September - Indiana Trail Riders Association

TRAIL MIX
September 2013
The Official Publication of the Indiana Trail Riders Association, Inc.
November 30th. More details to come later, but this is definitely
a crowd pleaser. All are welcome to join us for the week, the
weekend, or the day…just get out here!!
Happy Trails to you, Bob
ITRA GOLD NUGGET
CORPORATE SPONSOR
Ladies Ride May 17 – 19, 2013
By Rita Lockridge
Once again GeGe hosted the Annual Ladies Ride weekend
at Blackwell Horse Camp in the Charles Deam Wilderness
area , part of the BEAUTIFUL Hoosier National Forest just
South of Bloomington. I believe this was her 14th year for
hosting this fun weekend of ladies getting together for fun and
riding together.
Many of us took time off on Friday to get there and enjoy
one more day of riding and it was a gorgeous weekend! The
weather couldn’t have been better! There were quite a few
campers already in the campground by noon on Friday so it
was going to be a busy weekend for the trails! Probably the
only worry would be the ticks! They have been out strong in
numbers this year and the woods have provided them a good
breeding ground too.
Saturday was a beautiful day! The group of ladies and I
headed out with a lunch packed. We were planning to find the
fire tower and ride the Axom loop. What a wonderful ride we
had. Several of us had not yet ridden that trail and it is really a
great ride! We didn’t quite make the whole loop, or find the fire
tower, and, running longer than we thought, we did a little
backtracking to get back to camp. We ended up a bit later
than we planned to get back to camp but still in plenty of time
to get our carry in items ready for dinner. Of course, having a
pitch in with a group of 60 or so ladies, the food is always
AWESOME!! There’s no way you could walk away hungry!!
We had a fun evening together at the “getting to know you”
session. Many first timers came this year and if you brought
something for the gift exchange, you went away with
something fun as well. There was no repeat performance by
the streaker this year. Several of us had our cameras ready,
just in case!
Sunday morning GeGe had arranged for Jerri Todd to give
a short talk at the morning session of praise. We had some
good voices singing and then Jerri’s talk about conquering her
fears put a great start to the day. I think many of us can
identify with Jerri when she has a fear of speaking yet was able
to get through a talk in front of others! I think a lot of us can find
something to take away from the weekend that will help us be
a better (or braver) person!
One more ride was set out upon before we had to pack up
camp and head home. The group of ladies I was with headed
out to do the 545 and the Saddle Creek trail loop. I sure hope
that the forest management got enough responses to keep this
beautiful trail open! It makes a great short loop and when you
President’s Report
By Bob McPheeters
Wow, time seems to be really getting away from us here at
Lighthouse Stables. Summer is quickly coming to an end,
which can only mean one thing….our biggest camping season
is almost upon us. I want to reflect back and thank our
members for all the volunteer hours that have been put in
across the state and encourage everyone to keep up the hard
work.
I had a great time seeing old friends and meeting new ones
at HHF. We had a great group show up at the spring ride;
Brown County was spotless when we left. Work at Versailles
has been moving right along, thanks in a big way to Directors
Larry Sidell, Greg Hersberger, and Nancy Brunnemer (plus all
the countless other volunteers that make up our great
organization). There have been other work weekends that I’m
forgetting to mention here, but THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
THANK YOU for all you guys do!!!! If you’re hosting a
workday, or go out cleaning/clearing trails, please be sure to
report your hours to secretary Erin Maksymczak.
Now to talk about what your board of directors and officers
are working on right now. By the time this reaches you in your
cozy homes, we will have had our long term planning meeting.
At this meeting we plan to talk to about where we want ITRA to
be in 10 years and how we will be accomplishing these goals.
We are always open to suggestions…please contact any of us.
Be sure to mark your calendars and reserve your site with
Midwest Trail Ride for our fall ride September 13-15. Join us
for a weekend of fun and relaxation. Leave your trash sticks
and chainsaws at home ladies and gentleman….this is all
about having a good time and not working. Come out and
meet fellow trail riders. This is the perfect weekend to network
and make new riding friends. We will have our trail
competition, yummy food, karaoke, and a board meeting. All
are welcome to join us for any of these events between your
trail riding adventures. Just be sure to at least make it to
dinner and over to a warm fire at some point!!
Last but not least, also be sure to get your reservations in for
the ride of the year….our Fall cleanup ride in Brown County
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want to head home early in the afternoon; it’s perfect for a
Sunday morning ride.
Thank you GeGe Showalter for starting this annual event 14
years ago! I’ve attended now about 5 years and it is always a
trip that I look forward to being a part of! I know many ladies
who feel the same way; you always have a lot of them there! I
know I’m already looking forward to the weekend in 2014!
park to raise dollars to improve horseback riding and horse
driving at our IDNR properties.
