CASTLE VALLEY — The Old West is, indeed, alive ... albeit with a few little updates.

Now, after a day in the saddle, today's cowboys get a comfortable bed and a menu of meals served hot, right to the table, instead of cold beans, stale coffee and a saddle and a blanket for a bed.

Pointed-toed boots have been replaced by athletic shoes, broad-brimmed Stetsons by baseball caps and long-sleeve shirts with white T-shirts.

The main player in the Western experience, however, is still the horse and saddle, same as a century ago.

It is this opportunity to saddle up and ride off into unsettled lands that wannabe cowhands are looking for.

Which, of course, has resulted in an increase in the number of riding opportunities at guest or dude ranches in the United States. The highest concentration of these ranches is, as might be expected, in the western part of the country.

There are a couple of dozen such ranches here in Utah. There are several hundred scattered about the United States and even outside the country in places like France and South America. Opportunities range from everything to riding and roping, to yelling at cows and singing around a campfire.

The reason for the growth, said Colin Fryer, owner/CEO of the Red Cliffs Lodge on the banks of the Colorado River northeast of Moab, is: "People still have a fascination with the American cowboy and the horse. When they come here, they want to know about the horses and where we ride and, if they've never ridden before, if this is something they can do.

"They come to guest ranches to ride horses. But now, when they get off the horse, they want to do other things, like hike and bike and take river trips and Jeep tours. Guest ranches have adapted. The horse is still the reason they come to a guest ranch. The other activities are what people look for in their vacation plans."

With respect to the horse, there are a number of popular breeds ranch owners can include in their stables.

In Fryer's case, he has picked the American quarter horse, one of the preferred mounts of early cowboys.

The quarter horse was bred to be a Western pony. It is quick, balanced and agile, which makes it ideal for roping, reining, cutting and working cattle. It is also described as being levelheaded, kind, sure-footed and steady.

"They are a genuine ranch horse," continued Fryer. "We do our own training here. We start by actually taking the horses out to work cattle. It teaches them to be calm and quiet until you need them, then they respond. They know what to do, and they do it.

"What that means is that out on the trail, with new riders, they're less likely to be nervous about seeing things like rocks and trees or going through a stream. Quarter horses also have a smooth gait, which makes them comfortable to ride."