A horse safari is one of few remaining adventures that haven’t been affected by mass tourism. Mother Nature guarantees nothing aside from the unexpected. Think epic adventure, combined with horses and real history. The safari outlined below is one of many we can organise. It is pointed at small groups of adventurous clients.

We also organise a range of safaris that are tailored made for much more comfort where after a day’s ride the comfort of superb, privately run ranches.

Riders:
The rides are tailored to groups desire, talents and toughness along with length of experience.

“Gila National Forest

Location:
Within the Gila National Forest, north of Silver City, New Mexico and bordered by the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest of Arizona.

History:
The tiny hamlet of Alma was the most southerly way station on the Outlaw Trail in North America. Between 1896-1899 members of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch worked at the famous “W.S.” (Wilson Stevens) Ranch as cowboys and bronco busters.

The Gila National Forest previously boasted a rich history of the Mimbres people, a subgroup of the Mogollon who were active between 1000 and 1130 in the Gila Wilderness area, leaving the world class cliff dwellings, ruins and other evidence of their culture. Later the Chiricahua band of Apache came into the area between 1200 and 1600.

Because of their fierce protectiveness, the area remained undeveloped into the 1870s by infamous chiefs: Mangas Coloradas, Geronimo and Victorio. The Spanish, Mexicans, ranchers, prospectors and miners were also here. Aldo Leopold: conservationist, ecologist, author of the Sand County Almanac and renowned lion hunter Ben Lilly are other personalities who left their mark – maybe you will too…

Ride:
This adventure offers unparalleled horseback riding. The magnificence of these regions imparts an indescribable feeling of awe and wonderment. The Gila’s beauty lies in its diversity – ranging from rugged high cool mountains with aspen and Douglas fir, deep canyons, lush meadows and semi-desert lowlands with astounding scenery comprising of juniper, oak and cactus. Elevations rise from 4,200 -10,900 feet and cover four of the six life zones. Escape into the vast wilderness taking pack-horses and mules with your provisions. You will ride back in time and a little off the face of the earth!

Established in comprising of 1924 as the first designated wilderness in the country, the San Francisco, Gila and Mimbres Rivers, the Catwalk, Pueblo Park Camp-ground, the Gila Cliff Dwellings, Mogollon Baldy, Castle Rock, Eagle Peak Mountain, Emory Pass and the Burro Mountains are among the many islands of beauty. Other areas of interest include:

Cooney’s Tomb, El Caso Lookout Tower, Beaverhead, Reed’s Peak, Frisco Hot Springs and Cherry Creek.

This is a real outback adventure. It is one of the more remote, least developed National Forests in the south-west. Covering 3.3 million acres of publicly owned forest and range land, the Forest is the sixth largest in the continental United States. Learn about the region and its ways and become capable at making camp and packing your trusty animals. Keen-eyed travellers may be rewarded with sightings of deer, elk, pronghorn, grey fox, bear, wolves, mountain lions amongst turkey, grouse, hawk, eagles and many other wildlife in this remarkable part of New Mexico.

This ride has  been featured in the Independent . It is one of America’s best-kept secrets.

Accommodation: Tents / bivouacs

Group size: 4-8 riders

Departures: May – August

“Sangre de Cristo”

Location:
Situated within the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness & Rio Grande National Forest west of Colorado Springs, in the south-central zone of Colorado.

History:
Spanish Conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, explorers John Fremont and Zebulon Pike opened the trails followed by Butch Cassidy and other hunted men rode through on their way to Cimarron, New Mexico and other hangouts in West Texas. The murderously infamous Kid Curry (Harvey Logan) spent his last winter at the Lamb Ranch just north of Westcliffe and previously after the Wilcox Train Robbery, Logan arrived with two cowboys, Jim Lowe (Butch) and Harry Alonzo (Sundance) driving horses to Alma.

Ride:
Ride the high country – a memorable wilderness journey through some of the most remote and spectacular mountains in North America, and far from the crowded trails and backpacking hordes. Through forgotten valleys of the Sangre De Cristo Wildernes, the third largest such area in the state, this adventure is for fit confident riders, crossing 13,000 feet passes, riding 6-7 hours daily and traversing remote trails above the timberline. Pass high altitude lakes, steep drainages, waterfalls and jutting peaks. We utilize all hands on this mobile expedition, everyone participates in saddling and care for the horses.

Travel back into history through the Wet Mountains and Wet Mountains Valley. Through age-old aspen, spruce and pine forest, we pass mule deer, porcupine, wild turkey, rabbits and snowshoe hares. Taking pack-horses through low-lying bogs, downfall timber, groves of evergreen, past fields of wild flowers and over windswept passes to places like San Luis Valley and the Horsethief Basin.

The trip is for horse enthusiasts and high country lovers, enabling true adventurers to disappear into a lost world with comfortable camps, world class guides, serious food and the best mountain trained horses in Colorado – a tremendous, unforgettable ride amongst countless miles of trails.

Accommodation: Tents

Group size: 4 – 8