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You will be on horseback in the
midst of the wide-open spaces of Wyoming, with
100-mile vistas stretching between the horizons.
Ride along the Continental Divide as it crosses the
Red Desert or into the Honeycombs badlands
wilderness of the Great Divide Basin. Find yourself
along the banks of the Sweetwater River as it winds
its way like a ribbon of refreshment through the
high, cool desert. This tall and uncut Country is
the home of the true western perspective, with
historic trails, rustlers' cabins, abandoned Pony
Express stations, gold mines, ghost towns and
ancient Native American campsites. Cowboys, cattle
and wild horses are still a part of this landscape,
much as they have been for over one hundred years.
The fences are few and far between, "civilization"
is a long way off and the freedom to ride is limited
only by your desire.
Here you can live out your Cowgirl dreams into the
Sweetwater Wilderness, as you hit a long trot with
trail guide Bobbi, to ride the wide-open spaces. The
week is very Horse-oriented, with lots of "saddle
time", no set daily schedule or regimen, and
horsemanship instruction throughout the week. And
though you are "roughing it" there are plenty of
amenities, such as a hot shower every day if you
want, and a touch of western class with hors' d'
oeuvres and cocktails before dinner. So go ahead and
give yourself permission to ride the open range like
a Cowgirl, you deserve it!
RTWY14
Rates include lodging, all meals,
5 riding days
7 days/ 6 nights $ 2,100
Non riders $1,100
2008 Dates:
Women only departures, except
mixed group departures
06/01-06/07
06/11-06/17 06/21-06/27
07/02-07/08 07/12-07/18
07/23-07/29
08/02-08/08 08/13-08/19
08/23-08/29
09/14-09/20
check availability
Meeting: Camp
Airport: Jackson Hole
Transfer: $135 return from Jackson
Tack:
Western
Horses:
Quarter mix
Pace: Moderate with trots and
fast canters,
5 to 8 hours / day
Level:
Intermediate
Age:
Min 16 years
Gratuity: 10% to pay locally
Note:
A 50% deposit is required.
Women Only
Every now and again, a woman needs to be free
from the responsibilities of caring for and meeting
the needs of others for awhile, to focus on her own
well-being and pursue some of her own dreams. Today,
women have the means and the time to make those
dreams become a reality and for the Cowgirl at
heart, there is nothing better for her soul than the
whisper of a summer wind on her skin and the unique
feel of a good saddle Horse under her, as he lopes
across the real prairies of Wyoming with other women
who share those same desires. What women really want
is to shed off the piled-up stress of daily life,
eat great food, enjoy a good drink, to engage with
other women in lots of laughter and to breathe deep
of fresh, desert air. Peace and quiet alone, and
sincere, quality time with friends both old and new
will help you gain a perspective that may have been
lost for awhile, as you ride stirrup to stirrup with
other Cowgirls of the sage.
Mixed Group Rides
We offer our active, open-range horseback riding
vacations for mixed groups of men and women,
couples, all men, or groups of friends/family who
all know each other. These select weeks are offered
periodically throughout the season. Trips can be
customized to some extent and as with the women-only
weeks, the rides are geared to physically fit,
active riders who are at an intermediate to
experienced skill level.
The Riding
This horseback adventure is not to be confused with
dull “nose to tail” trail rides. A lifetime of
outfitting experience has taught us that you will
appreciate riding gentle, energetic, savvy Quarter
Horses from the remuda and developing a common bond
with your clean-cut Cowboy wranglers. The rides are
safe and controlled, yet physically active. Where
practical, riders ride abreast and extended gaits
such as the lope are favored, when and where
appropriate.
The Camp
You will live out on the trail in a full-amenity,
vehicle-supported ,wilderness-style camp. Sleep out
under the stars or in a roomy, weather-proof canvas
tent. A thick foam pad under your bedroll, plus the
pure Wyoming air, promises you a good nights’ sleep.
Wash off the trail dust at the end of the days’
ride in a hot shower. The Cowboy kitchen is the
heart of the camp, where your camp cook uses Dutch
ovens over an open fire to serve you hearty,
western-style meals. Settle into your camp easy
chair, pour yourself a cup of steaming hot Cowboy
coffee and enjoy a varied menu with fresh meats,
crisp salads, homemade biscuits and breads, and, if
you still have room, desserts made from scratch. At
nightfall, take your favorite beverage and join the
crew around the campfire. Enjoy old-time and
contemporary Cowboy music and poetry, and maybe a
few good stories from your wranglers. Some of these
tales might even be true!
Day 1 Meeting in Jackson
Hole and transfer to camp.
All guests board the charter shuttle in Jackson at 8
AM, arriving in camp well before noon. The shuttle will arrive at one of the
true oasis campsites in the vast wilderness and
everyone will stow their gear into sleeping tents.
After lunch, you will be introduced to the
philosophy of natural horsemanship in a two-hour
orientation session. Your wrangler/ guide will
acquaint you with the western tack you will be
using, how the horses are to be handled, safety both
on the ground and in the saddle, and many other
horsemanship aspects that are designed to help
everyone have a safe and fun week around the horses.
