Riding at The Home Ranch is a fully interactive experience.  This is not a nose-to-tail place!  We delight in our well-broken, quality horses and enjoy sharing our love of horses with you.

The Home Ranch is about horses and people.  We are dedicated to seeing that you have a wonderful time with - and on - your horse.  We’ve spent 25 years assembling a superb herd.  We raise our own as well as buying a select few to meet specific needs in our program.

Our riding is suitable for everyone, and we encourage kids to ride.  We’re eager to share our love of horses with our guests at every riding level from beginner to advanced.  First-time riders, world champion cowboys, Olympic medalists and everyone in between have ridden The Home Ranch trails.  Our wranglers and instructors specialize in helping beginners to gain confidence and have fun in a non-intimidating setting.  Advanced riders appreciate the quality of our horses and enjoy our challenging classes and cattle-working activities.

At The Home Ranch you can ride with whomever you want.  We generally divide our rides into groups of 6 or fewer, unless guests request larger group rides.  Some of our lessons have only two to three riders.  Keep in mind that rides are grouped by ability and desire, and that we adjust each ride to accommodate the least-confident rider.

A word about safety:  we do everything in our power to provide a safe and fun riding experience.  Many have asked our position on wearing helmets. We think wearing a helmet is a personal choice and if you have any concerns we encourage you to get your own before your ranch vacation.  Be sure to get a precise, professional fit from a qualified dealer.  We recommend Stateline Tack or Dover Saddlery - you can locate stores online.

If you’re interested in improving your horsemanship skills, you’ll enjoy the varied classes we offer during the week.  We offer saddling & grooming, ground school, horse psycology, trail class, and team penning.

Saddling & Grooming
Saddling your horse correctly is important to ensure a good fit and top performance of both you and your horse.  This class takes you through all the steps of preparing to ride, from grooming to saddling your horse.  We discuss safe ways of approaching and moving around a horse.

Ground School
This is an excellent class for all levels of riders.  We offer basics of communication through body language and open up a whole new world of understanding between you and your horse. The horse will respond to your movements as you lead him through exercises in all directions at various speeds. Later these movements can be transferred to riding.  We teach you how to separate your horse’s fore-and hindquarters, pivot, and move in all directions.  The class is a marvelous way to establish a great rapport with your horse.

Horse Psycology
This class can be done in the round pen or on the trail.  We talk about the basic intincts of a horse and what has helped him survive all these millions of years.  Various exercises will demonstrate how the horse wants to respond to you as his leader as part of these natural instincts.

Trail Class
Trail rides can offer many opportunities for horse and rider that can be used as learning experiences.  We cover such challenges as crossing fallen timber, riding in a straight line, opening and closing a gate while horseback, balancing as you ascend and descend, timing turns with body movement, moving a specific foot, and riding your horse away from the herd.  You are encouraged to practice these maneuvers on every ride as well as in our outdoor obstacle course.

Team Penning
Ever have a hankering for herding cattle?  It’s more fun - and more challenging - than you might imagine.  It is also the most popular activity on the ranch.  You learn the rudimentary skills during the week, and then apply your skills during the team penning competition at the end of the week.  This good-natured contest is a highlight of the week, both for participants and cheering observers.  Winners of this timed event receive awards at Campfire.

We keep a small herd of steers on the ranch to enhance your ranch experience.  Herding cattle is a favorite activity for many ranch guests.  During the week, you can herd them from pasture to pasture or around our outdoor arena in preparation for the team-penning competition.  Many guests love to learn how to move cattle in a quiet and efficient manner - the way ranchers do!