Ride the Wide Open Spaces

My Cowgirl Hats, a Saga

2011-03-02T17:31:00.001-07:00

I've been blogging over on our website recently as I thought it would be a good idea to drive more traffic there and give visitors something more to read, however I've decided to keep TWO blogs going. Wow, that will definitely take a little time . . .

This place is going to become a little more personal, with ramblings and ideas and thoughts that I have to get out and share. I have certain standards however; I live by Thumper the bunny's wise words "If you can't say somethin' nice . . . don't say nothin' at all". So while I'll have an opinion or two and will probably be a little disagreeable from time to time, I won't get personally ugly. It's just not good for the world and certainly, "what goes around, comes around".

The Riding Hat, Little Sandy Camp, WY

Today, I just wanted to tell a little story about the hat in the photo. I wear a hat in the summer when I'm outside riding and at camp, and wear a dress hat when I'm on the job for Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures at equine trade shows, events, personal presentations and the like. I used to have a big, black Resistol hat, trimmed in red around the brim and the hatband, with red eyelets. It was beautiful and so Wyoming, perhaps a little bit much, but it was striking. I had shipped it back to my dear friends in Massachusetts last November in preparation for the Equine Affaire event in W. Springfield, where I and several of our wonderful clients/friends were going to work 10-hour days at our company booth, promoting our rides.

All went well throughout the week+ that I was back there - at least until it was time to get everything together to ship home. When we got back to my friends' home, I gently placed the hat inside the protective plastic wrapping and diligently fitted the cardboard shaper into the hat to hold the shape. Underneath the hat, I stuffed in a heavy-duty extension cord that I couldn't squeeze into the show box. The box was secured with packing tape and was placed on the stair landing, ready to take to the UPS store.

The Resistol Red Trim Dress Hat, W. Springfield, MA

I had one lovely extra day to spend with my friends, so we took a day trip north of their home in Beverly to see some historic Wade family dwellings. The plan was to come back with delicious pastries for dinner that night back at the house. We had a lovely day. We came into the house and noticed that the hat box was gone. Upon interrogation of my friends' husband, it was confessed that he thought the box was trash and it went to the curb for the recycling truck to haul away. Alas, the "over-the-top" head covering was long gone, and the poor husband (who is also my dear friend) was aghast and dismayed, insisting that he must replace my lid with one of like quality. I was not distressed, it really was quite humorous to me, but I know he felt terrible, so I agreed that upon such time as I found another dress hat, I would let them replace it.

My New Hat in Pomona, California

Two months later I happened to be in Jackson, Wyoming for a Chamber of Commerce event and took a stroll into Jackson Hole Hat Company, just to see what the possibilities were. My eyes zeroed in on the new hat, right in the middle of a display wall of about 50 toppers of every shape, style, color and appointment. I tried it on; the fit was exact; the color was a soft silver with the slightest hint of sage green and the ribbons around the brim and crown were a translucent flesh color. It was high quality, beautiful, shapely for my round face and expensive. I was almost too embarrassed to dare consider it was "the one". I put it back and tried on another hat, but I was unimpressed. The first one begged me to save it from it's surroundings. I called my friends and they were so relieved that the burden was to be lifted from their guilty hearts and the price on sale was much less than they were expecting. I sent them photos, like a new mother with the first pictures of the baby.

Imagine Yourself Riding with Blue Sky Sage

2010-11-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Blue Sky Sage 2010 Season Video

2010-10-26T10:30:00.001-06:00

Wild & Free

2010-07-14T21:13:00.000-06:00

With an evening view of the Wind River mountains in the evening light, I have been re-living the recent days spent with guests Laura and Carrie, our camp cook Jocie and of course my husband Mike here in the Wyoming wilderness. A week of exciting and challenging riding over a big scope of country and the highlights of the week were locating and getting close enough to hear the snorts and squeals of several bands of wild horses in the Great Divide Basin of the Red Desert. To be able to share this kind of experience with others is a wonderful treat that we are grateful for every day and for those moments in time, we can put aside the problems of the outside world and live right now, experiencing a spiritual awakening and soul-touching revelation of what life can really be. Photo of this wild mustang courtesy of Carrie Sandler.

Ride the Wide Open Spaces: RIDING BOOTS: THEY AIN'T MADE FOR WALKIN' . . .