This coming Fall 50 Mile Trail Ride will be held on the
th
th
th
weekend of November 8 , 9 and 10 , 2013. Proceeds
from this event will go to our park improvement fund managed
by the Indiana Natural Resource Foundation. Reservations for
the event must be made by calling the O’Bannon Woods State
Park Office at 812-738-8232 on or after September 3.
Three additional horse groups have organized riding events
at O’Bannon Woods State Park and are also offering to
volunteer with organized work days to improve the horse camp
and trails. We welcome the “Southern Indiana Draft Horse and
Mule Association”, the “Just Along for the Ride” wagon riders
of KY and the Dusty Trail Saddle Club of Boonville, Indiana to
become full partners in our efforts to provide more and
improved recreational horse riding and driving opportunities for
all to enjoy.
A new day riding parking and picnic area has opened for
horse riders. With the help from the Indiana Department of
Corrections offender work crews, a large horse trailer and
vehicle parking lot, split rail fencing, horse ties and charcoal
grills have been added to the existing Fire Lookout Tower –
West Picnic Shelter and Area. Although more finish work and
the installation of water hydrants is needed, the site is ready to
use.
Stanley Baelz of OBWSP and his trail team of AmeriCorps
workers have marked additional horse trails with 4x4 posts and
carsonite decals. We are not done yet and have miles to go
before we are finished, but most riders, hikers and park users
are finding it easier to return to camp at the end of the day.
We continue to need dedicated volunteers to help us to
improve and provide better camping facilities and horse trails
at our park and on the adjoining Harrison Crawford State
Forest. We are looking for:
•
Bobcat skid steer loaders
•
Tractor and brushhog operators
•
ATV and UTV operators
•
Trained Chainsaw Operators
•
General laborers and helpers
The park provides free camping and firewood for our
volunteers. Volunteers must contact the park and pre-register
before arriving.
If interested in volunteering at the Park please contact
Ranger Bob at [email protected] or Stanley Baelz at
[email protected] or call the office at 812-738-8232. If you
would like to make contact with Dwayne Sieg, Manager of
Harrison-Crawford State Forest, his email is [email protected]
or his office number is 812-738-7694.
Saturday evening at the Ladies Ride.
News and Updates from O’Bannon Woods
State Park
By Ranger Bob 08/2013
Our biggest, largest and heaviest park workers now have a
safe way to travel. Forest and Gump, our two pioneer 2,500
pound oxen and their two companions, fit safely and
comfortably into the park’s new stock trailer. Ranger Bob’s
horse, Mary, and his buckboard wagon also tuck nicely into the
trailer. Expect to see us at more local, regional and state
events.
The purchase of a new stock trailer for the park was made
possible through the generous donations of many and fund
raising efforts of our partners. Our partnership 50-mile spring
and fall fundraising trail rides, the sale of birdhouses, and the
direct contributions of many provided the dedicated funds to
make the purchase possible. Special thanks go to Richard
King of Kerlin Trailers of Warsaw, Indiana who trusted us in our
fund raising efforts, provided the trailer, and made the sale
easy. All the folks at Kerlin were helpful, positive and delightful
to work with – THANKS! When I need and go looking for a
new horse trailer I will shop at Kerlin Trailers.
The Spring and Fall 50 Mile Trail Ride event partners also
deserve much credit. The Indiana Trail Riders Association and
our local Old Capital Saddle Club continue to team up with our
Take Time to Pray
By Pastor Dean Manuel
A few Sundays ago when making my rounds with the
horses picking up people for Service I came to a campsite
where I recognized the little girls. They are at best in second
and third grade. They come two or three times a year and their
parents stay at the camp but let the girls come to the church
service. It was good to see them again. After Service the two
little girls came up to me while people were standing around
visiting, and one looked up at me and says, “Pastor Dean.”
“Yes honey?” “Would you pray for my little brother? He has
been sick and can’t seem to get better”. So right there I bent
down on my knees and the three of us held hands and prayed
for her little brother. You see it’s not how or where you pray but
it’s Praying to Jesus wherever you are. Those little girls didn't
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care if there were 50 people or no people standing around,
they just wanted to ask Jesus for their little brother to get
better. What Faith! I love Children!!! Let’s be more like them!
As you prepare for your ride wherever you go, maybe in the
pasture or one of the parks or just watching or feeding your
horses, remember to talk to God. After all, he blessed us with
this great creature! And the Bible tells us he will be coming
back on a White horse! Hope to see you soon at Brown
County State Park!
Read about us on Facebook at HCCO Horsemans Camp
Horseman's Camp Christian Outreach
7595 Bob Allen Rd Freetown IN 47235
we stood our ground facing the direction the pony was coming
from. When the pony rounded the turn, the saddle was on its
side. All of the horses freaked. Bow did a 180 and went
sideways. I stayed on. The pony then got its leg through a
stirrup. Fortunately, some people got off their horses and were
able to catch it. There again, you always have to make sure
that your saddle is on tight.
