I don’t get the opportunity to ride horses as much as I would like. It is expensive and I work crazy hours. Most stables in my area offer English lesson for children 8 and older. So up until now my Little Cowboy has not been on a horse. I decided to rectify both issues in grand cowboy style. So we headed to a dude ranch about 150 miles north of my home. I picked the Malibu Dude Ranch based largely on the recommendation of 2 friends. One has been there a few times recently and the other remembers going as a kid. So we packed up the Jeep and headed north.
The ride was very relaxing. Even though the ranch is located in Pa we got there by way of New Jersey. We rode through many small ranch and farming towns. My son was quite enamored of a few of the places we passed through. He says we don’t have to move too far away to get our ranch and stable our horses
We arrived too early to check in so we decided to visit the town of Milford, Pa. I didn’t go off the main street but I found everything I needed. We found an outdoor shop for bug spray, convenience store for ice and drinks, a restaurant for lunch, and Rite-Aid for snacks. After having lunch we headed up the hill to the ranch. I was excited to start my adventure.
We pulled up to the main cabin, a grand building right on a lake. It was surrounded by a variety of small private cabins and 2 large multi unit cabins. We were staying in a cabin named Texas. I figured that was a good sign that we were really going to have our western weekend. The cabin had 2 beds and a bathroom and dresser. Notice I didn’t say a TV and phone. That is because there isn’t any. Not a big deal for me but I thought my son was going to faint. I do think they should mention that in their room descriptions. We did find WiFi and TV in the main cabin.
We had a buffet style dinner and got our selves ready for the Malibu Championship Rodeo. It is held in the on-site arena about 50 yards from our cabin. Pretty cool right? They even had a mechanical bull. The rodeo is an American Pro Rodeo Association sanctioned performance. It was my first for this organization so I was really excited to see how these Pennsylvanians measured up against the PRCA competitors I know and love, They had a great grand entrance of competitors and Old Glory. They started their event with a round of Bull Riding. I saw a cowboy from Brazil and Philadelphia, What a treat. They, however, didn’t cover their feisty bulls. Next was ladies Breakaway roping. I had never seen this event live It was fun and fast paced.
The clouds started rolling in and thunder could be heard over the mountains. I was really excited to watch Team Roping, since it is my favorite event. It started to pour down raining. We braved the rain watching the cowboys try to wrangle those steer. But when the lights went out we decided to head back to the cabin until the lights came back on. It was so humid and the little air conditioner in the cabin was not cutting it. So my lil guy donned his poncho and we headed back out. The ladies had already run the barrels and the calves had been roped but we did get a chance to see the winning bull ride.
The after party was held in the saloon. But we hung out in the game room shooting pool and playing air hockey. But it was so hot (no air conditioner) I pleaded with the little guy that we should turn in so we could get an early start the next day. I was silently dreading the whining sure to come about no TV. I jumped in the shower to get rid of the grime from the day. But I was not alone. I had the pleasure of showering with a spider. Yay Me!
The next day started early. I needed a real cup of coffee so I jumped in the car and headed down the big hill to get a giant cup of coffee and a bag of ice. When we returned it was time for our breakfast with the rest of the ranch. We were assigned to a table with 4 other folks. We chatted with a couple that lived in Connecticut. The wife was from Tennessee but had been up north for over 20 years. They had been at the ranch for a few days. We talked about the horse stock. They had been enjoying their trail rides. However were disappointed that they didn’t have a chance to canter during the rides.
After breakfast the little guy could not be contained. He ran right down to the stables ready for his first ride. After putting on his helmet (safety first) we walked to an outdoor ring full of horses. The wranglers were so welcoming asking questions to make sure they matched you up with the perfect horse. He was given a beautiful horse named Stallworth. I turned to talk about the horse I was getting on and when I turned back he was up in the saddle without using a hay bale. Never a prouder Mama moment.
We set off on the trail. It was a nice leisurely ride through many acres of trees, creeks, and assorted animals. We saw some fawn and their mama not far off the path. We did not ever see their dad. I suspect he was off napping close by. Our trail guide led us up hills and through creeks and around bends. It was a great hour or so. When we dismounted back at the ranch my son proclaimed it the best day ever. I knew I had created a horse lover forever.
We spent the rest of the morning at the rifle and archery range. When Lil Cowboy was 4 the teacher at his school said he was amazing at archery. Whenever we are at an outdoor store like Bass Pro Shop or Cabellas he wants to look at the bows. Well he was amazing with the basic bows and hit most of his targets. He was not a fan of the rifle range. I think the kick back from the rifle takes some getting used to.
When it was time for our afternoon ride I rode a horse that had personal space issues and required me to be at the back of the pack. She was a beauty. When the wrangler asked if we wanted to trot on this ride I was hesitant since it was Lil Cowboy’s 2nd ride, He enthusiastically said yes. The wrangler said he would be fine. Anyone who has taken English riding lessons knows how complicated they make trotting and cantering. All I could think about was he doesn’t now how to post or watch his diagonal. Needless to say he took to it and loved every minute of it.
On our last day we rode twice, trotting and enjoying the fresh mountain air. We did some fishing and paddle boating. They offer a cattle drive experience that I may try next time around. The one thing we didn’t get a chance to do was visit the local beach. So maybe on our next adventure in those parts we may stop by The Malibu Dude Ranch and get a day pass and spend the day on the grounds riding and playing.
As I always say ‘Yes we Rodeo Big in the North’ and that includes ranching. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @cowgirl19114 . I look forward to hearing from you guys.
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