Games galore- From ping pong to pony races

August 24th, 2019, Volume 14, Issue 32

Howdy folks,

Well, I’m not gonna lie, for everyone who was not able to be with us this week: you missed out! It was an absolutely wonderful week!

We got to welcome a great group of new and old friends to the ranch. Betty and Tanja came back to McGinnis to continue their horsemanship education. We also got to welcome a new group from North Carolina! Their friendliness and willingness to learn quickly made them beloved by all the staff here at the ranch. Finally, all the way from England we welcomed Autumn, Laila, and Hannah! We had a great time with them comparing all the differences between the UK and our own USA. This group was so much fun that almost every evening there were grand tournaments of pool and ping pong going on in our game room!

In horsemanship this week we all went back to our very favorite exercise: short serpentines! (For some people this statement is genuine and for others it is excessively sarcastic). However, all the practice that we had with it during the week really impressed upon all of the interns, guests and wranglers just how important they are in the education of the horse. Getting the horses to travel united through all four quarters really helped them to achieve balance and softness through every movement. We will be doing a lot more of that in the future!

After all the horses were well balanced and prepared following the short serpentines, Shayne allowed some of the staff and interns to have a couple races 🙂 And race we did! The new indoor arena is the perfect amount of space and footing to really open up the horses and allow them to stretch their legs. What a joy it is to be able to push yourself and your horse and then dial back to come to a full stop with a soft feel- our ranch horses are serious athletes!

…Speaking of horsemanship, do you want a learning adventure like no other? If you are looking for a way to ride and study at McGinnis Meadows the fall and winter seasons are spectacular. With eye candy fall colors and horsemanship to fuel your soul we still have just a couple of openings available the week of October 13th. If winter is more to your liking,

We like to think of these programs as a classroom on horseback 🙂 There is no other place that offers this level of detail for learning, with all the amenities. With possibilities to ride outdoor in the meadows in the fall and indoor in our NEW larger
state of the art indoor arena in the winter, there will be a multitude of things to work on in your pursuit of horsemanship.

For Winter Program, we move into the indoor full time – About the only place you’ll need a coat is to walk to and from the lodge from your cabin, or from the shuttle to the NEW heated indoor arena! The non-riding hours are low-key and relaxing, enabling guests to unwind and have some quiet time in a peaceful setting.

There are many reasons to reserve your spot – too numerous to mention here, so if you are serious about improving your riding and want to spend time in a beautiful setting, contact Janice for more info or to reserve your spot(s)– stay for two weeks if you’d like! (406) 293-5000. info@mmgranch.net

We were also able to do a lot of cattle work this week- Lorraine, Erin, and Laila went out a lot with Sue (who they nicknamed Sunshine) and Ash (who they called Dimples)- they all had a great time traveling the country and finding the cattle.

To top off the week we had a great campfire- we had the pleasure of introducing s’mores to Hannah, Autumn, and Laila. We all had a great evening filled with music, campfire snacks, and conversation. I know I speak for all the staff here at the ranch that the guests that have become our good friends this week will be missed.

That’s all for now… but there is much more to come.

Happy trails,

Anna and Janice