August 10th, 2020
Greetings Maverick Ranch Guests,
Thank you for visiting our page. We hope you’ve found what we offer to be a refreshing take on modern day horseback riding. If you haven’t gathered, yes we are still taking public riders, although not nearly as many as we normally would. During the first two months of the Covid outbreak, we shut down hard and lost a tremendous amount of the operating funds we typically generate during a very fruitful time: Spring.
This summer, we have been taking only about 15-20 public riders a week. We are catering more toward private rides and group excursions that are richer in experience, with less people per ride. The River Ride was a huge hit, but now that the waterways are getting a little more shallow, which increases the challenge of navigations, we are offering private river rides only.
We might direct you to the most epic journey imaginable: The Texas Barbecue Ride. Hosted at the Lockhart location, the Barbecue ride is a 4-5 hour journey comprised of about 2 hours in the saddle. You’ll see it all, from the bluff top views at the Maverick Ranch to a gorgeous stroll through the park and into town where we will hitch up and chow down on a Barbecue Feast you’ll remember for a lifetime.
We are still requiring masks when participants are within 10 feet of a group they did not come with. For example, when we are adjusting your stirrups or helping you onto the horse, both parties need to have their bandanas pulled up. Here’s a pro tip though: a wet bandana will keep you feeling AND looking cool. That’s right. You’ll be stylish in your ranch wear, rocking all the photo ops with our beautiful horses. Don’t worry, we do a great job of reminding you when you can pull your bandana down for some fresh air (which is more often than not).
As always, thanks for supporting our sustainable ranching efforts. When you chose to ride with Mavericks, you are supporting sustainable ranches. We love what we do, and try hard to make sure that we are catering our experience to people who are enthusiastic about learning all we have to offer. Call or text 512-230-8413 for more information, or if you know you are ready to book a session, click on Book Online Now to get one step closer to a taste of Texas freedom.
Cheers!
The Maverick Riding Team
July 1st, 2020
Good Afternoon Mavericks and Guests,
We want to extend a huge thanks to all those who have supported us near and afar during an era of so much uncertainty. Whether that’s help on the grounds at Maverick Ranch or simply contributing with a gift certificate purchase, we are hugely indebted to you and truly, wouldn’t be here without you!
While we have some extremely limited services being offered at this time, anything could change so please do check in with us if you have any questions.
We have some group excursions available, limited to 6 public riders at a time. We make a point to monitor social distance protocol and mask wearing when we are within TEN feet of one another. Thanks so much in your understanding of this enforcement.
Warm Regards,
Jo Marie & The Maverick Ranch Team
April 4th, 2020
Greetings Mavericks,
Take a moment to peruse our Welcome Page and read about services such as training, boarding, lessons and camps we developed, implemented and then evaluated and re-implemented from our conception in 2012 until the beginning of 2020. You can get links to social media sites, media spotlights, reviews and more. For eight years Maverick Ranch grew and evolved with the input, guide and help of riders, staff and consultants. Learn about what our 1 time rides and trails looked like as 2019 came to a close, and how our regular riders and lesson program evolved.
Without contributing too much to the buzzword of the year, we do have to acknowledge the elephant on our ranch. No, no… we haven’t actually got an elephant (yet). We’re talking about Covid-19. It sure has changed a lot of things for the world. It’s also brought about a lot of speculation about its cause, the reaction to it by society, individuals and the authorities. Sadly, it has brought to light a lot of judgment as well. In reality, we don’t really know how long the New World will be like this, and so without continuing to cling to a past which may be… well… passing us completely, we look forward because the reality is: It’s not all bad news. This moment in our world history may be an opportunity to cocoon up and come out on the other side transformed. It also seemed like an appropriate time to go ahead and split the website up into what brought us where we are, and where we are going from here.
Our company was founded on the principles of Community Based Management (CBM). This has created an adaptive growth with dynamic services to meet the needs of the local community. For over eight years, Austin and surrounding areas have been home to this growth, and Mavericks is proud to have become such a staple of the Central Texas community.
Your Day at the Ranch
Currently, we are offering Private Ranch Excursions. You’ll get to visit with us, stroll through our developing community garden, meet the plethora of animals that calls Maverick Ranch home, and of course take some incredible photos with your fur friends. Enjoy the standard farm parade of chickens, dogs, cats and horses, but also learn about and get up and close to our goats, lambs, baby horses and even the resident cow! After that, get ready to roll your sleeves up! You’ll help us participate in 20-30 minutes of ranch chores to see what it takes to actually grow and raise food on American soil, right from the eyes of first and second generation ranchers who are working hard to implement new strategies of mixed herd rotational grazing and sustainable crop development all whist honoring some time honored traditions. It’ll be a good work out, and good insight into what just a sliver of our day looks like.
Working with and Riding the Horses
We know that the horses are the primary draw that brought you to us, and so we are excited to walk you through a horsemanship experience that has been refined over the years with lots of input from other guests from here, from there, and well… from everywhere! First we will take a moment to get to know our horses, check in with ourselves, and learn about preparing your horse for the ride. That way, you will walk away knowing what safety precautions to take when you go ride trails anywhere in the future. Gear fails. Know what to look for.
During your mounted portion, you and your horse will cover an absolutely beautiful piece of central Texas terrain. Wherever you ride with us, expect elevation changes, water crossings and amazing seasonal wildflowers. We will happily capture these experiences for you on camera, so that during your ride on our gorgeous trails, you will be able to focus on what you are doing: riding and enjoying!
For a more relaxing ride, we use structured trails and low levels of instruction. If you’d like to pick up the pace and get a physical & mental workout, we can scale up the level of instruction. We’ve said it all the while our original “lesson on the trail” was in development for the past 8 years, we can help you ride the way you want!
The riding segment of your ranch experience is between 1.5 and 2 hours. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with a variety of horses, try bareback riding and figure out what approach to riding is appropriate for you. The total session from start to finish is 3-3.5 hours. We will reserve for you a private space to enjoy a picnic lunch before or after your experience. Bring some goodies and some refreshments, and plan on taking a step OUT of the city and INTO the country. In all, you’ll enjoy up to 5 hours with us at one of the private ranches we enjoy within 15 miles of Austin City Limits. The cost is $225 per person.
Let’s Grow, Together
Out of all that’s become of what we as people are experiencing –as Texans, as Americans, as a world in various stages of connection– we at Mavericks sincerely hope that we can leave our differences at the door and agree that sustainability has never been more important. The shared experience of quarantine and worrying about loved ones and our futures has shown us that we need more. We need more access to local food sources, natural spaces, and fountains of education where we can learn real world working skills so that we and our children and future generations can be healthier, stronger and more connected than we are today. That should be the hope of every generation: That those that come after it are evolved for the better.
Today we invite you to come experience what a step back in time can do for this momentous leap forward into our world future. With hopeful hearts we open our arms to you (at a socially appropriate distance, of course). We open our doors and our lives. We offer you relief, a goal to move toward and a memory to cherish forever.
Want to book an experience with us? We promise it will be something you will never forget. It might even be life-changing. It has been for many people before you. What are you waiting? Come ranch with us!
–The Maverick Ranch Team
Read more about our services by visiting the Welcome Page. Consider supporting us during these uncertain times by purchasing a GIFT CERTIFICATE for use at a later date on our Booking Page.
