silver spur ranch

This place is a must if you have kids! We were there for one night only, and the kids (girls aged 8,8 and 11) loved every minute of it! The riding trail was safe for them and great fun! Also the longhorns on the hayride were very exciting! All of the program was geared towards kids. The facilities were nice and relaxing. The room was large and perfect for a family of five (rare for hotels!). The food was homely, perhaps a bit heavy for my wife, but otherwise ok.

Jay, Allison, Vicki, Chris, Tom - Outstanding individuals who made the experience as relaxing, busy, carefree and educational as possible. even though my son, daughter and I were the only guests staying at the ranch, they made every effort to see we had the full experience - and a very personalized one !kids thoroughly enjoyed it - the hayride with a visit from some very intimidating, but friendly longhorns, the horseriding (of course - first-timers here!), and a chance to see many activities we would not otherwise been able to (*includintg horseshoeing!)and, - don't forget to visit the town nearby!

Our autumn trail ride experience was pure magic! The horses were beautiful and well-loved by Silver Spur staff, the view of the hill country while riding was spectacular to say the least, and Silver Spur trail guide and brother to the owner "Mr. Jay" was super-charming and knowledgable!

We went to spend the day at the ranch with a trail ride, lunch and then the swimming pool. All the staff were very welcoming and overall we thought the day was very good value for money.The lunch was buffet style chicken with sides. This was served in a large communal room that also had a pool table, bar football and other games. There was also a small shop that sells bandanas, hats etc, all at better value than in Bandera. The swimming pool is a large L shape with shallowest water at 3'6" and deepest at about 12'.The horse trail was fine with some good views. The horses in our ride (about eight) were all as calm as you can reasonably expect horses to be.We would certainly go again.

Bandera itself is like a theme park town based on the old west except its REAALLLL!!!!The area is a gem and the ranch holds its own against a high standard. The ranch house has plenty of activities and just being in the ranch house is an activity with things to look at, history on the walls all throughout the house and nice architecture as well. The property is great outside the house too, the pool is TEXAS SIZED and has an outlook over the hills/valley and a shady spot to sit and enjoy that warm dry TEXAS air - you can see deer, rabbits and other wildlife around and it feels wonderfully serene. We were never around for lunches or dinners (because its close enough to other places that you can go out but other guests told us we missed out on some bonfire fun) but the breakfasts were good with a variety of choices - and the staff were legitimately happy to help and make any special requests happen. Rides are included in the stay - you wont be riding hard or fast on the trails, but the secenery is great, horses are happy, staff have stories and if going fast is something that you want to complain about - ask the staff for a private ride and you'll get it.The place is family run, family owned and they've created one of the better family experiences I've ever seen in my life.

My sister and I try to plan a quick getaway at least once a year. This year was Silver Spur Ranch. We both enjoyed the trail rides and fell in love with "our horses" Sunrise and Whiskey. We enjoyed the family style meals and really felt like we were a part of the ranch. The employees were all so nice and fun to be around. We enjoyed the hay ride and bonfire as well. The rooms were a bit rustic for us city girls but I guess that goes with the ranch life style. We would encourage anyone to give this ranch a try.

