Broken Bow Ranch

We had a relaxing, wonderful family trail ride. The land was what most people would picture as «big Texas sky, and rolling hills.» The horses were covered in burrs, and we had a hard time with that. The really sweet Lady, that took us on our ride had explained to us that there were burrs all over the pastures. They were a never ending battle. Once, we were on the trail, I saw how many brushes covered in burrs there were. She was telling the truth about the difficulty in keeping the horses burr free. In fact, my horse that I was riding seemed determined to brush up against any burrs he could find?! Also, I was a little surprised that we were required to wear no helmets, or head protection. Just an FYI, if you plan on riding there, bring your own helmet.

Trash was everywhere and the horses were in bad shape. Their hair was covered in burs, they were dirty, had sores, hooves in need of cutting, were obviously not groomed either before or after the ride and underneath the saddles and saddle blankets were more burs which is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to riders. Some of the horses and dogs looked way underfed.
I was by myself but there was 2 more sets of people that arrived. After waiting for over 40 minutes for David to attempt to round up horses from the pasture, which he still had been able to do, we all decided based on the condition of the horses and premises to leave.
This place clearly does not care about their animals and it broke my heart to see the condition they were in. I hope these people get shut down.

Professional, relaxing, and fun! Thanks again David for finding my phone when I dropped it on the trail!

We had a great time, the horses were not ready when we arrived, but who cares we got to ride around the property in the truck getting them! The ride was nice and relaxing, this was my boyfriends first time horseback and he enjoyed it! Great place for first timers!

We went for a trail ride at 2:30. As at few have noted, the horses had flies all over them but I am not a horse person so I can’t really comment on how ordinary or not this is. The horses were very friendly and VERY well trained. The land that the trail ride takes place on is HUGE and you get some breathtaking views of the sky over the horizon. I’m giving 4 stars because I wish the ride was a bit longer for what you pay (even at half price). I wish the ride was either 20 minutes longer or a bit cheaper. Also, be prepared to drive 5 minutes or so on a very rough road to get to the ranch. not a huge deal, just an fyi. I’d go again when family is in town, but to go more regularly myself, the price or timing would need to change.

Very nice trail and the horses are beautiful and well trained. The guide was great, Im not a fan of such large animals but this was a great experience. The ranch is at a dead end road and is not too savy but the experience is well worth it

This was one of the best travel I have ever had. The staff were very kind and down to earth especially DAVID. They extended their generosity and hospitality. We were a group of five people. By all means, we enjoyed our time. The horses were prepared well and very safe. The ranch was fabulous and stunning.
I am coming back again to have fun.

Everything was going great; sure our previous trail ride reservation was post-​poned due to the cold weather but that’s understandable, we rescheduled and drove out all the way out to Crandall. Getting there was kind of confusing, the gate was slightly shut so my friend had to get out and prop it open while I drove through, there was no signage and the GPS told us we had arrived but the ranch was actually at the very end of the street. Upon arriving, we were greeted by a few friendly dogs and we met David who seemed just as friendly. At this point everything was still going fantastic, he told us to get to know the friendly horses in the corral, so we wandered over and met them. They were friendly, but that’s not exactly the word I would use, they were more comatose. Bits of mud were caked on their bodies, their manes were super tangled and the spikey ends of plants were stuck in them. Their hooves were all chipped and cracked, like they were starting to splay. I got 3 burrs out of one of the brown horses mane by it’s eyes and realized these horses made me want to cry.
One of the other horses kept adjusting in a stumbling motion, so Erin T went to voice her concerns to David, who in reply told her to walk the horse to prove that it was alright. That definitely didn’t comfort me any, I thought it was doing a weird stretch too at first but the woman in a family that came for a trail ride as well mentioned it was more extreme than a stretch. That same horse looked like it had a gash scar & a swollen joint on the bothersome leg. I started getting a weird feeling about the whole experience and consulted my friends about it, turns out I wasn’t the only one who had second thoughts about this. We waited until David finished his phone call while saddling up a couple of other horses to tell him we wouldn’t be joining this trail ride. In reply, he got defensive about it. That solidified my feelings in our decision to leave.
David’s reaction bewildered me; I felt like I had lost as much as the ranch did with my sudden trail ride cancelation, I had been the one to take the time and effort to drive all the way out to the ranch for this to end up empty handed. Neither of us got what we wanted and for him to be borderline rude? I don’t get it.
I feel the need to say: sure, I’m not a professional, going to horse camp 10+ years ago doesn’t make me a pro in the slightest bit, but IMO, these horses didn’t look healthy and as the events progressed, I did not feel good about the trail ride. You know, that sinking feeling in your gut when your intuition tells you to be careful & tread lightly? I don’t want to make any accusations so this review is purely based on what I observed and how I felt about it. Had the horses looked like photos others have posted, we would have gone on the trail ride.

