The Rocky Mountains of old Western movies

We have all seen at least one Western movie during our lives, most likely when we were kids. We remember the prairies, the cowboys, the Native Indians, horses and farms. Even today there are parts of the western United States where scattered, isolated ranches dominate thousands of acres of open prairieland while rural life is still linked to the rhythm of nature and of animals.   

A trip to the American West without visiting one of these ranches is unthinkable, especially for horse lovers. Without the horse, there would be no West, and horses are an integral part of any ranch.

Montana, located in the Rocky Mountains, is the fourth largest state in the US and home to seven Native Indian reserves, several of which are interesting to visit. Within the Flatland Reservation, for example, is the National Bison Range with 350 protected bison while the Crow Reservation is famous for the monument to the historic Battle of Little Bighorn, won by the Sioux,  which took place in June 1876. Not far from here are the Pryor mountains straddling the border with Wyoming and home to 120 Mustang horses, divided into small herds, which run free on 16 thousand hectares of land.

Nature courses through your veins as you gallop on horseback through the endless meadows of fragrant wild sage. As a guest on one of these ranches, you can learn the art of lassoing or roping, and can even take part in a real rodeo as long as you can manage a few decent throws and there is proper communication with the horse. Even in today’s hyper-connected, technological world, cowboys uphold their traditions, happily teaching skills to visitors (kids in particular love it) and selling their quirky boots, buckles and silver jewellery in small boutiques.

So it is at the Ranch at Rock Creek, set in a vast landscape of mountains, lakes and rivers, which offers guest rooms and hotel-style facilities near Missoula, an hour’s flight from Seattle.  You can spend your days with the estate’s seventy Quarter Horses (the ultimate American horse), that are not only trained to manage entire herds of cattle but also to quickly connect with their inseparable cowboys. Yes, this is the real thing!   

Whole days are spent outdoors, learning about the workings of the ranch and choosing between a slew of activities: clay pigeon shooting or archery, fly fishing, bear and deer hunting (don’t worry, they are puppets), skiing and hiking.

Later, you can grab some well-deserved relaxation: a massage at the spa, a whirlpool bath, a swim in the warm outdoor pool. Beds in the carefully-furnished rooms and lodges are made up with silk sheets and handmade quilts. Set on a small hill, Granite Lodge is the heart of the ranch: this is where breakfast and lunch are served and where guests gather for bowling or billiards in the evening. The menu features meat from animals raised on wide, open pastures and vegetables from the organic garden.

The West of the United States is the most authentic place I have ever visited.

You pass through  ghost towns that speak of extraordinary epics, of ancient agricultural traditions, of battles that formed the history and ideals of this great continent. You meet characters who seem to be straight out of a Western movie but are, in fact, real people. Here, a handshake sealed by a spoken word still counts much more than a signed contract. Smiles are rare, but the few that are offered are sincere.

Big Sky – as they call this area of Montana – is well worth a visit for nature lovers and in particular, those who love that noble animal that alongside man formed the history of this place: the horse!

Stay Wild Stay Smart

For anyone seeking an adventure in which the horse plays protagonist, Elena Bajona, founder of Animantia and an equine ethologist specialising in wild horses, offers tours to corners of the world where you can experience adventures and emotions of exceptional integrity. With outstanding professionality and genuine passion, she offers extraordinary accompanied tours to experience every aspect of the horse, visiting top stud farms and training centres, staying on the best ranches of the Great West and the historic haciendas of Argentina, discovering wild horses in some of the most remote places in the world.

For all our horse travel experiences we collaborate with Animantia