A short orientation ride will follow the
instruction, for three to four hours.
Day 2 to 6
The schedule varies from day to day, but you can
plan on breakfast between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. each
morning, hitting the saddle by 9:00 and riding, with
short breaks, until lunchtime. We'll noon up
somewhere and have our saddle lunch, let the Horses
graze and rest for about an hour and then we'll
mount up and go again for a few more hours, with
short breaks through the afternoon. Arrival back in
camp is between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m., just in time for
cocktails! Depending on the days' ride and how many
miles the group wants to cover, you can expect to be
out on average about 5-6 hours and cover from 15-25
miles each day.
Day 7 Depart from Camp
Coffee at 6:00 am and breakfast at 7:00 am if you
are up and around. All guests board the charter
shuttle at 8 AM for the drive back to Jackson -
arriving just before noon. It’s been a
fun and exciting week of great riding and good
company! Arrival back in Jackson around 1 PM.
Wild Horse Heaven
This story of the wild horse mustang began in 1520,
when Cortez introduced sixteen Spanish Barb Horses
to the Americas. The descendents of these “1st
Horses” made their way north of the Rio Grande, by
way of Indian raids and trades, until some escaped
into the protective home of the Great Divide Basin
in Wyoming. This remote territory of sage and sand
perfectly suits the natural instincts of wild
horses. The mustang needs the wide-open spaces of
the unfenced Red Desert to thrive. It is a vast
landscape, bigger than Yellowstone National Park, of
short bunchgrass and secret waterholes. Here, the
mustangs have room to roam and run free, protected
from civilization by the barrier of the Continental
Divide.
Generally, from 20 to over 100 wild horses are
sighted every day, though much steady riding on your
part is required to do so. Five to eight hours in
the saddle at a brisk pace is typical each day. The
wilderness of the Great Divide Basin and observation
of the wild horses in these wide-open spaces is what
makes this adventure not only a vacation, but a rare
learning experience, and one of the few
opportunities left anywhere in the world to see and
photograph these magnificent animals up-close. |
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Ready to Ride?
These rides are an active,
faster-paced type of horseback adventure. There are
not many rides of this type available in the United
States and while there are probably several reasons
for this, one of the main ones is the fact that
participants on these trips really need to be in
better than average physical condition. Nearly all
other guest ranch, trail ride and pack trip
companies only allow riding at the walk, which can
be done for short periods of time if the rider is
not in the best physical condition, but is extremely
difficult and even dangerous on a more active type
ride. In fact, many guest ranches and pack outfits
have had to start using more draft-type horses in
their riding programs to accommodate their
customers, who are bigger and heavier than ever
before.
Horseback riding is a physical
activity in and of itself, even at a slow walk. It
requires that you have control of your upper body,
good strength in your legs and the ability to
control the movement of your body while you are on
the horse. If you don't have control of your body up
there, you are at risk for coming off the horse or
at the very least, injuring the horse by rocking
around on his back or pounding on him at a trot.
Horses don't like pain any more than we do and they
will respond to protect themselves if they are being
hurt.
Your body proportions play a big
role in how you sit a horse as well. It is very
difficult for an overweight person that carries that
weight in the top part of their torso to ride
properly at any gait, particularly if you are
short-legged too; the effect is that of a top-heavy
load that is precariously perched up high that rocks
and pounds right on top of a horse's back, causing
pain and usually injury to the spine, shoulders,
hips and legs of the horse. Generally, women should
weigh no more than 150 pounds if you are 5'5" or
less in height, relative to your overall physical
condition, stamina, body type, etc. Taller women
have a little bit more leeway, but only related to
proportions of your body type, up to about 175
pounds. Men should not be over 175 pounds if you are
5'7" or less in height and no more than 230 pounds
if you are taller, again in relation to your overall
physical fitness level and body proportions.
The other issue that plays into
the physical fitness requirements is one of
fairness. Because these rides are advertised and
sold as active, faster-paced adventures, the
majority of our customers meet the physical
requirements to safely and successfully enjoy the
week. Persons who are not physically capable of
keeping up and riding correctly because of their
physical condition hold the rest of the group back
and cause major logistical adjustments in the field
for our staff than can negatively affect the entire
group. In other words, it's not fair to everyone
else on the ride if someone has overexposed
themselves physically and the rides are compromised
for the rest of the guests.
For this ride, it is imperative
that as a rider, you honestly assess your physical
capabilities before you book a trip. These rides are
designed to offer physically fit riders the
opportunity to ride at faster gaits across wide-open
country. If you are not in the type of physical
condition to correctly and safely participate in
this type of riding, you would be better served to
book a trip that can accommodate your needs. Or,
lose the weight, build your body up, start riding
regularly and join us the next year in the wide-open
spaces! Don't hesitate to call and talk to us about
your physical condition, we'll be happy to help you
assess your skills and ability to enjoy this ride
safely and successfully.
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