I came here excited for a horseback riding trip, especially seeing that others here had a good experience but was very concerned and disappointed about a handful of things:
1. The 6 horses in the corral seemed very lethargic
2. They were pretty dirty, most of them had burrs tangled all over their manes and the ones that didn’t have a lot of burrs in their manes had very sparse and stringy manes
3. The hooves looked like they need to be cut and were splitting on the ends
4. One horse was swaying and stumbling a lot, almost laying down a few times but getting back up (typically a bad sign). This horse also has a crescent shaped area on the back left ankle that had no hair and this leg seemed difficult for the horse to stand on
5. Broken glass scattered around and inside the corral where the horses were
6. There were at least 3 dogs on the property and they were very friendly but at least 2 of them looked under weight
We were pretty concerned with the state of the horse I mentioned in #4 so I brought this up to the guy who met us when we got there and was friendly at first as he was saddling 2 more horses (which looked fine) that I thought that horse looked sick and why.
He seemed a little irritated and told me that horse likes to stretch her back legs that way and is strong (didn’t look strong to me and the stretching did not look intentional at all) and if I were so concerned, I could untie her and walk her around. She was already untied and I don’t find it appropriate to tell me to walk around a horse that I don’t know and think is sick, especially without supervision.
We decided that we didn’t feel good about riding these horses based on the stuff above and told him we decided to not go on the ride. He was definitely irritated at that and asked why. We said we didn’t have a good feeling and he responded with, «Whatever! I’m kinda a professional.» Then walked off.
Having been around horses and been horseback riding before, I was very concerned with their state of being and thought it was the right thing to bring it to the attention of the employee/​owner. I was very disappointed in the un-​assuring response to the stumbling, lethargic horse and rude response to us saying we didn’t have a good feeling about it.

David gave us the tour, and he was awesome! The horses are great and the trail is nice. Looking forward to coming back

Went on a family trail ride without two kids ages 9 and 12. Gabby and Evan had a blast and our trail leader was awesome in showing my youngest son the ropes. We got there a little early and got a chance to feed a baby calf and groom out horses before the ride. Overall great experience and the owners were extremely welcoming to us! We will definitely be back

I also got this package as a surprise birthday gift from my wonderful boyfriend, so I did not know I was going horseback riding until 10 minutes before we arrived. I can’t exactly comment on how setting up the appointment was.
I was not too happy with the service at first because we were told that it started at 9:45 and we were supposed to arrive 20 minutes early. We were there by 9:25, and were trying to figure out where to park. There were a few signs telling us where to go, but then it just stopped, so we just parked near the shed. The family dogs were very nice and greeted us, but they were the only ones. After about 5 minutes another car showed up, and we all waited for about 15 minutes before calling the contact number. No one answered. Someone finally came in a golf cart about another 15 minutes and told us they would get someone to help us. After waiting another 10 minutes or so, a guy in his early 20’s came and introduced himself. He was very nice, and he proceeded to get the horses and then saddle them up. We finally got a call back, but David had already come. They explained that her phone ran out of batteries and apologized. Gathering and setting up the horses took another 20 minutes. I was a little nervous because this was my first time, but he helped us onto our horses and showed us the ropes. That took about 10 minutes. He was very helpful though. It was just all the waiting that wasn’t exactly pleasant. It wasn’t exactly cool outside with the sun beating down. Make sure you bring sunblock! Jeans and close toed shoes are also a good idea.
The ride itself was very peaceful. David was very attentive, lead the way, stayed close, and made small talk with all of us. The land was fairly big. The horses were well-​behaved and followed our guide, but we were taught how to make the horse go left, right, stop, and such just in case. My horse’s name was Strawberry, and it must have forgotten to eat or something because it stopped to eat every minute! It was very cute though and did not stop for long periods of time. The other car that came had a dad and his little girl. David made sure she got the most well-​behaved horse named Sue, and Sue did a very good job. The little girl had two minor scares going down a steep hill and dropping her reins, but nothing big. No one got hurt. She still had a wonderful time.
The beginning could have been much better with less waiting around, but the actual trail ride was nice. It was supposed to be an hour long ride, but our was only about 35 minutes, which was much shorter than our wait time…

