Hell’s A-Roarin’ Outfitters

We had a wonderful 1-hour ride in the mountains with this outfit! The guides were very kind and helpful. They put my 81-year-old stepmom on a gentle giant, and I had a sweet horse as well. It’s over 5 miles up a gravel road to get there, so be aware of that, but we had no problems in our Ford Escape and there were other people there in Honda Civics and smaller sedans. This was a bucket list experience for us and I’m so glad we chose Hell’s a Roarin’ to help make our dreams a reality. 5 stars all the way.

Our experience appears to be out of the norm, but I think it's important to share. We arrived for a 2 hour ride this past week. There were 25 people in our group, mostly inexperienced/new riders. There were only 4 guides total to supervise this huge group. Unfortunately, on our ride, due to the size of the group and varying speeds of the horses, as well as of an inappropriate number of guides, a horse ran away with his rider. She was a girl of about 15 and she fell from her horse at a full gallop. (Helmets were offered, but they were not encouraged. Our whole family (7) were the only ones that chose to wear them). Obviously, horseback riding carries risk. I am an experienced rider. Injuries happen. My complaint is not that a girl fell. My complaint is that there was zero preparation for this event. Her collarbone appeared fractured. The guides had NO idea what to do. There was no first aid kit, no way to offer her shade, none of the guides even offered her water. I got down to help her, check her over, and gave her my water bottle. We were at least 3 miles from the barn at that point. I was told by someone working there that they were short of guides that day. If that was true, it was negligent to send out a ride of that size. It was negligent regardless. The guides were not very involved or particularly friendly. They did not make any effort to match people with a horse of the right temperament. They didn't care if you stayed together with your party, and part of the experience for us was riding with our children.They seemed apathetic and disinterested when the girl fell. I was more concerned than they were about it. I was told it was nose-to-tail, but ultimately, as someone who's ridden for 40 years, I ended up riding alongside the group so that I could monitor the 3 inexperienced kids under my care. The good: The horses were well taken care of, and the location is utterly stunning. The bad: there was no preparation or training for an emergency, the group was huge and didn't have proper monitoring by guides, you couldn't ride with your friends/family, and someone was seriously injured due to bad planning/negligence. Other things that were frustrating (but not unsafe) - they did not allow any stops for pictures, to drink water, or for small kids to use the bathroom if needed. It really felt like were churning us through the ride as fast as possible. I wouldn't recommend riding with them. It was unsafe, and it was very impersonal. If you do choose them, WEAR A HELMET. They have them up by the office. The ground is extremely rocky in that area, and if the girl had hit her head rather than her shoulder, the outcome may have been life-ending.

We had a wonderful 1-hour ride with a cowboy cookout! The place is "out there" (far), BUT the vistas of Yellowstone during the ride are phenomenal! The guides were very helpful and patient, and the story-teller during the campfire was the cherry on top!

What a memorable experience! We did the horseback ride and cowboy cookout. Gorgeous country and amazing steak dinner. We also loved the campfire songs too. Only thing I would caution is be careful driving up that road. We did it in an RV and woul never do that again. ;)

I recently did a tour with this company and the views were absolutely amazing. However it took about an hour to get everyone on their horses. There were 38 people in our group with 4 guides but one guide had to stay with a special needs customer, in which I do not think the parents disclosed. He was very scared and the parents did not stay with him. Once on the trails families were separated and I know some were not very happy. While the scenery was beautiful and I am an experienced riding there was not any kind of explanation or safety talk for those inexperienced. I feel the guides did the best they could do. I feel this falls on the owners. Tours should be capped not only for the experience but for safety. One last thing the drive is about 7 miles long on a dirt, rock and graded road. Be prepared. You will need shocks after.