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Canada Cattle Ranch

Overview

This authentic working guest ranch is nestled in the beautiful Saskatchewan river valley, along the shores of Lake Diefenbaker, in the heart of Canadian cattle ranching country. Guests can enjoy a taste of the cowboy way of life with a true ranching adventure, featuring lots of hours in the saddle …

Highlights

  • Ride through the beautiful Saskatchewan river valley
  • Participate in seasonal and daily cattle & ranch work
  • Special round-up or branding weeks available
  • Learn how to correctly throw a lasso & handle livestock
  • Relax in the saloon or around the campfire with a drink

Essential Facts

  • 1 itinerary available
  • Max 16 riders per group
  • Average of 5 - 6 hours riding per day
  • Weight limit: 90kg / 198 lbs / 14 stone 2lbs.
    more info Heavier riders may be accommodated if they are experienced. Please enquire

Description

This authentic working guest ranch is nestled in the beautiful Saskatchewan river valley, along the shores of Lake Diefenbaker, in the heart of Canadian cattle ranching country. Guests can enjoy a taste of the cowboy way of life with a true ranching adventure, featuring lots of hours in the saddle each day, on the ranch's well-schooled Quarter horses, Appaloosa and paints. Become truly immersed in the culture and feel the slow pace of the land whilst riding across the seemingly endless rolling prairies.

You will be welcomed to the family ranch by owner George, who has been hosting guests and "city-folk" at his ranch since 1996. All guests are encouraged to participate in the seasonal and daily cattle and ranch work during their stay. You may need to help check and move cows from pasture to pasture. Or it may sometimes be necessary to help gather and catch some of the young calves to administer treatments and brand or tag them. Although the daily work can be long and often challenging, the team here certainly know how to relax and unwind after a satisfying day of working the range. You'll enjoy a good lunch break each day, with coffee cooked over a fire and a nice snooze in the sun to regain your energy for the afternoon's activities. In the summer months, you may pack up the horses for an overnight trip and camp out under the stars: a cowboy dream! At certain times of the year, there will also be chances to get involved in some of the special events of a working ranch calendar. Events such as "branding week" in early June, when the young calves of the year are marked with the ranch brand to show where they have come from. Or the "Fall round-up" the largest cattle round up of the year when the cows are brought back to the ranch from their summer pastures to be counted, checked, vaccinated, sorted and prepared for sale if necessary. Guests looking for a truly authentic and hands-on ranch experience would do well to visit during one of these events.

Horses & Riding

Tack

All the tack used at the ranch is quality western. Saddles have wide flat seats for added comfort during long days of riding and bridles tend to be simple leather headstalls with western snaffles or shank bits.

Horses

The ranch horses are mostly American Quarter Horses, appaloosa and paints. They are calm natured, fit and strong, with a good head for cattle work. The horses live out on the hills surrounding the ranch year-round and it is truly an amazing sight to see them all come in first thing in the mornings.

Riding

There is 1 itinerary:

  • Ranch Stay is a based ride

Ages

4 years and above for riding (children must be happy to ride a horse as no ponies are available)

Health

No special health requirements

Weight

90kg / 198 lbs / 14 stone 2lbs. Heavier riders may be accommodated if they are experienced. Please enquire

Food & Accommodation

Food

Food at the ranch is hearty and plentiful, with the opportunity to sample the ranch raised, melt-in-your-mouth Canadian beef, as well as a host of true to form ranch meals, with campfire cookouts and cowboy coffee brewed over the fire.

Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day here, large portions and extensive options, with scrambled eggs, toast, ham, fried potatoes, fruit, juice, and coffee available.

Lunches are generally much lighter, consisting of sandwiches and snacks packed in your saddle bag and eaten on the move or whilst enjoying a break on the grass, listening to the sounds of nature, horses and cattle all around you.

Dinners are then prepared and enjoyed back at the ranch cookhouse each evening, with all guests and ranch staff eating side-by-side, sharing stories from the days' adventures.

Beers are available from the Saloon bar in the evening, simply write down what you take and pay for it at the end of your stay. If you would like to bring wine, spirits or soft drinks with you then you are most welcome. The cabins have small fridges these can be kept in.

NB. Please note that vegan diets cannot be catered for at this destination.

Accommodation

During your stay, you will be accommodated in one of six comfortable wood cabins decorated in true western ranch style. Any cowboy is sure to feel at home here. Each cosy log cabin features 2 double beds and a private bathroom with shower. There are also two larger 1.5 storey cabins with a loft/mezzanine floor, suitable for families or groups of friends. These sleep up to 6 guests in each, with 2 double beds and 2 bunk beds. All bedding, bath towels and basic toiletries are provided for your stay and rooms are cleaned each week, or with each arrival.

Most guests are happy to share cabin accommodation. However, single occupancy can be offered at an additional cost if you would prefer not to share with other guests.

The ranch has its own private saloon with pool table, table football and darts for the evenings.

There is no Wifi at the ranch - the closest available internet connection is at another ranch 3km away. You will be able to truly disconnect during your stay.

Itineraries

Ranch Stay Standard accommodation.

Other Activities

Whilst at the ranch, the main activity will be horse riding which is a way of life here. Everyone rides and so it is assumed that everyone visiting will want to ride as well. Guests of all levels and backgrounds are welcome to take part in the daily activities, with lessons offered for those who would like to learn new skills, as well as how to handle their ranch horse.

When not in the saddle, there are a number of other activities to take part in. During the summer you can swim, canoe, water ski on the lake below the ranch (roughly 150 meters away) with the ranch’s own little motorboat. There is also the chance to go fishing on the lake if you wished.

