Roping & riding

RAYMONDVILLE, Mo. -- For experienced riders and city slickers alike, the antidote for booting up the computer at work just may be saddling up a horse on vacation.

Dude ranches may seem more Wild West than Midwest, but Missouri is home to a handful of trail riding ranches with overnight accommodations.

At a site a few hours drive from most of the state's large cities, the Golden family runs Golden Hills Trail Rides and Resort on a 5,100-acre ranch in Raymondville, in south-central Missouri.

The family, who also operates racket clubs and hotels, invested in the working cattle ranch in 1978. In 1992, they opted to turn it into a dude ranch that welcomed visitors.

The Goldens have 200 miles of trails, and events like cattle penning competitions and clinics with horse training professionals. There's a small swimming pool, exercise facilities and a movie theater, helpful on days when it rains. Each night, entertainment is offered, from hay rides and a bonfire to country line dancing.

"Some people say they're ready to go home, so they can go get some rest," joked Chuck Golden, whose wife and one of three daughters also work at the ranch.

Guests typically stay a week, and they can camp, stay in group bunkhouses or an onsite lodge motel. Meals are provided in a dining hall, though dinner is not offered on Saturday nights.

The guest rooms are basic but clean and comfortable. The walls are thin, but the ranch quiets down early as most people easily fall asleep from days that can include six hours of trail riding.

While the Goldens welcome beginners, many of the guests are seasoned riders. The ranch has about 30 horses for rent at a cost of $54 a day. Some visitors, those who know their paints from their palominos, bring their own horses and rent stalls and paddocks.

On a three-hour ride to get a sense for the trails, it's clear that we're by far the greenest of the bunch.

We become separated from our trail boss, having arranged to meet him at a point farther up the trail that we can't find. But we are befriended by experienced riders, who help with a saddle adjustment, provide tips for riding, and ways to let our veteran trail horses know just who's in charge. (Or maybe just the means to fool the horses for a while.)

The trails lead over hills, through woods and open fields. Along the way, a snake is spotted -- not the horses' favorite moment -- a fawn runs through tall grass and at a creek, our horses splash into the water to pause for a drink. With bright blue skies, it's hard to ask for more.

Some of the riders along with us, Nancy Williams, 48, and her daughter Heather, 20, of Dora, were vacationing with a friend Sari Miller, 42, from Winterset, Iowa. They met at the ranch the previous year.

Nancy Williams said she'd been "totally impressed" during her visits to the ranch. "They just go the extra mile," she said of the Golden family.

The women said they'd like the stalls widened and improved for horses, but said they liked the safe, family-friendly environment, where they could relax.

The Goldens intend to keep the resort open, but they're also launching an equine community, where people can buy land, build houses and ride the trails.

The ranch is already a draw for repeat visits.

Nancy Williams said, "Your biggest responsibility is getting up in the morning, rolling out of bed, and saddling up your horse."