I could make this review really short and just say it was an awesome place, but I feel the need to elaborate. :-) We went for a family vacation during spring break (me, my husband, and two girls ages 9 & 13). This is a very down to earth ranch, nothing fancy...but that is part of going to a ranch. The people there were friendly and the food was delicious! Some of the things our family enjoyed were hiking to the fossil pit (get your bad of digging tools from the office before you go), playing on the playground, a hayride to see the longhorns, petting the donkeys, goats and chickens, gathering eggs from the hen house, making s'mores around the campfire, singing karaoke when it was cold and rainy outside, playing board games, pool, foos ball and ping pong at the lodge, watching the farrier shoe the horses (he is there every Monday), and of course riding horses. The horses appear to be well fed and cared for. The views from the trails are beautiful. The wranglers are very hard working guys with a lot of patience! They figure out which person should go on which horse depending on size, weight, ability etc. They have the horses saddled and ready before your ride and there is always one wrangler in the front of the trail ride and one at the end. (Please follow their directions and keep some distance between the horses.) There may be another wrangler in the middle depending on how many are riding. We were there during spring break and so were lots of other people so some of the trail rides had up to 19 people riding (which really felt like too many to me) but other rides had 8-10. Please remember to tip the wranglers! And I just have to give a special shout out to the wrangler Paul, he is exceptionally nice and friendly. He made us feel very comfortable and welcome. Also, at the end of the ride the kids can ask for a horseshoe with the name of the horse they rode. I can't write a review on the Silver Spur Ranch without commenting more about the food. Everything was delicious and there was a lot of variety. At breakfast they had scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, French toast or pancakes, fruit, cereal, & yogurt. Lunch and dinner included favorites like brisket, fried chicken tenders, hamburgers or hotdogs cooked on the grill, beans, potatoes, salad, bread, fruit and always awesome desserts. They constantly had fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, tea, coffee, & punch available for snacks. Also, look for the big plastic container filled every morning with pancakes, etc., to feed the donkeys. We stayed in a rock cabin with sleeping for five. It was nice and clean, but the beds are hard. The cabins were pretty small but there is a lot of closet space so that helps keep the main room less cluttered. My daughter and I are definitely looking forward to our next visit to the ranch. My husband was very bored but it was of no fault of the ranch, but rather that he just doesn't enjoy the things that a ranch offered and we knew that going in. He was forced to get some much needed rest though and do some reading. (The internet signal is hit and miss and very slow)

My family went out to the Silver Spur Ranch in Bandera, TX for lunch and a trail ride. They also accommodate overnight guests. Not knowing what we'd find there, we were pleasantly surprised by the ranch, the employees, the food and the horses! There were 8 of us for lunch with 4 of us going riding, The lunch was buffet style and very good and plentiful. The brownies and the cookies were scrumptious! After lunch we went on a 1 hour trail ride. I am an experienced rider and I took my 4 granddaughters, 12, 10 and 8. I was impressed with the safety there, pairing up horses with the riders of various abilities. They had helmets for the kids (and adults who want them) and saddled up everyone in a slow, careful manner. We had a ride with a wrangler at the front of our line as well as one at the back of our line. The horses were well trained and didn't seem to mind when a beginner let her horse ride up right behind another horse. One thing I really liked - we actually rode for an hour. the time I paid for didn't include the saddling up time or the dismounting time. You get your full hour of riding.There were plenty of things to do for the 3 year old who didn't ride for the hour we were gone. All in all, we had a great day!

What a wonderful place to visit! A fine ranch run by very nice people. Well entertained by Kevin Fitzpatrick, a world champion roper, followed by an excellent lunch. Then the horse ride! Nothing was too much trouble for the wranglers to make us novices feel safe and comfortable. The ride itself took us to the far reaches of the spread up hills and through brush country. Very memorable.

Silver Spur Ranch is a real class act. The staff are respectful, courteous and always looking for ways to make your stay exceed your expectations. Nothing pretentious about these folks. They make you feel comfortable and at home while providing you the opportunity to do things you may have never done before. The ranch is in the Texas hill country near a large state park. You may choose to participate in many of their planned activities and, if that isn't enough, they'll help direct you to any number of near by attractions. We did the cowboy bars in Bandera and did a little Texas two-step. Go there, relax, and have a ball.

We are repeat customers to say the least and plan to visit again soon. We have visited the SilverSpur Guest Ranch since 2006 and each stay has been as good or better than the previous. All the staff is courteous (kitchen to wranglers to hosts and owners)

Horseback riding was a big part of our dating time so after 40 years of marriage we chose to visit a ranch and include riding as a part of our celebration. The Silver Spur had everything we needed - since we went in the off season, it was a quiet getaway and the staff made us feel right at home. We were provided with a nice room, plenty of riding and good food. We especially enjoyed learning about the longhorns and enjoying being on the ranch in general. We couldn't help but keep thinking about how neat it would be to bring all the grandkids back when it gets warmer. I can imagine what a hit the pool is in the middle of summer! The kids would love it!

Our son & daughter in law organised an hour's horse riding at this ranch. The four of us loved the experience - staff professional and friendly, horses just the same!! Would recommend for all ages.Gary & Louise MandurahWestern Australia