Dude Ranch Horses

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Colorado Dude Ranch Wildfires and Wildflowers

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Humming Birds are here!
Humming Birds are here!

Sundance Trail
is up to our
knees in wildflowers!

Boy what a difference a year can make!

A year ago we were worried about wildfires, this year we are enjoying wild-flowers.

I just received a call from a soon-to-arrive guest, asking if the smoke was bad. She had

Flip is charming a new friend!
Flip is charming a new friend!

seen some sensational reports of the South Fork and Prescott evacuations.

South Fork is 350 miles from here!

Prescott is more than 900 miles away.

No smoke here! Just sunshine and blue skies!

Our hearts go out to our neighbors in the south, and we pray for their safety every day.

Eight week old filly, Aspen, makes friends with Lukas.
Eight week old filly, Aspen, makes friends with Lukas.

North Colorado dude ranches are having the greenest summer that we’ve seen in years!

Our neighbors have started their first hay cutting, and it looks like a bumper crop year.

Our horses are grazing our pastures.

I even saw a mosquito!

So come on up! We have bug spray,  just in case she (the mosquito) ever comes back!

New kitty: "Murphy"
New kitty: “Murphy”

In the meanwhile here’s a few pictures I took this week with our new camera.

Oh! I almost forgot!

Ellen is offering a further 10% off for July!

With a poke from Aspen, Naomi says: "Hello!"
With a poke from Aspen, Naomi says: “Hello!”

Sundance Trail Ranch

970-224-1222

SundanceTrail.com

Momma Jazzy and baby Aspen are mowing the lawn.
Momma Jazzy and baby Aspen are mowing the lawn.

Colorado Dude Ranch 2012 Discounts

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Cooling off in the pond: Sundance Trail Guest Ranch
Hot where you are? Dani & Alex & Montee cooling off in the Sundance Trail pond.

We are actively booking the 2013 season,
but there are still some rooms available the weeks of
7/15/12
7/22/12
8/5/12
8/26/12 and
9/2/12 (Adult Only week)
and we are offering deep discounts!

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to call us at 970-224-1222.

Sundance Trail Dude Ranch & High Park Fire Colorado

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Wow! So many emails and phone calls! Y’all make us feel very cared for.

The fire remains at least 25 miles south east of us and on the other side of the river ( a major big protective fire line).

Our prevailing winds continue to be from the west or northwest, pushing the fire away (and filling Fort Collins with smoke). A wind from the south will push the fire north, but still far west of us. A wind from the east will push the fire far south of us. Our concern is high winds from the south-east; pretty unusual. We are watching closely and we are prepared.

Staff fire training is complete. We own our own foam system to cover the lodge. We have set up impulse sprinkler systems around defenable buildings as a precaution. The last few beetle killed trees will come down today. All is well, we are prepared. Actually, thanks to Nick, Victor, James and a few others, we have been well prepared for a couple of years now. (We have been expecting this since we moved here – Smoky the bear has caused almost one hundred years of fuels to be left on the ground – Mother Nature is trying to balance out our arrogant foolishness.)

Neighbors closer to the fire are bringing their horses here. Thanks to Dicky and Christine’s loaning us their 10-horse trailer, we can move all of the horses to Luann’s corrals in Owl Canyon in less than three hours.

In other words, we are expecting the best, prepared for the worst, and watching closely.

Now join us in praying for rain.

And we are starting the summer dude ranch season. Yee-haw!

Sorry no pictures on this post – have been off buying horses! Have bought 6 new horses in the last two weeks – all are “honeys”! Pictures of Ralph, Dharma, Rio, Guss, Soda-Pop and Gene soon.

10 Common Questions People Ask Our Dude Ranch

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1. Do you have a less-than-a-full-week stay?
Answer: Yes! We offer a four-day, three-night family vacation:

  • Sunday afternoon through some-time Wednesday OR
  • Wednesday afternoon through Saturday afternoon.

Details in the “4 Day/ 3 Night Prices Section” of the Summer Rates Page.

2. How is the shorter stay different?

Answer: Our riding program is NOT nose-to-tail! It is based on a “curriculum” of learning objectives based on the level of skill you bring with you.

  • If  Sunday afternoon through Wednesday sometime. You follow the same riding schedule as the full-week guests.
  • If Wednesday through Saturday, you have your own wrangler who will start you with the first learning objectives (depending on your skill) and build from there.

