This small family run working ranch with four generations living on the ranch. The ranch usually runs at least 600-800 cattle through the summer. The livestock roams in more than 6,000 acres alongside a variety of local wildlife in picturesque surroundings varying from pine covered hills covered to grass prairies, creeks and lakes with surrounding meadows. The ranch is run along holistic principles with most of the food raised and grown onsite, natural pest control methods and Parelli methods of horsemanship.
A maximum of 8 guests (usually less) are welcomed in season (May to October). The ranch is better suited to riders with some experience although beginners can also be accommodated. Guests join in with the working routine of the ranch which includes activities like: cattle roundups, roping, branding, putting out salt licks, checking fences, bringing the horses into the corrals, helping the neighbours with cattle work or simply hanging out at the local saloon in town. There is a comfortable guest lodge with 4 bedroms, bathrooms and hot tub on the porch.
There is a very relaxed atmosphere and no strict routine and guests can do as much or as little riding as they want. Your hosts are extremely welcoming and are pleased to take you to local events such as rodeos, nearby ranches or shopping.
HORSES & RIDING
There are 26 horses for guests. The horses vary from quarter horses to paints, apaloosas and some palomino/pinto horses. The all have "cow sense" and are well used to cattle work. Some are more forward going and there are a fwe school masters, all are very easy to ride. Rider are encouraged to help with catching, grooming & saddling but this is not a prerequisite if you'd rather have a lazy time!
Western riding is easy and if you've never done it before you'll be given some help in getting started. Riding is every day if the weather allows (rain or snow is not a problem but thunderstorms or hail might be). Depending on the work, there can be two half-day rides or one longer ride. Some involve cattle work, some other ranch work like fencing, some are trail rides. There are also horse training sessions in the open arena if riders are interested. There may be days where you go to a rodeo or a horse sale or a branding … or perhaps you want to go shopping. But 6 out of 7 days there is riding. You don’t have to join every ride but will probably want to! It’s not at all head to tail riding. We usually leave after breakfast (7.30 am). Supper is at 7.00 pm. This is a working cattle ranch so there are no set schedules.
ACCOMMODATION
There is a comfortable guest lodge with 4 rooms and 3 bathrooms. The style is western, simpel and homely.A furnace and a wood stove provide warmth on cooler days or on hot days, the central air conditioning can be turned on. An open plan living/dining kithcen area is wehre the social life happens. After returning from riding guests can sit on the balcony with a view of the Missouri Buttes, play a round of pool or relax in the hot tub under stars.
FOOD
The meals are homemade and plentiful to set you up for a full days activities. They are usually prepared in the lodge kitchen or sometimes picnics en route on full days out. A full homemade breakfast and supper are served and - if we don't eat out on the trail - a lighter lunch. Snacks and drinks are available for everyone at all times. The ranch rears it's own own cattle, lambs, goats, geese and ducks for the table ... and hopefully will produce pork and chicken soon. Game is shot on the ranch, trout caught in the lake (if they bite). The chickens have just started to lay eggs. And for 2010 the plan is to buy a dairy cow. A vegetable garden supplies the ranch with tomatoes, lettuce, squash etc.
Only fruit trees don't do too well in this arid altitude.
A typical breakfast: juice, milk, coffee, tea, cocoa, fried eggs (from our own chicken), pancakes, bacon or French toast, sausages and scrambled eggs, always fruit and plain toast with jams, honey etc. and always cereal available
A typical lunch: Sandwich lunches (with fruit, granola bars, chips etc. and drinks) on the ride or soups, stews, salads, burgers etc. on the ranch (altogether lighter than supper), drinks as mentioned above
A typical supper: meat (beef from the ranch, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb from the ranch, sometimes fish (have a trout pond), with vegetables, bread, salads and potatoes/rice/noodles etc. and dessert, drinks. Drinks like lemonade, coffee, tea, juice, milk etc. are included. Canned drinks (Coke etc.) and alcoholic drinks are not included. Guests are welcome to bring them along and a shopping stop is made en route from airport to the ranch.