It only rained one day; but that day it rained enough for the
whole two weeks. There was thunder and lightning and it
poured for three hours straight. Of course, that was the 29mile day; and we were still 13 miles from camp. We switched
to the road at that point which was only another 8 miles. The
trail had become treacherous with the hills slippery as water
was flowing down them with pools of water in the gulleys
masking the rocks causing the horses to stumble.
Unfortunately, that trail was the prettiest of the whole ride.
Three-fourths of the road we rode on was flooded. Slickers did
no good. Every inch of me was wet including water inside my
boots. Fortunately, I have ridden that trail many times so have
been able to enjoy its beauty many times before.
The trip was a multitude of horses getting loose, people
getting bucked off, horses getting tangled in their ropes,
saddles breaking, reins breaking, etc. The problem with rides
like this is that there is a multitude of various levels of horse
people riding that includes some without a lot of experience.
We were not without our own additional problems as fitting a
big trailer into tight places can be problematic. We ripped the
drainpipe off of both the gray water tanks and ran the driver’s
side of my trailer into two different trees doing some damage.
One mother-daughter combination somehow got turned
around on the trail. They did not realize it until they got back to
the camp they left. They ended up riding 44 miles that day.
Another woman who had only ever ridden a horse five times in
her life made the trip. Her saddle tree broke, she fell off, got
bucked off, her horse kicked other horses and her horse
charged her once when she came off; and she had to hide
behind a tree. It was a borrowed horse; and she was riding
with the owner. The owner went under a tree. This woman
followed but did not realize that you had to duck forward under
trees and not backward. She laid back and a branch hanging
down ran the length of her belly and broke her bra.
On the positive side, my new Tucker saddle works great! I
was not sore at all even when I rode 7 hours and 40 minutes
one day. Seventy-two riders started and forty-eight finished.
Bow and I completed the ride; and it was much easier than
when I did it ten years ago on Divine. Bow was a very good
girl as usual. One woman made her 74th trip at 75 years old.
Many people on the ride had an uneventful trip with lots of
fun. There were games for the kids every evening; and the
club makes a huge effort to support the youth with fundraisers
so that the kids can ride for free. Many new friends were
made; and of course, there is the beautiful scenery to enjoy.
Michigan Trail Riders Cross State Trail Ride
By Sydney Good
The Michigan Trail Riders Association offers trail rides
several times each year and several of them offer the
opportunity to ride between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
The trail ride totals approximately 240 miles and is offered with
and without layover days. The ride offered the last two weeks
of June includes four layover days and alternates between
riding from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron and from Lake Huron
to Lake Michigan. I did this ride in 2003 with Simply Divine and
did it again this year with Litenin Ribbon N Bow.
Bow and I survived the trip and completed the ride. She
was extremely lame after the first day. I’m not sure what the
problem was. We rode nine miles to Lake Michigan and
trailered back to camp. She was fine going into the trailer and
was stiff getting off. It was only nine miles back to camp. I put
her on the picket line; and she got much worse. She would lie
flat out and sit up and flat out and up. When I got her up, she
put all of her weight on her haunches. She was pointing her
left front. I was on the phone with a vet four times. I used a
vibrating massager on her left shoulder and back, used a roller
on her back and shoulder with a magnet in it. I put ice packs
on her shoulder, put liniment on her and gave her Bute. I went
to bed thinking I would be going home the next day. The
registration fee was $320; and I hated going home but could
not ride her. I could have applied for a refund with her being
so lame but sure hated the idea of having to do that. I got up
the next morning; she was completely normal and normal the
whole trip. I have no idea what the problem was or if what I did
helped or which of the things I did helped.
The next day I rode with three other women and we were
the first to come upon a woman who had broken her leg in
three places trying to get back on her horse. I assume she
took a potty break. She was an older woman with two young
teen-age girls with her who seemed not to know what to do.
She had been standing on an embankment and tried to get on
when her horse started walking off and her saddle slipped.
She came down on the embankment wrong and broke her leg
in three places. It took a long time to get help to her; and they
had to take her out on a sled behind an ATV. One of the
women I was riding with was an RN and stayed with her. It is
always extremely important to teach your horse to stand still for
mounting and dismounting and to check your saddle before
mounting to make sure it is tight.
A couple days later I was riding with two other women and
we heard thundering hooves coming back to camp at a very
rapid pace. A pony had bucked off her rider and was racing
back to camp. The trail made a 90-degree turn there; so we
could hear the pony coming but could not see it. I knew it
would not be good; but the only thing we could do to try to get
out of the way was to turn around. That would have put the
pony coming up behind us, which would have been worse; so
Congratulations to our new lifetime members Dave
& Rosie Landis, Mark & Phyllis Legan and Dan &
Rita Shrader.
