A horse will be your guide at historic Rafter 6 Ranch
by Pam Doyle
Visitors to Rafter Six Ranch Resort wonder why Shawna Cook, a horse wrangler at the guest ranch near Seebe, Alberta, is wearing a big smile from ear to ear.
“I ride horses, look at beautiful mountains, and talk to friendly people all day,” Cook said from her horse Poncho. “Why wouldn’t I be smiling? It’s a great job.”
Cook has been working as a wrangler, someone who leads trail rides and takes care of the friendly horses at Rafter Six Ranch Resort, for two years. She plans to return next summer as well.
Sixty-five horses live at the western style ranch resort owned by Stan and Gloria Cowley. Thirty-two of those horses are especially friendly and mild mannered. They are reserved for guests who visit the ranch for a trail ride.
Six wranglers happily work 12 to 16 hour days.
“Everyone who works here works here because they love horses,” Cook added.
Upon arriving at the ranch, one can’t help the urge to pet two-week-old Cajun, the newest born foal at the ranch. Humans can easily approach the tiny brown foal with a short, dark brown tail. Her mother, Chili, lets guests and wranglers touch her precious baby. But she keeps an eye on her, too.
It’s time for anyone who packed a camera in their day bag to start taking pictures. The ranch is a great scenic backdrop, and has been used as the location for many full-length Hollywood movies. Marilyn Monroe’s first movie, “The River of No Return”, was filmed at the ranch. Many Walt Disney Productions and wilderness movies such as “Grizzly Adams”, ‘the Wilderness Family”, “Wolf Boy” and “Across the Great Divide” were also filmed there. Television movies like “Where the West Was Fun” were also shot at Rafter Six Ranch Resort.
Mountain scenery and fields of wildflowers are the reward for this group, out for a one-hour horseback trail ride at Rafter Six Ranch.
A massive log building sits as the grand main lodge, across a field from the horse corral and stables. Inside is a real cowboy’s bar, a quaint dining room, outdoor patio, gift shop and guest rooms. There are six cozy log cabins with kitchenettes and woodburning fireplaces on the property and there is also an interesting western museum. A banquet hall behind the lodge is a great place to host a wedding reception or private function, complete with a cook who will barbecue a feast for you.
And what better place for a western style wedding than the picturesque chapel sitting by itself near the edge of the property, overlooking the Kananaskis River. There were 200 weddings conducted there last year alone.
One can get a better look at the church by either strolling up to it or riding by on a horse, as the trail rides pass right by the building.
To get ready to go riding, Cook first has each rider, big and small, young and old and in-between, sit on their respective horses. She then adjusts the stirrups on the western saddle. Another adjustment to the reins and the group is ready to ride. A few quick instructions are given, but most of the horses can ride easily on autopilot because they are so well-trained.
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Two-week-old foal Cajun snuggles up to her mom, Chili as she has a big yawn. Horses in the paddock at Rafter Six Ranch are exceptionally friendly and used to lots of attention from guests.
Each horse also has its own unique personality.
“Stay in line in the order we start out in,” Cook says to the riders. “The horses are comfortable riding in a certain order, and they don’t like it when a horse gets out of line and passes them.”
The trail ride starts out by passing by the chapel and heading out into the Bow Valley Provincial Park. We quickly climb into a single-track horse trail and we get a great view of the Kananaskis River valley from the cliffs above it.
Cook points out interesting landmarks, and the historic sites where Stoney Indians held their tribal rituals.
The sun filters through the trees and the green leaves rustle in the breeze as we pass through a forest of white bark aspens. It is a picture-perfect moment. As we stop to take some photos, Cook reminds us not to let the horses put their heads down and feed on the fresh grasses.
“They will try to trick you,” Cook says. “They are pretty smart horses.”
We walk our horses into a flat open field.
“Do you want to trot?” Cook asks the group. “Then you have to let out a big Yeeee-Haaaa! Then the horses will want to run.”
The group shouts out their best western command and we trot through the field, trying to figure out how not to bounce too much in the saddle. Giggling children can be heard from the horses behind me.
We slow down once again and take in some more of the splendid views. Mount Yamnuska, whose ridge looks like that of a sleeping Indian lying on his back, with his headdress feathers hanging down, watches over us. Natives consider the mountain to be spiritual and have visited it for centuries to learn from its wisdom.
Riding up and over a small hill we are back at the ranch an hour later. We have finished the one-hour introduction ride. All nine of the riders in our group have rosy cheeks and smiles on their faces. Now everyone knows what makes Cook so happy.
If You Go:
Rafter Six Ranch Resort is located just off the Trans-Canada Highway, 15 minutes east of Canmore. Follow the highway signs to the resort
Horseback Riding Options:
There are many options for enjoying horseback riding at Rafter Six Ranch Resort, from a one-hour beginners’ trail ride ($33) through a full day “Surf and Saddle” adventure ($129) that includes a morning of rafting on the Kananaskis River, a steak lunch and a two-hour trail ride.
Surf Before You Ride:See www.raftersix.com for rates and information on horseback riding, rafting, and accommodation packages. Don’t miss the aerial view photo of the beautiful Rafter Six site, or the tidbits of “Western Wisdom” – good for a chuckle.
Pam Doyle is a Canmore-based photojournalist and writer whose full-time gig is at the Canmore Leader community newspaper. You can find her pounding the pavement in training for 10K runs when she’s not documenting the goings-on of this fair town.
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