Dryhead Ranch

Spring Horse Drives and Colt Training Participation

From late April through May, guests join the Bassett family in driving young horses and trained riding stock back into grazing pas…

Cattle Branding Weeks

Participate in the specialized skill of branding during designated spring and early summer weeks when calves are processed. This h…

Calf Weaning Operations

Join the Bassett family during fall weaning weeks when young calves are separated from mothers, a complex logistical undertaking r…

The signature 50-mile cattle drive follows a 500-year-old Native American route from Wyoming through Montana's wild horse range, spanning three days of genuine livestock movement across changing terrain. This experience defines Dryhead Ranch's reputation and places guests directly into the operational rhythms of a working cattle operation, not a recreational simulation.

From late April through May, guests join the Bassett family in driving young horses and trained riding stock back into grazing pastures across the Dryhead Country. The three-day trailing expeditions combine the thrill of moving untrained horses with the challenge of negotiating remote mountain terrain and potential wild mustang encounters.

Spend full weeks gathering, trailing, and managing cattle across the 34,000-acre operation in steep Pryor Mountain country. Unlike single-day rides, these immersive periods demand sustained horsemanship and introduce guests to the actual challenges of maintaining livestock on remote, unforgiving terrain.

Participate in the specialized skill of branding during designated spring and early summer weeks when calves are processed. This hands-on experience demands physical effort and coordination with experienced ranch hands while preserving a tradition central to working cattle ranches.

Visit the federally protected refuge where Spanish colonial horses roam wild and unmanaged across high plains grassland. The weekly excursion includes stops at the Devils Canyon Overlook, Lockhart Historic Ranch, and Wild Mustang Museum, combining landscape beauty with equine history.

Learn from Bassett family wranglers how to train and ride the ranch's dual-purpose horses that must perform both cattle work and guest transportation. The clinics reveal the specialized training required to create horses capable of responding to cattle and terrain challenges.

The ranch caps weekly guest counts at 12 riders and divides them into three-rider groups for customized instruction and pacing. This ratio ensures genuine participation in ranch work rather than observation from a trail ride group.

Participate in early-morning cattle gathers starting before dawn, when animals are cooler and handling is more efficient. This experience reveals the temporal realities of ranch work that visitors rarely witness on traditional ranch vacations.

Multi-day cattle drives and horse drives include overnight camps in remote Dryhead Country, immersing guests in landscape and weather patterns. Camping under stars on working operations creates visceral connection to the wilderness and livestock management challenges.

Join the Bassett family during fall weaning weeks when young calves are separated from mothers, a complex logistical undertaking requiring precise horsemanship and animal handling. This experience reveals the specialized knowledge required to maintain herd health and breeding cycles.

Access to the dramatic 67-mile canyon system carved by the Bighorn River, featuring hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and boating opportunities. The proximity to this federally protected landscape adds geological and recreational depth beyond ranch operations.

The ranch operates adjacent to the Crow Indian Reservation, and the Dryhead name derives from the Crow term "place of the dried buffalo skulls," referencing ancient buffalo jump sites. Guided discussions and site visits contextualize the region's indigenous heritage and ranching settlement patterns.

Trail riding and cattle drives follow historic routes including the 500-year-old Sioux Trail and corridors used during the era of buffalo hunting, hide trading, and early cattle ranching. These routes carry genuine historical significance beyond scenic value.

Evening campfires and shared meals in the ranch cookhouse create informal social spaces where guests, wranglers, and family members exchange stories about ranch operations, wildlife encounters, and regional history. The bunkhouse structure intentionally fosters camaraderie over isolation.

The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Refuge and surrounding ranch landscape offer sustained opportunities to photograph Spanish mustangs, high plains wildlife, and dramatic canyon geology. Multi-day excursions allow for positioning and patience impossible on brief scenic tours.

Extended time in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Refuge allows observation of herd dynamics, stallion behavior, and horses in their natural state. Guides share knowledge about Spanish colonial horse genetics and wild population management policies.

The Bassett family, operating the ranch for 35 years across four generations, shares firsthand accounts of ranching challenges, land management decisions, and evolution from the 1

Traditional ranch cooking served family-style in the cookhouse fuels multi-day operations and reflects authentic working ranch cuisine rather than resort dining. Meals acknowledge the region's cattle ranching culture and frontier food traditions.

The historic Caroline Lockhart Ranch, featured in weekly refuge tours, represents early 20th-century ranching architecture and operations. The site provides tangible context for understanding how the Dryhead Ranch maintains continuity with earlier settlement patterns.

Daily ranch operations include checking water sources, evaluating forage conditions, and repairing fencing across the 34,000-acre operation. These utilitarian rides reveal the unglamorous infrastructure requirements underlying cattle management.