Horse Drive
SILVER SPUR RANCH, IDAHO - See below for dates
The Silver Spur
horse drives are very popular weeks for those of you who want a
challenging
ride, good company, don't mind missing the home comforts of phones, bathrooms
and electricity and wish to sample life as a comboy/cowgirl. See dates
below - for experienced riders.
If you have ever rounded up and driven horses in miles of open country, you know it's not just a ride in the park! Driving horses 20 miles a day through all kinds of terrain is an adventure! Former guests will tell you it's the most exciting thing they have ever done on horseback.
It can be hot and it can be cold, it can be wet or dry or dusty, it can be fast and then slow, it can be challenging yet relaxing. It's a horse drive and anything can happen because it's the real thing' If you’re looking for a fast paced great cowboy adventure, a Medicine Lodge Horse Drive is just the thing for you.
Your Horse Drive week will begin with us rounding-up you and our other guest (12 average) at either the Idaho Falls or Jackson Wyoming airport and driving you to the isolated ranch located 45 miles from Dubois Idaho at the head of Medicine Lodge Canyon. The Warm Creek Cow Camp will be where your trip begins and ends.
You will arrive at the ranch Sunday evening for a welcome dinner and introduction to the Silver Spur Ranch family, crew and other guests. Your accommodation is simple yet very nice. There is no electricity at the ranch, all rooms and cabins have propane lighting The hot outdoor shower is a favourite for all guests.
After a ranch style dinner, your room and bed will be a welcome site! You will want to get a good nights sleep, because morning will come fast! You will awake to the smell of cowboy coffee and a great cowboy breakfast. After breakfast, be prepared to meet your mount. You will receive riding instructions and then off you will go on a full days ride in the mountains.
Monday is a very important day. We want everyone to feel comfortable with their horse before we leave on the horse drive. You will take a sack lunch with you everyday and eat on the trail. This usually becomes a favourite time of day, stopping to enjoy lunch on a beautiful day, giving your horse a little rest and taking in a little sunshine in the great outdoors. Making sure every one feels comfortable going up and down the mountain's on their horse and confident riding at a walk, trot and lope. We want you to trust your horse completely before we leave on the horse drive. After a great day of confidence building we will return for a Dutch Oven Dinner , a nice hot shower and relaxation around the campfire.
Tuesday: After a nice country breakfast, we will pack our bedrolls in the chuck wagon, round
up and saddle the horses, load them in the horse trailer and head for Deep Creek. Let the round-up begin! We will round-up to 40 horses 20 plus miles, through desert canyon country. At the end of the day we will end up at Warm Springs. There is not a more welcome site than riding over the ridge with a herd of horses and spotting the chuck wagon and the camp. A hot cup of coffee or an ice cold coke is always appreciated. You’re going to be tired and dirty after a long day of riding.
There is a natural warm spring here and it's the perfect spot to take a nice relaxing bath. It is up on the hill from camp, so while soaking after a long day, you can see the horses you have gathered in the meadow below you, it's an awesome site' . You can end your day with a hot delicious meal and lots of stories of the day’s adventure You will be ready to retire for the evening to a nice tent or: sleep under the stars if you wish.
Wednesday: You will awake to the smell of coffee brewing over the fire and hot cakes on the griddle. After breakfast, if you like, another quick dip in the Spring, then we will help break camp, catch our horses and be on our way. We will drive the horses further into the mountain today and the scenery is breathtaking. You just never know how the day will go, it all depends on the horse's. One thing is for sure, every day is different and every day is an adventure. Once again the chuck wagon is a great sight to behold after a long days ride. Dinner and more stories and songs around the campfire make an end to a perfect day.
Thursday: Awake to the sounds of the horses near by, coffee brewing over the fire and the smell of bacon sizzling! The young colt's are usually tired and need a days rest. We have travelled over 40 miles and are now in some beautiful back country. You have got to see this. ' We will leave the colts and camp behind today and go do a little exploring. There is a beautiful mountain lake just 6 miles from camp and with abundant wildlife around, we might just get a close look at a moose, elk or even a bear.
Another great adventure is just around the corner and today we will be sure to find it. We will return to camp with plenty of stories to tell and memories that will last a lifetime. Dinner cooked over the open fire will put an end to another perfect day.
Friday: After a whole day off with nothing to do the colts are ready and anxious to get going, so after another great breakfast we will help break camp, gather and saddle our horses, round up the colts, and get them headed to their final destination. This is another great day of riding and moving horses through some of the most beautiful country you can imagine. By now you definitely know what you are doing and feel confident doing it You are a cowboy! I You will arrive back to the ranch in late afternoon ready for a hot shower a cold drink and a Warm cookie, reward for a job well done. After a little relaxation time we will sort out one of the colts and work with him for a short time before dinner, This requires a little help from some of our newest cowboys, (But only if you want). This is very interesting and you will be able to see how we introduce the saddle and turn this young colt into a working ranch horse. You will end the day with a farewell dinner, lots of stories and a good nights rest in your cabin.
Saturday: By now you have ridden over 60 miles and are ready for a day off yourself. At the Silver Spur we will do all we can to make your vacation one to remember, so if there is something that you want to do that you think we may have missed, be sure and let us know and if it's possible we'll do it! You will have memories for a lifetime. When you return to the fast paced life of the city you will close your eyes, smell the coffee and the fresh mountain air, see yourself riding through the beautiful mountain ranges of Medicine Lodge and this will get you through until we see you next time .
2008 HORSE DRIVE DATES availability as of 21 May 2008
SPECIAL HORSE DRIVE TO LATE WINTER PASTURE.
Prices start from £736 per person plus service charge to be paid locally. Airport transfer $100 per person from Jackson Hole or preferably Idaho Falls $75.
American Round-Up charge the same as the ranch so give us a call if you would like us to send you a full quotation with or without flight or click on the e mail quote for below for details Tel : 01404 881777
