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Welcome
to the only Dude Ranch in the
Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee!
"Rough Cut"
Our guest lodge and western town
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Dude Ranch gives you these things: a rest full place to relax and spend time with your family, good food, good horses and trail experiences, and a vacation to remember a lifetime.
1. Why does your ranch use all Arabians?
Answer: Our family started breeding Arabian horses in 1987. In 1991,
we decided to open a ranch so people could learn about the Arabian horse
and that they make very good trail horses. This fact is not widely known
since many Arabian horse owners prefer to show their horses and leave
them "Hot" which is a term for this breed of horse and many
others. In simple terms, horses that are not trained to face fear using
round pen training techniques, like in the movie "Horse Whisperers,"
could be termed "hot blooded." The Arabian horse when trained
in this manner, makes one of the best trail horses, and our record of
safety proves it.
2. Can I bring my own horse?
Answer: We do not allow any outside horses.
3. Can I ride the horses without a guide?
Answer: No, all of our rides are with our experienced guides.
4. Can I get a special menu for my package deal?
Answer: Yes, by request when you make your reservation,
we can offer you a meatless meal serving or lacto/ego vegetarian meals
instead of our regular meals.
5. What should I wear for horseback riding and rafting?
Answer: Horseback riders should
wear long pants and shoes with heels. Rafters should wear clothes similar
to beach wear or summer jogging clothes. The time of year also determines
what else you might need, so keep that it mind as you pack.
6. Do you have a weight limit
for horseback riding?
Answer: Yes we do, and it is 225
lbs to participate in all the horseback activities. We do allow individuals between 225 lbs. and 250 lbs. maximum to do the following if they can physically mount the horse and lean forward when needed: cattle drive, team penning, and the blue trail; but we withhold the right to deny this if the horse shows signs of not being able to perform safely. Anyone that is over 250 lbs. is offered a 10% non riding discount (not available with some discounts), as they can participate in the water and other activities we offer.
7. Do you have a minimum
riding age?
Answer: Yes. Kids 7 and older
can ride on the trail rides without taking a private lesson at the ranch.
Kids 5 and 6 must take a one hour lesson to determine if they have the
skill and maturity to go out on the regular rides.
8. Can ranch personnel babysit
my kids?
Answer: No. We are not authorized
by the State of Tennesee to babysit. We do have kids programs when sometimes
their parents are elsewhere, but kids less than 7 require at least one
adult to stay behind and accompany them.
9. If I have to cancel after
mailing in my check, would I get a refund?
Answer: Our policy is as
follows. If you cancel at least 60 days ahead of your arrival date, then
you would get back your deposit less a 20% administration fee. If you
cancel less than 60 days, then we would only refund your deposit if we
can fill the space we were holding for you. If you have a large deposit,
we recommend that you look into travelers insurance.
Travel Guard
Travel Safe
10. Can I keep a cooler in my room or cabin?
Answer: No, but you can keep one on the covered deck of the building or cabin you're staying in. Coolers with ice sweat and most of our floors are wood so it creates damage when it gets wet from a cooler.
11. Can I keep alcohol in my room or cabin or ice cooler so that I can drink it at will?
Answer: No, you cannot keep any alcohol of any kind in your room, cabin, or ice cooler because of Safety and Insurance policies. You may purchase beer and wine coolers we have for sale in the saloon during hours with no outdoor activities. All other types of alcohol (Whisky, Bourbon, Gin, etc) can be brought by you to the ranch, turning it in at the bar, then we will serve it to you (free of charge) through our saloon. The reason for this is because we offer outdoor activities that contain certain inherent risks, and anyone using alcohol is prohibited from participating for their safety and protection.
We reserve the right to deny outdoor activities to anyone that we believe is in non-compliance with policy #11 and offer no refunds of any kind for any or all missed activities.
12. Do your accommodations have usual personal items like today's motels like hair dryers, irons, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.
Answer: No, our rooms although modernly equipped with air conditioning and bathrooms, are not supplied with regular personal items. The reason being is most of our guests stay a week and supplying these items are not feasible like staying one night in a motel. Dude Ranches are a unique vacation, and one of the most memorable ones by almost every survey done, which means the "norm" of everyday life will be different.
13. Will I be able to drive right in the ranch on check in day no matter what time I arrive?
Answer: No, our gates open at approximately 3pm on check in days so that our staff can prepare rooms and other parts of the ranch for incoming guests. We are similar to a cruise ship in that we have to allow ourselves a few hours between guests in order to clean rooms, and other maintenance things that can be best done without traffic flow. You do not have to arrive at 3pm, that is just the earliest you can get inside the ranch. Supper is served only at 6pm so we hope you can arrive by that hour. If you're not going to make it to the ranch by 6pm, you will need to eat supper on the way. If you are not going to make it to the ranch by 10pm, you might have to stay elsewhere that night as we do not have a 24 hour attendant like a Motel or Hotel does. We are a Dude Ranch, not the Marriott.
Click here
to receive a free French Broad Outpost Ranch brochure.
1-800-995-POST
©
1997-2011 French
Broad Outpost Ranch, All Rights Reserved
461 Old River Road - Del Rio, Tennessee 37727
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