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Located in secluded wilderness and surrounded by boundless forest range, we have tens of thousands of acres for you to roam. Pack up your saddle bags and get ready to head out for days crammed with adventure.

Bathe in secluded lakes, picnic by the shoreline or simply enjoy a snooze in the shade. Improve your riding skills in the arena or venture out to explore remote and stunning landscapes, encounter dramatic vistas, search for cattle on the range or simply hang back at the ranch and relax. We really do give you "free rein" to decide how you spend your days with us. This is YOUR vacation and you get to plan your days and choose the pace.

Feeling a little saddle sore but still have energy to burn, get involved with ranch chores, head for the back country either on foot or mountain bike, or enjoy a lazy paddle in a kayak or canoe. Ease tired muscles in the sauna or head for the shoreline with your favorite book. Ranch life here has so much more to offer than just equine friendships out on the trail.


 

Good to know

  • Works with travel agents?

    yes

  • Belongs to

    BC Wilderness Tourism Association, British Columbia Guest Ranch Association, Tourism British Columbia, South Cariboo Tourism Association, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association.

  • Good time to go

    May thru October, offers its own special time to visit due to the changes in nature; however our fave weekends are 1st weekend in July and 1st weekend in August when we can enjoy the local rodeo and dance.

Lowdown

  • Owner(s)

    Debbie Atha

  • Address

    9550 Eagan Lake Road, Bridge Lake, British Columbia, Canada, V0K 1E0

  • Tel

    250 593 0332

  • Fax

    250 593 0334

  • Capacity

    12

  • Open

    May-Oct - view details

  • Nightly rate

    $200-275 - view details

  • Ranch Type

    Guest Ranch

  • Great for

    Action & adventure, Peace & quiet, People of all ages

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Highs

  • Emphasis on horsemanship for anyone interested - from lunging the horse and ground work to advanced riding
  • Debbie and the staff are genuinely committed to making your stay memorable and developing personal relationships
  • Riding is planned around guests - there is no strict schedule; a true, intimate getaway
  • Although a man of few words, Mervin's rides are exhilarating - create your own trails through the pristine Crown wilderness
  • Debbie has taken great care in choosing only the best horses for her guests - horses are well-kept and cared for

Lows

  • A shallow ranch history; however, guests are currently helping to create its strong historical foundation
 

Summer Season Rates & Booking

  • Open

    May-Oct

  • Nightly rate

    $200-275

  • Nightly rate (non-rider)

    $NA-NA

  • Nightly rate (children)

    $130-210

  • Minimum stay

    3 days

  • Preferred arrival day

    Any day is fine

  • Preferred depart day

    Any day is fine

  • Booking Policy

  • 30% Deposit of net rate taken at time of booking to secure reservation. Balances to be settled during ranch stay.

  • Included FREE in your stay

  • meals, activities, lodging, Riding, overnight camp, mountain bikes, canoes, kayaks, sauna, guided hiking, games room, riding lessons,

  • Extras

  • Tax

    12% HST applies to all charges

  • Gratuity

    at client discretion

  • Other

    Laundry services are available for a small fee. Ranch transfers from Williams Lake and Kamloops airport.

Environmental & Social Practices

  • Environment

  • Canada in general is very conscientious about reducing their environmental footprint.

  • Food

  • We are huge advocates of the "100 Mile" diet and buy as much produce as possible from local suppliers. Not only then is it fresh and our guests get a true taste of the Cariboo, but our guest ranch is also actively supporting our agricultural community.

Weather
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Avg Temp (°F):

 263242516068737162513326

Avg Rainfall (in):

 1.51.00.60.81.61.41.01.61.41.01.41.8

Lowdown

  • Elevation

    3820 ft.