2010-06-01T08:29:00.000-06:00

Ride the Wide Open Spaces: RIDING BOOTS: THEY AIN'T MADE FOR WALKIN' . . .

RIDING BOOTS: THEY AIN'T MADE FOR WALKIN' . . .

2010-05-31T23:21:00.001-06:00

Bet these beauties got your attention, didn't they?!

As an aspiring horsewoman and professional horseback vacation provider, little things come to my attention every so often that manifest into rather monumental revelations. Take BOOTS for instance and what the definition of that word encompasses. For the purposes of horseback riding, I'm going to discuss RIDING BOOTS here.

In spite of all the technology and marketing the major boot manufacturers of the world have pummeled the consumer with in recent years, much of what is being touted as a "riding boot" in the marketplace is anything but. I think if we are sincere in our efforts to be better riders, and sincere in our horsemanship, we owe it to the horse and our own safety to equip ourselves properly and the choice of boots for riding makes a big difference toward that end. Many of today's so-called "riding boots" are designed more for the comfort and ease of the human while on the ground than to have a sensitive feel in the stirrups or the irons. It is our belief that a true riding boot has these characteristics:

a) A smooth, slick sole that is thin and will allow your foot to actually feel the stirrup through the bottom of your boot. Leather soles are the only sole material that affords this feel and lets your foot actually grip the bottom of the stirrup or iron. Soles that are made of composite materials or have any "stickiness" to them, or any kind of traction-type pattern not only elevate the foot away from the stirrup, but they are too "tacky" and can prevent you from sliding a foot out of the stirrup in a hurry if necessary.

b) A definitive heel that is separated from the forward sole of the boot. This is especially important to reduce the chance of the foot going too far into the stirrup and getting wedged or even worse, going completely through. If your heel isn't slightly elevated from the ground and there is no daylight showing between the boot heel and the ball of your foot when you look at the boot from the side, then the boot is not designed for riding. Of course, proper stirrup size enters into this equation as well. The red top boot at the right is Mike's dress riding boot, a traditional cowboy boot with the underslung heel and spur ledge, made by Olathe and available from Drew's Boots.

c) The boots fit properly on your feet and are "broken in". Some of us have feet that do not comply with to the standard shoe/boot sizes that are available "off the shelf." Many things affect the shape of our feet, i.e. bunions, low or high arches, width, etc. If you have feet with unusual characteristics, you may need to have good riding boots custom-made to accommodate those issues. Of course they will cost more, however a quality pair of custom-made riding boots should fit your feet comfortably and properly, and they will last many years if taken care of. Once you have a pair of boots that fit properly, you will have to go through a little suffering to break them in, probably having to walk and ride in them to get them conformed and softened to your feet, but this is true with any boot and getting them broken in gradually is better than jumping right into a 25 mile ride in brand-new, stiff boots and ending up with blisters. The boot pictured here is a custom-made White's Cowboy Packer boot, Bobbi's well broken-in riding boot, purchased through Drew's Boots.

d) Proper riding boots probably won't be the most comfortable boots to walk in for any distance. And if that's the case, your riding boots are probably just right for riding. Riding and walking are two totally separate endeavors for us as humans and footwear that is correct for one is not correct for the other. We have to choose what is right for our horse and our safety while mounted, above what we may have to do on the ground on our own feet, so walking comfort for the human takes a backseat to what's required when we are riding. If you're going to walk, get a good pair of walking shoes or hiking boots; if you are going to ride, you gotta have riding boots and the two are mutually exclusive. We keep our riding boots in the tack trailer and put them on just before we catch our horses and saddle, so we don't have to do much walking in them. When we get in from a ride, we put our "walkin' shoes" on after we've turned the horses out.

The other question to be answered here is lace-ups vs. regular boot tops. There are advantages, in my opinion, to the lace-up option in that they offer more ankle support which some of us need, and they are more accommodating to those of us whose calves are larger than what many regular boot tops are sized for. Only you can decide what your needs may be on this one.
That's our take on RIDING BOOTS. How much money you spend and the brand name you choose are not as important as the features we recommend here, whether you are riding in English or Western boots. Don't get caught up in the hype or the techno-jive; choose what helps you to be safe in the saddle and be more attuned to your horse.

Barely Legitimate! Roper-style, good leather sole, but the heel is almost too short.

