Mia Johnson, who has participated in the Prairie View trail ride for over fifty years, describes it as 'almost spiritual,' emphasizing the importance of working toward this goal throughout the year.
Though Drummond had plans to head to Chicago to attend law school, Ladd Drummond, a multigenerational cattle rancher, had other ideas. The two married in 1996 and moved to his ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Her friends started calling her "The Pioneer Woman" as a joke, but the moniker stuck.
Inspired by the symbolism of the Fire Horse, the story explores the horse as a shared emotional language across cultures balancing Western equestrian refinement with Eastern understandings of instinct, strength, and spiritual presence.
Profitability in the cattle business often hinges on understanding the real cost of production, something that can be difficult to pin down when labour, land, and opportunity costs aren't always clearly accounted for.
On these spacious properties, Western culture is alive and well. You'll drift off to sleep under clear, starry skies and wake up to hot coffee and a warm meal. During the day, you might hop on your trusty steed for a tour of the land by horseback or sit on a sprawling deck with a glass of sweet tea and enjoy the expansive views.
Perched high atop a dappled-colored horse at Alisal Ranch, I stroked the equine's coarse hair in an effort to bond before sauntering off to an authentic cowboy breakfast. I was with a group of like-minded women in search of a wellness weekend but we chose to trade our spa robes for cowgirl hats and forgo mani-pedis for dusty trail rides. This was not a typical dude ranch experience. It seamlessly blended nurturing self-care, enriching workshops, nourishing meals, and fostering friendships.
The money, they said, might not be there to continue operation. Payroll was in question, following months of uncertainty, and to make matters worse, they'd discovered two tax liens filed by the state of California against the restaurant for a total of $530,000, related to loans against the business taken out by the owner and principal investor, Stephen Light. A collections notice had arrived in December.
Well known for its unique texture and unpredictable nature, this Texas-born and Toronto-based illustrator somehow gets a leash on it, creating semi-airbrushed, dreamy and playful scenes between eccentric characters and luminous colours. Dense with subjects and textures, Rylee's compositions explode with action and motion - like in The Cartoon Saloon, anthropomorphic animal cowboys drink, play cards and draw their pistols in a beautiful gradient that captures a moment where the dusty saloon is lit up by the firing of a revolver.
Fashion has a habit of building legend, and in the modern era, few brands are more revered by menswear fanatics than Double RL, often styled as RRL. Originally born out of Ralph Lauren's fascination with westernwear (the line is named after the designer's expansive Colorado ranch), the offshoot of Lauren's eponymous brand marked a significant divergence from the traditional tailored prep of the main line when it debuted in 1993.
Home to Grand Teton National Park, world-class ski slopes, and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a destination unlike any other. Victoria Gonzalez, lead Pathfinder at The Cloudveil, describes the region as "the intersection of wilderness and the resilient American spirit." In other words, it's somewhere travelers can go to experience a "flourishing cultural arts center with celebrated restaurants, a playground for year-round recreational opportunities ... and natural wonder."
While a growing number of luxury hotels and estates now offer bring-your-own-horse programs - with purpose-built stables, veterinary access, and experienced grooms - the golden rule remains unchanged: the horse's happiness, health, and safety must come first. Transport stress, unfamiliar terrain, changes in climate, and short stays can be unsettling for horses, which is why many professionals advise that bringing your own horse only makes sense for longer visits, familiar landscapes, or trips centered around competition or training.