Black Mountain Ranch 

British travellers to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), which allows most British Citizen passport holders to visit for up to 90 days without a visa, must get an authorisation via the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) prior to their journey. Visitors should register through the ESTA website and are advised to do so at least 72 hours prior to travel. If you do not have an ESTA you will be refused travel to the USA. The US Customs and Border Protection department charge $14 per application for an ESTA. All payments must be made by credit card.

To enter under the VWP your passport must contain a machine-readable zone (MRZ).At the foot of the photo page. The MRZ contains 2 lines of text as letters, numbers and chevrons (>>>).  If the area is blank the passport is not machine-readable and you need to apply for a visa.The new style passports containing a biometric chip and an MRZ are acceptable for the VWP.

The electric current is 120 volts. A adaptor plug will be required.

When travelling on a ranch holiday, one of the first questions you need to ask yourself is, do I have adequate insurance? There are several things that you need to take into account when purchasing insurance for a ranch holiday:

• Will my insurance cover me for riding without a hard hat, as many insurance policies do not cover this.
• Many policies exclude cover for horse riding
   

The insurance we recommend is booked via Insuretotravel and covers horse riding and riding without a hard hat. Please click here to book ranch insurance.

Insure2travel offers assistance 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and is FSA registered under number 309466 and insured through Europ Assistance FSA registration number 311883. www.fsa.gov.uk

We suggest that all our customers review foreign office advice for Puerto Rico before travelling to any destination featured on our website. Please use the following link: www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo for the most up to date information

The official currency is the US Dollar.

The most important aspect of bookng a Ranch holiday is to ensure that the ranch you book offers exactly what you are looking for. Each ranch holiday falls in to a certain category which we have listed below for your guidance. Ranch Holidays are suitable for riders of all abilities, experienced riders may prefer a ranch with a varied terrain and one that offers Cattle Drives or Pack Trips whilst the novice rider would be more suited to a Guest or Resort Ranch offering more facilities and activities in addition to riding.

Working Ranches - Most working ranches earn their main income from working the land and livestock.  Working Ranch's often allow small numbers of guests to share their lives and become part of the team, supplementing their income and providing you with a unique insight of how a working ranch operates. Taking a Working Ranch Holiday often gives you the opportunity to join in with daily ranch activities including cattle drives, branding and checking on the ranches livestock. Working Ranches are normally suitable for experienced riders only.

Guest Ranches - Riding is the main activity on guest ranches however they often offer many other activities ranging from fly fishing, white water rafting, hiking, mountain biking and archery. Accommodation on guest ranches is generally of a higher standard than that of a working ranch and the riding is often suitable for all riding abilities from beginners to experienced depending on the ranches terrain.

Resort Ranches - These are luxury resorts set in the wilderness of North America offering a range of outdoor activities with riding being one of them. Resort Ranches are popular with those that wish to be pampered and enjoy the great outdoors and to include some riding during their stay. Resort Ranches often feature a spa, outdoor or indoor swimming pool, tennis, 4WD tours or the ranch and surrounding wilderness as well as fly fishing, archery, hiking and mountain biking. Dining is normally gourmet with a number of resort ranches being part of Relais & Chateaux. All riding abilities are catered for but Resort Ranches are more popular with the less experienced rider.

Horse and Cattle Drives - For those experienced riders that dream of becoming a real cowboy on holiday, a Horse or Cattle Drive is the perfect choice. A number of ranches offer Horse and Cattle Drives atcertain times of the year whilst others specialise in this activity and offer it for most of their opening season. A Horse or Cattle Drive Holiday is the ultimate cowboy experience, you will become part of a working team and spend most of the day in the saddle. Evenings are often spent around a campfire reflecting on the hard days work you have just undertaken, accommodation in normally basic cabins or tents.

Pack Trips - A great way to experience the great outdoors and wide open spaces in the North American Wilderness is by including a Pack Trip in your ranch holiday. A number of our most popular ranches offer the chance of a one, two or three night pack trip at an additional cost. Most pack trips will entail several hours in the saddle carrying your own provisions in to the wilderness and areas where usually inaccessible by man. Accommodation on a Pack Trip is normally in rustic and basic cabins without electricity or in tents. Pack Trips are suitle to intermediate and experienced riders.

The above descriptions are to be use as a general guide only, for further details speak to one of our Ranch Holiday specialists.