On a One-Horse Open Sleigh
From the Winter 2027 Issue
With a clip-clop and a jingle-jangle, it's time for a sleigh ride!
You could say Western Pleasure Guest Ranch is one of the great American stories.
Throughout the 1,300 acres of stunning landscape at the base of the beautifully wild Cabinet Mountains, with spectacular views of the Selkirk Mountain Range, the echoes of the nation’s frontier history of stewardship, resilience and family pride permeate the air like the smell of Western red cedar.
Sleigh rides at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch. Photo by Libby Schoonover
That resonates in the words, “welcome to the ranch,” which can also be taken to mean, “welcome to our family.”
“I hear from people all the time that they love the welcome they get… they feel like they kind of become part of the family while they’re here,” said Janice Schoonover, second generation and chief operator at the ranch, alongside her husband, Roley Schoonover.
That warm welcome takes on a festive feel in the winter with a one- or two-horse open sleigh ride. Pulled by either Major or one of the draft teams: Doc and Duke, Bess and Fancy or Jake and Julie, the clip-clop of their hooves and the jingle-jangle of their bells in the crisp wintry air is nothing short of magical.
With a wide variety of horse-drawn sleighs and wagons (for when snow hasn’t touched down), including two-passenger, five-passenger and three 12-passenger sleighs, the sleigh rides are a favorite of ranch guests who rave about the authentic old west experience.
With the guest ranch celebrating 35 years, there are currently four generations of family—including Schoonover’s parents and children—that have been living on and working the ranch for as long as they can remember.
Children enjoy meeting the horses… and the horses enjoy meeting them. Photo by Amy Peterson.
However, the story of this family and their land began more than 100 years ago in 1918 when Schoonover’s maternal great-great-grandfather settled on 350 acres at Gold Creek—a defining feature running through the ranch’s acreage.
In 1940, her paternal grandfather also settled at Gold Creek, arriving from Colorado with his family of six to 3 feet of snow, under a bright moon, at 10 p.m., at the door of a tiny one-bedroom house, according to the ranch blog. He had purchased 960 acres, land that today is also part of the ranch.
It’s this history and deep-rooted love for the land and their ranch that the family shares with their guests, which keeps those guests coming back for more.
“We’ve done sleigh rides since 1993, originally out of the machine shed, which was all closed in—basically a warming hut,” said Schoonover. “We have people that return every year and reminisce about ‘the days of the warming huts,’” she laughed.
Families and other groups regularly enjoy sleigh rides at the ranch. Photo by Danielle Otis.
Now four cabins and a beautiful lodge later, guests enjoy a bit more of a comfortable and curated experience.
Sleigh rides start the week after Thanksgiving and are held Monday through Saturday and for a short time on Sunday. If you feel like making a celebration of it, you can add on dinner and a concert. Other events are held throughout the season.
In the summer, stay-at-the-ranch packages include three daily gourmet meals, daily horseback rides and/or other activity options such as hiking or fly fishing, nightly campfires and entertainment by local musicians, plus access to all guest ranch amenities, including an outdoor hot tub, basketball court, meeting room, rec room, playground and laundry facilities.
Perhaps, looking out at his newly purchased 960 acres that night, Schoonover’s grandfather saw a future of crackling campfires, sing-alongs and sleigh rides for his family—many generations to come—and guests who would pay to experience the legacy he started.
“If it wasn’t for [my grandparents’ and parents’] hard work and enduring pioneer spirit, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” she said.
Learn more at www.westernpleasureranch.com
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