3. What type of riding is available? How are you different?

Answer: First, this is not a nose-to-tail riding program!. Our program is small enough to accommodate both proficient riders, and beginners. We are one of the smallest ranches in Colorado, and we enjoy being flexible in our programs and teaching.

Those who enjoy sight-seeing at a walk can; and those who want the faster jogs and lopes can too!

Our program uses a series of six steps to bring beginners from the ground up, starting with basic Dude Ranch Western Riding and ground manners. These steps are based on principles of Western Riding taught by the American Association of Horsemanship Safety and the Dude Ranchers Association Wrangler Safety  programs. More details on our Riding and What Makes Us Different pages.

4. How often?

Answer: Every day but Sunday (Horses’ Sabbath)!

  • Monday both AM & PM
  • Tuesday AM (or Rock Climbing) and PM
  • Wednesday All day ride or two shorter rides AM & PM
  • Thursday white water rafting or AM ride for shorter stay folks
  • Friday All day ride or two shorter rides AM and PM
  • Saturday AM Gymkana (Ranch Rodeo!) and swim with horses in the pond.

5. Are there fast rides? Long rides? Family rides?  Separate kids rides?

Answer: Yes, yes, yes, and yes!

Massage? Jacuzzi?

Yes! Yes!

6. What type of terrain is the riding in (mountains, meadows, rocky, flat, etc)?

Answer: We are in the Rocky Mountains. Although we have lots of meadows where we can jog and lope horses, much of our trail in the Roosevelt National Forest involves some climbing and descending.

7. What is there to do?
Answer: The list of activities is long!

  • Shooting: rifles, black powder, & shotgun trap (with safety instruction)
  • Rock climbing, belaying, and rappeling lessons
  • Fun Fishing in nearby lakes for trout
  • Serious Fly Fishing on nearby “Wild and Scenic” river
  • Hiking
  • World Class Disc Golf
  • Private Riding lessons and Coaching
  • Tomahawk Throwing
  • Archery
  • Horse Shoes
  • Pool Table
  • Fooseball
  • Mountain Biking
  • Adventurous side trips
  • Jacuzzi
  • Professional Massage
  • and, of course, the hammocks…

Evening Activities include:

  • Sunday Evening guided hikes
  • Monday Square Dancing Lessons
  • Tuesday Evening Kids’ Night Out at the Campfire and Tipi, & Adults’ Quiet Candle Light Supper.
  • Wednesday Campfires with Cowboy Singers
  • Friday Campfires with Cowboy Poetry

Summer Schedule of Weekly Activities

8. What is there to do nearby?

  • Answer: Visit the Laramie Territorial Prison, where Butch Cassidy lived for a while in the late 1800’s.
  • Visit Rocky Mountain National Park and say hello to the elk.
  • Visit the village of Red Feather Lakes
  • Visit the Great Stupa of Darmakaya
  • Visit Old Town Fort Collins (a few hundred unique shops, galleries, brew pubs, tea houses, restaurants, a VERY cool toy store, and Ben & Jerry’s)

9. What’s new?
Disc golf course is known for being knarley! (Nice word for nasty!!!)
Obstacle course — we’re designing now. Should have up by the end of May.

10. How do I check availability?

Easy – just call or text us! 970-224-1222

More questions? Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Dude Ranch Horse Leo Has Retired

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Ever Wonder Where Our Colorado Ranch Vacation Horses Retire?

Dude ranch wrangler in 5 years! Yee-Haw!
Matt & Leo -- Horseback Riding
Hello Sundance Trail Guest Ranch,

I talked to Justin the other day and thought that you might want to see a couple of pictures of Leo.

He and Matthew have really bonded and spend most weekends riding around in the pasture.

They are the perfect match, and Leo seems to enjoy getting out and seeing his new surroundings.

Matthew can’t wait until summer so that we can take Leo with us on a few trail rides.

Katie

Dude ranch cowboy and his horse
Matt & Leo -- Horseback Riding Friends

A Ranch Adventure Vacation – May Trail Maintenance

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Spring Trail Maintenance – Dude Ranch Work Vacation

guest ranch spring chores
Spring is here! Time to groom trails! Yee-haw!

By popular demand! A new get-away idea! May 13 to May 19

So, if you want to get away from

  • the telephone ringing,
  • the traffic,
  • the TV commercials every six minutes

And you think that celebrating spring might include

  • hauling logs,
  • carrying buckets of dirt up steep climbs

    guest ranch barn and fencing
    Posts for fencing and barn - what fun!
  • setting fence posts and
  • a few hours of riding horses every day for a week?

