Dude Guest Ranch Equestrian Vacations Horses Of Marble Mountain Ranch
Since most of our horses are foaled at Marble Mountain Ranch, then imprinted, raised and trained by us, we consider them extensions of our family and we know their personalities intimately. In planning for your riding holiday, we look for horses that are people friendly, have a safe and stable demeanor, and a good work ethic. We have our preferred breeds, but we consider the abilities of the horse to be more important than it’s genealogy. Because of this you will find mixes of Paint, Morgan, Arabian, Quarter Horse, Tennessee Walker, Thoroughbred and some Mustang blood in our herd. Some of the gang is high energy and in need of intermediate to advanced riding partners, while others of the herd are calm enough for the first timers and timid riders. Before your horse is allowed to take you on a trail ride, it is ridden by our family and staff on the trail for at least one year, and has founded it’s skills in past pack string work, round pen training and trail testing by our staff. Your safety and our horse’s future are more important to us than a premature start to a horse’s career in the public arena.
Meet Some Of Your Equestrian Riding Holiday Horses
“Thunder’s Eve.” She was foaled on the ranch in 2001 with a registered Tennessee Walker Dam and a Nevada Mustang Sire. You can obviously see the Mustang in her “mountain bred” conformation. She imparts a sense of concern for the rider yet exudes an energy level that makes her easy to move and a pleasure to ride. She packs and rides with the best of the string and is the favorite of many of our guests.
“Sugar” is a pure bred Quarter Horse and is one of our most productive in the pack string and on the trail. She can carry a large rider and still breeze up the steepest slopes. Doug prefers to lead the string with Sugar, since she keeps the younger horses in line with an “all business” attitude while on the job. Yes, she is a sweet ride.
“Max” is a Morgan/Arab mix. His “soft mouth” smaller size, and attentive ride make him a perfect horse for a small to medium sized rider that wants a responsive ride on a well behaved horse. Max is the “Porsche” equivalent in our trail horse string. Many riders leave the ranch and want to know if Max is for sale. No, Not for sale!
“Misty” is a looker! She was sired by a registered paint, foaled at Marble Mountain Ranch in 1999, and is a half sister to “Thunder’s Eve”. Misty is one of our favorite pack horses and is a perfect trail horse for intermediate level riders.
“Silk”. He is a remarkable horse with 100% perfect production in the pack string. The amazing thing about Silk is that he will simply stop and wait on the trail if his pack rolls under his belly, if his foot gets tangled, or if any spooky looking new object is brought to his attention. He is a “short coupled” horse and cannot carry large riders, so many of the ladies choose to ride Silk. Silk is also a half brother to “Misty” as well as guardian and protector of the mares. Such a Gentleman!
“Navaho” (with an “H” not a “J”) is a leopard Appaloosa. He’s proud of his spots and trots with his tail cocked half to the side, he wears his shirt collar unbuttoned and likes colored chap stick to protect his lips from the sun. However, the other horses have a somewhat lesser opinion of him. Navaho is a great beginner’s horse and is happy to serve trail riders of any skill level. Just don’t embarrass him by telling him his wardrobe is “out of fashion.”
Meet “Miss Merry” – She is a morgan horse mare, that comes to us from North East Oregon. She is a gaited horse, with narrow shoulders and a soft mouth. This is a horse that is sure to please the ladies and she walks as fast as some of our other horses at the trot!