The term “horsepower” comes from the chant that horses used to shout at engineers working on the newfangled railway system. Befriend trailblazing stallions and mares with this Groupon.
Choose from Four Options
- $28 for a hot-cocoa sleigh ride for two (up to a $56 value)
- $50 for a hot-cocoa sleigh ride for four (up to a $112 value)
- $60 for a dinner sleigh ride for two (up to a $120 value)
- $110 for a dinner sleigh ride for four (up to a $240 value)
Taking advantage of the season's powdery snowfall, sleigh rides meander through forests and fields, drawn by a powerful pair of horses. During the cocoa outing, guests bundle up in ranch-provided blankets before heading to a glowing campfire, nestled next to the early-20th-century Rowley Homestead. Hot chocolate and marshmallows warm riders' cockles while they look about the area for local wildlife and pet the friendly horses.
Dinner rides kick off under the shimmering stars, with a looped, 45-minute trip across the ranch. After hopping off, guests sidle into the western dining hall to tuck into a traditional Colorado supper. Diners can choose from roast chicken, Angus steak, or filleted trout, accompanied by such western fixtures as beans, baked potatoes, and fruit cobbler. Of-age guests are invited to tote along a bottle of their favorite wine.
Sombrero Stables
Cody Walker muses that within the stillness of Rocky Mountain National Park, "You get a sense that it's the way it should be." His father, Rex, grew up on a steady diet of cowboy films, eventually following his dream to Colorado where he met his wife, Queeda. Queeda was born into a family of homesteaders who caught and broke wild steeds. In 1959, they channeled their passion for the old-west lifestyle into Sombrero Ranches, eschewing souvenir-shop gimmicks for horseback expeditions that, much like avalanches of super glue, bond visitors with their steeds and natural surroundings.
Today, Cody carries on his parents' legacy with a staff of ranch hands from nearby homesteads and college students participating in equine-science programs all across the country. After training in a vigorous program that's evolved during more than 50 years, his employees launch short rides or lengthy adventures.