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Now offering several ways to spend your summer at the Alvord Ranch. A week-long "Alvord Ranch Experience"and month long ranch school dates. Only four students will be accepted for each month-long session of the Alvord Ranch School.
In 2010 we are offering two sessions:
First Session: June 2-29 FULL!
Second Session: July 5-29 FULL!
The tradition of making a good Bridle horse while doing an actual job is quickly becoming a thing of the past, there are few opportunities to expose you and your horse to the hours of wet saddle blankets that made the great vaqueros and horses of the past. Here is the opportunity you have been waiting for, to work with one of the top hands of the Great Basin on one of the oldest ranches of the Great Basin and learn the “tools of the trade” through actual first-hand experiences.
The Alvord School is a month long course designed to expose you to every aspect of ranch work and provide you with the opportunities to practice these skills. There will be no set curriculum; we will simply be doing what needs to be done that day with Martin there to coach you through. Some of the jobs might be moving cows to the mountain, sorting cow/calf pairs from a rodear, branding rodear style—heading and healing, and pasture roping and doctoring. Other things you will learn will include the terminology and history of why we do it this way and buckaroo etiquette. 
Some days we will be working with the regular Alvord crew so there will be plenty of opportunities to get help from everyone around you. Once you get out there, you will find what skills you will need to work on and then in the afternoons when we get done early, we will spend extra time working on those skills. Roping, horsemanship—staying out of your horse’s way, learning how to ride with the hackamore, two-rein and bridle.
There is no substitute for experience. You can’t learn wine tasting by reading a book, you have to taste a lot of wine and you can’t learn buckarooing by reading a book either. The best teacher is experience, so that is what we are going to do, teach you through every day experience.
This is your chance to really “work” on one of the renowned ranches of the Great Basin and experience the things most people only read about.
You can bring two personal horses, shod and conditioned for riding full days. Other horses will be available to use. You need to bring all of your own tack and equipment. If there is anything you need or you have any questions, let us know and we can help you. 
Please bring the following gear:
• hobbles
• 50’ plus rope
• good fitting saddle
• breast-collar
• pads
• shoeing equipment (whatever you might have)
• rain gear
• snaffle-bit and whatever other headgear you might have, hackamore, two-rein, bridle.
Included in the price is:
• Lodging—separate sleeping quarters with a shared bathroom.
• Meals will be provided since it is a couple hours to a store of any size.
• Hay or grass for your horse, if you want your horse to have grain or other supplements that will be your responsibility.
The Alvord is located in Southeastern Oregon on the East side of the Steens Mountains near the Alvord Desert. It is about100 miles south east of Burns, Oregon, which is the closest town of any size and about 3 hours from Boise, Idaho, the nearest airport.
Hurry, only four students a month will be accepted! Send in your deposit today to hold your spot for this special experience. Or call Martin at 208-337-8438 for more details.
| Articles Read great articles from past participants of the Alvord Ranch School. |
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| What I did on My Summer Vacation by Steve Bell An account of a week of the '06 Alvord Ranch Experience. |
Download as PDF |
| A week at the Alvord Ranch by Bob Marsh A diary of a fantastic week in '07 at the Alvord Ranch Experience. |
Download as PDF |
| Photos From The Alvord Ranch School |
Reviews of the Alvord Ranch School
"One thing I loved (remember how everything is my “favorite” – Jen does!) about being at the Alvord with you and Jen is that we are all just people doing the best we can in the present moment on our horses, with the cows, and with our friends we’re working with. Some people more experienced than others, but it didn’t really seem to matter, we all just gave it the best we had from the space we were coming from with the intent of helping as much as we could. The Alvord took away our other “titles” in life, the things that form norms, biases, and expectations: how much money we made or not, how well we’d done with relationships or not, and we were all just people there working for the sake of the brand, the land, the buckaroo lifestyle, the traditions, the animals and doing our best. Your steadfast optimism, the belief in persevering – were monumental examples for me. How you wrote your account with the bull shows that in you. The lessons you’ve learned, how you share them even through these stories. Thank you, Martin. You are leaving a legacy, and that is incredibly cool in life, and from my perspective, incredibly important. I’m just one person, with a few horses and a life-long dream, and look at the gift you and Jen have given me…
"I love that I have the opportunity to be a part, in my own small way, of all this, and will be in the future, for to know you and to learn from you both is a great gift. The really awesome thing about how you and Jen are together is you each teach in your own style, and I learned so much from each of you… different things that led me down a great path." - Kim Hill
"I had so much fun at the Alvord Ranch. I had no idea what a beautiful ranch it is. The owners were awesome and welcomed us into their home and provided cabins for all of us. The 5 children helped with cooking, cleaning, ranch work, and anything that you needed. What wonderful kids!
"I learned so much during the month. I was very fortunate to be able to bring 2 of my own horses. I was also able to ride some of Martin’s horses that were great! We were working with the cattle every day – either gathering, sorting, or branding. We also started some colts in the afternoons. We had many early mornings but I can’t think of a better reason to get up early and jump in the saddle.
"I did not realize at the time how much I was learning – and the horses, too! Both horses seem so solid and I can do just about anything with them now. I don’t have any of the separation problems or anxiety issues. A month on the ranch solved all of these problems.
"I also learned to trust my horses. Neither horse had ever been to a branding, so I acted as if they had been doing it forever. That worked and they both did great. It is amazing how well the horses and me adjusted to ranch life. After the first few days, they were not surprised to see me early in the mornings and ride for 6 or 8 hours. We loved it!
"I hope that I get the opportunity to ride with Martin at the Alvord Ranch again. It was hard to leave – especially since I felt that I finally was catching on and the month was over. Many thanks to Martin and Jennifer for making it such a wonderful experience!" Heidi S. MacIntyre, Colorado