Send articles for the Trail Mix to:
Marsha Berry
70417 C. R. 13
New Paris, IN 46553
[email protected]
Deadline: October 10, 2013
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We used to manage a Bison ranch in Noblesville, but then we
purchased our current small 19-acre ranch (known to many as
R&M Ranch) up in Elwood in 2005. It was all cropland at the
time we purchased it, so we had to put up new fencing and get
the pasture established before we could bring horses up there.
During that short 2-month time we boarded our horses with a
friend. Tue was sometimes known for getting into trouble, so
he was given the "stud stall", but every morning our friend
would wake up to find Tue in the front paddock that the stall’s
outer door led to, no matter what the friend tried to secure the
latches with. Tue also opens doors and gates to let himself
and others in and out, so we have to keep all gate and door
latches secured with a padlock through them, even while out
there working or you might find him lifting a latch or nudging a
door open. He also likes to play with the light switches. I think
he's sending "smoke signals" to lure other animals to R&M and
that could be why we end up with so many strays and rescues.
Tell us about…
Your escape artist
The greatest horse I ever owned
In 2007 I built a new barn after the old barn was destroyed
by a heavy snow load. When I built the stalls (nothing fancy) I
installed a sliding gate latch. When I began to stall the horses
in the winter, several times I would go to feed and my Arabian
mare would be in the aisle of the barn eating hay from the
haymow. One time I went out and another stall was open and
Judy's horse was also out. I got a lawn chair and sat and
waited to see what was happening. Before too long, Tippy
(Arab mare) took hold of the gate latch and worked until she
got it to slide and then she took her nose and pushed the gate
open. She then proceeded to another stall and undid the latch
on that one too. I drilled a hole in the gate latch and put a snap
through it so she could not get out. That was 6 years ago and
she still tries to get the latch undone. When folks come by to
visit they all want to watch the ESCAPE ARTIST at work. It
never ceases to amaze me how quickly she can work her
magic. I still love her and think she is the greatest horse I have
ever owned.
Michelle Gordon
Windy
I used to camp with a woman who had an escape artist for
a horse. He would typically get loose at least once when we
were camping – usually in the middle of the night. The most
interesting time he got loose however was on a day ride at
Potato Creek.
Deb and I had joined up with Miranda for a day of riding at
Potato Creek. When we were eating lunch we noticed that
Miranda’s hitch was kind of at an odd angle with her car so we
went over to inspect it. The hitch was broken and since
Miranda couldn’t haul her trailer that way she tied her horse,
Windy, up to a hitching rail on the edge of the woods and took
her car to a hitch place in Elkhart to get a new one.
While she was gone Deb and I went out for a ride and when
we were riding back through the campground I remarked that a
horse tied there looked just like Windy. When we got back to
the day area we discovered that Windy was gone but his lead
rope was still hanging on the hitch rail so we went back down
to the campground to retrieve him. The people there said he
came wandering into their camp with just a halter on and they
had tied him up. When we got him back to the day area we
tied him back up to the hitching rail on the edge of the woods
that Miranda always used and walked back to where our
horses were tied near my trailer. As we were walking back
there we heard hoof steps behind us and looked back to see
Windy following us – minus his lead rope. He had managed to
get the snap undone in less than a minute! I guess he was
lonely and wanted to be tied near our horses so that’s what we
did while we waited for Miranda to return with her car. Life was
never dull with Windy around!
Larry Gates
Escapees Outsmart Their Owner
I’m not going to say I am the smartest person in the world;
but I certainly expect to be smarter than most animals including
my horses. Well, so much for that theory. When I was around
13 years old, I had two geldings. One was a Pinto horse
named Sundance Champion. The other was a Welsh pony
named Silver since he was gray. The two of them got along
quite well together; and it turns out, conspired together.
I was going to school and had a pretty consistent schedule.
I would go out around 7 AM to feed the horses before getting
ready for school. My bedroom window looked out on the small
pasture area that the horses had. The fencing was electric.
One morning, I got up and looked out the window to see the
horses just as they were coming back into their pasture area
after having been out. I’m not sure how long that had been
going on; but it was obvious that they knew to come back for
their grain and hay on schedule. The fence was not shorting
out but was dramatically lower in this one spot. Both the boys
were able to step over it without disturbing a thing. They had
their plan all worked out. Go out at night and find the greener
grass on the other side of the fence and make it back in before
morning feeding so that no one would know the difference.
I’m not sure they had it planned out like that or just came
back in time to get their breakfast; but they sure had the
escape route and timing perfect for their continued success.
Unfortunately for them, they got caught and the fence got fixed
ending all of their fun.
