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Indulge your Cowboy Spirit with cattle roundups,
cayuses, trail riding, and the undiluted, raw sensations of
southwestern New Mexico.
Explore a vacation paradise exceptionally beautiful and rich in the
history of the southwest, as we are in the heart of Apache country. The
3.3 million acre Gila National Forest and pristine Gila Wilderness are our
back yard! Excellent, seasoned ranch-horses will take you trail riding or
wrangling cattle. Learn the cowboy 'fun'damentals of riding, roping and
reining. Or just relax with a good book. No 'nose to tail' trail riding,
but horseback riding the way it was intended to be, in country that can
only be experienced from the back of a good horse. At 4500' elevation,
four mild New Mexico seasons make outdoor horseback adventures possible
year 'round.
This is a working guest ranch with 30,000 acres, located 30 miles
northwest of Silver City, New Mexico - here, you'll get as much
"hands-on" time as you want! You can help with ranch chores in
country that is truly spectacular, covering scenery as impressive as any
in the southwest. Each guest works out an individual horseback riding
routine tailored to their personal experience — from novice level to
extremely advanced. Your trails are made — not followed! You can live the
legends of the Wild West from the back of a good horse and ride your
dreams!
This working ranch in the Gila area contains some of the traditional
domain of the NDEE, Chiricahua Apache. Privately protected Indian ruins
and ancient petroglyphs can be reached by horseback or on foot. The ranch
provides endless opportunities for birding, geology expeditions, or
botanical exploration. You can pan for gold or search for arrowheads.
Surround yourself with southwestern comfort and warm hospitality! Guests
are housed in private, rustic ranch houses which are filled with Western
art and interesting antiques. We purposely limit the number of guests to
provide you with an individualized, personalized, western-style adventure.
You won't be lost in another crowd! Ensuring you have a darned good,
southwestern time is what we're after!
The ranch prides itself on home-style meals using home grown, free-range,
chemical-free beef dishes. Organically grown fruits and
vegetables are offered on our menu when in season and available.
Every vacation begins with a fantasy. And a ranch vacation is certainly no
exception. It follows that the closer you can come to fulfilling your
expectations, the more satisfying your ranch vacation will be. While we
don't promise you a fancy dude ranch or resort experience, we do
guarantee you'll meet some fun folks and be a better rider when your
visit is over.
We promise breathtaking vistas, exciting horseback rides on seasoned
horses, satisfying meals, evening campfires and the Milky Way spread
across the New Mexico sky.
... ride your dreams!
WRNM04
2008 Rates include accommodations, all meals, 5 riding days
7 days/ 6 nights $ 1,290
Single: +$0
Non-rider $960
2008 Dates:
01/06-01/12 01/13-01/19
01/20-01/26
01/27-02/02 02/03-02/09 02/10-02/16
03/09-03/15 03/16-03/22 03/30-04/05
04/27-05/03 05/04-05/10 05/25-05/31
06/08-06/14 06/22-06/28 06/29-07/05
07/13-07/19 07/20-07/26 07/27-08/02
08/10-08/16 08/17-08/23 08/24-08/30
09/07-09/13 09/14-09/20 09/21-09/27
09/28-10/04 10/05-10/11 10/26-11/01
11/09-11/15 11/16-11/22 11/23-11/29
11/30-12/06 12/07-12/13 12/14-12/20
12/21-12/27 12/28-01/03
availability & reservation
Tax: 6%
Gratuity: 15%
Meeting: Gila
Airport: Silver City or El Paso
Transfer: $50 rt from Silver City.
Pick up at 5:30 PM ... drop off at 8:30 AM
Level:
from good novice to strong intermediate - for novice
riders we offer separate groups
Horses:
Quarter
mix
Tack:
Western
Meals: The ranch can cater to vegetarians, but not to
vegans
Note: From El Paso there is a shuttle bus to Silver City for
$60 return.
see
Also:
Cowgirl Camp
Gila Cattle Roundups
Nature Expedition
weekly throughout the year
Mounted Shooting Clinic
weekly throughout the year
with 5+ people
Accommodations:
You will stay in comfortable, rustic cabins and guest houses.
Each guest house is equipped with comfortable queen sized beds, thick down
comforters, full baths, plush towels.
see details on lodging
Riding at the Ranch:
Tough, seasoned ranch horses will take you trail riding or rounding up
cattle. Learn the cowboy 'fun'damentals of riding, try some barrel racing,
team penning or practice your roping and reining. Tighten up yer cinch for
a riding challenge you won't forget -- a Wild Cow Hunt!
Have you
ever watched an old Western movie and marveled as the hero galloped his
horse across the screen with reins in one hand and firing off shots left
and right? Ever wished you could try it? If the romance and excitement of
the Old West are calling you, then Cowboy Mounted Shooting might be just
the sport for you! Available upon request during your stay ... $50 per
person/day.
