Grapevine Canyon Ranch Additional Programs
Learn about the enthralling days just decades ago in this truly historic area. From the ancient people of the Dragoons Culture, to the Chiricahua Apaches with Chief Cochise and Geronimo eluding the United States Cavalry, to outlaws and renegades, this was a turbulent land. Come, see where it happened... come step into the past.
- Sunday - Check in after 2:00 p.m. Get settled.
- Monday - Your weeks starts with a Morning Orientation trail ride. Then, an afternoon visit to the world famous Amerind Foundation, with its fascinating display of old Indian artifacts.
- Tuesday - You'll ride horseback through the Chiricahua National Monument, also known as the "Wonderland of Rocks", where the Apaches used to retreat in troubled times.
- Wednesday - Enjoy an all day ride to Cochise Stronghold, impregnable long-time camp of the Chiricahua Apache.
- Thursday - Follow the famous Butterfield Trail on horseback to the ruins of old Fort Bowie, built in the 1860s to protect the traffic along the California Highway. Ride by the site of one of the most famous Indian battles of this area, in which the California Volunteers defeated a mighty Apache host by unexpectedly using howitzers.
- Friday - You'll have a vehicle trip to the unique Military Museum in Fort Huachuca, the oldest continuously operating military fort in the USA. (Only available to citizens of the United States.) On the way back to the ranch, you'll visit world famous Tombstone, as well as get a brief look at three genuine ghost towns - Courtland, Gleeson, and Pearce.
- Saturday - Join us for an all day or morning trail ride - or just rest and relax and remember everything you've learned.
- Sunday - Your morning ride culminates with a cook-out ride, then good-bye till next time!
Price per person is $390 (plus 6.1% tax) in addition to the weekly rate. Call 800.245.9202 for availability or more information.
Arizona sales tax will be added to the Final Bill. Service fee based on the regular rate will be added to the Final Bill.
Horsemanship Week ....
"Introduction to Horsemanship"
| Horsemanship Program is offered on the following dates: |
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2010 |
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| June 7-11 | August 16-20 |
| July 12-16 | November 8-12 |
"The goal of a good horseman is to become so sensitive to the entire horse, to the movement of its body and how the horse thinks, that the rider can sense trouble, anticipate exactly how the horse will react, and move to control that reaction even before the horse is aware of its own feelings." - Dorothy Moore Jasper, Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Book
Are you a rider or merely a passenger? A horse owner or a horse slave? A wise horse purchaser or a horse trader's dream? Are you buying your veterinarian's Rolls Royce? Attend our Horse Camp, and become an informed horse owner. Your horse will thank you!
Many people approach purchasing a horse in much the same way they approach buying a puppy. They don't realize a horse - besides being a significantly larger animal - has a mind of its own and its own unique agenda. Throughout this one week program, we'll present a great many highlights of horse ownership - and some of the pitfalls.
During Horse Camp at Grapevine, we'll discuss the following:
- What to look for in purchasing a horse - ideal conformation and temperament
- Horse etiquette and handling - proper approach, handling, and grooming
- Basic horsemanship - how to control the horse, how to communicate
- Horse health management - necessary inoculations, worming program, when not to panic, and when to call the vet
- Equine nutrition and shelter
- Farrier science - examples of a well-shod hoof and a shoeing demonstration
- Theory of saddles and the correct way to pad and saddle
- Theory of bits and bridling
The rate for Horse Camp is $390 (plus 6.1% tax) per person in addition to the weekly rate.
Minimum of 2 people required. If just one person wants to sign up we will try to fill the other position.
If you have questions about our Horse Camp - email Sarah.
Arizona sales tax will be added to the Final Bill. Service fee based on the regular rate will be added to the Final Bill.
| Mini Horsemanship Program is offered on the following dates: |
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2010 |
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| June 14-16 | July 19-21 |
| September 6-8 | November 22-24 |
3 days
Ride in the morning
Spend the afternoon with the Barn Boss covering 3 topics of your choice:
- What to look for in purchasing a horse - ideal conformation and temperament
- Horse etiquette and handling - proper approach, handling, and grooming
- Basic horsemanship - how to control the horse, how to communicate
- Horse health management - necessary inoculations, worming program, when not to panic, and when to call the vet
- Equine nutrition and shelter
- Farrier science - examples of a well-shod hoof and a shoeing demonstration
- Theory of saddles and the correct way to pad and saddle
- Theory of bits and bridling
- Private Riding Lesson
- Vetting
- Loading a horse correctly - trailering
The rate for Mini Horse Camp is $252 (plus 6.1% tax) per person in addition to the daily rate.
Minimum of 2 people required.
If just one person wants to sign up we will try to fill the other position.
If you have questions about our Mini Horse Camp - email Sarah.