Marsha Berry
Next topic: Tell us about the most interesting thing
you’ve ever encountered on the trail
Send your stories to Marsha Berry 70417 C. R. 13 New Paris,
IN 46553 or email them to me at [email protected]
The Epic Trip to Arizona
By Ron McCoy
Sydney Good
Tudini
Here at the end of June we are somewhat settled in. We
had to go to town today and the temperature, according to the
car thermometer, was 118 degrees. It is somewhat cooler up
I have a gelding named Icetueperfect (barn name Tue) who
was nicknamed "Tudini" back when he was about 4 years old.
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here in Gold Canyon, 111 degrees when we left home.
Let's face it - that's hot! I have ridden in the San Tan
Mountains a couple of times now and have enjoyed every
moment of it. Yeah, we get up early, ride early and take a long
nap before the heat sets in. That's life in Arizona.
I got back home today before Karen, so it's a good time to
recap the epic journey.
We had really worn ourselves out making all the
arrangements, closing on both properties, packing up our stuff
and saying good-bye to everyone. We also had to make an
unexpected trip to Tennessee as my son-in-law died
unexpectedly of a massive heart attack. This was just seven
days before the movers were to come and pick up our
furniture. We were on a schedule; however, as our sales
contract said we had to vacate the house by June 10th.
Friday, June 7th
We were ready as we could be when the movers showed
up at 8:00 am. Since we had sold or given away most of our
furniture and everything else was packed in boxes, we felt they
should have us loaded by noon or 1 o'clock. Not the case,
they didn't finish until 5:30 or so.
I was about falling down tired and was wanting to clean up
now that the house was empty. That didn't happen. We spent
the night with Bob & Jean Becker, our neighbors, who had
graciously offered to put us up.
Saturday, June 8th
Slept in late this morning as we were extremely tired from
the previous day's moving. We managed to clean up
somewhat in the house but remembered the schedule, which
now included getting to Phoenix before the moving van. We
got all of our stuff in the car and truck and managed to have a
small space left for Teddy, our dog.
We got to the barn about 10:30 am. Rachel at the barn
had fixed Lefty’s morning and night feed in several zip lock
freezer bags. And she also gave me a bale of hay. I got the
trailer hooked up, hay bags filled and two 5 gallon water
buckets filled and loaded up. Just as I was about to load up
Lefty, Karen said the check engine light came on in the car.
This was a different light from the maintenance-required light,
which usually means we are due for an oil change. Something
was wrong with the car, just what we needed.
We planned on taking 4 days for the trip. Leaving Saturday
and arriving Tuesday, as the moving truck was to be there on
Wednesday. Ron, who I had worked with at the barn for the
last three years and was a mechanic before he retired,
suggested to check the gas cap. It could be loose. Well, sure
enough it was, so I screwed it on tight and, of course, the light
didn't go out. I checked the manual which has more pages in it
than the last novel I read. It said "after a few trips, the light will
go out". Darned if after 2,200 miles and numerous gas fill ups,
the light still blinked brightly off and on.
Being tough and macho and mostly at a loss of what to do,
I loaded Lefty into the trailer that morning and we set off. Lefty
is a 29 year old quarter horse, mind you, and even though
seemingly in perfect health, well, you never know. He stepped
right into the trailer probably thinking this was just another trip
to Versailles. We were on the road at around 11:00.
We got up on I-74 and stopped as planned at a previously
designated rest stop to check everything. This is something I
really believe in - when making a long trip go a short ways,
stop and check to see how everything is riding. All was OK
and after an hour or so, we circled around Indianapolis and
picked up I-70. We made another stop at a rest area and I
offered Lefty a drink. He refused and gave the look that
suggested he thought we should have gotten to wherever we
were going a long time ago.
We now encountered some very heavy rain. Windshield
wipers couldn't keep up. Karen following me in our car
switched on her headlights and wouldn't you know, the right
one was burned out. We were in regular communication with
our cell phones, which were a blessing. I had purposely
planned our trip to go through St. Louis on Saturday. Traffic
would surely be lighter. We also preplanned our rest area
stops and sort of winged it on gas station stops. We paid
$4.17 per gallon in Indiana and on our next fill-up in Illinois it
was considerably less. At each and every stop, I offered Lefty
water but he was not interested. At St. Louis we picked up I255, which bypasses St. Louis to the south, and then we
picked up I-44.
For several weeks I had called one overnight facility and
didn't get an answer. Just a happy, chirpy little voice that said,
"leave a message", which I did, and never got a response.
Using my nationwide, overnight stabling directory which
Jody Weldy gave me years ago, I found another facility just
outside Burbon, Missouri. I called and the lady said she had a
space and also a fully furnished cabin. Lefty had a grassy 100
foot by 100 foot pen with a shed. I made sure he had plenty of
fresh water; filling the buckets in such a way as I could tell how
much water he drank.
