Does such a thing exist? Searching the Dummies.com site reveals a 4th Edition of ‘Arizona For Dummies‘ but nothing dedicated to learning the art of horse riding, western style, in The Grand Canyon State or even further afield.
Have I spotted an opening for a book then? It would appear so - I’m keen to give dude ranching a go, even more so after reading Alexandra Ferguson’s recent piece in the Daily Telegraph, titled Riding in the Canadian Rockies:
Soon we are all suited and booted - chaps slung low, neckerchiefs knotted, hats on heads - and ready to move camp. The wagons are loaded, the draught horses harnessed to take the strain.
The thought of getting on a horse always makes me nervous, they’re just so damn big. But the few times I’ve ridden outside of a riding school ring has always been far more enjoyable - and less nerve-wracking - than ambling around man made obstacles on a bored looking cart horse.
I once piloted a horse through Monument Valley, guided by a real life Navajo if I can remember as fact back as 1991 accurately. I say piloted as riding sans saddle under the control of our guide, the horses did pretty much what they and he wanted them to do. Have a look at the photos on Kate and Andy’s travel blog to get the feeling of riding where so many westerns were set.
We’re off to Arizona in January ‘09 and I’d love to spend a couple of days at a real working ranch just to get a feel for the western life again, even if it is like playing at being a cowboy. I’d also love to spend a night at the new View Hotel inside Monument Valley once that opens for business in November.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a new breed of investors and rising ranch land prices are causing many of the family owned outfits to sell up:
For a century of summers, American travelers have headed to Western ranches, saddled up their horses and galloped away from the tedium of modern life. Now, the future of dude ranching is being threatened by rising land prices and the reach of development.
With this in mind I’ve started collecting Dude Ranch links and hope to build up a whole host of Wild West themed categories over the coming months. I like to scan through the ranch websites and dream a little. Being in command of the horse is often a key feature!
