November 10, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 43

Greetings everyone,

Well, the ranch is a little quieter now with all of the steers gone. We loaded them up on Tuesday morning and said our goodbyes. They definitely add another element to the atmosphere here and it seems strange without them.

 Brenda with the boys, one last         time.

Once the steers were loaded, several of us were fortunate to be able to audit Buck’s clinic in Whitefish. This is a true Horsemanship 2 clinic (one of the only ones that Buck teaches). It is so educational to watch not only Buck riding his horse Eddie, but to see the journey that everyone else is on with their pursuit of this study. Buck put Eddie in the hackamore for the first time at the clinic. Often times the transition can take a bit of time because of the different feel on their nose and the flexion coming from under the chin rather than the direct rein of the snaffle. With Buck riding Eddie though, by the second day you would never have known it was new to him. His horses are well prepared before he ever puts them into the next progression of gear, and it really shows.

Des, Shayne and Roby put in some good rides on Pard, Cooley and Daisy, as well as getting some valuable

Buck on Eddie, first time in Hackamore. The photo is not so sharp, but enough to see how soft Eddie is already!

feedback from Buck- we’re all studying this as hard as we can to continue improving. On the final day, girl power ruled with Des making some great heel shots during the finals of the “Whitefish clinic ranch roping competition”.

Once back at the ranch we started a unique guest week – an 8 day clinic format that is enabling these returning guests to really take their riding to the next level. Thursday was the first day of the clinic and it began with a demonstration of how the guest horses are prepared for the next guests who are about to ride them. Shayne, Des and Roby each rode several horses and put them through all of the progressions they use to get the horses rebalanced, have life and move out with a feel. Wranglers, interns and guests all got to watch this and it was very educational.

Des being very particular about what she is looking for, with Scotch.

It has been snowing lightly here for a few days now…no accumulation but just enough with dropping temperatures to make it feel like winter is approaching. Nathan will finish pulling shoes off all the ponies and pretty soon they will be moved to the winter pasture next to the indoor arena.

On a sadder note, our intern Ashley will be leaving today to go back home. We have really enjoyed having her here and hope that she makes it back to the ranch sometime soon. We will miss you Ash!

As you have been reading in the past few editions of the Highline, winter horsemanship is in full swing with some pretty innovative teaching happening here.

Shayne, Roby and Buck getting in some practice shots.

If you’d like to get in on this, there are still a few spots remaining over the winter. And, if you book two back to back weeks, you’ll receive a 5% discount off of the already low rate, for the second week! Contact Janice to reserve your spot at info@mmgranch.net, or 406-293-5000.

Happy trails,

Janice

Kathleen working on better balance with Twizzle. Not perfect yet, but she rewards him for a good try.

Stephan from Seattle Mounted Police riding Chaos

Kathy on Scotch working on straightness

Clive and Benny

Carolyn chose to ride a ranch horse this time around (instead of her personal horse). Here she works on softness and unity while backing.

Ashlyn, a serious student in this photo, but don’t let that fool you – she is super fun to be around!

...And then letting him move out

Roby riding bandit. Getting life through engagement…

Des, getting ready to throw a heel shot – she was awesome!

Casey with her personal horse Firestone

Brandon, also from Seattle Mounted Police, working with Jasper

November 3, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 42

Hello everyone,

Last view of the boys this season

This is the final week of cattle here at the ranch before they head out early next week, and guests were lucky enough to be able to do one last cattle drive! The cattle were moved from the Belgard pasture to just below Randy and Dori’s place making the final trip to the scale house a little bit easier. The less stress there is on the steers, the better it is for them.

It has been raining a lot here (like everyday!), but the warmer temperatures

Rainbow at the end of the rainstorm

are still hanging on so all of the outdoor ranch work continues.

We had 5 returning guests this week and 3 first time participants. Roby was teaching again while Shayne and Des were finishing up their clinics with Buck in Spanaway.

Tina, Federico and Heli, pushing cattle

On Friday morning, Roby commented that he couldn’t be more pleased with how focused this group was – he was really proud of the work they did and how hard they studied. Every morning they would arrive at the arena and wasted no time getting right to it practicing groundwork. And at lunch and in the evenings, the dialog about horsemanship continued. Watching Roby ride his mare Daisy in the evenings, was a real treat for the guests as well (and an opportunity to see one straight up in the bridle, as a finished bridle horse). He also answered questions about the tack that is traditional for this Vaquero style of riding, explaining all the progressions of bits, hackamores and even the Bosalita. This is so much fun when you have an environment where your passion is with you 24/7. We are a lucky bunch here at the ranch and to be able to share this with all of you.