We had a fully furnished cabin, a kitchen with everything in
it you would want. I couldn't find any food, however. Along
with the expansive front porch, there was a grill. We'd covered
390 miles that day and so far, so good.
Sunday, June 9th
Didn't get off to the best of starts. The bed was very
comfortable and coffee on the porch was really relaxing and it
was a beautiful morning outside. The place was very quiet and
relaxing. In fact, I never saw anybody, including the owner,
who simply said, "leave a check on the table". Just horses
grazing in the surrounding pasture.
Lefty had eaten well but drank only a small amount of
water. If he didn't start drinking more by noontime, I would
have to do something. He loaded up like he was going on a
return trip home.
We'd been going down I-44 for a couple of hours and here
came the wind and the rain; lots and lots of both. From the
"one eyed" car behind me Karen said she could barely see me,
so I slowed down. Before long the weather cleared as we got
to Springfield, Missouri. Joplin was next and we would pass
into Oklahoma. Gas prices had steadily dropped after leaving
Indiana and Eastern Illinois and were running $3.68 to $3.80
per gallon.
We had made this trip through Oklahoma many times and
it seems something not right always happens. So I had some
apprehension and had planned on going through Tulsa and
OKC on Sunday, expecting less traffic. Just before getting on
the turnpike Lefty finally took a long drink of water, much to my
relief. He was relaxed and ate from his hay bag regularly as I
kept it pretty well filled up.
The rest area along the turnpike was closed, so it was a
long stretch to Tulsa without stopping. Tulsa has always been
difficult as there is always so much construction and the roads
are identified anywhere from "Will Rogers Turnpike" to
"Cherokee Expressway” or to "Turner Turnpike" and numerous
other monikers. What happened to I-44, I don't know. We
survived this and made it on to the next turnpike to OKC.
Again the one and only rest area was closed. Another 100mile stretch. The turnpike ended suddenly at OKC and I knew
a rest area was coming up quickly. The traffic was end-of-dayFriday-night heavy (even though it was early Sunday
afternoon).
I had to cross five lanes of 75 mile an hour traffic without
being able to phone Karen as to what I was doing. I made it,
she barely did. I really caught it from her and deserved it.
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Well, wouldn't you know the rest area was closed with the
gates locked up. We took a well-deserved break at an
overpriced gas station.
This part of the country is where you see a lot of one ton
pick-ups with those big ranch guards attached on the front.
Saw a number of those pulling trailers with a few bleary eyed
cows in tow. Then there are the ranch stock trailers with the
canvas coverings on the front half. Horses are loaded with
saddles on and ropes tied to the saddle. Saw several of these
even in downtown Oklahoma City. Outside OKC traveling west
on I-40, the previously intense truck traffic dropped off to nil.
At El Reno the tornado damage from the month before was
unbelievable. Next to nothing standing all along I-40. Piles of
junk everywhere and heavy-duty billboards just bent over like
toothpicks.
Now it got windy, coming straight at us. Truck gas mileage
dropped to zip. I really didn't care as we had gotten through
Tulsa, endured the turnpike and passed OKC without Karen
being annihilated in our mishap.
Clinton was our overnight stop. I had called A J Reynolds
about a week before and confirmed we were coming and
checked directions. I'd stayed there before and pretty much
knew where it was. First problem was that the road
construction going from a county two lane road to a divided
four lane. I drove through the town without ever realizing it.
We were really running late now, so I stopped and called. First
the house, no answer. Then the cell phone, no answer.
Waited a moment, called again, left messages turned around,
stopped at a convenience store run by foreigners who barely
spoke English and did not know of A J Reynolds or where the
main crossroads were. So we drove around a little and I
found a tiny paved road running west. Got on that and after a
mile, we found the place. There in the front yard on a riding
lawn mower was A J. Handle bar mustache, pants tucked in
his high top boots with spurs on. He didn't hear the phone, of
course, because of the mower.
Yeah, the town had changed a lot, buildings etc. torn down
and the yellow flashing light marking the crossroads had been
taken down.
We were about out of Oklahoma now and my spirits rose.
Monday - June 10th
We got our best start yet but soon encountered heavy
headwinds again. The truck skips a beat every now and then
and my engine warning light came on. It was really hard to get
any speed up due to the wind. We had been going about 70
mph. Gas is down to $3.43. We are more than halfway now
and I am really enjoying the wide-open space scenery. We
stopped in a very nice place in Moriaty, New Mexico about 30
miles east of Albuquerque.
"all livestock haulers must stop". We were just simply waved
through.
We're still on I-70 and old route 66 ran through these towns
a good number of years ago. I can only wonder what kind of
experience these travelers had. Now in Arizona the land
flattens out a lot. It's deceiving and is a lot harder to cross by
horseback than you would think.
