What sets a working ranch apart from other types of ranch holidays is that during a stay you will work as part of the team rather than a guest. You will be expected to roll up your sleeves and have a ‘hands on’ approach to the work that needs doing during your stay. You will need to be a confident and experienced rider in order to get the most out of your stay. Ranch work tends to vary depending on the time of year. In spring much of the work revolves around branding cattle, the summer months are often spent driving cattle to fresh grazing pastures and in autumn you will round up the cattle either to take to market or new pastures where they will remain over winter. It is also possible you will be asked to assist in fixing or building ranch infrastructure and you will often find that daily activities are unstructured. Working ranches do not offer any other facilities or non-riding activities and, after a full day of ranch work and riding, there will be a hearty meal before a good night’s sleep, ready to do it all again the following day!