Here’s why I keep coming back to HorseWorks for my vacations. Fair warning if you’re considering coming to Horseworks for your ranch adventure: it’s super addictive. Let me tell you all the reasons why 😉
- See old friends again
A lot of the Horseworks participants become friends and part of the ‘ranch family’. They come back year after year, for a few weeks or even months, to enjoy a vacation from their everyday lives and enjoy ranch life. This summer will be my third time coming out from the Netherlands. My first time was in 2016 when I did the August session. In 2017 I came back for three months and this year I’ll spend another three months at the ranch over summer. Quite a few people I’ve met in 2016 and 2017 are coming back this summer and I can’t wait to catch up with them and have more ranch adventures together.
- Work with ‘your’ horses again
I keep coming back to HorseWorks. Because Horseworks has so many different horses, there is always a horse you’ll fall in love with. My big love is Pirouette, a little Paso Fino x Quarter Horse mare. She is a very sensitive horse, but once you get to know her, she’s amazing and will do anything for you. We’ve figured out she walks like a chicken, drinks like a fish, looks a bit like a mouse and I guess is part horse, as well. She loves to take naps in rivers and is a great barrel racer. If you’re interested in training, we’ve always got project horses – either a young, unbroke horse, or an older horse that needs attention to get back into the string. My ‘project’ is Missy, she was three years old this summer and all the groundwork I did with her last year paid off and I was able to ride her last summer!
- The true ‘Wild West’ feeling
I keep coming back to Horseworks because as soon as I leave the airport and hit the open road with my giant truck, I feel like I’m coming home. I love vacationing in the wide open spaces of Wyoming with deer running next to the road and herds of horses in every field, the little towns that look like they haven’t changed a bit since the early 19th century, saloons with cowgirls and cowboys wearing their Stetsons and not to mention the rodeo. I wouldn’t be surprised if I came across a gunfight at high noon. You really feel like you’re starring in a John Wayne movie. There is so much history in this area, riding for miles and miles without seeing anyone, you feel like you’re a rider on the American Frontier.
- The ranch ‘work’
I keep coming back to HorseWorks because although I really don’t consider it to be work, I love a vacation that keeps me busy. From wrangling in the horses early in the morning and watching the sunrise to herding cattle and even patching a fence, it’s just so nice to be outside, experiencing animals with the beautiful scenery around me. I really love all aspects of ranch life. The days in the saddle can be physically hard and sometimes the rides are long but I always feel so satisfied when I sit down in the evenings (plus I sleep very well). In a way, it feels like a very ‘free’ life. And don’t worry, it’s not all riding and horses – we have plenty of time for other fun activities like going swimming, or a Yellowstone trip.
- Meet new friends from all over the world!
The best part about Horseworks by far, is meeting like-minded people from all over the world. It can be challenging to live with 10 or more people for a few weeks, but I love sharing our enthusiasm for horses, hearing everyone’s stories, laughing together, getting to know everyone better, and experiencing a lifestyle I’m so passionate about. The participants always say that after three days, they feel like they have known each other for ages. We get many solo travellers, but what they all have in common is that they love horses. All the activities ensure that after three weeks it feels like you are saying goodbye to lifelong friends. We can’t wait to meet you this summer!