There are several companies that offer week long riding vacations all over the world.  I've been lucky enough to go on quite a few of these trips (Ireland, Hungary, Portugal, Canada, Missouri, Wyoming, Utah, & Arizona) loved every one of them. 

Equitour, Cross Country International, & Hidden Trails are all great.  just do a search for horseback riding vacations and you will gets tons of websites

I don't recomend Cattle Drives unless you are happy walking for a short ways, stopping while they poo and pee, eat grass, then move them again a short distance....  the heavier the cattle are, the more they are worth, so they tend to move them v e r y slowly.  It was my least favorite of all the rides I've done. 

Now packing into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Yellowstone, etc that is a great ride.  Be prepared to sleep in tents, on horse pads, etc  no comforts of home, but the scenery can't be beat.

Sorry, just to follow up regarding the Bitteroot Ranch post - - apparently this ranch is where the old Marlboro ads were shot - very much the old west.  Also, you can choose different rides.  So, you wouldn't be sent out with a group of beginner riders taking a horse vacation for the fun of it.  They evaluate your riding experience before placing you in a riding group.  Also, you can choose the ride where you come back each night and sleep in your cabin or you can go on a pack trip into Yellowstone NP.

My friends who took the trip highly recommend it.  Their description was "you get up in the morning, eat a fabulous breakfast, rest, go out and get on your fully-tacked horse, come back and hand the reins over to someone (to untack your horse) and eat another fabulous meal - and you do this several days in a row!"  If you choose not to go out riding every day, you can hang back and fish or do other things..  We get a brochure every year and they also have great rides all over the west and southwest, so I would definitely look into Equitour if you're considering this type of vacation.  I've heard nothing but good things about them!

Greetings,

For vacation suggestions for Wyoming, see my post under the Wyoming thread. My very favorite place to ride so far in the world (I've been to a number of other countries and on a pack trip in Alaska right outside Denali) is the Canadian Rockies. Absolutely jaw dropping scenery! Check out "Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies" website. We have ridden with them three times and will go again. That speaks volumes when you have so many choices of where to spend your equine vacation dollars. The website is extensive, and Rick Goddeis, as well as the others are volunteers who continue the tradition of this organization founded in 1923! It is also reasonably priced. Also do a search under Dude Ranch Association. You can do one for U.S. and Canada. They have an extensive list of association members and ranch websites with a ton of info. I have also heard great things about the "Red Rock Ride" in Utah. That is on my list of things to do.

Hope this helps,

Brenda

In Southern Utah

http://www.horserides.net/

On another note, a woman on another website, reported that they hauled her horses out from Missouri and rode for 10 days in Colorado and NM and said her fuel bill was only $800 even at this summers prices.  A couple of plane tickets, rent a car and the cost of renting horses or hiring an outfitter will easily exceed that,