Why Dryhead Ranch for a Vacation

Are you trying to plan the perfect cattle drive vacation for you and your family that will provide you with a once in a lifetime experience?  At Dryhead Ranch we offer cattle drive vacations that are sure to be an exciting vacation experience that you will remember for years to come. For four generations our family has worked to grow our ranch into the success it is today with over 900 head of cattle and 120 American Quarter Horses. We offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to join in the American tradition of cattle drives and horse drives on one of our driving vacations.  This is an adventure unique to our ranch as we perform our drives solely on horseback, unlike so many working ranches today. Become an honorary ranch hand and take part in the satisfaction of working ranch life while enjoying the beautiful scenery native to Montana.

Real Cattle Drives

For those who have experience riding on horseback we offer a more advanced cattle drive vacation experience. While moving cattle there are times when advanced riders can get out front and move cattle back into the herd or return a stray calf to the group.  We also have weeks when we move our American Quarter Horses to fresher pasture. Driving horses requires a more experienced rider as we go from walk to trot to canter. Join our modern day cowboys and cowgirls as they move mares and babies or our younger quarter horses to mountain pastures. With over 120 head our ranch hands will gladly accept your help and welcome you onto the Dryhead Ranch team.

When you stay at Dryhead Ranch you become one of our family. Work alongside us throughout all of our daily activities and join in the satisfaction of honest work and team building. Our ranch is a throwback to the traditions of the true West and we gladly share that with all those who choose to experience our cattle drive vacations. Our family has worked for four generations to build our now highly successful working ranch. Unlike most working ranches in this day, we use horses to tend our herds and complete all the tasks required to make our ranch a success. This sets us apart as a truly “one of kind” ranch and an ideal vacation destination.

Cattle Drive Holiday for You and Your Family

It’s time to get in touch with your American roots while experiencing one of our priceless cattle drive vacations. This is an ideal vacation for both women and men, or families that seek fun and excitement   for the adventurer in all of us. The thrill of ranch life and driving cattle will speak to those seeking the encounter of a lifetime, while the hard work and team building will bring any family closer together. Being an experienced rider or a beginner makes no difference.  We have horses and riding levels for both, so come celebrate timeless American traditions with one of our exhilarating cattle drive vacations and become one of the family at Dryhead Ranch.

An Overview of Your Cattle Drive Vacation at Dryhead Ranch

While enjoying one of our cattle drive vacations there are many ranch activities you will be able to take part in. Every cattle drive holiday experience will be different. Depending upon the time of year you come for your working cattle drive vacation you will have the opportunity to share is many activities that are necessary to the function of the ranch. The schedule of the working ranch is heavily dependent upon the weather and needs of the cattle and horses. We may plan on completing a schedule of tasks on one specific day to change plans that morning because it is either too hot or too cold or other work needs our focus that day.   Many activities we share with our guests are seasonal such as branding, weaning calves, putting together mare bands so all activities cannot be offered in any given week. Calling the ranch office is a great way to get additional information so that choosing the activities you would like to experience can be achieved. The type of cattle drive vacation you sign up for may be dependent upon your level of experience on a horse.

Enjoy a Real Cattle Drive for Any Level of Experience

Our cattle drive holidays are designed for all levels of riding experience. While on horse-back you will be able to drive the cattle from Lovell, Wyoming into the grasslands of Dryhead ranch. Enjoy the authentic cowboy experience as you move cattle on this working cattle drive. You will work alongside our ranch hands as you guide the cattle to their summer home on Dryhead Ranch where they will feed on the native grass. You will become a necessary part of our team as you safely guide our cattle to their destination. The bond you will experience with your horse as you two work as a team is indescribable and a must have experience. The walking pace of these cattle drive vacations is perfect for the beginner horseman or for the experienced rider.  Jake, our head cowboy, places an experienced rider in positions that challenge them when we need help getting out ahead to move neighbors cattle out of our path.  Whether you’ve grown up on a horse or are riding for your first time our working cattle drives are ideal for all riding experience levels.