Seriously could not have had a better time my first time on a trail ride. Ok, maybe I’m a little biased since my boyfriend proposed to me here! ;)
The owner of Broken Bow worked behind the scenes with my boyfriend to arrange a private trail ride when they normally only offer a group experience. Two guides took us out (since I was really nervous and requested my own personal guide haha) and could not have been nicer. They made small talk with us about the area, the state, and the weather all while they took us to the top of a hill where they stopped for a photo op. First we took one on our horses, then they asked if we wanted to get off and take a picture to which I promptly replied NO! I was not getting off that horse until the ride was over. When I turned my head the guides and my boyfriend must have come up with some quick plan to get me off the horse with some persuasion and assistance which set the perfect stage for a proposal at sunset.
They took pictures of the proposal and were just as excited as we were about the entire experience. Two really friendly guys and a wonderful establishment that went above and beyond to set the stage for a perfectly romantic proposal. Can’t wait to go back again!

The GF and I did a horse back riding session here. Before you buy the groupon. Try calling them first! Really helps them out and they really appreciate it!
This place is sorta out of the way for someone coming from Dallas, but it’s not like a drive to Waco or something, a quick trip on the highway and you’ll be there before you know it.
David (great name btw) is the guy that will do most of the rides. He is very helpful and good mannered.
The horses are great, they have anything from old racehorses to just a few months old, but you should definitely only ride the ones that are well trained, especially if it’s your first time.
Definitely give them a call if you ever want to ride horses and don’t want to pay the ridiculous price in the city stables. It’s definitely worth it!
Also as previously mentioned there isn’t a very clean restroom, but there is a church down the road before you get there, and the people there are really nice.
Again there is a coupon on here, but before you buy it, plz give them a call first!

I had such a great time here with my boyfriend. Really friendly people and most importantly, amazing horses.
It was only my second time riding a horse but they were really well trained and knew to follow David, our nice trail ride guide. The ranch was really pretty and big. Most places don’t offer trail rides, and I think this place is very reasonable in price.
Calling to make an appointment was super easy because they were nice and accommodating. If you have never been on a horse and love nature, give it a try and you’ll want to go back just so you’ll feel like you’re in a western movie.

Great place to ride horses and enjoy a day out in the country. Took our friends from out of state here and they loved it. The view is beautiful, horses are well mannered and are great with inexperienced riders!

Broken Bow Ranch was an amazing experience and a great way to end out road trip. Myself and two buddies of mine were on our way back to Dallas from San Antonio when we found this Ranch on google. The host Gay was great, she was helpful, friendly, and supportive. I’ve never rode a horse before and this visit sure is one that I would not forget. The horse trail through the open fields, the wind blowing at your back, the stores gay shared with us. It was just a relaxing to take time out of your busy life just to ride on such an amazing animal and enjoy what this very earth has to offer. After, we rode back in we got a chance to brush the horses and walk them to their stables.
I hope to return some day, I now have a 2 year old niece and would love to return to take her horse back riding.

The Host Gay is very helpful and of course very accomplished and awarded rider. I understand the gimack city slicker to the dude ranch for a trail ride. I do, I really do, but clean up the debris. You are running a business for goodness sake and it wouldn’t hurt to mow a bit. There are no restrooms for customers.