Questions to Ask of your Dude Ranch or Outfitters

If you’re going on a horseback riding vacation, especially if you’re going out of the country or to the other side of the world, you might have some concerns.

Is the place well run? Is it safe? Is the food going to be any good? Are the horses treated properly?

There are horror stories of people showing up to a vacation to find that the horses are bags of bones being beaten by the wrangler. The easiest way to not be that person is to check reviews (also, once you’ve been on one of these vacations, you’ll get word of mouth recommendations. More of them than years in your life, trust me). Website photos can be faked, but a large gallery is generally a good sign. However, you also may want to get a feel for the place by talking to them. I recommend calling rather than emailing unless it’s really inconvenient, you’re international, or you’re even more afraid of phone calls than I am. (Yes, I’m one of those people).

Questions to Ask of a Dude Ranch, Outfitter or Stable

So, here are some questions you might want to ask them:

1. Do you require helmets? Note that if…