Kansas Cattle Ranch Invites Guests to Experience Ranch Life
Several years ago, the Moore family was looking for a way to increase the ranch income without putting more stress on the existing natural resources or changing their lifestyle. The answer was to allow a limited number of guests to come along with them on their daily routine.
Now from April – October you can visit the Moore Ranch and participate at any level you feel comfortable.
“As a young girl, I would dream of living on a ranch with my own horse and saddle and riding out on the open range with the wind blowing through my hair. Even though that was just a dream as a girl, it is a dream come true as an adult,” said Becki, a guest at the Moore Ranch.
If you are of a like mind with Becki, you need to visit this genuine Texas Longhorn cattle ranch in Southwest Kansas. The Moore family operates the ranch on the rolling hills and open plains of around 6,000 acres.
In April the cattle are driven 35 miles from winter pasture in the sandhills back to the ranch. In October the cattle are driven back to winter pasture. You can ride along and be part of the cattle drive by riding at the back of the herd or as you feel more comfortable you can push stray cows back into the herd or ride ahead and turn the herd. Last spring, one gal, Mary Ellen, signed up to the drive the chuckwagon on the cattle drive. Her friend, Nancy, in her 70’s rode the entire cattle drive on a horse named July as she pushed the longhorns along.
If a cattle drive is a little more of the west you would like to experience, consider a ranch vacation. When you arrive at the ranch, three cow dogs will greet you along with Joe, Nancy or their son, Laramie Moore. After Laramie runs the horses in from pasture, you can help catch your own horse out of the herd or watch with your camera from the corral fence. If you are an experienced rider, you will be matched with a ranch horse you won’t be bored with. If you are a beginner, your mount will be a horse which will ease you into the stream of ranch life. After some instruction on saddling and any riding instruction needed, the day’s activity begins.
After a day at the ranch, guests realize this is not a performance. This is real cowgirl life in the open air. The Moore’s work allows them to be horseback everyday and there is no set itinerary and no trails to ride the horses down. There is no riding in single file fashion, with horses lined up head to tail. You are free to ride out in the open range.
You never know what might happen at the ranch. Last week Nancy and six cowgirl guests rode out to check the cows which had just begun calving. They found a heifer which needed to be driven back to the corrals. The gals successfully rode their horses and cut the heifer, her calf and two other cows out of the herd and drove them across the pastures to the corral. They were also lucky enough to witness a new calf being born out on the range. Other unexpected experiences have been helping to doctor a sick calf in the pasture after Joe had roped it, watching a cow being roped in the pasture and helping milk it out, gathering up cattle which had strayed, watching a coyote slink off over a hill, or even help a sheep birth a lamb.
Now, if you like the idea of a stay at the ranch but would like to make it getaway for just you and the gals, the Moore’s can arrange for a Cowgirl Getaway anytime with three ladies or more. This will not be your usual girl’s weekend. You will taste a slice out of a true cowgirl’s life. If your goal is to have fun, you can do this by taking part in ranch life, bottle feeding calves and lambs, gathering eggs, milking a cow, learning how to rope, barrel racing or just enjoying the stars in the evening sky as you sit in front of your cabin.
Whether you are a dreamy girl of 10 years or a 75 year old girl who has dreamed many dreams, the Moore Ranch works to make cowgirl dreams come true. Cattle drives are available in April, July, September and October. A chuckwagon goes along and lodging is in cowboy teepees or in a bedroll under the stars. The ranch is open for ranch vacations April – October. Lodging is in cabins at the ranch. All meals are home-cooked and served at the family dinner table. Cowgirl getaways can be scheduled during this time with a minimum of three women. If you can’t convince a couple friends to come with you, you can sign on for the Cowgirl Getaway that is scheduled for August 13-14, 2015.
Learn more about Moore Ranch on their website and in the Equitrekking Vacation Guide.