The better you ride, the more challenging and exciting your riding
adventure can be, through the same country traveled by Geronimo and
Cochise!
What would a Ranch Vacation be like without a Cattle Roundup??
Because the climate here in southwestern New Mexico is so mild during any
season, we calve year ‘round. This means most of our guests have an
opportunity to help us with every phase of cattle work, and can include
roundups, branding, sorting, weaning, vaccinating, castrating, moving to
new pastures. We raise Texas Longhorn and cross-bred Brangus cattle and
believe it's important to preserve as much of the traditional "old West"
as possible...there sure ain't much of it left!
Bird Watching: |
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Sample of a
Week at the ranch
Every Day: All of our days may vary, depending on the
level of riders, jobs we need to do, or weather conditions. We begin
feeding livestock and bringing saddle horses to the barn for grooming,
feeding and saddling at 7 a.m. The quality of your experience is only
limited by your own expectations and your desire to be involved. By
8:30, you're invited to join the rest of the crew for a hearty family
style breakfast around the table at Headquarters, meeting back at the
barn by 9:30 a.m. preparing to ride.
No riding on Sunday or Saturday. You can hike, pan for gold in the
creek, bird watch, enjoy the scenery.
Sunday: You can arrive any time after 2 PM.
If we provide a pick up from Silver City for you, we will pick you up at
5:30 PM either from the airport or the bus (shuttle bus from El Paso).
If you drive in, you have an opportunity go foe a hike, pan for gold,
watch birds or just "take it easy"!
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CAPACITY 14
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Monday Options: Join a ride which compliments your
riding skill level and interests. Two 1/2 day rides (with lunch at
Headquarters) or a full days riding to explore the thousands of scenic
acres with lunch on the trail! Faster paced riding will be based on your
individual riding skill level. Your safety is our primary concern! Every
day you'll have the opportunity to experience abundant wildlife, amazing
geological phenomena, incredible vistas, nearly perfect weather!
Tuesday Options: Break up into teams for some Team
Penning or Sorting or two 1/2 day rides. Team Penning has become one of
the fastest new equestrian sports in the nation. It's fun, improving
individual horsemanship skills. Lunch at Headquarters. Either trail
riding after lunch or more Team Penning.
Wednesday Options: Spend the entire day exploring the
Ruins and Caves of the Mimbres Indians. This will be a relaxing, pack
your lunch ride. These ruins are between 700 and 1300 years old!
Thursday Options: Half day ride and Barrel Racing (for
fun!) in the afternoon. Lunch at Headquarters.
Friday Options: Explore the canyons at Hells Half Acre!
This will be a full days ride suitable for faster or slower riders.
Saturday : Early morning departure, so you can catch the
morning flight or shuttle bus. If you are driving, take you time and
depart mid-morning.
Relax! There's no rush-hour traffic to fight, no appointments
to keep! This is about as hectic as it gets! The days' activities are
discussed the night before at supper. Your voice counts! So let us hear
what you think! Our goal is to help you realize as many of your riding
dreams as possible It is strongly recommended that you are at least a
confident, strong beginner. (A "confident beginner" is someone who is
comfortable controlling the horse at a walk or trot).
While there may be times it's necessary, we discourage 'nose to tail'
trail riding at the ranch! It's horseback riding the way it was intended
to be, in country that can only be experienced from the back of a good
horse. We do ask that you listen to and respect your Trail Boss,
following his/her directions at all times. At 5000' elevation, and with
daytime temperatures ranging from 48 degrees in the winter months to 98+
degrees in warmest summer months, four mild New Mexico seasons make
outdoor horseback adventures possible year 'round. The Southwest is a
magical part of our great country. Owners Alan and Debbie Eggleston feel
they have the very best that southwestern New Mexico has to offer and
they are excited to be able to share it with you!
You'll get as much "hands-on" time as you want! As part of the crew
we invite you to get yer hands dirty. This isn't a "foo-foo" dude ranch.
This is ranch life pretty much the way is has always been in New Mexico
for over 100 years. It's a lifestyle that is fast disappearing, and we
work hard to preserve it. The smells, the sounds, the dust in the air,
the animals are all part of the experience. Wake to the melody of birds
in the trees, horses anxiously waiting to be fed and the sight of a
spectacular sun splashing over Turtle Rock. Dude Ranch?? We don't think
so!
Enjoy a quiet moment on your porch with a fresh cup of coffee brewed
in your cabin before helping with morning ranch chores, which can
include feeding livestock, pulling saddle horses from pastures, grooming
and tacking. While not mandatory, we encourage your help. We are able to
keep our rates reasonable because we maintain a small staff - and they
appreciate the extra hands!
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