This week, the neck ropes made a return appearance! Once there is a foundation of understanding about how to use the reins (with a feel), the neck rope can be a great tool. The

Susan working on flexion with a neck rope,            riding Catman

horses will actually get softer to their riders aids because the rider has to use a feel- they will never be able to just pull on their horse and get the desired result. This is evident in the beginning (horses leading their riders around!), but quickly changes to a dance when the rider begins to use a thought process that helps the horse move his feet with timing and rhythm. On Friday, they even played soccer –using just the neck ropes! It was pretty competitive from what I heard. 🙂

All of our guests this week; Federico and his wife Heli, Michele, Ann, Susan, Tina, Vicki and Marissa, were estatic about how the week went and how much they learned. As is so often the case, some came here with some fear issues from previous bad horse experiences, and they left with new found motivation and a major gain in their confidence levels. There were a few firsts this week—first time cantering, first time posting the trot, and most definitely, first time using only a neck rope to guide a 1000 pound animal!

Cone exercises to work on various           components of horsemanship

It has been raining quite a bit here this week, and between jingling the horses in and out a few times a day, working outside cleaning up the winter pasture, and filling it in between with office work, I feel like I am in a constant state of changing clothes! I imagine snow will be here before too long, so I am grateful for the warmer temperatures we are currently enjoying.

Roby, Shayne and Des will be heading to Whitefish this weekend for Buck’s final and most advanced clinic of the year. If you are in the area, make sure you get to audit at least a little bit of it. For many of us this is a highlight of the year. I’ll look forward to seeing you there!

That is about it for now. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back Saturday night (“fall back”) and we will be back at you next week 🙂

Janice

Tina and Guess Who?

Vicki getting a very nice soft feel reaching a foot Donald Trump.

Federico and Chief working on trotting in a soft feel

Marissa and Vicki

Rachel riding Catman

Sunset- another day in paradise

October 27, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 41

Hey everyone,

The weather is finally turning a bit, and starting to feel more like fall. Next week there are even snow flurries in the forecast!

Driving cattle to the scale house for weighing

Shayne and Des left on Wednesday for the Spanaway Buck clinic, and will then head over to the Whitefish clinic- the final domestic clinic on Buck’s schedule. We are all eager to see what they bring back with them for improving our skills and advancing our horses.

This week we had a variety of ability levels in the riders that joined us and Roby was able to encourage and challenge everyone to improve. Philipp and Serena were beginning riders, and they worked hard all week to understand what it takes to ride their horses with good horsemanship. By the end of the week, they were posting the trot, making cow turns and even roping from horseback! Everyone also had a chance

Sharon and Chalkeye – they got along well!

to move cattle since we had to weigh all 224 head!   Ann is new to the ranch and joining us for two weeks. She progressed nicely this week, working on straight lines, soft feel and rate.

Carolyn, Sharon, and Michele, all repeat guests, continued their journey towards advancing their riding skills. Carolyn brought her two horses Apple and Harley. It is always fun to revisit with all of them! They worked a lot of walk, trot and cantering straight lines, cow turns, and being aware of where they were going (i.e. thinking ahead!) when working patterns with 4-5 people.

Carolyn shared her thoughts on the week…”I always know the journey from Monday to Friday is going to be extraordinary and this week was no exception! The teaching kept it fresh, fun and educational! We moved cows, sorted cows, roped on horseback, improved our

Carolyn and her very cute mare Apple

cow turns, groundwork, getting our hands in time with our horse’s feet, softness and collection at all gaits, and on a loose rein. We kicked the soccer ball with our horses, had fun and friendly competitions, and I received the individual help I needed to overcome some obstacles. It is hard to spend up to 30 hours in the saddle (in one week), but it was extraordinary on all levels!”

Michele also had a fun and productive week- “The teaching, Miriam’s delicious meals, and well cared for and well trained horses keep me coming back to this beautiful ranch to improve my horsemanship. One of my biggest challenges has been keeping rate on horses that tend to fall behind my leg. Roby worked on this with me by improving my body position, and being aware of when I am losing rate, making sure I get a change. Thank you for a wonderful week!”

Michele and Benny studied hard all week

Everyone here has been busy getting ready for the impending winter… Dave has been winterizing all the vehicles and the buildings. Fences are being checked so the horse herd can be moved into the West pasture this week, and the cattle will be leaving the ranch in just a couple of weeks.

Serena and Brownie hit their stride by the end of the week.

