Wyoming dude ranches have a glorious history and they preserve the admirable traditions of the Old West which personify the spirit which made America the greatest country in the world. It is a spirit which esteems courage, straightforwardness, resourcefulness, loyalty, freedom, persistence and ingenuity. These qualities may no longer be in vogue as they once were, but they should be and their fall from favor bodes ill for the future of America. Riding horses and taming the wilderness required a different ethos from waiting in line for unemployment compensation.
Of course a week’s stay at a Wyoming dude ranch does not provide the same challenge as carving out a homestead in the old days and setting up a successful cattle ranch. Nevertheless, a week at a dude ranch for a teenager can be the kind of experience which marks a person’s attitude for a lifetime. It opens their minds to the fact that wide open spaces still exist, that wildlife is fascinating, that national forests and national parks are of value and need to be preserved. It shows them how much more exciting it is to guide a galloping horse across the sagebrush plains than to sit in front of a computer and play make-believe games. In real life the stakes are a great deal higher than they are playing games on the computer screen. Kids need to learn that these days and a great place for it is on dude ranches.
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