Pulling off at Holbrook to gas up for our jaunt south, which
is in reality devoid of almost anything, it's good to be on the
safe side and be prepared. Unfortunately the brakes on the
trailer gave up the ghost with a loud clanking coming from the
right side. Something broke. When I switched off the break
system, the clanking stopped. Checking this out it appeared
that no other damage was done. We only had 200 miles more
to go, most of it in mountains with some steep grades going
down hill. Since we were fairly lightly loaded with just one fat
old horse, we took off down Rt. 377 headed to Heber. I once
saw a guy riding in this rangeland area with two loaded
packhorses in tow. I always wondered who he was and where
he was going.
At Heber we picked up Rt. 360 to Holbrook enjoying some
of the most spectacular scenery of the trip. Pine covered
mountains and deep valleys with those 75-mile vistas. At
Holbrook it's Rt. 87 to Phoenix. There are some pretty rugged
mountains here with long downhill runs and, of course, some
long steep uphill runs which sometimes slowed my old truck to
a top speed of 50 miles an hour. The pines gave way to scrub
oak, then creosote bushes and then finally cactus.
Upon entering the Phoenix area, at University Avenue to
be exact, the air conditioning in the truck quit with a clank, howl
and scream. This all-important item was switched off also. I
simply rolled down the window, pulled my straw hat over my
forehead, hung my arm out the window and looked as casual
as I could, hopefully giving the impression that this is the way I
do things. After all, it's only 109 degrees.
Finally getting to Kristen's place (where I am boarding
Lefty) and unloading, we found this was a real relief. Other
than being pretty tired, it was a good trip.
Teddy, our dog, was a happy camper all the way.
Our odyssey is over. Our plan on making this a four-day
trip, rather than a three-day trip, was a good decision. Had two
days with heavy rain, on and off, along with heavy winds. A
few mechanical problems, but not enough to keep us from
finding pleasure in the trip.
All in all, life is an adventure. It is great to know people who
realize this.
Tuesday, June 11th
We got our best start yet, but not without incident. I was
shaving with my electric razor and had the right side of my face
slick and clean when the battery died. The left side was pretty
shabby. And I didn't have the charger or a safety razor with
me. So I ended up not looking at people straight in the face,
just off to one side or the other.
The landscape with the mountains in the background being
a dusty brown and the spreading pasturelands in front of
us also with burned grass with contrasted green bushes made
you feel like you wanted to saddle up your horse and ride
across it.
We had on and off heavy winds, which is normal for this
area. Lefty is eating well, drinking lots of water and has no
swelling or trouble with his legs. He seems to be traveling
better than we are. As we crossed into Arizona, I should note
that no one anywhere ever checked our health papers for the
horse, even when we stopped at a way station that had a sign
Ron and Lefty in their new home
6
Good Dog
While handling any rough stock, including
cows, never loop a rope or lead line
around your hand, arm or body and
hopefully not your neck. Should that wild
or rough stock suddenly decide to go
south, that loop will tighten and you are
trapped and will likely go south with that
brute. Might think about tying a couple of
knots in that lead line or rope that will help
to keep the line from slipping through your
hand.
Dear God: Let me give you a list of just some of the things I
must remember to be a Good Dog.
1. I will not eat the cats' food before they eat it or after they
throw it up.
2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because
I like the way they smell.
3. The Litter Box is not a cookie jar.
4. The sofa is not a 'face towel'.
5. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.
6. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on
the toilet.
7. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is an unacceptable
way of saying 'hello'.
8. I don't need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm under
the coffee table .
9. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the
house - not after.
10. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my
butt .
11. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my
crotch.
12. The cat is not a 'squeaky toy' so when I play with him and
he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.
Old Folks Riding Rules
All I learned in life I learned from my horse
Ol’ Wild Bill sez
Be careful with
that rope
A. Hunt down plumbing facilities, with and without buildings,
upon first arriving at the trailhead. This used to be in the (B)
position, but at this point, plumbing is more important than a
smorgasbord of mounting accommodations.
B. Scope out mounting blocks, as in picnic tables, tree
stumps, ditches, and available trashcans that can be flipped
upside down and stepped up on.
1. When in doubt, run far, far away.
2. You can never have too many treats.
3. Passing gas in public is nothing to be ashamed of.
4. New shoes are an absolute necessity every 6 weeks.
5. Ignore cues. They're just a prompt to do more work.
6. Everyone loves a good, wet, slobbery kiss.
7. Never run when you can jog. Never jog when you can walk.
And never walk when you can stand still.
8. Heaven is eating for at least 10 hours a day... And then
sleeping the rest of the day.
10. Eat plenty of roughage.
11. Great legs and a nice rear will get you anywhere. Big,
brown eyes help too.