  • Remote Location

 

Nearest Airports

  • Kamloops, Kamloops

  • Nearest town / city

    Kamloops

  • Distance to ranch

    95 miles

  • Time to ranch

    2 hours

  • Airlines

    Air Canada Jazz, Westjet

  • Ranch shuttle

    $100 per person plus HST

  • Rental car

    Required

  • Williams Lake, Williams Lake

  • Nearest town / city

    Williams Lake

  • Distance to ranch

    98 miles

  • Time to ranch

    2 hours

  • Airlines

    Pacific Coastal Airlines

  • Ranch shuttle

    $100 per person plus HST

  • Rental car

    Required

Nearest Town / City

  • 100 Mile House

  • Population

    2000

  • Distance

    30 miles

  • Time from ranch

    45 mins

  • Facilities

    grocery store, pharmacy, church, school, post office, medical clinic, hospital, bank, atm, gas station

  • Shopping

    small hometown necessity shops, boutique shops, malls

  • Ranch shuttle

    $50 per person plus HST

  • Rental car

    Required
 

Our riding stands out

  • Our horses love being around people and enjoy the job they do
  • We work throughout the week to continually improve your riding skills through encouragement
  • You get to choose the length and pace of your own rides.

Our horses

  • guest horses

    14

  • horse types

    Quarterhorse, Appaloosas, Paints, Geldings, Mares, Percheron Cross, Morgan cross, Arab cross

Our Riding

  • Unscheduled rides

    Free Rein is anything but rigid! Although we have a basic time that we tend to ride out each day, our timing is very flexible! Guests have the opportunity to feed and saddle their own horses each morning and are encouraged to take the needed time to spend with their horse.

  • Guided rides

    Our guided rides consists of a number of loops throughout our trail system with plenty of opportunity for beginner to experienced rides. Experienced riders trail blaze and enjoy loping across along old logging roads. Each guide offers somethin' a little bit different so you receive a well-rounded experience. Make sure to ask about Mervin's Magical Mystery Tours - bushwacking and trail blazing through the Crown Wilderness!

  • Riding Freedom

    Guests are welcome to exercise their own mounts in the riding arena any time of day between 9am and 5pm with or without supervision.

Good to know

  • Riding considerations

    225-250 lbs, no riding experience needed, We consider height and athletic ability as well as a guest's weight

  • Saddles

    Western

Lowdown

  • Type of riding

    Western Riding

  • Riding opportunities for

    Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

  • Rides are grouped by

    Ability, Pace of Ride, Rides tailored to guest requests
  • We are a small operation and fairly informal, there is beauty in being small as we can plan our days together over breakfast and work to accommodate differing levels, expectations, and requests and plan accordingly.

  • Max riders per ride

    5

  • Wranglers per ride

    1

  • Pace of ride

    Walk, Trot, Lope
  • Orientation takes place on the first morning of arrival whereby we assess guest's abilities and decipher freedom to trot and canter. We continue to assess your abilities and visit with you throughout the week as guests' abilities improve and as you grow as a rider.

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You'll enjoy

  • hours in the Saddle

    Morning - 2 hours, Afternoon - 3 hours
  • Afternoon rides tend to run 1-3 hours. We also offer all-day(approximately 7 hours) rides.

  • Riding

    Openly through property, On specified trails
 

Riding Lessons

  • Details

    lessons come with package, basic riding lessons, advanced horsemanship lessons

  • Lessons given by

    wrangler, ranch owner or manager

  • Lessons located

    in the arena
  • Your lesson is tailored to what you need. Just ask us throughout the week and we can work one-on-one or in a group. It's your preference.

Arena Work

  • Type

    outdoor arena

  • Activities

    roping from the ground, barrels
  • Guided, we encourage you to take part in lunging and participating in ground work for the colts and horses. We work with you to inspire you to learn more and grow as a horseman/woman while you're here. Throughout the week, you are encouraged to work with your horse in the arena at any point. We help build further confidence and fine-tune your skills in the arena by getting the poles out to learn to sidestep, work on sliding stops, timing, and coordination. We also set up the mini barrels and keep a record of your time throughout the week so you can see how you improve. We engage in a number of other arena games to improve your horsemanship skills and to just have fun. We encourage as much time as you can working with the horses from the ground to riding in the saddle so you can get the most out of your time here with us and the horses.

