While looking for a place to visit on my gap year, with a fierce love of riding (despite having not done it as much as I'd have liked) and not work-shy, I stumbled across Horseworks Wyoming. Reading into it, it sounded like a lovely opportunity to do some amazing riding in the most perfect scenery possible for Western riding and learn to be a cowboy at the same time. Boy was I not disappointed.
From the Western riding gear, horses and rustic lifestyle to the stunning scenery and rope skills, Horseworks held the key to the perfect cowboy lifestyle. Working as a team to care for the animals and help each other out, riding our way up, over and around rolling hills in the ever-changing (but often sunny) Wyoming weather, whipping out the ropes for some afternoon lasso practice or choosing to spend the afternoon bathing in the local hot springs, Horseworks as it all.
I should emphasise that this is no dude ranch. This is THE perfect place to develop horse-sense skills and learn everything you possibly can. The ranch owner, MaeCile, will try to accommodate your interests and help you to push yourself and develop new skills. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to understanding, working with and training horses. It's the perfect opportunity to learn how to listen to and understand your horse and take your riding to the next level, rather than just sitting on a horse.
I say it's an adventure to last a lifetime and I really mean it. Once you get a taste for the lifestyle you can never let go. Once you've been welcomed into the Horseworks family it really is that, a family of people from all over the world that will always know a home at the ranch tucked away in the hills and plains of beautiful Wyoming.
What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Horseworks is a place perfectly designed to expand your horizons and constantly push yourself to learn new things. Having been a fairly new rider, I'd built my confidence riding a few of the horses and was keen to push myself on another horse, a mule (Bamba) to be precise. To build both my confidence and the confidence of the mule, MaeCile and I took her into the round-pen to do groundwork, working with Bamba to gain some understanding as to how she would move and respond while riding. Having gained some fantastic insight from the very knowledgeable MaeCile and begun building rapport with Bamba, it was time for a ride. What followed was one of my most enjoyable rides yet and I instantly fell in love. If you've never ridden a mule before, I highly recommend giving it a go at least once! Bamba was, from then on, my go to horse/mule.
To summarise - Horseworks, great for teaching, building experience and trying something new. All done in the right way!