Arizona sales tax will be added to the Final Bill. Service fee based on the regular rate will be added to the Final Bill.
What challenge does a professional race car driver, business consultant, zookeeper and contemporary mixed media artist have in common? COW CAMP. Even though I'm an Arizona cowgirl with my own horses - I needed a challenge that would take me beyond my routine of riding the trail. How about getting together with at least 3 other strangers, being trained in a crash course of cowboy skills, by professionals, only to be let out together, each on a horse with a herd of cows with the task of getting them from point A to B. The result is 4 individuals with newly gained confidence and a sense of accomplishment that they didn't have when they first drove up the dusty road to Grapevine Canyon Ranch. Cow Camp wasn't just a dude ranch recreational activity, it was a life changing adventure for me supported by some of best equestrian professionals in the business. I will be back.
Sharon Wysocki
Cow Camp November 2009
Cow Camp – Learn how to cowboy
Dates for Cow Camp |
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2010 |
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| Nov. 15-19 | |
We have had participation in our cattle round-ups for many years now, but this program is different. Here you will learn how a cow thinks, how she can be persuaded to see it your way – how to pen cattle, how to run them through the cattle chute, and how to herd them across country. The first day or so is spent in learning “cow talk” – where do you stand, what do you do, how do you get her to see it your way. Then there is the actual “cattle work” – learning how to influence a cow’s thinking, how to get her to move here and there. When all that is under your belt, it’s time to put all this in practice, by trailing the cattle across the ranch to a neighboring set of corrals. There you will find out just how much of an art roping a cow can be. After feeding all the livestock, you spend the evening around a campfire, eating steak and beans, then bedding down in a tent. Next morning, feed the livestock, enjoy a camp breakfast, and then hit the trail for the return journey. The aim of this whole exercise is not so much to get the cattle from point A to point B, but rather to learn how to do it – to learn how to outwit a cow, who, owning (we believe), a lesser brain, and without benefit of having been to college, can yet outwit lots of cowboys and make fools of the best of us!
Cow Camp - $175 per person
- Minimum 4 / Maximum 6 people
- Must pay in full for Camp when making reservation
- Non-refundable unless minimum requirement not met
Day 1 (Sunday) – Arrive at Grapevine
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Day 2 (Monday) – Teaching Day
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Day 3 (Tuesday) – TASK: Move cattle…
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Day 4 (Wednesday) – TASK: Move cattle back to Ranch
Arizona sales tax will be added to the Final Bill. Service fee based on the regular rate will be added to the Final Bill. |
Come ride Round-up with us!
Every April, September and October...
The dates for 2010 Round Ups are:
September 13th-15th (2 Spaces Left!)
& October 11th-14th (Full!)
Several times a year we need to gather our cattle and bring them into the corrals for various “works”. In April, the baby calves are branded and vaccinated, in September those same calves, now grown and ready to move on, are sold, giving the cattle ranch its once a year paycheck, and in October the mother cows are pregnancy tested, vaccinated, dewormed, and turned out back to winter pasture.
It’s a lot of fun working cattle, and we’d love to have you join us. We prefer you to be a return guest of the ranch, as we’ll be familiar and comfortable with your riding ability. If you have not been a past guest at Grapevine, it is absolutely necessary for you to check in at least two days prior to round up, so we can test your riding, you do your "lope check", and we’ll be able to ensure we've assigned you the right horse and the right job.
There is an additional insurance premium charge of $50 per day plus tax in addition to the accommodation rate. Call 1.800.245.9202, or email info@gcranch.com for availability and more information.
Arizona sales tax will be added to the Final Bill. Service fee based on the regular rate will be added to the Final Bill.
| Pack Trips are offered on the following dates: | |
2010 |
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| June 17-18 | November 4-5 |
| Nov. 11-12 | |
 |
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Available October,
November,
and March-through-June...
Join us on a pack trip in the rugged Dragoon Mountains, once home to the fierce Chiricahua Apache. After a day's ride through their old camping and hunting grounds, we set up our camp in a picturesque canyon, then enjoy a dinner of steak, beans, and all the fixin's cooked over a campfire. Later, we relax under the twinkling stars and listen to the lonely howl of a coyote, the sounds of the horses jostling each other on the picket line.
In the morning, the smell of cowboy coffee and sizzling bacon wakes us, ready for another day's adventure.
Price is $100 per person per night out, in addition to the accommodation rate. Minimum fee is $300 plus tax. Call 1.800.245.9202 for availability or more information. Pack Trips must be booked in advance.
Please mention when making your reservation that you would like to sign up for a pack trip. Also, please note that the necessary gear for the pack trip is provided.
Arizona sales tax will be added to the Final Bill. Service fee based on the regular rate will be added to the Final Bill.
