C Lazy U is an all-inclusive guest ranch near Granby, Colorado, where horseback riding is part of every stay. Guests ride in the morning and afternoon on 8,500 acres of Rocky Mountain trails, and wranglers match each rider with a horse based on ability and goals. Riding, lodging and meals are included in one rate, with separate programs for adults and kids.
What’s Included in Your Horseback Riding Vacation
Every stay includes daily horseback riding, your cabin, meals and ranch activities. Riding runs every day except check-in and check-out days and Sundays, with morning and afternoon trail rides offered.
After you’ve settled into your cozy luxury cabins, you’ll get to meet our horses. All horseback riding requires advance sign-ups, and our team of world-class wranglers matches each guest with a suitable horse for each ride based on riding ability and goals. This ensures a safe, personalized experience every time you head out on the trail and allows your horseback riding vacation to be as tame or as wild as your heart desires.
Each of our 200 horses is different — from gentle giants to bold mares. We highly value the health and well-being of our horses (please see our weight restrictions below) and teach you proper riding and horsemanship skills.
A Family Horseback Riding Vacation You’ll Never Forget
At the C Lazy U resort, horseback riding is a daily activity, except on check-in / check-out days or Sundays (unless otherwise noted). During your horseback riding retreat, guests aged 6 and up can set out on morning and afternoon trail rides, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding the ranch. Guests aged 3-5 can join our Little Ranch Hands program, a fun introduction to ranch life for our youngest cowpokes.
Those unable to ride on horseback can explore the ranch in an expedition vehicle on our guided Ranger Tours!
Adult Horseback Riding
The summer adult program includes instructional and refresher trail rides, clinics that build through the week, the Working Cattle Ranch Experience and the Saturday Shodeo. Programs vary by time of year. Riding for the first time in a while? Read our guide to horseback riding for older adults.
Learn More about the Adult Riding ProgramChildren’s Horseback Riding
The Summer Children’s Riding Program is broken into four age groups, allowing children to enjoy riding with their peers. Children learn basic riding skills and spend time honing their abilities in the arena and on the trail. The littlest cowpokes get to ride Katie the pony or be pulled in a cart by one of our miniature donkeys, while teens are given more (supervised) freedom to ride and explore. Our aim is to ensure that all ages feel comfortable as a horseback rider. No matter the age, ranch horseback riding for children makes for an unforgettable and transformative experience.
Learn More about the Children’s Riding ProgramWe Offer Summer Horse Activities For Every Skill Level
During the Summer Family Weeks, C Lazy U offers four different types of trail rides and a series of riding clinics that start at the beginner level and progressively guide the participants toward higher levels of riding as the week goes on.
In summer, once a week the ranch offers a Working Cattle Ranch Experience which will have you in the saddle for most of the day except when the group stops for a picnic lunch! Additionally, during select weeks and only by request, guests may also have the opportunity to participate in a Trail Obstacle Clinic.
Non-riders can enjoy riding in the wagon during the Summer Team Driving demonstrations, and should also ask about Grooming Clinics: an activity which riders and non-riders alike really enjoy (so do the horses)!
Compete At Our Summer Shodeo
And what would all that riding experience mean if there wasn’t a chance to show off your skills? After a week of horseback riding, on Saturday afternoons, the outdoor arena turns into a stage for guests to showcase their horsemanship abilities during the all-ages “Shodeo.”
- The children are the stars of the show and are judged based on time to complete course
- Adults also compete against one another and are judged based on time and horsemanship skills during barrels, poles, Texas T (an adult Shodeo course consisting of poles and barrels).
Everyone leaves with a C Lazy U ribbon, hard-earned pride, and a satisfied appetite for adventure.
Sundays are the Horses’ Day Off
The Shodeo is C Lazy U’s weekly riding show for all ages, held Saturday afternoons in the outdoor arena. Kids and adults compete in barrels, poles and the Texas T, and everyone goes home with a ribbon.
- Martin Luther King Weekend
- Presidents’ Day Weekend
- Memorial Day Weekend
- Labor Day Weekend
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- New Year’s where the minimum stay requires stays beyond Sunday.
Some Special Events also extend into the following week, at which point the ranch may offer rides on Sundays. Please contact us if you have questions about a specific event you are booked for.
Horseback Riding by Season
Each season at C Lazy U Ranch offers access to beautiful views only found in Granby, Colorado. Summer is our most popular season, but we ride year-round whenever the weather permits. Snowfall in the winter provides a picturesque wonderland of festive, Colorado mountain fun. Spring sees the mountain-sides covered in incredible greenery due to snow-melt and rain, with birdsongs filling the air, and in the fall, horseback rides offer spectacular views of brilliant yellows and oranges on aspen-lined trails.
Summer Horseback Riding
Summertime is one of the most popular times to go on a horseback riding family vacation. During Summer Family Weeks, adults and kids have separate riding programs at our all-inclusive dude ranch, and you’ll still ride together on the Family Ride and cheer each other on at the Shodeo.
Children’s Summer Riding Program Adult Summer Riding ProgramSpring & Fall Horseback Riding
Spring and Fall are beautiful seasons at the ranch, and definitely worth a visit to see the mountains covered in incredible greenery or blazing colors. The weather is less predictable so the wranglers choose the trail and speed for each ride. In Fall, the ranch is home to several horsemanship and horse-riding events. Spring also sees several horse-assisted wellness events with famous clinicians so be sure to check those out! Read more about seeing Colorado’s fall colors on horseback.
Winter Horseback Riding
If you’re staying with us in the colder months, including Spring Break in March, we ride daily when weather allows. As your horse walks along, you’ll listen to the hush of snow-covered woods and the sound of hooves crunching on snow, and you’ll spot wildlife coming out to forage. We stick to the trails closer to the ranch during winter, and make sure everyone is comfortable and warm on their horse.
Winter Riding ProgramMeet the Equestrian Director
Ami Cullen left her cushy job as a lawyer in Washington, D.C. to follow her heart to C Lazy U Ranch, where she fell in love with the Colorado mountains, the horses, and life on the ranch. As an accomplished equestrian in the Hunter-Jumper show ring, Ami brings a wealth of horsemanship skills to her post as Director of Equestrian Operations. You can usually find her training young horses to become great mounts for our guests, and giving riding lessons and horsemanship clinics in the arenas.
Read Ami’s story to learn more about why she quit law to become a cowgirl.
Horseback Riding Weight Restrictions
The weight limit for horseback riding at C Lazy U Ranch is 250 pounds. Safety is one of our most important responsibilities, for both rider and horse. The ranch considers several factors in determining whether or not an individual is too heavy or too big to ride, including:
- rider’s physical fitness
- riding experience and ability
- size of the horse
- type of terrain
- speed of ride
- and other factors
As a general rule, horses can safely carry loads of up to 20% of their body weight, including rider, saddle, and tack. C Lazy U ranch exercises discretion when addressing these issues and reserves the right to prohibit riding or restrict riding to level terrain, or walk-only rides. Please do not hesitate to contact our Barn Manager to discreetly discuss specific circumstances. We are here to make sure your Horse Riding Retreat is safe and an unforgettable memory.
Plan Your Horseback Riding Vacation
Looking for a Colorado resort with horseback riding? Browse our all-inclusive vacation packages, or read up on how to prepare for a horseback riding vacation. C Lazy U is one of the most-awarded family dude ranches in the country, and Condé Nast named it one of the top ten resort destinations in the world.
Contact us to find out more information on joining us for the Wild West escape of a lifetime.
