Imagine Montana and we think of wild mountain ranges, open grassy plains and riverine forest. Most of us have seen western films with cowboys rounding up cattle and riding for hours through beautiful wilderness scenery. Many of these films, including the more recent Horse Whisperer were filmed in Montana and give us an insight into what riding in this amazing State are like.
There are many ranch holidays available in Montana. Some are working ranch holidays, where guests join wranglers to work with the cattle from horseback, roping and driving stock between pastures. Other holidays offer leisure trail riding or pack trips, and these are often known as ‘Dude’ ranches. Some homesteads combine both trail riding and cattle work all within a week’s ranch holiday.
The Rocky Mountains lie in Western Montana and this is where the best ranch stays are to be found. The best time to visit Montana is in the summer months between late May and September. July and early August can be quite hot although the weather is often changeable due to the mountains. The best time for cattle work is June and September.
For people who enjoy riding all day every day Bonanza Creek Ranch owned by the Voldseth family is a great ranch to stay at. This is an extremely popular ranch and runs trail rides into the mountains on well schooled and responsive quarter horses and mustangs. It is also a working cattle ranch and there is some cattle work to do on at least one day of the week during summer months.
For families and groups wanting a mix of riding, hiking, fishing and other activities Hidden Hollow Hideaway is another highly recommended ranch. Owned and run by Kelly Flynn this is another authentic working ranch and guests are encouraged to join working with the wranglers during their stay. With a very flexible itinerary this is also a wonderful ranch for children to visit. Have you watched the film the Horse Whisperer before or tried Parelli Natural Horsemanship? If so then Rocking Z Ranch is the play for you. They wranglers here are all Level II Parelli trained and most of the horses have been trained using these techniques.
If you have two weeks available for your holiday it is well worth spending a week at a ranch and then having a second week exploring either Yellowstone National Park or Glacier National Park. These offer stunning scenery and wildlife, not to mention the world famous Yellowstone thermal geysers.
Riding Holiday
Riding Holidays | Montana