Great American Horse Drive

Experience an event that few get to enjoy, a large horse herd moving open and free across the western rangelands.

Enjoy the great western atmosphere and wide-open spaces of western Colorado.

Work alongside our cowboys and cowgirls to move our horses from winter range to our spring ranch. Riding 20+ miles per day, often 6-8 hours days.

Ride through different terrains, hills, rural gravel roads, asphalt highways, dirt trails, hills and flat open spaces.

Ride and enjoy a variety of horses.

Meet and work with individuals from all walks of life.

See wildlife and enjoy the sagebrush open ranch lands.

Enjoy the opportunity to live in a cowboy ranch style atmosphere (Our ranch is a working ranch, not a dude ranch or resort).

Horse drives are like cattle drives with one major difference - Speed! You will drive our large herd of loose horses a total of 60 miles over the course of two days as we begin to move our horses off of winter range so they can move on to their summer jobs. Loose horses often travel at a long trot for extended distances. All riders must be able to keep up with the horses, meaning you also will be traveling at the same pace and gait as the horse herd. This pace is geared for endurance riders, are you able to ride for an extended time at a gait other than a walk?

Northwestern Colorado is a beautiful, high desert climate with varying weather patterns. We’ve had years where the sun beats down and we reach 80-90 degrees, and we’ve had years with snow and frigid temperatures and wind, rain, or hail. You need to prepare for any of these conditions, as our horses don’t stop for rain! The terrain on which you will be riding consists of stints of uneven rural dirt roads and asphalt on the highways. We highly recommend guests include an extra day of travel in Denver, or Steamboat, Colorado prior to arrival at the ranch to acclimate to the high altitude and dry weather.

Those who are in above average physical condition are at a much higher advantage when it comes to keeping up on the Great American Horse Drive. However, it takes more than pure athletic ability to ride the horse drive successfully. We highly suggest workouts that increase your inner core strength and exercises that enhance your riding muscles in advance of the horse drive. Some items to consider are your horseback riding skills, weight, personal health and physical fitness level. We want every participant to be as successful as possible and enjoy this amazing experience; and personal health and top fitness will play a large roll in your enjoyment. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have questions so we can help you assess your skills and ability!

There is no charge for lodging and clients are welcome to stay with us on our working ranch or if preferred, they can head into town to rent their own hotel room for the week. It is important to know that our living quarters are true western bunkhouses in a rustic ranch setting. Each room has a minimum of two beds/bunk beds and as many as six. Please expect to share your room with at least one other person. There is a common bathroom for the bunkhouses with showers, sinks, and toilets. The ranch is located 13 miles outside of Craig, so we have very limited cell phone service and internet is not available. Be aware you may need to go into town to make phone calls. You may want to disconnect for the week and truly embrace the cowboy lifestyle!

Sombrero Ranches has a full-time cook and we provide three meals a day for our family and staff. Guests are welcome to join us for meals at no additional cost. The serving schedule is posted daily along with a menu of meals for the day. We serve ranch style family meals which consist of meat, potatoes, vegetables and salad. Because there are so many guests and staff, we can’t accommodate other special dietary needs.

We understand that life gets busy, in the event you need to cancel your reservation we offer a prorated cancellation policy: If the cancellation is 150 days prior to the event, 90% of your deposit will be refunded. If the cancellation is 120 days, prior to the event, 50% of your deposit will be refunded. If the cancellation is 60 days, prior to the event, your deposit will be forfeited. Special considerations will be given for medical or family emergencies, please call our main office at 303-442-0258. Of course, travel insurance is recommended.