Sample Riding Itinerary

  • Day 1:

    Morning: Introduction and orientation, arena time then lunch at the ranch
    Afternoon: 2 hour warm up ride with further assessment, 15 minute cool down session in arena

    Day 2:
    Morning: 2 hour ride and lunch at the ranch
    Afternoon: 3 hour ride

    Day 3:
    Morning: Round-pen horsemanship / lunging session and lunch at the ranch
    Afternoon: 2 ½ ride with 1 hour of gymkhana games in the arena

    Day 4:
    Daytime full day mountain ride with lunch in the mountains out on the trail

    Day 5:
    Daytime full day ride to native Indian village with picnic lunch on the beach and swim

     

Setting

  • Private Land - 250-1000 (hectares)

  • Enjoy 285 private acres with a beautiful, pristine lake on our property. Located in it's own private valley with mountain views to the west, forest views to the south and east and Brown Butte to the north, you will enjoy spectacular views at any angle. The heart of our ranch is situated on the lake with the view of our lake. To the west and south of the this sit the accommodations. Our pens, corrals and grazing fields are at the northern end of the ranch as is our teepee village. To the west is a large Riperian area which is a prime location for spotting moose.

  • Public Land - more than 50k (hectares)

  • We ride on boundless Crown Land which is littered with hidden meadows, creeks, ponds, higher rises with bluffs overlooking the ranch and crystal clear lakes. You can ride short, slow and easy or long, fast and challenging or in any combination you choose. Ride short and fast around Muskrat trail or all day down to the beach at Machete Lake and picnic by the native village. Ride fast along old logging roads which are perfect for a good lope, trot through winding aspen groves or simply saunter along at a walk just taking it all in.

Local produce and local wine, simple, tasty and hearty.

We serve family style and offer a hearty home-cooked menu. We are more than happy to cater for any special dietary requirements you may have. Please be good enough to let us know in advance of your arrival.

Our buffet style ranchers’ breakfast is guaranteed to set you up for your day ahead. Lunch will be served either at the ranch house or out on the trail, depending upon your riding plans for the day. On the evenings when we dine at the ranch, we all sit down together and enjoy a 3 course meal whilst exchanging tales from the day.

Good to know

Alcohol

BYOB, wine provided with dinner

Snacking

Stocked refrigerator, BYO snack

Lowdown

  • Enjoy

    Ranch-style, Health oriented

  • Meals served

    family style, everyone eats together, scheduled meals

  • Enjoy dining in

    nature settings, patio, dining room (casual attire)

  • You'll definitely love

    ranch-raised beef, ranch-raised chicken, farm fresh eggs, organic produce, locally grown produce, We are huge advocates of the "100 Mile" diet and buy as much produce as possible from local suppliers. Not only then is it fresh and our guests get a true taste of the Cariboo, but our guest ranch is also actively supporting our agricultural community.

  • Dietary restrictions catered for include

    lactose intolerant, vegans, vegetarians

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Guest Favorites

  • Home made lasagne, fresh rocket salad and garlic bread
  • Grilled fish with mango salsa served with baby spinach salad and cranberry vinaigrette
  • Wild West Salmon with baby new potatoes and asparagus

Wine List Sample

  • Jackson Triggs Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Jackson Triggs Viogner
  • Sandhill Sauvignon Blanc
 

Sample Menu

    Breakfast

    Pancakes with maple syrup, boiled eggs, toasted bagels, cereal and yoghurt. Coffee, tea and fruit juice.

    Lunch on the trail

    Chicken ceasar wrap, packet of chips, apple, carrot cake and bottled water.