Not even close! Any sole with traction is too "tacky"

Composite Sole, NO, NO! Again, too sticky, not slick.

This boot/shoe is made for walkin' . . . NOT RIDING! Anything with a lug-type sole that does not show some daylight in front of the heel is not proper riding footwear.

NEXT IN THE SERIES: Boots in the Stirrup: Safe, yet Sensitive

Meet the Wyoming Horseback Riding Vacation Winner, Dixie Lee West

2010-04-13T15:37:00.000-06:00

Dixie Lee West of Arkansas:

I was raised in southern California, got my first pony when I was four and rode in my first gymkhana when I was 7. When I was a kid I basically lived on my horse! I was a member of the California Gymkhana Association for 14 years before moving to Arkansas shortly before my 22nd birthday. Mostly what they had here then were rodeos so I ran barrels for a few years. I even learned to breakaway rope! I'm not the best at it but it sure is fun when I get to do it! A few years later I got involved with the National Barrel Horse Association and have been doing that ever since. We raise a few Quarter Horses, and I ride what I raise. I start and train them myself and occasionally ride horses for other people. The horse I compete on (my favorite) is a 10-year-old black Quarter Horse mare named Wicked Falina. She’s silly, temperamental, moody, pushy and spoiled! My husband says I’m the only one who likes her but that suits me fine because she and I get along great!

My family consists of my husband, Chris, and my daughter, Sierra, who is 8. Chris is mainly a trail rider, but he enjoys most everything "horsey" and he’s also my biggest support in whatever new adventure I take on. Sierra also barrel races and is making quite a handy traveling partner! She has decided to train her own horse this year instead of moving on to a faster one that knows the pattern. We all reside in central Arkansas with 14 horses, 2 dogs, 6 cats, a bird and some chickens.

Sweepstakes Winner is Announced!

2010-03-24T15:21:00.002-06:00

Willow and Bobbi "work a cow" at the Bruce Laird Horsemanship Clinic last September.

     The winner of the "Wyoming Riding Vacation Sweepstakes" is Dixie Lee West of Alabama, CONGRATULATIONS! Dixie was randomly drawn as the winner and has chosen her husband Chris as her riding partner for a Mustang Horse Adventure. There were well over 7600 entries in the sweepstakes, one of biggest that Horse & Rider Magazine and Equisearch.com has hosted ever. We sincerely thank each of the individuals who entered and although there can only be one winner, we invite you to book your horseback vacation with Blue Sky Sage for this summer anyway and join us in Wyoming!

     The photo for this post is of Willow mare and I on the second day of our Bruce Laird horsemanship clinic in Torrington, Wyoming last September. Bruce had spent most of the first day on Willow himself getting her to work through a really hard mental block; when Bobbi got back on her for the second day, Willow was a "new girl", much more willing, more free to move and pay attention, and able to understand my sometimes less than clear requests of her without getting frustrated or anxious. Here we are "cutting" or "working a cow" on a neat little flag machine Bruce designed. What a hoot, and we could have played there a lot longer, but we had to give everyone else a turn too! I will definitely be going back to one of Bruce and Joan's clinics, would love to go to the colt starting / horsemanship weekend in May, but I don't have a colt right now, so may have to wait. The weather here at the ranch is almost to the point where we can get some saddle horses in and start getting them back into physical and mental shape for the upcoming ride season; as soon as the mud dries up it'll be back in the saddle!

Coming Out of Hibernation

2010-03-16T15:06:00.000-06:00

With the release of our latest newsletters this morning, it's high time I update the blog and let you know we are coming out of hibernation here in Wyoming! Really, we don't hibernate, though we do slow down to a more winter-like pace. Right now as I write this, I am parked at a scenic turnout north of Jackson, Wyoming facing west and looking at this bright and spectacular view of Mt. Moran, one of the major peaks in the Teton mountain range, in Grand Teton National Park. I'm on a "road trip" today, drove over the Continental Divide to Dubois, Wyoming to pick up a load of feed for Emily's sled dogs, and then back into Jackson to have a social evening with my friend Ellen, who is also one of the "Wild Wyoming Women" horseback riders, the first all-women group Blue Sky Sage hosted at camp.

