I cannot say enough about how great Rosie and her ranch hands are. Simply amazing.
I grew up around cattle and horses, so I know what a happy horse should look like.
The four horses she paired us with were healthy, beautiful, obviously well-loved, and seemed beyond happy to hit the trail with us. Two in our party had never ridden before, but the obviously well-trained horses were up to the task of "figuring out" the new riders in their saddles. The new riders were (understandably) initially anxious, but after a few minutes of riding, they were enjoying themselves immensely, and felt that special connection to their individual horses.
By the end, even the new riders (with a little saddle pain...lol) didn't want to leave.
The views (worth a million dollars alone), conversation, correctly adjusted saddles/bridles/reins, and well-loved/behaved horses made this ride great!
Rosie is the genuine thing when it comes to a hospitable rancher. The entire experience reminded me of growing up around ranchers and farmers. A good conversation at the end, followed by a hug. Perfect.
For those of you looking for a great trail ride on horseback that's authentic/borderline spiritual near wickenburg, look no further. Call Rosie!
FYI, for those of you who do not have a truck like me, do not worry. The road to the ranch is maintained.
To make it easier for those not used to "country" directions...
The website says go west on highway 60 outside of wickenburg, then turn left at mile marker 98. The gate is about 1000 feet past mile marker 98, and a bit difficult to see. The sign for Effis ranch is ON the gate (not on the side of the road billboard style). If you see a sign on the gate for Effie ranch, you have the right gate. Open, drive through, shut the gate, and drive on. -You'll be on what's called "BLM" land, so don't worry about trespassing... it's federally owned land, so you are ok being there. If you see a fork in the road, stay LEFT, and keep driving on until you see a house on your left, with another building to the right. Park in front of the house, get out and Rosie will walk out and welcome you with a smile. -There will be dogs barking and following your vehicle. THEY ARE FRIENDLY AND KNOW NOT TO GET IN THE WAY OF A VEHICLE. -In other words, you won't run them over, and they instantly turn into loveable working dogs once you open your vehicle's doors. As an FYI, only cash and check are accepted (this is an off-the-grid ranch, with no way to process credit or debit).
After you find the ranch, meet the dogs, Rosie, her ranch hands and horses, you'll be riding in no time seeing the epic scenery that wickenburg is famous for.
Beyond happy with my group's experience here, and I'll send any of my family or friends to Rosie if they happen to be in wickenburg for the day! read more