    Dinner

    Sundried tomato and toast appetiser

    Quiche Lorraine served with green salad with feta cheese and tomato and baked potato

    Profiteroles served with vanilla iced cream

Ranch Recipe

    Wild West Salmon (Debbie's favourite!)

    8 x 1/2 lb salmon fillets, 1 Cup vegetable oil, 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 4 cloves crushed garlic, 2 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup rye whiskey, 2 tbsp molasses.

    Mix all the ingredients together and marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Bake the salmon at 350F (180C) or BBQ. Serve with fresh asparagus and baby new potatoes.

Children at the Ranch

Great for children aged 7 and over



Children are welcome to partake in all of our horseback adventures provided they can clearly demonstrate the level of ability, control and maturity required to ride safely.

For those children unable to join the more adventurous rides with their parents, we are more than happy to supervise and teach them either in the safety of our arena or out on the trails surrounding the ranch, building both their skills base and their confidence. Experience is the best lesson in our book and we will walk, instruct and lead them whilst they learn the ropes.

For your added reassurance, safety helmets and body protectors will also be provided for your children. Whatever their previous experience in the saddle, we have a variety of rides suitable for all levels of young riders to enjoy and your children certainly won’t miss out on sharing the full experience here at Free Rein.

Detailed Activities

  • Arts & Crafts

    play-doh, coloring, sketching

  • Activities

    kayaks, canoes, row boat, sauna

  • Games

    board games, horseshoes, soccer, pool table, we have a basketball hoop for shooting ball

  • Riding based activities

    horse care, pony rides, arena riding, trail riding, gymkhana,rodeo visits on dates available

Babysitting

  • Available for children age

    0 to 7

  • Provided by

    guest ranch staff members and family

  • Hourly prices from

    $0

History in the Making!

Free Rein's history does not exist with a lot of depth. However, you might be interested in knowing that it was logged off in the 80s whereby a quiet family lived here. The next fella who purchased the place built the existing barn and extended the main ranch house.

When I was lead to this ranch; however, I knew right away it was the one to create lasting memories for not just myself but for anyone who visited and saw into the future what was to become the history of Free Rein!

We welcome you to help make history at Free Rein!

Lowdown

  • Ranch established

    2007

  • Guest ranch since

    2007

Our Staff

  • Dedication to guest experience
  • Warmth and friendliness
  • Positive attitude towards life
  • We have 2 wranglers on our staff, aged 26 to 54

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Owner Info

  • Owner - Debbie Atha

  • Purchased ranch in

    2006

  • Languages spoken

    english

  • We are a small family business here at Free Rein and take great care in every detail of your stay.

    Debbie grew up on an English riding school, worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 12 years following completion of a science degree. Then, she headed on to working at guest ranch in Colorado during 2004 which cemented her love for this lifestyle. She purchased Moose Valley Ranch, now Free Rein Guest Ranch, in 2006. 

Our Wranglers

  • Wrangler - Mervin

  • Age

    54

  • Hometown

    Clinton, BC

  • Languages spoken

    english
  • He's a real deal cowboy!

  • Wrangler - Murilo

  • Age

    26

  • Hometown

    Calgary, Alberta

  • Languages spoken

    english, spanish, Portugese
  • The happiest, smiliest most patient and laid back person we've ever met!

Rooms & Rates

  • Room type | nameSummer ratesWinter rates

  • Cabin | Lakeside log cabin #1 $200-$275n/a

    • Description

      Nestled amongst the evergreens and overlooking the lake, our two charming cabins are comfortably furnished with private facilities. Each cabin has a private deck, private bathroom with a shower and toilet, one queen size bed in the loft and bunk beds downstairs. Fresh Egyptian cotton linen and towels will be provided for your convenience. Each cabin also has a kitchen with microwave oven, hot plate, refrigerator and tea/coffee making facilities. Our Cabins are centrally heated and can accommodate 2-4 people.