May 13 is our spring trail maintenance week, and you are invited to join us!

guest ranch horses running
Who left the corral gate open???

We will have 12  – 15 new horses joining our herd, and they will need lots and lots of riding to get into shape for the summer.

Our trails will also need lots of attention (that is, lots of sweat and dirt!). Areas of erosion will be repaired, dead  trees that may compromise safety will need to be removed, water bars built, and just maybe we will build a small barn.

spring guest ranch trail maintenance
Lot's of trails to clean up
  • Hard physical labor and
  • Lots of dirt.
  • No texting,
  • No cell phones,
  • No TV
  • and very limited internet available.

A break from civilization!

If this sounds like fun, visit our Dude Ranch Specials Page or call the ranch (970-224-1222) for more details.

BTW, summer is booking now. If you are planning to join us this year, you might want to call soon!

Yeehaw! 2012 Summer Dude Ranch Jobs

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Colorado Guest Ranch Summer Employment

Guest Ranch Wranglers - a serious bunch
Guest Ranch Wranglers - a serious bunch

Summer is coming soon – yeehaw! We are now looking over applications for summer 2012. Here’s some highlights:

Summer Dude Ranch Kitchen Staff

Don’t listen to those wranglers! YOU are the most important part of our ranch!

Some of the most important memories that we want to create for our guests are meal memories. We eat in the dining room, in the back yard, and on the trail. We serve “hearty western fare family style,” which can include lots of vegetables and salads as well as meat and potatoes. Because Ellen and Dan are both RN’s we see many guests who have therapeutic diets or allergies.

The kitchen staff is a group of five people who have high energy and good humor. Psychosis is not an obstacle to working in the kitchen, although active drinking problems will get you sent on your way. Kitchen and housekeeping staff typically works forty-five hours per week over six days.

Summer dude ranch jobs mean lots of horse back riding
Horse back riding summer ranch job

There are five positions in and around the kitchen:
1. Kitchen Manager/THE Cook (the Boss)
2. Breakfast Cook/Prep Cook
3. Dining Room Steward/Dishwasher
4. Kangaroo #1/Housekeeper/Dishwasher/Other skill #1
5. Kangaroo #2/ Housekeeper/Dishwasher/Other skill #2

Guest Ranch Barn Employment:

Don’t listen to those kitchen people! YOU are the most important part of our ranch!

Some of the most important memories that we want to create for our guests are from horseback! The barn has three types of wranglers:

Making happy people: not a bad summer job!
Making happy people: not a bad summer job!

1. The Barn Manager (Boss)
2. Children’s Wrangler
3. Plain Ol’ Fashioned Wranglers

Dude Ranch Rock Climbing Instructor.

This is a part time position, usually done by a Kangaroo or Wrangler. (i.e. Must be bi-lingual (speaking both kitchen and horse) or schizophrenic.

Hunting Jackalope: a summer guest ranch job!
Hunting jackalopes - guest ranch employment can be dangerous!

If you are interested in working for us, then please

1. Study the Dude Ranch Job Descriptions, then

2. Visit the page that lists our Guest Ranch Employment Expectations, and then

3. Wranglers (only) please visit the Dude Ranch Wrangler Video script, then

4. Feel free to send us a Sundance Trail Guest Ranch Application.

Dude Ranch Quiz: What is This Horse Saying???

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Colorado Dude Ranch horses communicate very clearly!

Dude Ranch Horse Stevie
1. What is Stevie saying here?

This quiz is part of a series of articles that we have written in the  Sundance Trail Guest Ranch Horse Safety and Horse Communication collection, including Speaking to Your Dude Ranch Horse Part 1 and Speaking to your Dude Ranch Horse Part 2.

When at Sundance Trail Guest Ranch, either for a summer dude ranch vacation or Fall/Winter/Spring B&B stay,

Ranch Vacation Horse Mocha
2. And Mocha?

you will spend lots of time with our horses (and donkeys!).

Horses communicate with body language. (Is this why women so often understand their horses immediately, and why guys are so often clueless?) Their faces, and especially their ears speak volumes, once you learn how to read them.

Colorado Ranch Vacation Pony: Rose Blossom
3. And Rose Blossom?

Here’s a quick primer on some easy to recognize “expressions.”  Have fun!

