What the Seasonal Cattle Drive Actually Involves
The cattle drive is the activity that guests ask about most and also the one that requires the most honest description. It is a full working day, not a guided trail ride with cattle nearby. Here is what the day actually looks like.
How the day runs
The drive starts at 6:30 with the morning feed and a briefing in the yard. Horses are assigned and tacked up by 7:00. The herd is gathered from the lower pasture and the move begins around 7:30. The route covers roughly 18 kilometres, with the bulk of the distance in the first half of the day before the terrain gets steeper.
Lunch is packed and eaten at the creek crossing below the ridge, where there is a flat bank wide enough for the horses and the crew. The stop is about 45 minutes. The second half of the day involves pushing the herd through the canyon and up to the summer pasture gate, which is the most demanding section for both riders and cattle.
The group arrives at the destination pasture in the mid-afternoon and rides back to the yard by a shorter route, arriving around 17:00. Supper is included that evening.
What the riding involves
Moving cattle is different from trail riding. The horse responds to the cattle's movement and the rider needs to be comfortable making quick direction changes at a trot. Experienced riders will find this straightforward. Riders who are confident but not experienced with cattle work will have a learning curve in the first hour.
We limit the drive to eight guest riders plus the crew. This keeps the group manageable and means each rider has a real role rather than just following along.
When the drives happen
The spring drive runs in late May, moving the herd to the upper summer range. The autumn drive runs in the first week of October, bringing the herd back down for winter. Exact dates are confirmed about six weeks in advance, as they depend on weather and ground conditions.
Guests who want to join a drive should book their stay around the confirmed dates rather than the other way around. We cannot move the drive to suit a booking.
The drive in 2026 went out on May 28 with eight guest riders. The October drive dates will be confirmed in September. If you are interested, get in touch early.