Rocking Z Guest Ranch

The most beautiful place! My daughter and I felt so welcomed. Horses were so fun and well trained. Loved the classes and staff. Best week ever. Felt like part of the family and made lifelong friends. I highly recommend this for anyone that has the love of horses, beautiful views, and the big sky.

Wow! The Rocking Z Ranch was a purely authentic insight into the lives of 5th generation Montanan's. Their history, culture, horsemanship, wonderful family & home is generously shared with their guests. All of which is surrounded by the most breathtaking mountain landscape, that no words, or pictures, could ever do justice! One thing that really shone out was the love this family has for its horses. Horse welfare is front & centre of their work. Myself & my Sister (and our fellow guests) got to experience amazing horses who were selected carefully to fit our experience levels. My dream of loping across a prairie was well & truly achieved! If you’re looking for polished, then Rocking Z isn’t for you. If you want to experience true Montanan ranching & way of life then this is the ranch for you. We got to work the cattle (so much fun!!), experience barrel racing (more fun!!), wagon driving (with two beautiful Belgium drafts), loads of beautiful trail riding (as well as an all day ride out & picnic), a trip into Helena to the famous Murdock Western Store, Parelli Natural Horsemanship games, & optional horsemanship workshops, e.g. biomechanics & free reining. The accommodation was great, the food was outstanding & the company incredible! On our trip we were lucky enough to meet great people, from around the world, who we belly laughed our way through the week with. We were spilt into ability groups, which meant that everyone got the riding experience that they desired. I opted for a faster adrenaline ride on one afternoon, which was a thrill ride…for sure! We were really, really looked after by the team at Rocking Z Ranch! They really do care about your experience, & add a few surprises along the way to show you just how much!! Patty, Zach, Maria, Anna, Julia, Justy, Bo, Mary Beth, Maddie, Margaret, Landon & Sue thank you so much for making my dream the most incredible reality! ❤️🤠❤️

I (solo traveller from Europe, 29F) spent one week at the Rocking Z ranch in July and it was fantastic. It was my first ranch holiday and I never rode western before (but am a leisurely English style rider), so my expectations were to learn a bit and spend time with horses in a beautiful scenery. They were more than exceeded! I can’t stress enough how skilled, experienced, and kind the instructors, Anna, Maria and Justi, were. Having teachers at such a high level for an entire week was more than I could have hoped for. Without hesitation, I would love to attend training clinics offered by any of them individually. A reason I chose to come to rocking z was that they started the week with horsemanship before riding. Their horses’ wellbeing is central to their approach to teaching and transpired in everything we did: from groundwork to barrel racing, saddling, the biomechanics of riding, cow work and trail rides. Their horses were a joy to be around and ride, reliable and responsive, suitable for beginners and experienced riders. It is such a privilege for both beginner and experienced riders to be taught by the rocking Z team. The team at rocking Z also went out of their way to accommodate personal preferences, regularly checking in with the guests if there were specific activities we wanted to do. I got to canter bareback, do liberty groundwork with an amazing horse as partner, and learned so much I want to take home with me. The wranglers who took us out on rides and worked with us in the arena were great riders and instructors. The rooms were very comfortable and the desserts tasted like heaven! I eat vegetarian and it was no problem for them to accommodate that. The family did their best to give the guests a movie-like experience, with a music evening and taking us to a rodeo. Patty and Zach built an amazing place. The only downside is that once you’re there you don’t want to leave.

I’ve been to a number of guest ranches in the USA. This ranch rates highest for its riding instruction, horses, horse care and food! I’ve just the most amazing week. All of the family and staff make you feel at home. If you want to know what horse riding is about and how to do it, how to understand the horse then pick this ranch. If you want chocolates on your pillows pick another ranch.

This is a fabulous family home, authentic, full of heart and soul, the family team and their rangers are absolutely amazing for all levels of competence. 3 fantastic meals a day included, home made fantastic quality food. The horses are super responsive and so well looked after, it's a really amazing experience. The scenery is out of this world too. Absolutely amazing experience.

This Ranch was incredible, a bucket list holiday with family ! The riding and horses fantastic! Nothing was too much trouble , the food delicious joining the ranch family , all experienced in everything to do with horses , was amazing. The beautiful scenery and riding out of this world!! I shall definitely return ! cannot recommend highly enough.

I loved my stay at Rocking Z. I did a one-week horsemanship course and learnt so much about their approach to horses and their psychology, which was, next to the trail rides, the best part of my experience. Patty and Zach were great hosts, they always shared great advice and stories. Maria and her cooking were excellent!! They always accommodated our food preferences and the food was simply delicious. The ranch and the surrounding nature are just beautiful and the room was very cool western style.

Amazing destination ranch with really well-trained horses and staff in gorgeous Montana country. Terrific food and ultra comfy rooms and beds. Not posh but absolutely top notch!

I wish I give could this place a million stars! I just got back from a trip of a LIFETIME!!! I have horses at home and have ridden my entire life but this place teaches you so much more about horsemanship. They truly cater to what you want out of the experience. The hospitality was out of this world! The family and all that work there are so warming and knowledgeable. I tried venison that Maria had shot herself, quartered and hauled back to the ranch. it was AMAZING!!!!! I seriously could go on and on and on about this place but there are literally not enough words to express how incredible this place is.

Great guest ranch for all types of riders! Awesome folks and welcome you with open arms. Will be back!

Great scenery people, daughter said best day she ever had!! Family enjoyed all to do!