The ranch covers a large area which can be great for exploring on foot. Among the rolling hills and pristine wilderness, you may see deer, coyote, skunks, owls, eagles and pelicans. Or you could find your own private spot on the 15 km (9 mile) long sandy beach at the edge of the lake.

The day often ends with a little rope-play (lassoing), a visit to the ranch saloon for a drink or just gathering around the campfire to recount stories or hear country songs. Sometimes you can visit the White Bear Saloon nearby, which is famous in the region for its unique decor, for hot wings and drinks.

The region around the ranch has a very old ranching tradition. People often arrange joint excursions to local rodeo competitions, where cowboys test their skills and bravery, competing to see who can stay on the bucking horse the longest. There are also many excursions for those who are interested in nature and western history.

Travel

Saskatoon airport is the closest to the ranch, at approx. 2.5 hours driving time. Transfers are offered for guests arriving on Saturday, Monday or Thursday during the week. Transfers are NOT available outside of these days.

On arrival, you will be met at the airport by 7 pm at the very latest, depending on the flight time of the last arriving guest that day.

On departure, you will return to Saskatoon according to the time of the first departing flight that day - the earliest flight time being 10am.

* Please note that only one transfer per day is possible so you may have to wait for other guests arriving on later flights, or depart earlier if other guests leave on earlier flights.

Alternatively, you may choose to self-drive (directions can be provided). The drive from Calgary is very simple - almost 600km and only two turns!

Testimonials

Mary, Nov. 13, 2019

Just thought I would touch base and let you know how our holiday went. It was amazing!!!! I cannot express enough how much we enjoyed it. We did not want to leave. George, Larry, Jo and Slim were amazing. The food and accommodation was great. The horses we had were amazing and the whole experience was fabulous from start to finish. We will definitely go back there again at some point


Itinerary & Pricing

Day 1 - Saturday

Riding: No riding.

Arrive and settle into your accommodation before dinner.

Days 2 to 7

Riding: 5 - 6 hours

This ranch is able to offer a lot of riding for those who wish to take part. At times you might be working with cattle, other times just relaxing on a ride across the prairie. All guests are welcome to participate in the work that needs to be done with the cattle and on the ranch. However, this is not a requirement and you can be as hands-on or hands-off as you wish. The amount and type of work required will vary across the year, with some weeks being busier than others. However, every day it will be necessary to check the cattle to ensure they are safe and well or move them if they require fresh grazing, so there is always plenty to be getting on with.

In general, your daily routine will go as follows: After breakfast, it will be time to round up the horses from the huge pasture for the day's work. This part will be done by the staff with the help of a quad-bike but is a wonderful spectacle to watch. After a while, you'll spot the herd coming trotting up from the lake or down from the hills to the corral at the centre of the ranch. After meeting your horse for the week, you will be able to take part in grooming and saddling up before it's time off for a full day of riding. Roaming across the range, you will check the cattle, maybe help to fix damaged fences or search for missing cows & calves. On a normal day, you can expect to ride for between 5-6 hours per day. Sometimes it can be more if the work calls for it. The pace of the ride will vary but will be slow overall, as your horse will need to keep his energy for the long and challenging days on the ranch.

Those who do not have much riding experience will receive basic lessons in western riding and horse handling at no extra cost. Everyone will get the opportunity to learn how to correctly throw a lasso and to work with the livestock; be it horses or cows. The more interest you show, the more you can learn!

For those interested in a real hands-on experience, then look out for the special events on the ranching calendar:

Season Opening: The first week of each season, around the end of May, will see the arrival of this year's new calves on the ranch - plenty of opportunities to check on the herds and ensure the safety of the new and precious arrivals.

Branding Week: From the beginning of June, it's time to brand all the new cattle. Here you will have plenty of opportunities to drive and rope cattle, helping to catch the new arrivals for branding and administration of any required medications. There is a minimum stay requirement of 10 nights over this period, allowing all guests a few days to become acquainted with the operation before the final roundup and branding occur toward the end of the first full week in June

Fall Round-up: During the first week of October it's time to bring all the cattle down from their summer pastures to be counted, checked, vaccinated, sorted and prepared for sale if necessary. Again, plenty of opportunity for cattle driving, roping and handling of the livestock.

Day 8 - Saturday

Riding: No riding.

Depart after breakfast.

Experience Beginner / Intermediate / Experienced

Novice to experienced riders are accepted - please note that this is slow paced riding with just the occasional brief canter. Nearly all of the riding is at a walking pace, often one behind the other, which is ideal for enjoying the scenery and the company but not for those riders looking to go at different paces.
Minimum group size 1
Maximum group size 16
Departure windows

At any time during: May 22, 2023 - Oct. 9, 2023  (Saturday arrivals and departures.)

Pricing

2023
Adult, shared room		 £1020 $1260 €1155
2023
Adult, single occupancy		 £1285 $1585 €1460
2023
Children (aged 8-11 years); Shared room		 £940 $1160 €1070
2023
Children (aged 4-7 years); Shared room		 £620 $765 €705
Included 7 nights accommodation, all meals from dinner on arrival day to breakfast on departure day, soft drinks with meals, riding and use of ranch facilities, local taxes
Not included Flights, transfers, alcoholic drinks, insurance, tips and other personal expenses.

Extras

2023 - Airport Transfer £150 $185 €170
Paid to Far and Ride
Transfers from Saskatoon, round trip, 2+ people Special transfer rates are also available for families and groups of 4 or more - please enquire.
2023 - Airport Transfer £180 $220 €200
Paid to Far and Ride
Transfers from Saskatoon, round trip; Single person
Note: All programmes and itineraries are weather dependent; in the face of adverse, or unexpected, weather conditions reasonable attempts will be made to provide equivalent riding. All programmes are accurate at the time of writing. However, the team may adapt or modify details, whilst aiming to provide a similar experience.