Ranch Holidays

Ranch holidays can provide the ultimate horse riding experience for anybody who’s ever looked at a classic old western and dreamt of riding off into the sunset themselves.

Images of John Wayne and Butch Cassidy – and even Billy Crystal in ‘City Slickers’! – spring instantly to mind when you think of the cowboy trails of the old American west. You too can experience those classic moments when you choose from our extensive range of ranch holidays, with something to suit every taste and level of riding ability.

Our ranch holidays aren’t just confined to the good ole U.S. of A, though. You can also follow a trail over the rugged beauty of the Canadian Rockies, head for gaucho country in Latin America, take a ranch holiday safari in South Africa or Kenya, and even enjoy the ranch experience in a beautiful 17th century farmstead in France, for a ranch holiday much closer to home.

We have hand-picked some of the finest ranch holidays available across eight countries, and all have been personally vetted by Jill and I. Remember our price promise too – as we guarantee you won’t find the same holiday at a lower price through any other source. If you do, we’ll refund the difference!
Browse our range of ranch holidays above, or read on for an overview of what we offer.

~ Zara

Ranch Holidays USA

The USA must be the spiritual home of horse riding ranch holidays, due to the cowboy culture of the old west and the long tradition of welcoming others to share the living and working experiences of the countless ranches there. We have ranch holidays in five of the classic cowboy states: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming.

Ranch Holidays Canada

The prairies of the great province of Alberta provide the best examples of the cowboy and ranch culture of Canada. With the majestic Rocky Mountains always on the horizon, your ranch holiday in Alberta will offer the authentic frontier experience, and provide memories that will last a lifetime.

The Anchor D ranch, with three different fantastic trail rides into the Rockies, is one of the ranch holidays we offer in Canada, with perhaps the pick of those rides being a seven-day horseback camping excursion into the Rockies.

For a completely different experience, there’s the Siwash Lake luxury ranch holiday, voted one of the ‘Top 10 Luxury Dude Ranches in North America’ by Forbes Traveller Magazine and which also has the approval of the prestigious Condé Nast organisation.

Whichever you choose, your ranch holiday in Canada will be an unforgettable experience!

Ranch Holidays Mexico

Mexico is a truly unique country with a long-standing horseback culture of both vaqueros and caballeros – with vaqueros being the working cowboys and caballeros being the more gentleman-type ranch owners.

It’s a culture that lives on today, as you will see if you choose our ranch holiday at the intimate and boutique Rancho Las Cascadas. Rides are tailored to your individual requirements and each day is different, while it also offers day trips to the Teotihuacon Pyramids, Mexico City, and the old colonial town of San Miguel.

Rancho Las Cascadas also offers a ‘Highlands and Canyons’ option for intermediate and advanced riders.

Ranch Holidays Argentina

Argentina is one of the horsiest nations in Latin America and is one of our favourite destinations. It’s home to countless estancias (ranches) and magnificent haciendas (large houses), and of course, is also world-famous for its polo tradition too.

We have three great ranch holidays in Argentina, where you can ride out with gauchos and enjoy a true taste of traditional Latin life. There’s the Estancia Don Joaquin, some six hours from Buenos Aires, which remains an authentic working estate; there’s Estancia Huechahue, set on 15,000 acres in the foothills of the Andes in Northern Patagonia; and there’s Estancia Los Potreros, in the region of Cordoba, run by an Anglo-Argentinian family and featuring a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle.

Ranch Holiday France

You may not immediately think of France when considering a ranch holiday, but our trip to the La Camargue 17^th-century farmstead can actually be one of our most challenging cowboy/cowgirl experiences of all.

You’ll have the opportunity to race with the ‘gardians’ (the Camargue cowboys) as they round up cattle and bulls, and will need the skills to ride at pace as you do so. However, La Camargue also has much to offer for beginner and intermediate riders, while a great attraction for all there is the marvellous French cuisine at its own restaurant.

Ranch Holiday South Africa

A stay at Horizons Safari Ranch in South Africa combines the best of a cattle ranching holiday with big game spotting. Your hosts, UK natives Laura and Shane Dowinton, farm 1200 Botswana cattle there, in countryside where elephants abound and hippopotamus, giraffes, and other large plains animals can also be seen.

A stay at Horizons Safari Ranch can be extended into an African Explorer Safari that takes in Botswana as well as South Africa, while we also offer add-on options to both Cape Town and the spectacular Victoria Falls.

Ranch Holiday Kenya

A luxury horse riding ranch holiday in Kenya offers an experience like none other, and we can take you to the Borana Safari Lodge, sitting on 35,000 acres just 16 miles from the equator and some four hours’ drive from Nairobi. It’s in an area frequented by lion, elephant, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffalo and huge herds of antelope, and offers spectacularly stylish accommodation as well as a true safari experience. Tribal visits, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking are other activities offered there.