Though spring is still a long way off, that season in-between snow and -20 degrees+ weather, and green grass is starting show up. This means half-melted snow drifts, rough roads and mud are the norm, with sunny days and a bit of chill in the breeze. This "season" seems to be coming on early this year, and Mike will start getting the new horses in later this week to start working them out to see what they're going to be. I will be getting to the corral later too, around my other "winter job" and keeping in contact with the many people who are responding to the newsletters.

Recently, we completed a sweepstakes giveaway of a weeklong horseback riding vacation for two, through Horse & Rider Magazine and equisearch.com, and are currently waiting for the winner to get all the paperwork returned so we can introduce them and get their dream riding holiday scheduled. We thank everyone who entered and opted-in to receive our newsletter, and we look forward to meeting many of you this summer of 2010 to ride the wide-open spaces of Wyoming.

There are still openings throughout the season on rides, though reservations start to really pick up from this time of year on, so book your vacation now for 2010 to make sure you get the date and trip you want; call or email anytime and we'll be glad to visit with you about horses, wilderness, riding, politics, . . . . oh wait, maybe we'll leave that for around the campfire!

You could WIN A FREE HORSEBACK RIDING VACATION IN 2010!

2010-01-21T09:06:00.001-07:00

You could win a Wyoming horseback riding adventure vacation for two in 2010 from Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures, including great saddle horses to ride across the wide open spaces Wyoming is known for, fantastic food prepared by a genuine camp cook, lodging in Jackson, Wyo., before and after the ride week and more! CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
See official rules link for complete details. Enter before March 1!

Happy New Year 2010 and Thank You!

2010-01-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

We can't express our gratitude enough to our loyal customers for their new and return business; the local companies who keep us on the road and supplied all year long; our friends and family for their support. Though 2009 was a tough year on many fronts, we are very blessed with the gifts of friendship, love and never-ending help from many, many wonderful people all over the country. From all the Wade family and on behalf of Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures, may 2010 bring enlightenment, enrichment and fulfillment to all of you.

2009-11-24T16:34:00.003-07:00

Blue Sky Sage Late Fall 2009, Newsletter

Highlights include:
*HUGE SAVINGS when you make early horseback riding vacation reservations for 2010
*New "SPECIALS" rides at REDUCED RATES
*Photos from the 2009 Horse Vacation season

Taking Time Off Isn't Lazy

2009-10-30T14:24:00.004-06:00

I just read this enlightening article in my November/December issue of "Via": AAA Traveler's Companion magazine, which I receive as a benefit of AAA Membership. Titled "One nation in need of a vacation: Taking Time Off Isn't Lazy. It's Essential" by Steve Rushin. He almost scolds us as Americans to not feel guilty about taking time off from anything and everything; in fact he emphasizes that we need to become "duty-free."

One of the more funny (but true) fact that Rushin brings to light is that "In England . . . leisure and pleasure rhyme. In the United States, leisure rhymes with seizure."

A light, quick read that reaffirms our belief that what we offer to our guests here in Wyoming is very valuable.

Autumn Colors, Wyoming-Style

2009-10-28T13:21:00.003-06:00

Fall is almost behind us; there is a big snowstorm across much of Wyoming as I write this entry. Here at the ranch on the Green River, it is very cold and windy, which makes me long for those beautiful days of September color and warm sunshine.

This photo was from the last ride of the season, heading up toward the forest. It was a little chilly that day but no one was deterred, as the aspens were beautiful and the sky was Wyoming blue.

Camp Cuisine . . .

2009-09-15T08:21:00.007-06:00

Food is a big part of the Blue Sky Sage horseback experience and I just had to show you this fabulous photo of daughter Emily, who was our hors de'ouevres and dinner chef this season, with the lovely meal she prepared for the "Wild Wyoming Women" group of ladies. This is typical of the evening dinner; marinated buffalo kabobs, fresh vegetable salad, olive oil seasoned potatoes, french baguette bread and though it's not in the photo, a dutch oven baked dessert of apple crisp. Mmmmmm . . .

The Wild Wyoming Women was the very first all-women group of gals that we hosted, and were the inspiration for the most popular rides we conduct each year, the Girls Ride Out! All Women Horseback Vacations. Four of the original eight of us are still riding together and though some haven't been able to come every year, we have a new gal who comes regularly now and we are always inviting someone new to join us as people rotate through. This year there were five of us and as always it was good therapy for all.

