Randy and I just returned from Cody, Wyoming where we spent four days in meetings with other guest ranchers from all over the west.  The Dude Ranchers’ Association has been enhancing guest ranching for over 86 years, and touring the Heritage Center in Cody and seeing photos and displays that illustrate its colorful history was a highlight of our time in Wyoming.  Marketing is one of the DRA’s main objectives, but another valuable service it provides is continuing education for the members.  There is a horse safety course in which most ranches participate, and every year at our winter convention, speakers are brought it to illuminate topics ranging from marketing, current social media trends, and legal issues facing our industry to horse health and effective hiring practices.  Every rancher who attends takes back to his or her ranch a wealth of information to improve what they do, but the friendships strengthened between ranchers at these conferences are the most valuable things we bring home.