A dude ranch? I wasn't sure about this trip, a gift from friends. And now my husband and I are busy figuring out when we can go back! The Wirth family and everyone at the ranch made our stay such a fantastic experience that it's hard to put it into words. Warm smiles, wonderful horses, gorgeous scenery, home cooking, and songs around the campfire. They even managed to get my husband (who didn't enjoy any previous horse experiences) on horseback - TWICE. The first time was because he promised me, the second time was because he enjoyed it so much.

I had such a magical time at Rocking Z that I'm not really sure where to begin with telling you about my incredible stay! It was a horseback riding vacation come true! If you google "Montana Dude Ranch" you get dozens of results for places spread across the state. I researched several and sent out emails requesting more info and Patty Wirth from Rocking Z not only wrote back to me within a day, but she was the only one who specifically addressed all of my concerns and answered all of my questions. Then she called me a few days later to explain things in even more detail and make sure that this was the right guest ranch for me. Talk about service! I knew that Rocking Z was where I was going to spend my solo ranch vacation. I wanted to spend my week at a ranch where I could ride horses all day as well as advance my horsemanship skills. From the moment I arrived I was made to feel right at home and was welcomed with smiles from every one of the Wirth family and all of the interns that work there. The rooms were large and warm (both in decor and temperature!) and the beds were so comfortable! I was surrounded by gorgeous scenery: rolling hills, bright blue skies, green grass and dozens of friendly, well trained horses. I think one of the greatest assets to the ranch is the other guests! People come from all over the world to experience Rocking Z and since everyone eats meals together family style in the lodge and we all go out on rides together (in the same riding level) you really get to know one another. It's like a family after a few days! Who would have thought that a small working family ranch in the middle of Montana would be a melting pot of international culture bringing people together from all over the world to share their stories and experiences with the common bond of the love of horses? During my stay I met 2 amazing sisters from England and we did all of our rides together, talked and learned about each others cultures and became friends! I was the first person from LA they had ever met! Within 15 minutes of arriving on my first day, Maria (ones of the Wirth's daughters) was giving me an introduction to their horses. She led me into the corral with about 25 horses and started walking me around telling me their names and fun facts about them. Pretty soon horses were coming up to us to get pet and scratched and following us around as she introduced me to other horses. Their horses are so friendly and just love attention! As a horse lover, this was a dream come true to be able to interact with so many horses who love human contact and are genuinely friendly. I haven't had Western riding lessons in a long time, and their entire staff was friendly and knowledgeable with their instructions. After some practice I was able to saddle and bridle my own horse after "catching" her from the corral. The staff would check to make sure everything was tightened properly but they totally let you try it yourself first if you want. I was able to be as involved and interactive as I wanted to be which was so great! Everyone was so encouraging as well! What did I do at the ranch? Everything I could have wanted and MORE! I went on trail rides that overlooked some of the most spectacular views I've ever seen. I rode well trained, obedient and responsive horses who were matched up to me specifically! (If you go, ask for Joker or Storm. They are awesome!) We did trail rides with long canters across green pastures and up rolling hills. We did some cattle wrangling and learned how to twirl a lasso and rope a real calf! I learned how to ride bareback and we got to help bring in the horses from the pasture in the morning and turn them out to pasture at night. We went camping overnight in just sleeping bags out in nature with a campfire and homecooked campfire meal made in dutch ovens. I learned how to barrel race, and saw 2 brand new foals that were born during my stay. I got to try Parelli games with 2 different horses with Maria's help and I learned so much about horses and the Parelli method that I know I am a better rider for it. Maria sang for us after dinner and played the guitar and fiddle and even did a duet with another guest who also played! Every single member of the Wirth family and the staff (interns) there took care of every need we could possibly have. The food was incredible and home cooked! And if you have a special request or need, they are happy to accommodate. The hospitality here is warm and genuine! When my stay there was over it was so hard to leave after being surrounded by such positivity, beauty, hospitality and experiencing the most unique and magical vacation of my life. But I have my memories and photos to last until I can get back up there for the next trip. I can't wait to go back!

Although I had owned horses and ridden very extensively in my younger years, I hadn't ridden in any length in over 30 years. I wanted my 3 adult girls to experience what I had when I was younger so I booked a week at Rocking Z. However, I gained so much more than I ever expected. We arrived to spectacular scenery and a lovely ranch nestled among the mountains. Our room was lovely, with western decor and an awesome pot belly stove that operated via a thermostat. We were so surprised that we were the only Americans and our other guests were from all over the globe. What an unexpected blessing to get to know and become friends by the end of the week with these amazing fellow horse lovers! Maria and Anna are amazing equestrians who were able to transfer the basics of the Parelli method of horsemanship to our little group. The horses on the ranch were very well loved, healthy and very responsive. We rode hours every day and each trail ride was more amazing then the next. The rides were challenging and for a Midwesterner, not used to heights, a little daunting. The scenery on the rides were ever changing and you would think that the beauty couldn't be matched but every turn was even more beautiful. We also learned barrel racing and cattle cutting - something I always wanted to do. Please come to the ranch with an open mind and heart and you will grow in knowledge of being able to work with a horse in the kindness way and obtaining maximum results. I went to the ranch to ride in beautiful country and have a bonding experience with my family but I gained so much more than that - I met extraordinary people from around the globe and family who ran a ranch that became family to me. Thank you Pat, Zack, Anna, Maria and Ben!!! Mary!