12. When you want your way, stomp hard on the nearest foot.
13. In times of crisis, take a poop.
14. Act dumb when faced with a task you don't want to do.
15. Follow the herd. That way, you can't be singled out to take
the blame.
16. A swift kick in the butt will get anyone's attention.
17. Love those who love you back, especially if they have
something good to eat.
1. We DO NOT need to show up with our hair combed, makeup on and wearing a clean shirt.
2. Moaning, groaning and complaining about aching muscles
is perfectly acceptable as is taking Motrin prior to a ride.
3. Helping someone on or off the horse does not mean the
rider is an invalid. It only means the horse got taller overnight.
4. No one will comment about how big someone's butt looks
in a saddle.
5. Everyone will wait, patiently, while someone dismounts and
adjusts equipment. Everyone will also wait, patiently, until
that person remounts and is ready to move on...no matter how
long that takes.
6. When a horse is acting up we will accept that the horse is
just having a bad hair day and it is not the rider's fault.
7. Mentioning it is too hot, too dry, too humid, too wet, too
buggy, etc., is considered self - expression, not whining.
8. Wanting to be first, last, walk or just stop does not mean
the rider is a wimp. Sometimes it is necessary to teach a horse
who is in charge.
9. We will take the time to discuss the important issues of the
day like who is getting a new horse, or any other relevant
information which needs to be passed on.
10. We will acknowledge that horses are very strange animals
and sometimes for no reason at all we fall off of them. If this
happens to any rider the other riders will ascertain that the
person is okay and then not mention the incident to another
living soul, especially husbands and significant others.
11. We will acknowledge, without apology that riding more
than 2 1/2 hours increases our grumpy level far more than any
ego benefits we may get from riding longer.
Where in the world did Jody and Rocky go this summer?
Find out in the next Trail Mix!
7
Ranch Wife 101
Submitted by Wendi Rummel
Round 2 It Ranch presents
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[email protected]
The first idea was to create a list of rules for cowboys written
by cowgirls, things that would bridge the understanding gap.
But historical reaction by cowboys for advice given by their
wifely partners made me realize the futility in the effort.
Moving from that fleeting moment of "saving the world," I
decided to help a small part of it by suggesting some basic
advice to those considering matrimony to a cowboy. While this
is by no means a complete guide, recognizing the following
situations will save years of misunderstanding.
Ranch wife 101 guidelines:
1. Always load your horse last in the trailer so it is the first one
unloaded. By the time he's got his horse unloaded, you will
have your cinch pulled and be mounted up ready to go lessening the chance of him riding off without you with your
horse trying to follow while you are still trying to get your foot in
the stirrup.
2. Never - and I repeat never - ever believe the phrase "We'll
be right back," when he has asked you to help him do
something out on the ranch. The echoing words, "this will only
take a little while" have filtered through generations of ranch
wives and still today should invoke sincere distrust in the
woman who hears them.
3. Always know there is NO romantic intention when he
pleadingly asks you to take a ride in the pickup with him
around the ranch while he checks water and looks at cattle.
What that sweet request really means is he wants someone to
open the gates.
4. He will always expect you to quickly be able to find one
stray in a four-section brush-covered pasture, but he will never
be able to find the mayonnaise jar in four-square feet of
refrigerator.
5. Count every head of everything you see - cattle especially,
but sometimes horses, deer, quail or whatever moves. Count
it in the gate, out the gate or on the horizon. The first time you
don't count is when he will have expected that you did. That
blank eyelash-batting look you give him when he asks "How
many?" will not be acceptable.
6. Know that you will never be able to ride a horse or drive a
pickup to suit him. Given the choice of jobs, choose throwing
the feed off the back of the pickup. If he is on the back and
you are driving, the opportunity for constant criticism of speed,
ability and your eyesight will be utilized to the full extent. "How
in the *@*# could you NOT see that hole?"
7. Never let yourself be on foot in the alley when he is sorting
cattle on horseback. When he has shoved 20 head of running,
bucking, kicking yearlings at you and then hollers "Hold 'em,
hold 'em" at the top of his lungs, don't think that you really can
do it without loss of life or limb. Contrary to what he will lead
you to believe, walking back to the house is always an option
that has been used throughout time.
8. Don't expect him to correctly close the snap-on tops on the
plastic refrigerator containers, but know he will expect you to
always close every gate. His reasoning, the cows will get out;
the food will not.
9. Always praise him when he helps in the kitchen - the very
same way he does when you help with the ranch work - or not.
10. Know that when you step out of the house you move from
the "wife" department to "hired hand" status. Although the
word "hired" indicates there will be a paycheck that you will
never see, rest assured you will have job security. The price is
just right. And most of the time you will be "the best help he
has" even if it is because you are the ONLY help he has.
8