Cowboy Up

Usually, dinner and a show in Las Vegas means an evening on the Strip involving a human circus.

To Big Jim Sage, that phrase has a whole other meaning involving John Wayne and horses.

That's what he calls an evening on horseback, riding around Red Rock Canyon and then eating at a campfire.

Sage, who has operated his Cowboy Trail Rides out of Red Rock Stables for 16 years, offers nightly sunset trail rides in which he guides riders on horseback around the scenic Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and then afterward, feeds them a steak dinner cooked over a campfire. Or, chicken or salmon, if you prefer.

"It makes you feel like a cowboy or a cowgirl," Sage says of his stable's most popular horse ride, the Sunset Trail Ride. "You feel like John Wayne when you're going down one of the trails. There's a visual to it, that, even though you're not alone, it feels like you're a million miles away."

Riders spend an hour and a half on the trail then return to the stable area, where they're treated to a meal cooked over a campfire. After dinner, guests roast marshmallows and sit under the stars and listen to the coyotes howl.

People may think it's too hot to ride horses during the summer but actually, it can be temperate, Sage says. It's always a good idea to dress in layers so that when the sun goes down, you have a light jacket to keep you warm, he adds. The group departs the stable about 6 p.m., giving them enough time for a leisurely ride before returning to watch the sunset.

Though the majority of the stables' 200 monthly visitors are tourists, it caters to locals through discounts on every ride. Locals pay $169 for the sunset trail ride, a discount of $20.

The Morning Rim Ride, with no meal, is a two-hour ride around Red Rock for $129. For a list of other rides, visit cowboytrailrides.com.

"We do quite well in the summer," Sage says. " People are looking for something to do aside from staying in an air-conditioned room."

Would-be riders have several options to choose from when it comes to horseback riding.

Sagebrush Ranch, owned and operated by Jacque Fitzgerald, offers rides starting at an equestrian park near Interstate 215 and Cheyenne Avenue.

"We work very hard to beat the heat so we do early morning rides while it's cool and late evening rides after the sun goes down," Fitzgerald says.

They also offer locals rates. The Doc Holliday ride starts at 9 a.m. -- 7:30 a.m. during the hotter days -- with a breakfast of pancakes, sausage and orange juice. Locals pay $89, a $20 discount.

"Horses are part of our American heritage and children really relate to them," Fitzgerald says. "Kids enjoy riding because they feel free. There's something exciting about riding this powerful horse and having it do what you ask it to do."

Fitzgerald offers rides of varying lengths, some with meals, others without. A one-hour ride costs $35 for locals, $50 for nonlocals. For a listing of more rides, check out the website sagebrush-ranch.com or call 645-9422.

Fitzgerald and Sage also both offer horse camps for kids during the summer. Recently, Sage started offering Cowboy 101 sessions at his ranch in Overton. Guests can spend about six hours on a working ranch, learning to be a cowboy or improving their skills. Among the activities they perform are wrangling horses, saddling a horse and taking care of it. Prices starts at $189. For more information, visit the site theranchlasvegas.com.

If you want to escape the valley heat, Las Vegas Carriage, owned and operated by Robert Humpherys and his family, offers horseback riding at Mount Charleston. Prices vary; a one-hour ride costs $40. Breakfast and dinner rides also are offered. For more information, call 596-6715.

Bonnie Springs Ranch offers horseback riding, including a breakfast, lunch and dinner ride. Riders must weigh less than 250 pounds and be older than 6 years. Rides cost $55 per person for one hour. For more information, visit bonniesprings.com.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564.