Answers to each of these facial expressions are listed at he bottom of the page!

Family Vacation Bed and Breakfast Horse: Apache
4. What is Apache saying here?
Family Dude Ranch Horse Khalli
5. What is Khalli doing?
Family Vacation B&B Rusty
6. And Rusty?
Guest Ranch Donkey - Calamity Jane
7. What is Calamity Jane saying here?
1. Stevie is ANGRY!!! She is having a bad hair week. Spring snow has melted and she want’s to party, and the geldings around her are all nerds or something!! Dude ranch horses are supposed to be romantic!!! None of these guys want to dance!!! Best to just leave her alone for a few more days…
She is clearly saying: “keep your distance or I will bite you!!!”
2. Mocha is taking a nap, or maybe she is meditating. Nope, she’s sleeping, in fact, she is snoring! One of her back hooves is up on the toe, her ears are flopped off to the sides, and her eyes are soft, gently starting off into the distance.
3. Rose Blossom is definitely sleeping! She’s still a baby, so she sleeps a lot. She even has her eyes closed, which only babies do – adults sleep with their eyes open.
4. Apache is awake, alert, and wants the cookie in my pocket. He is demonstrating interest and is interacting.
5. Khalli also wants the cookie in my pocket, but at the same time she is listening to some interesting gossip BEHIND her! Yes, kinda like radar dishes, horses’ ears can pivot front to side to back; even in different directions. Yes, if she wanted, Khalli could listen to two different conversations at once!
6. Rusty is actually sleeping. one of his hind feet is up on the toe, his ears are flopped off to the side, and his eyes are softly staring off into space…
7. Calamity is not happy that she is the last picture. She is small, but she is VERY bossy!

Request our Dude Ranch brochure, or Download pdf now, or Email the ranch.

Yehaw!!! Snow for our Dude Ranch Halloween!!!

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Mountain Lodge Horse Back Riding in the Snow

Mountain lodge guest Laura horse back riding on dude ranch Skip!
Laura and Skip enjoy the snow.

Hmmmm…… The weather people call for an October total of 2.9 inches of snow for our area. We got that three weeks ago, and it disappeared the next morning, as October snow should. The aspens still claim October as theirs; time to show off their golden leaves.

Dude Ranch horse back riding with Gauge at our Colorado Mountain Lodge
HoustonTracy with her horse Gauge

Oops! Wait a minute – we got a good eight more inches last night, and another six inches falling today!

The dogs are delighted! The older horses are playing like foals! The goats are making snow angels and laughing!

And the guests riding in the snow? Just look at their faces…

Mountain Lodge Horse back Riding: Stacy and Kevin:
This Sure Ain't Houston Horse back Riding Y'all!

Tracy (from Houston!) says that riding in the snow is spectacular. I think that Laura (from Cleveland) agrees. Not too sure what Texan Kevin (also from Houston) thinks, but his horse, Jack is a happy fella! At lunch Kevin said it was a great ride…

Cowboy Victor was born and raised up here – he’s just cold!

mountain lodge cowboy horseback riding on dude ranch horse
Mountain lodge cowboy Victor horseback riding his trusty steed, Trigger!

So now it’s official.

It’s fall. now we’re ready for Halloween!

Trick or treat!!!

Colorado Dude Ranch snowperson
First snow-person of the season. Jack! No Jack! No! Ahhhh... naughty dog....

Meet our Dude Ranch Horses and Staff: Dusty!

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Guest Ranch Vacation Old-timer Dusty!

Family Dude Ranch Vacation Horse: Dusty
Family Dude Ranch Vacation KIds Horse: Old Man Dusty

Dusty is about 35 years old. He is a solid professional, and refuses to retire. He loves kids, and when saddled, gets in line and follows the leader.

A great teacher for beginners, a great buddy horse for a kid on an adventure vacation.

Dusty is missing most of his grinders and is fat because he is fed Senior Feed twice a day.

Note: Pink booted cowgirl (Marion!) is from France and rides with short reins. Dark haired cowgirl (Kaitlyn!) is a beginner student.

Horse back riding on Dusty is fun!
Dusty is a fat old horse!

Age: Older than dirt

Height: 15

Horse size: Medium

Rider size: Small to medium

Rider skill: Children/beginners

Bit: Padded hack

Kids ride Dusty on their Adventure vacation
Kids ride Dusty on their Adventure vacation!

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