Snacks like cookies, granola bars, chips, fruit always available. Vegetarians can be accommodated although vegans cannot. Once a week there is a a cook-out at our own lake with live Western music. There are also boats. And guests can go swimming.
CATTLE WORK There is a lot of activity during the season: The cattle are moved to fresh pastures regularly and then pastures must be rechecked to gather cattle missed in the first roundup. Water holes, sick cattle, mavericks and fence are all checked daily.
May and June is branding season. The ranchers rope, mark and vaccinate the newborn calves. Brandings are a social event that makes a hard job a sporting event. The neighbors gather to help each other and appreciate any help they can get in return.
In July-August the cattle are still moved pasture regularly and it is rodeo season! There are many in the neighbourhood and these are an unmissable social event.
In September - October the roundup season starts in earnest with cattle needing to be gathered on a daily basis for shipping, a very busy time and good for experienced and fit riders.
On other days a neighboring ranch may have projects going. They are one of the biggest cattle outfits in Crook County and run 4500 to 6000 feeder cattle every year. The herds are moved regularly to new pastures and every cowboy is welcome to ride the country!
OTHER INFORMATION The ranch is set on the site of an old ghost town which are gradually being restored. The old houses were built out of rough wood planks and most of them went to ruin with time and weather. Now some of the restored buildings are being used for barns, shops, stables, and tack rooms. The guest lodging is an early built western style log house with a large balcony. Most of the other ranch buildings date back to the days when the homesteaders first arrived in this country.
The ranch is 18 miles from Hulett, Wyoming, near Devils Tower, the first National Monument in the Unites States.
The landscape converts from high plateau meadows, to timbered canyons and creek bottoms, and then flows out to the sagebrush prairie, all of which account for the wide variety of wildlife. Part of the ranch is used for growing hay but most of the country is too rough for farming. 600 to 800 cattle graze the pastures during the summer and keep the cowboys busy.
There is no internet access and only 2 TV channels in the lodge. Currently there is no cell phone reception at the ranch. You are there to relax !
Aside from horses and cattle - the reason the ranch exists - there are lots of other animals on the ranch: dogs, cats, sheep, goats, buffalos "Daisy" and "Junior" as well as ducks and geese. And of course wild animals like deer, antelope, bob cats, porcupines, skunks, raccoons, prairie dogs, turkeys, eagles, beavers, coyotes, snakes, mountain lions and so on.
Please note that all our ranch prices are fully inclusive of taxes, charges and gratuities. Extras commonly charged locally at ranches, and which we include in our prices are: state taxes (2-8%), local town taxes (1-5%), accommodation tax ($1-5/night) and gratuities (12-15% is commonly expected as the staff are paid largely via tips). Our prices include all of the above and are guaranteed not to be affected by currency fluctuations once booked.
The weight limit for this ride is 16 st/220 lb/100 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
All accommodation, food and drinks (but not alcoholic drinks), all riding and other ranch activities and 10% tip included.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Transfers, canned and alcoholic drinks (these can be purchased at a shop en route to the ranch), entry fees for rodeos etc., meals outside the ranch (on sight seeing tours).
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We have an extensive range of Western Riding holidays across the world. Please click on the link below to go to our listings page:
What you see on our web site is exactly how much your invoice will come to and this will not change once booked. Unlike some other companies the prices on our web site are fully inclusive of often hidden extras such as: VAT, Sales Tax, state taxes, city taxes, service charges, non-optional tips, fuel surcharges which can add 20% or more to the advertised cost. Prices are available in £ sterling, Euros and US$. Once invoiced, prices are guaranteed against adverse currency fluctuations. Contact us for package prices which include flights from the UK and see each ride for exact details of all items in individual itineraries.
17, Acorn Centre, Chestnut Avenue, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 ORA, England
Tel: +44 (0)1767 600606 Fax: +44 (0)1767 312555
Office hours 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday
Email: enquiries@unicorntrails.com http://www.unicorntrails.com
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