Ranch adventure horseback riding, Canada
| country: | Canada | ||||
| location: | British Columbia | ||||
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary | ||||
| price: | From CA $572 (1 day) - CA $1,252 (4 days) excluding flights
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| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
This is Western hospitality with all the activities of a true western lifestyle, and reliable Cayuse horses matched to your abilities. You'll be impressed with your thorough introduction to Western Mountain riding as you learn to control your Cayuse horse by practicing horse sports in our gymkhana. Our sure-footed Mountain Cayuse horses are from the Cariboo-Chilcotin where the wild herds still roam. They have stamina and toughness, lots of energy, intelligence and a good disposition.
Whether it's the "River Ride" or "Eldorado Pass", you'll find each ride cleverly crafted to gradually take you to new heights. If you're advanced, the alpine is just a short ride away with high passes and 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. Mule deer, Mountain goat, moose, and bear are regularly seen. This is not trail riding!
When you're not riding, enjoy our library, swim at a nearby lake, or play a board game before enjoying the camaraderie of the evening campfire. Bring your guitar or other portable instrument and songbooks. If you're a family group, relax while your children have riding lessons.
Our package also includes bareback lessons, target practice and gold panning. You'll find our activity options are unique: Grizzly viewing, "hands-on" demonstration horse logging and horse shoeing/packing, gymkhana horse sports, archery, stargazing and guided fishing. Get involved in shoeing a horse, tying the diamond on the pack, or throwing a lariat.
Tour the turn-of-the-century mining town, visit a mining museum, drive to the foot of a glacier or explore old pioneer cabins. Our ranch is spacious, complete with two-storey fireplace, sunroom, central dining room, large outdoor deck facing the rugged Coast Mountains, and queen beds with feather duvets.
All-inclusive adventures include accommodation, meals, horse riding, guide(s), tack, bareback lessons, target practice and gold panning. Winter activities include accommodation, meals, horse riding, guide(s), tack, bareback lessons and target practice. Activity options include ice fishing, horse drawn sleigh rides, wildlife viewing, cross country skiing, archery, stargazing, snow shoeing and snowmobiling.
Whether it's the "River Ride" or "Eldorado Pass", you'll find each ride cleverly crafted to gradually take you to new heights. If you're advanced, the alpine is just a short ride away with high passes and 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. Mule deer, Mountain goat, moose, and bear are regularly seen. This is not trail riding!
When you're not riding, enjoy our library, swim at a nearby lake, or play a board game before enjoying the camaraderie of the evening campfire. Bring your guitar or other portable instrument and songbooks. If you're a family group, relax while your children have riding lessons.
Our package also includes bareback lessons, target practice and gold panning. You'll find our activity options are unique: Grizzly viewing, "hands-on" demonstration horse logging and horse shoeing/packing, gymkhana horse sports, archery, stargazing and guided fishing. Get involved in shoeing a horse, tying the diamond on the pack, or throwing a lariat.
Tour the turn-of-the-century mining town, visit a mining museum, drive to the foot of a glacier or explore old pioneer cabins. Our ranch is spacious, complete with two-storey fireplace, sunroom, central dining room, large outdoor deck facing the rugged Coast Mountains, and queen beds with feather duvets.
All-inclusive adventures include accommodation, meals, horse riding, guide(s), tack, bareback lessons, target practice and gold panning. Winter activities include accommodation, meals, horse riding, guide(s), tack, bareback lessons and target practice. Activity options include ice fishing, horse drawn sleigh rides, wildlife viewing, cross country skiing, archery, stargazing, snow shoeing and snowmobiling.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Leave Vancouver and enjoy the spectacular scenery of mountains and canyons we drive to our ranch in time to sit down for a hearty homemade lunch. Our guides will take you through a thorough horse orientation and match you to your horse. You'll learn how to control your horse then we'll take you along the rushing river on our evening “River Ride”. Relax in our sunroom or a indulge in a quiet moment on the ranch deck which faces the rugged Coast mountains. |
| Day 2: | Your rides will become progressively adventuresome with each day. Today, we will take you on two half-day rides. From last evening’s “River Ride”, we take you to mid-elevation for spectacular 360° views. Whether from the “Bluffs” to the “Lookout,” the panoramic views of lush valleys stretching out before you and the mountains surrounding you, will give you a sense of being on top of the world! Your afternoon ride will take you along a different trail, perhaps one that was used as trading routes between the Interior and Coast for hundreds of years or on trails leading you to see remains of ancient seabeds, studded with fossils. In just one day, you will discover the bio-diversity of the area. Spend your evenings enjoying our library, swimming at a nearby lake, or playing a board game before enjoying the camaraderie of the evening campfire. Or, make the most of your holiday with guided fishing, Grizzly viewing, gold panning, “hands-on” horse logging demonstrations, shoeing/packing, gymkhana horse sports, archery or stargazing. |
| Day 3: | Today, we turn the adventure up with a full day ride! For those who are up to it, we head up into the high alpine. More leisurely rides are also available. Ride along well-defined horse trails, once used by explorers, pioneers and gold miners. Discover the outstanding variety of wildlife; moose, deer, mountain goat, grizzly, black bear and wolf are frequently sighted. The trail takes you gradually, higher up into the mountains. We reach the alpine then savor the heady fragrance of the bumper crop of wildflowers in the open valleys over a leisurely open-air lunch. As the sun moves across the sky sinking deep into the west, ride the trail back to the ranch for a hearty dinner; favourites include candied salmon and barbecued ribs! |
| Day 4: | On your last day, just when everyone thinks they have done it all we introduce some new adventure! We then take off the saddle for some bareback lessons. And, for something a bit different, test your aim with some biathlon target shooting. After practicing your marksmanship, enjoy a farewell lunch before departure. Reflect on your adventure on the 5-hour drive back to Vancouver, arriving in the early evening. |
travellers' tales
The horse sides up to the bluffs were great, with excellent views of the surrounding countryside, and the atmosphere in the ranch was very friendly, making you feel as though you fit in almost straight away. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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It is our goal to manage our guide territory for the finest wilderness experience possible. We are conscious to look at all human impact on the land and wildlife, provide research and input on how resources can be managed in cooperation with the respective government agencies. Our individual management plans for the resources, such as Range and Wildlife, make up our Guide Area Plan. It is this Plan that ensures sustained and compatible uses for a quality wilderness tourism product.
The management of our resources is a large part of our daily operations, and we provide many opportunities for guest involvement. For example, guides and guests on our trips use our wildlife sighting forms to bring back information on specific wildlife herds for accurate population counts. The most significant project we have been involved in is making a business case for the establishment of the South Chilcotin Mountain Park for wilderness tourism operators. The efforts for the creation of South Chilcotin Mountains Park mean that the South Chilcotin Mountains is now a protected provincial park. As a consequence, under Provincial Park regulations, the habitats of the wildlife within the park are preserved and protected for generations to come. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |