- Cowboy on a Working Guest Ranch -
This Canadian Ranch is hidden in the beautiful Saskatchewan River Valley and has 15 kilometers of beach along Lake Diefenbaker. Here you are welcomed by George, who has a working cattle guest ranch where he breeds calves and works with the cattle in the traditional way using horses. When new calves come to the world every spring, the ranch also wakes to life.
You ride on nice quarter horses, appaloosa and painthorses. The horses have a wonderful life, they live in huge pastures and come home in the morning to get ridden or maybe get a treat.
When you are a cowboy at a "working cattle-guest ranch" you follow the seasons and cattle rhythm. Everyone is welcome to participate in the work at the ranch. Most of the livestock work takes place in early June, in the "branding week" and at the beginning of October during the "round up week".
So if it is the work with cattle that attracts you, you should go for one of those weeks (must be booked in a very good time).
If you visit the ranch any other week, work on cattle is done about once a week. You then ride to the cattles pastures and check that they are well and any runaway calves are caught. If there is not enough grass anymore you help move the herd.
Whether it's the season for livestock work or not, there will be many hours in the saddle. George wants everyone to ride next to each other, no tail in tail riding here, so everyone can experience the wide views. It's amazingly beautiful. If you want to go galloping, just go, just keep track of where the others are.
If you are not an advanced rider but in good condition you quickly learn to keep up with the others. When you're out all day, the pace is mostly calm. So, this is also a perfect ranch to bring your partner or friend to, who has not yet experienced the thrill of riding.
You live in small comfortable houses in western style. The lunch consists of sandwich packs that you bring in the saddle bags, so for dinner it is good with a real meal. Everyone is gathering around the dining table and it becomes a lot of laugh and talk as everyone has a common interest.