From left: Emily, Phyllis, Ellen, Joanne; standing are Bobbi and Nancy

Summer is Riding by us fast!

2009-08-14T13:15:00.008-06:00

Being out on the fringes of wilderness, the connectivity to the internet is hit and miss at best, so I pen this as I wash a last load of clothes at the Clean Wash in Pinedale, Wyoming. The accountant's office and the grocery store are ahead of me yet. It's always a relief to get the prep work for the next ride completed and get back to camp!

Mike and Outlaw in a patch of Sego lilies, which have been very abundant this year; it's rare to see such a huge field of blooms in one place like this.

The summer has been absolutely beautiful, much cooler and wetter than we've had in many, many years in Wyoming. Word is that our 8-year drought is finally broken, which is welcome news for everyone, in spite of the challenges that the rains and winds brought to everyone who works outdoors for a living here. Hay is being baled all around the Green River valley now and our suppliers have another beautiful crop of native grass bales for our horses. It seems that we feed hay most of the year, starting with the winter feeding about mid-December through mid-April and then at camp from mid-June through September. There are always a few horses out on pasture on "r&r" during the summer and there is good grass at the home ranch year 'round that they can get to, but we spend a lot of time and money on "packaged product!" At any rate, the horses look wonderful, slick, shiny, fit and hardened by the good work they are doing for our guests every week. Mike keeps their feet in shape with natural balance "wild horse" hoof trimming and a few get shoes; a little honey to treat the horse bites and little wounds, days off for mental and physical rest, quality feed and good horsemanship practices keep the cavvy in top condition.

So far we have conducted five week-long rides and one weekend trip since starting with guests on June 22. There are four scheduled rides left and a few openings available on all. I hope we can get a couple more folks to join Mike's horsemanship clinic week August 26-September 1, as it is a unique opportunity for people who want to be better students of the horse to get actual hands-on experience with our good horses under Mike's tutelage. It's better than sitting in the audience at an arena and watching the clinician have all the fun!

Our long time friends and guests Leonard and Alyce Peterson of California joined us again in July for their sixth trip. Leonard is usually behind the camera, but I was able to get this great shot of him on Buckwheat as we rode near the Sweetwater Gap area.

We continue with rides starting again on Sunday, August 16, with seven ladies who all sound ready to ride and see some country. The saddle horses are fit, the cook is practiced and we are rested up for another active week. More later from the Little Sandy River, Sublette County, Wyoming!

Wildflowers and Wild Horses

2009-07-06T08:11:00.004-06:00

The end of June marked to completion of the first ride of the season, which we dubbed the "Wyoming Wildflower Ride", as the blossoms of the many high desert and mountain wildflowers finally had a chance to open up to the sunshine that seemed to take forever to get here this spring. The colors were beautiful and the contrasts were vivid against the grass-green of the meadows and the sage-green of the brush country.

Our riders on this trip were several gals who have a Blue Sky Sage addiction to the horses, the open range and the whole Wyoming experience; some were on their fourth consecutive ride, one on her third and we had two new gals. The three "addicts" have already booked into the 2010 Fall Color Ride, so they can say they've been here every month of the season at least once. These women are all great riders and the two newbies fit in very well. This photo was taken on the day we went up the many "loping roads" to the Bridger-Teton National Forest boundary near Dutch Joe Creek in the Wind River range.

This week is the first Mustang Horse Adventure; horses were spotted and Mike led the group to within 200 yards of one band that had many foals. There is water in scattered ponds where there usually isn't out in the area we go into, so the bands seem to be very scattered this year. The riders are back on the trail out there today, hopefully they were able to get farther out with the trailer load of saddle horses to a better jumping-off spot, as the rains had made the road very muddy and rutted the last trek out there. Will let you know how it all turns out during my next writing. For now, it's back to camp to tend saddle horses and do morning chores, since my "hilltop internet session" is about done for this week.

Here comes the sun . . .

2009-06-15T15:29:00.002-06:00

At least I hope so. While we really appreciate rain here in the high, dry "Equality State", it takes sunshine to finish off the growing and blooming part of the cycle. We made it in to the Little Sandy camp with the last load of horses and a trailer load of assorted gear and the saddles. It's been dicey getting to this point, with the challenges of the weather and muddy roads, but we're here and can get the horses ridden and the camp finalized.

