The western States of America and Provinces of Canada are blessed with some of finest countryside in the world and amongst the mountains, river valleys and high desserts are many ranches that take in guests. The ranchers may be second or third generation owners who have been brought up with the concept of hospitality and horse riding, the backbone of all good western riding vacations. In addition, more owners are now from the corporate world but who just love guest ranching.

There can be few of us who were not raised on westerns on the TV, Bonanza or The High Chaparral, for example. Western films have become part of our way of life and even the likes of City Slickers never fails to encourage folk to mount up and head for the hills. Today’s cowboys are still dreaming of time out under the stars, coyotes howling and crickets chirping in the night.

With so many properties to choose from, the question of where and when to visit a ranch can be mind boggling
Websites will give you the very best of what’s on offer but may only provide the information the ranches want to supply. You should also want to be sure your holiday package is financially protected. Airline industrial action, unexpected volcanic activity can easily ruin your trip. In the UK, booking through a bonded Tour Operator will provide the cover you need.

Booking a ranch holiday direct with the supplier does not offer the same peace of mind. A Tour Operator will almost certainly have visited the ranch and be able to put together a complete tailor-made package - ask them if they have been to the ranch when you call for a quote. The good news is that you do not pay any more for this service, you may even pay less than the cost shown on the website.

There are four main categories of ranch type :
The Working Ranch
The Working ranch is basically a farm, they rear stock and crops in the same seasons as we do here in the UK. In North America though, almost all stock maintenance is done on horseback. Cattle moving is usually in May or June into summer grazing, September is when they collect them up and return them to nearer he ranch for the winter. Branding is also a springtime activity. Some ranches offer camping out on the trail cattle drives to move herds from one place to another, others run a series of horse drives moving 25 to 30 head over sixty miles of mountainous terrain, also camping out for 3 nights out of the 6 spent at the ranch. You would need to be an experienced rider to get the best out of these types of ranch and, generally, not be looking for high class accommodation.

The Guest Ranch
Guest Ranches are primarily for learning or improving your western riding techniques. Accommodation will be a step up from a basic Working Ranch as will the quality of the food. These properties are almost always located in amazing places, some close to National Parks, others surrounded by towering mountain ranges. There may also be a number of alternatives activities on offer for when the riding is over, fishing in the northern States is a popular pastimes as are hiking, biking and possibly skeet shooting. Relaxation is the name of the game. Quite a few Guest Ranches may also have a cattle herd that will periodically need attention and so, amongst the summer weeks will be cattle weeks when guests are invited to bring the herd in off the mountain. It’s what you might call a Working Guest Ranch. Your riding experience can be as varied as the programme offered by the ranch and lessons are very often part of the weeks stay. Natural horsemanship is a popular form of learning for many embarking on western riding for the first time.

The Dude Ranch
The Dude Ranch is possibly the type of ranch most people associate with a ranch stay. Location and fine accommodation will play a large part in which ranch you should visit. These ranches are usually larger than the other properties, better quality cabins, meals and a more family orientated programme are offered. A greater number of Wranglers allows them to provide a more varied riding programme whatever your riding ability. Families usually means kids so there will be Kiddy Wranglers there to keep the youngsters entertained while Mum & Dad relax. Expect to find swimming pools, tennis courts, hot tubs and possible Spa treatments at a Dude ranch. In Colorado you will find a greater number of Dude Ranches than in any other State due to the city of Denver. Whether you live in Europe or on the eastern US seaboard, Colorado is an easy place to get to for couples or families. By the end of August and in early September, many ranches offer an Adults Only programme. But don’t discount those Dude ranches in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon or Idaho, you may just have to change planes somewhere along the way as there are fewer direct flights into this area.

The Resort Ranch
The Resort Ranch is the very best of the Dude ranches. It may be an Orvis Registered location for the keenest fishermen, it will have top class cabins or casitas plus all the other facilities offered by a Dude ranch. Almost all have a liquor licence but you can find that the fine food and wine makes the riding programme secondary to the hospitality.

Pack Trips
Alternative programmes available are Pack Trips. Canada has a number of excellent Outfitters who can offer a variety of trips. All go into wilderness areas, very often only accessible on horseback. Some are to ready- made camps up in the mountain, others will move to three or four camps during the stay. In Alberta’s Kananaskis Country, both single camps and moving camp trips are offered but on both, all your equipment, food and baggage goes on the string of horses behind you. Banff and the Chilcotin region of British Columbia have similar trips, Montana is the place to go in the USA.

So when are you able to travel?
Ranching holidays may be taken any time of the year.
Autumn/Winter Trips: The period between October and May is best for the southern States of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, summertime temperatures can be over 100F in Arizona. A winter trip to a ranch can generally save you money on the airfare portion and the ranches will be offering similar activities to those offered by the northern ranches in summer.
Spring/Summer Trips: Summer time in North America happens at the same time as ours in the UK so the likes of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Oregon are best seen from the end of May to late September. Sadly this can mean paying summer airfares but, with careful planning, there are ways to reduce charges.

The Cost
A criticism leveled at a ranch holiday is the cost which, given you have to fly there first and buy the week’s package, can certainly add up. In terms of value for money though, it’s hard to beat. Western riding lessons in the UK cost about £45 an hour. If you were to ride for four hours a day, five days out of the seven you are at the ranch, the riding alone would cost £940.00 at these prices. Remember the ranch stay will also include accommodation, three meals a day and all the included ranch activities. A Tour operator will also build in local taxes and ranch gratuities so you don’t have to worry if you owe anyone a tip. Transfers can also be arranged from a nearby town.

Probably one of the most used words applied to a ranch vacation is “fun”, these holidays are so different from what we are used to, they are simply fun holidays ! Providing you pick the right ranch for your requirements, they offer a tradition not to be found elsewhere.