Horseback trail ride USA : MONTANA RANCH EQUESTRIAN HOLIDAYS

HORSE RIDING HOLIDAY USA - MONTANA
INDICATIVE ITINERARY *

We usually have cattle work happening May, June, September, and October Only. This happens when the cattle need to be worked (ie. gathered, sorted, branded, and cattle drives to new grazing, etc.) and guests are encouraged to get involved. For the safety of both the guests and the horses, this activity is very much weather dependent and is totally at the discretion of the ranch.
Rides usually start around 9 AM and return to the ranch at about 3 PM.

Day 1 (Sunday): Arrival. After arriving at ranch between 1:00pm and 3:00pm, we have the ranch orientation meeting and sign riding liability forms. We have a horse safety talk and saddles will be fitted for each of our guests. Tonight we visit one of our local western bars. A set supper menu is provided by the ranch (around 6pm) and guests can enjoy buying local beer and other alcoholic drinks at the bar. This is also our night where our wranglers challenge our guests to a game of pool and play western music. 

Day 2 (Monday): First Full Day Ride. After breakfast we will select a suitable mount for our guests and have a day ride, enjoying a packed lunch with the horses and scenery. Roping lessons take place before supper at the ranch. Please ask if you would like to try this activity.

Day 3 (Tuesday): Ride in Pryor Mountains. After breakfast, we saddle our horses and trailer them to the Pryor Mountains for an all-day ride to our overnight camp. Our guests have a bathroom with hot shower to use if they would like to after the days ride. We sleep in shared tented accommodations or out under the stars if you prefer. We supply guests with sleeping bags and sleeping pads. Supper is served round the campfire and our wranglers love to cook up s’mores and tell campfire stories after dinner ! The camp night is offered on certain weeks if the climatic conditions allow it.

Day 4 (Wednesday): Cattle Work. We wake up to the wonderful views of the Pryor mountains and the smell of cowboy coffee! Another fantastic day of riding in the Pryor’s whether it’s moving, checking cattle, or watching out for the local wildlife! We will arrival back at the ranch in late afternoon. On our way home we may stop at Chief Plenty Coops Museum.

Day 5 (Thursday): Ride to Indian Pictographs and Weatherman draw
After breakfast we head out on another day ride in a different area, this time to cottonwood to see the Indian Pictographs and the famous Weatherman draw. After an early supper we head off to Bear Creek, home to the Bear Creek Saloon Pig Races. These unique races feature pigs racing the track starting at 7:00pm. Our guests have the opportunity to visit this unique entertainment once weekly on Thursday night—it’s a whole lot of fun!

Day 6 (Friday ): Riding Games & Sightseeing. After Breakfast we have fun and games in the arena: the weekly challenge of barrel racing, pole bending, and who can pen the steers the fastest! After a quick lunch at the ranch, we set off for shopping and sightseeing in Cody.*
In the summer months we also visit the famous Cody Nite Rodeo from the 1st of June through 31st of August. We usually depart from the ranch mid-afternoon and return after the rodeo around 11:30pm. Located at Stampede Park in Cody, this is fun entertainment for the whole family. Offering the full range of rodeo events, bareback, saddle bronc, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and of course the fan favorite of bull riding. For the kids, there is also the calf scramble, which is one of the highlights of the night. Doors open at 7:00pm with the rodeo starting at 8:00pm. Rodeo tickets are $20.00 per person.
Another option on our Cody excursion is to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum, which has 5 museums under one roof. The Buffalo Bill Museum celebrates the life and legend of Buffalo Bill himself. The Whitney Gallery of Western Art displays art from the western lifestyle. The Native American culture, art, and heritage are all celebrated in the Plains Indian Museum. The last two areas of the museum are the Cody Firearms Museum and the Draper Museum of Natural History, which displays the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and their interactions with humans and nature.
We can also make dinner reservations at the World Famous Historic Buffalo Bill Cody’s Irma Hotel at our guest’s request. Irma’s Buffalo Bill Cody Restaurant and Saloon is home to cowboys and cowgirls wanting a great meal with great atmosphere. Offering their famous roast beef or a full buffet dinner, the Irma is a stop well worth it. If you’re not interested in eating, slide into the Silver Saddle Saloon and have a drink while enjoying the ambience. If it’s action you want, enjoy the gunfight that takes place outside the front of the Irma at 6:00pm. This is a stop you won’t regret!
*Please note that May, September, and October we take our guests to the Historic Custer Battlefield and Museum instead of Cody.

Day 7 (Saturday): Departure. Depart after breakfast.

* The timing of all rides may vary depending on weather conditions and temperatures and may depart either with an early morning start or later in the evening when the temperatures are more suitable for the safety of our guests and horses. We also need to make aware that it is the ranch owner’s decision when to make changes to a ride. If ground conditions are dangerous for the guests and horses, rides may be canceled. 

May - June:
Riding on the Open range, check the cattle on the pastures and help doing some branding and gathering of cattle but this activity is dependent on weather permitting – we cannot brand or gather in wet weather please be aware of this.

June - August:
Cody Nite rodeo starts June 1st through the end of August. Our guests get the opportunity to go once a week to see the rodeo or explore the historic town of Cody- founded by the famous Buffalo Bill!
We also have 100,000 acres of various landscapes to ride in both mountain and high desert trial rides. The home ranch is approximately 400 acres so we will be trailering guests and horses to some of our riding areas. In addition to everyday ranching activities, we also offer our guests the opportunity of participating in weekly horseback activities such as team penning, sorting, barrel racing, and poles. Our wranglers will also be happy to teach you how to rope our roping dummies. Every week in the summer month’s our guests will help gather in the roping steers from the pastures, sort, and check them. Later in the day the wranglers will team rope the steers.

June - September:
We also have a weekly mountain one night overnight camp trip – weather permitting.
The timing of all rides may vary depending on weather conditions and temperatures and may depart either with an early morning start or later in the evening when temperatures are more suitable for the safety of our guests and horses. We also need to make our guests aware that it is the ranch owner’s decision when to make changes to a ride and if ground conditions are dangerous for the guests and horses, ride may be cancelled and other ranch activities will be offered instead if possible.

September:
Is usually a great month to see more wildlife during our beautiful fall rides and can be cooler than our summer months. We will also start to gather cattle from the mountain pastures from Mid-September.

October:
We will be gathering cattle in mountain terrain, as well as doing some daily rides in the high desert. The Nile Stock Show, pro rodeo, and horse sale is in October. We will be attending the evening Ranch rodeo and will also go to the rodeo later in the week. We will leave mid-morning to attend the horse sale and other Nile events and horse clinics. The VIP dinner before the Rodeo in the early evening is optional for guests. This takes place in the early evening and is followed by the by the rodeo itself.