Horseback Riding
Saddle up for some good ol’ fashioned fun as you ride along the ridges and valleys of this fifth-generation Idaho dude and guest ranch, rich in history and beauty. Your hosts have proudly maintained and preserved their ranch land in the beautiful foothills of the Cabinet Mountains. Ride through grazing cattle or sneak a peek at deer, bear, and other wildlife in their native surroundings. Watch a Red-tailed Hawk soar overhead and listen to the song of the birds welcoming you to a new day.
Riding on the All Inclusive Guest Ranch Package
In the summer, horseback riding is the main activity on the ranch. The horseback riding program includes morning and afternoon rides, a day ride to Grouse Creek Falls for swimming, a dinner ride, lessons in the arena, moving cattle, and arena games. Our 70′ by 150′ indoor arena means even if it’s raining, we will have horseback activities available. Trail rides feature views of Lake Pend Oreille, the Cabinet and the Selkirk Mountains, and wildlife with terrain varying from mountain trails to meadows, valleys, and vistas.
Can I Ride a Horse?
Please consider these requirements before participating in horseback riding:
Horseback riding is an enjoyable and rewarding activity, but it also requires a certain level of physical and mental ability for the safety of both the rider and the horse. It requires that you have good core strength, 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. We use mounting blocks to assist you and the horse in mounting, but riders must be able to mount the horse with little or no assistance from the wranglers. As a rider, you must be able to understand verbal commands and must be capable of understanding, retaining, and obeying verbal instructions.
There is a weight limit for riding, however height to weight consideration is also a factor in whether it is advisable and/or safe for the horse for a participant to ride. Riders should have an appropriate height-to-weight ratio to maintain balance and stability on the horse. Excessive weight or height imbalances can strain the horse’s back and legs, potentially leading to discomfort or injury to the horse.
We require long pants and a cowboy boot or sturdy tennis shoes for riding. We have boots available for you to borrow if you do not have appropriate footwear. If you wear a cowboy hat while riding, it needs stampede strings to keep it on your head. This list is not complete and any participants with medical conditions should consult with their own MD and us before riding.
Some ways to help decide if you are physically able to participate in horseback riding are:
- Can you ride a bike?
- Can you climb stairs with relative ease?
- Can you stand in an athletic position, i.e. perform a small squat?
- Can you balance on one foot?
Our Wranglers Are Certified in Horse Safety
Every one of our wranglers is certified through the Horse Safety Program of the Dude Ranch Foundation, a nonprofit that helps dude ranches keep their guests and horses safe on the trail. Wranglers come to the program’s Wrangler Training Course already certified in First Aid and CPR, and spend the day on ranch emergency procedures, safe horse handling, ride management, back-country riding, and handling an accident on the trail or at the barn.
Roley is a certified instructor for the program and teaches the Wrangler Training Course right here at the ranch. The wranglers leading your ride learned their safety training from the same man who, with his son Isaac, starts nearly every horse in the ranch herd.