It's so beautiful and peaceful out here, with only the occasional vehicle traveling down the gravel road that parallels the Lander Cut-off of the Oregon Trail on a private trek to somewhere. Some mountain men pulled in and took a break down the river a couple days ago, on their way to a rendevous up north; we anticipate that we'll have many a bicyclist again this year from the Continental Divide bike race and regular bike tourists whom we welcome with a warm cup of coffee and maybe a bite to eat. They are always grateful and we've met a wonderful variety of people and personalities. It seems that it's what we're supposed to do, be a haven for people, in many ways.

The camp calls and the work is still waiting (I'm parked up on top of a hill above the river where I can get the broadband to work so I can check email, catch up on correspondence and write a bit for those who are tracking Blue Sky Sage on our trails). Keep checking, I'll write more later this week, as I will get home to check the remaining horses, pack the groceries and do the laundry up one more time before our first guests show up a week from today. We are so ready to get in the saddle every day!

Camp Setup is Underway

2009-06-01T12:58:00.005-06:00

I have to say that at this time of year, we get very tired of "getting ready to go to camp" and just want to be there and do it! The preparations seem endless, but by doing every possible thing we can before the field season starts, we can devote the most and the best of our time to our guests once the rides start.

Mike has started hauling equipment and the cookhouse over to camp, with two more loads going tomorrow. We'll get the cookhouse in order first, so we can at least get a pot of coffee going whenever we need it! Next, we'll set up the wall tent and fly, which serve as the gathering places for meals, cocktails and shade. The sleeping tipis will be next, along the banks of the Little Sandy River, with cool running water just a step away from the tent flap, natural "white noise" for sleeping.

Once the core of the human facilities is completed, he really big job of assembling the corral and horse support system will start. Our corral is made up of portable panels that we use at our home place, so those all have to be loaded and trailered to camp, along with all the saddles and other tack, hoof care and vet supplies, water tanks and pumps, hay and finally, two loads of horses. Depending on the size of the ride group on any given week, we'll have 14-16 head in camp with a few left at the ranch for spares or those who may need some R&R.

Hopefully, we'll have everything set up and ready to go by June 10, and then we'll be living at our "summer home." On the agenda for that 10 days or so before guests arrive, we'll be doing a lot of riding to get all the horses legged up and their minds back on business. There are always many little projects to work on, such as making sure we can get the broadband to work onsite for internet access and for Emily's online school. We do have phone reception so that's a plus, if we are in the cookhouse anyway:) The last big push will be Emily and her sled dog team . . .

Welcome to Wyoming!

2009-05-20T13:44:00.001-06:00

My inaugural post, as I enter the cyber-world of social media! "Social media" used to mean a party-line telephone didn't it? Though this is all new to me, I'm fairly cyber-savvy so I'll pick it up in good time.

The creation of this blog is in conjunction with the launch of our company's new name and website, Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures at www.blueskysage.com My husband Mike and I have worked in the horseback riding vacation industry for over 30 years in Wyoming. Our endeavor for the past ten years has been the active horseback adventure company we started as High Wild & Lonesome Horseback Adventures. As we've grown and our customers have reflected on their experiences, the new name seemed to better capture what the horse and wilderness experience with us is all about.

Our daughters Amanda and Emily have grown up in the business and have taken the skills and work ethic the gained from those years into their own endeavors. Amanda is in college, will be getting married in July, and has started her own small company featuring her handmade, beaded jewelry, Accessories by Amanda. Emily is passionate about sled dog racing and maintains her own racing kennel, Powderhounds Sled Dog Racing, which is no small feat for a 15-year old. She still works for Blue Sky Sage full-time as a camp cook and wrangler, in addition to going to high school online year 'round.

This is the time of year when things start getting busy for us, riding horses to get their minds back on the business of carrying people on their backs all day long as we hit a lope across the sagebrush; stocking the cookhouse with all the supplies to prepare wonderful meals over the campfire in a Dutch oven; and of course, booking new and returning guests for a unique week of horseback riding with a handful of other enthusiastic horsewomen who come to the West to leave their day-to-day life behind and focus on themselves and a good horse.

I may be a bit erratic in keeping the blog updated, but will try to get to it at least once a week during the season and more often if I can. Thanks for joining us and "hoka hey." (This is a Lakota phrase, loosely translated it means to "be in the moment", which is what you always have to be when you are around horses in any manner).