    • Rooms

      2

    • Max occupancy

      4

    • Bathrooms

      Private bathroom

    • Amenities

      fridge, microwave

  • Cabin | Lakeside log cabin #2$200-$275n/a

    • Description

      Nestled amongst the evergreens and overlooking the lake, our two charming cabins are comfortably furnished with private facilities. Each cabin has a private deck, private bathroom with a shower and toilet, one queen size bed in the loft and bunk beds downstairs. Fresh Egyptian cotton linen and towels will be provided for your convenience. Each cabin also has a kitchen with microwave oven, hot plate, refrigerator and tea/coffee making facilities. Our Cabins are centrally heated and can accommodate 2-4 people.

    • Rooms

      2

    • Max occupancy

      4

    • Bathrooms

      Private bathroom

    • Amenities

      fridge, microwave

  • Lodge | Ranchers' Suite$200-$275n/a

    • Description

      Our Ranchers’ suite has a private deck overlooking the corrals, barn and riding arena and has 2 double beds. Perfect for 2 adults sharing who are perhaps not a couple or possibly who are a couple, but would just love to spread out on your own bed after a long day in the saddle! Each of our three guest suites has a private deck and a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. Tea and coffee making facilities are also available in each suite. Fresh Egyptian cotton linen and towels will be provided for your convenience.

    • Rooms

      1

    • Max occupancy

      2

    • Bathrooms

      Private bathroom

    • Amenities

      hair dryer

  • Lodge | Lakeview Suite$200-$275n/a

    • Description

      Our Lakeview suite has a private deck overlooking the lake and has one double bed. This suite is ideal for a couple and perfect for when you are visiting alone. Each of our three guest suites has a private deck and a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. Tea and coffee making facilities are also available in each suite. Fresh Egyptian cotton linen and towels will be provided for your convenience.

    • Rooms

      1

    • Max occupancy

      2

    • Bathrooms

      Private bathroom

    • Amenities

      hair dryer

  • Lodge | Family Suite$200-$275n/a

    • Description

      Our Family suite has 2 bedrooms and a private deck overlooking the Lake. Bedroom one has a double bed and the second bedroom can comfortably accommodate 1 to 3 children. Each of our three guest suites has a private deck and a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. Tea and coffee making facilities are also available in each suite. Fresh Egyptian cotton linen and towels will be provided for your convenience.

    • Rooms

      2

    • Bathrooms

      Private bathroom

    • Amenities

      hair dryer

Services

Communications

  • wireless internet
  • telephone

Additional Services

    Onsite

    Outdoor Activities

    • mountain biking
    • campouts
    • bird watching

      • Water based Activities

      • whitewater rafting-adventure

        • Additional Activities

        • Ride out and end your day in the saddle with a lazy saunter home at sundown. Dine around the campfire and sleep beneath star studded awe-inspiring skies on our weekly overnight camp out at Teepee village. We treat you to al fresco campfire dining and an escape from the ranch for the evening. Archery, horse shoe flinging and ghost stories around the campfire are sure to leave you with cherished memories of your night spent in the wilds.

    Good to know

    • You can borrow

      Cowboy boots, Riding helmets, Saddle bags, Rain coats
     

    Fishing & Wildlife

    • Fishing

    • Types of fishing

      spin, fly, lake, equipment available, guided non-inclusive, unguided

    • We live in an area called 'The Interlakes' with over 3000 Lakes in our region. Highway 24 is known as the world famous 'Fishing Highway' boasting some of Canada's best and world class lake fishing.

      We send you to the experts at our local fishing resorts to ensure you get the absolute most out of your fishing expedition. Charges do apply but rates are extremely reasonable.

    • Wildlife and birding

    • moose, mule deer, whitetail deer, coyotes, wolves, beaver, loons and a variety of other birdlife, we do see the occasional cougar but thankfully it is a rare event!

    Tel 250 593 0332

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