Equine
Surprise Valley Ranch is a fantastic place for horse enthusiasts, offering unparalleled practical equine training in a friendly, professional atmosphere. We are home to the nation's most complete and intensive mounted response unit training center, the U.S. MRUTC. As such, we are perhaps the only guest ranch in the country with its very own professional master equine communicator, and a nationally recognized one at that! Our master trainer—Captain Grant Mitchell—has trained hundreds of horses using his gentle, non-threatening technique that achieves spectacular results by building upon a foundation of trust and communication between horse and trainer.
Mounted Rangers and professional riders bring their horses here to get high level training in search and rescue, bombproofing, air scenting and other important skills. Now, civilian riders can bring their horses to the ranch to learn many of the same skills once reserved exclusively for professionals. Individual horse training and board is available year-round at the ranch. We also offer an ongoing Cadet program for those interested in training alongside mounted Rangers, and a Ride Like a Ranger© clinic which teaches many of these skills in one accelerated program.
If you're not looking for training, you may still be interested in some of our equine programs, including a Certified Trail Medic© program and Self Defense on Horseback©. Some are multi-day clinics; others are single-day.
Come stay at the ranch with your horse and have fun and learn new skills together! Spend your days out on the mountain trails surrounding the ranch. Take a class or two. Take a riding lesson, or spend a few hours just hanging out with some of our resident horses and soak up their glorious equine energy.
- U.S. Mounted Response Unit Training Center
- Mounted Response Cadet Program
- Public Clinics & Programs
- Bombproofing
- Ride Like a Ranger©
- Self Defense on Horseback©
- Train Your Horse to Travel©
- Traveling Safely With Your Horse©
- Board & Training
- About Our Horse Training Methods
If there is an equine skill not listed that you'd like to learn, please just ask... We can probably teach it, but just haven't been asked before.