Our horse drives will require a greater level of experience than our cattle drive holidays. For those with more experience riding horses you will have the unique opportunity to drive our herd of American Quarter Horses to or from summer pastures. Some extended cantering is done to control the herd but much walking is required as we cover 50 miles of country to get to the ranch; hence the greater level of experience needed. Our American Quarter Horses travel at a varied pace than our cattle and are much livelier. The lead may go great distances at a canter as you seek to keep the herd together and moving in the right direction, but the back of the herd is slower and more steady. We offer mini horse drives in the summer months when the horses need to change pastures or come to headquarters for sorting and training.  This is a good time to get experience in moving horses shorter distances.

Spring Time Cattle Drive Vacations

In the spring you can have the opportunity to experience branding weeks. We gather our cows and calves  together and work as a team to brand each calf. Our Dryhead brand, )S(, is necessary to prove ownership and make it easy to recognize which ranch the cow  belong to. Branding is a social event where cowboys from the surrounding ranches get together to brand, vaccinate and castrate our calves. Should you be there for this event you will have the opportunity to work alongside our skilled ranch hands and neighbors as we brand the young in our herd. You will play a vital role as you assist in these essential tasks.

Our cattle drive vacations and horse drive vacations are our most popular experiences that we offer on Dryhead Ranch. As you work with us you will become not only an essential member of our team but a part of our family. We are honored to share with you the tradition of a working ranch. Our family has been in this business for four generations and takes pride in sharing it with our guests turned family members. Call Dryhead Ranch today and schedule your cattle drive holiday.

A Cattle Drive Holiday is an Unique Experience for Europeans

Do you want to enjoy a cattle drive vacation in the United States but want a truly unique and exhilarating experience? We have the answer to your vacation needs at Dryhead Ranch. We offer an opportunity to experience the life of a working cattle ranch on one of our cattle drive holidays. Join us as we drive cattle, horses and go about the daily routines of ranch life. Our ranch is unique in that we follow the American tradition of working our ranch on horseback. Our cattle and horse drives are done solely on horseback as well as the necessary maintenance needed to keep our ranch successful and fully functioning.

Real Cattle Drive – Real Experience

We proudly offer our guests the unique opportunity to take part in one of our cattle driving vacations. Join our cowboys and ranch hands as we move our cattle from Loveall, Wyoming to the grasslands of Dryhead Ranch. Similar to the times of the Old West you will be responsible for rounding up stray cattle and bringing them back to the herd. With your help our cowboys will begin the process of moving our cattle to fresh pastures at home on our ranch. Our cattle drive vacations are perfect for the beginner horseman as the pace is kept to a steady walk.

For the more experienced riders we offer a place in our horse drives. Work alongside our cowboys to move our more than 120 head herd of American Quarter Horses to fresh pastures. Driving horses requires a livelier pace, we will go from walk to trot to canter as needed in order to keep the herd together and guide them to their intended destination. We gladly welcome your help driving our prized American Quarter Horses all the while introducing you to the beauty of the Montana countryside.

When you take part in one of our cattle drive holidays you will have the opportunity to share in the American West tradition of hard work and honest labor. Our working ranch is one of a kind as we seek to maintain long time tradition of tending our herds on horseback. Most ranches today have sought more modern forms of transportation and have lost the Old West spirit. At Dryhead Ranch, when you partake in one our real cattle drive vacations we welcome you as one of the family and will introduce you to all aspects of American working ranch life.

By signing up for one of our cattle drive holidays you will have the opportunity to experience the thrills of ranch life while partaking in the satisfaction of hard work. When staying at Dryhead Ranch you aren’t simply a guest, but a new member our family. As one of our family we will allow you to enter into any aspect of ranch life you desire. From daily tasks to driving horses and cattle we will gladly teach you the tricks of the trade and share in your successes.

Book Your Cattle Drive Holiday Today!

Live the traditions and values of the American West while working alongside the four generations of our family that run Dryhead Ranch. Schedule your cattle drive holiday today and prepare for the experience of a lifetime.