Anyone been to any dude ranches in Texas? My two girls (6yo and 8yo) like to horseback ride and thought this would be a fun trip for our Spring break this year.

Previous years we've done cruising and visited the YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado, both great trips.

We have an annual work conference and most years it's at the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera. They have horses and all kinds of cowboy stuff. Plenty of food. Open bar from 11:00-9:00, at least for beer and wine.

Thumbs up on the Mayan. The Hicks are great folks.

Ditto on the Mayan.

I did like the Mayan because it had many activities and even had some organized sessions (roping, dancing)
The trailrides tend to have lots of riders.

My wife likes other places with a smaller number of riders, so we usually end up in a quieter place like the 1077 Ranch.

We've been to several places and they all have their pros and cons.

I know you stated Texas, but we were just at this place in Belize with our kids (ages 5, 7 9) and they had an awesome time riding through the jungle.

https://metbelize.com

Belize is only a 2.5 hour flight from Houston and the flights are often fairly cheap (~$300) although that may not be the case during spring break.

Mayan is a great dude ranch. The Hicks family has been in the entertainment business for years and it has been a popular guest ranch for a long time.

Clay Conoly and his family run the historic Dixie Dude Ranch in Bandera and it, too, is a good one. Clay and Diane's son graduated A&M a couple of years ago and helps run the ranch.

1077 is right next to Hill Country State Natural Area -- several thousand acres to ride. You might call them. I'm not sure what is provided beyond meals regarding entertainment. I think it is a simple operation where you are on your own. Beautiful area though.

Flying L also has rides. But it is a much more modern facility -- golf course, hotel type rooms. New owners who are putting a lot into the place. Has a bar, big restaurant.

Question about the trail rides at the dude ranches. Are they the "wear a helmet, stay in line and don't even think about trotting (or more) with the horse" type?

HumbleAg said:

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Question about the trail rides at the dude ranches. Are they the "wear a helmet, stay in line and don't even think about trotting (or more) with the horse" type?

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Helmets are optional, but tail-to-tail horsewalking is pretty much the standard in the U.S. A smaller group may give you a few more liberties but they won't let you push the limits too far because of insurance restrictions.
There are some places that you can get up to a gallop in the corral, but you need to ask about those and there may be an additional cost.

DD88 said:

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HumbleAg said:

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Question about the trail rides at the dude ranches. Are they the "wear a helmet, stay in line and don't even think about trotting (or more) with the horse" type?

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Helmets are optional, but tail-to-tail horsewalking is pretty much the standard in the U.S. A smaller group may give you a few more liberties but they won't let you push the limits too far because of insurance restrictions.
There are some places that you can get up to a gallop in the corral, but you need to ask about those and there may be an additional cost.

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As an adult, the only place in the USA where I have ridden other than nose-to-tail and at anything more than a walk is on the beach in South Padre Island. I actually rode faster than I was really comfortable down there.

When I was growing up in the 60s, we used to go to Cloudcroft, NM every August for a family reunion. Back then, we didn't even have a wrangler leading our group. You went where you wanted and whatever you could get the horse to do was between you and the horse. Just get them back to the stable more or less on time.