spanning the Saturdays-Mondays between ranch packages, or as part of specially scheduled events.  Overnight wilderness pack trips allow you access to alpine lakes for dramatic float-tube fishing and unparalleled photography and wild-life viewing.  Horse back trail riding on a wilderness pack trip will also give you a taste of the century old Salmon River Pack system that allowed our forefathers to access the spectacular and dramatic Marble Mountain Wilderness terrain.

As schedules permit, we can also provide a stand-alone “drop camp” wilderness pack service to destinations on the Western side of the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

The minimum charge for a drop camp is $500 and includes a packer with horse and up to three other horses to ride or pack. A fourth or fifth horse is an additional $100 each. With the sixth horse and beyond, there is an additional charge of $175/day to cover the cost of an assistant wrangler. Each horse can carry about 140 pounds dead weight or 240 pounds live weight maximum. The maximum trail distance for single date rates is 10 trail miles.  Longer rides will incur partial or additional full day charges.

 

 

Horseback riding on mountain trails requires participants with proper attire and some minimum physical conditioning.

Please come dressed with long pants, sturdy shoes or boots, a hat and no large or expensive jewelry.  We encourage all riders to wear a hard hat. We allow adults to choose the option of wearing a hard hat, but require all minors under 18 years to wear an equestrian helmet.  Sorry, riders must weigh less than 240 pounds and be able to get on and off their horse unassisted.  Safety is our prime directive in guiding you and your family to an enjoyable and safe equestrian vacation.