From the West pasture, the herd will be moved to the Winter pasture, where cleanup work continues as well. Willy’s on the excavator and Anna, Scott, Nathan, Dave, Adrienne and me all have been helping cut and clean up debris. Speaking of Anna and Scott, they left yesterday for horseshoeing school in Plymouth, California! They will be at school for eight weeks and bringing back their knowledge to the ranch. We are really excited for them, and know they will put their all into it.

I’ve been getting caught up on office projects in addition to helping outside on the ranch. The winters allow us all to diversify and work in other areas than we might in the peak season. It is a really fun time of the year, and I always feel lucky when I can be outside doing physical labor!

If you would like to experience the wonder of the ranch in the wintertime, we do have a couple of spots open for winter horsemanship program. Give me a call and we can get you set up.

Have a great week ahead,

Janice

Scott and Nathan reviewing what is needed in shaping a shoe

Harley-nothing like a good roll!

Philipp came a long way this week. Here he is riding Roanie.

Miriam is filling in for Jenna while she’s at home.     The donuts did not last long 🙂

There’s a joker in every crowd. I think he likes the                                     soccer ball.

Ann, Serena and Philipp. T-shirt weather in October!!

Our intern Rachel and Paco

Photo courtesy of Anna!

And another! This girl has a talent (one of  many)  🙂

October 20, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 40

Greetings everyone,

Our guests have started their journey back home but they are still here in spirit! It was a small personable group for our last week before winter horsemanship starts. Sara and Devis have a ranch in Italy where they tend to their cattle, start colts and lead guided rides. Alida flew here from Australia and she too has a ranch back home. She offers longer riding treks where people can see the country. They all came here to improve their horsemanship skills, and that they did!

             Students Sara, Alida and Devis

Guests and interns worked on a variety of things this week and even got to ride outside a few afternoons, including moving cattle that had to be weighed. They all left with a better understanding of how to move their horse’s feet, in time and in balance. Devis got addicted to roping as well and he could be found at night practicing in the indoor arena!

Des shares with us her thoughts on the week as well…They say time flies when you’re having fun.  This season, I think we all had the most fun ever, because it seems like it flew by faster than ever!  This week marked the beginning of Winter Horsemanship.  We have been fortunate though—aside from very “crispy” mornings, the afternoons have been absolutely gorgeous!  We were riding outside in just our button up shirts, no coats and even then, it was warm!

Shayne spent a few days riding with our interns and with Sue. They worked on straightness in all gaits, swinging their ropes and tracking up on our pull-sled roping dummy, named Ugly.  Sue will be heading home for the winter.  She has a hip surgery coming up that involves an extensive recovery.  She’ll be back in the spring, fully recovered and better than ever!

                    Happy Ponies!

Now that some of their jobs duties are no longer necessary because peak season is over, many of our staff members have switched hats and our working outside.  The big project from now until the snow flies is getting our horse’s Winter Pasture as pristine as possible!  Willy is out with the excavator, cleaning the big stuff and Adrienne, Anna, Scott, Erin and Brenda have been de-limbing trees and picking up brush and cutting up downed trees.  It’s a HUGE project but everyone is working hard at it because well—we love our ponies!

Nathan and Randy have been working with Scott and Anna to get them under as many horses as possible before they head off to eight weeks of shoeing school next week!

                     Willy and the excavator 

We’re excited to have these guys start their shoeing careers with us while also advancing their horsemanship careers in the process.

Never a dull moment out here at McGinnis Meadows!

Des & Janice

                 One of the finished products

               Sara working on moving each foot with Cheech

                                               Visitor!

                   Devis getting a soft back up on Twizzle

                Bringing the cattle back after weighing

                     Fall colors are still going strong

                         Wow- another fabulous creation by Miriam!

October 13, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 39

This was the last week of Peak season and as we head into our horsemanship weeks, it has us reflecting on what a great season it has been. But more on that later…

Here they are!

Being a working cattle ranch, there was a lot to do this week and our guests were game to jump right in. Some had no previous cattle experience and by Wednesday they were able to head to Davis mountain to partake in a successful hunt for cattle.

Shelly, Roby and the girls

Some of the jobs that were done this week included finding the remaining 14 steers that eluded us over 7000+ acres; there were also steers that had to be moved from the Elk Creek holding pasture to the ranch, and the ones already on the ranch had to be checked on and weighed! In total 224 head were driven in some form or fashion, and we even had several unexpected visitors. A neighboring ranch’s cows and calves found there way to the ranch and our wrangler Scott noticed them on the other side of the fence in the Belgard pasture one morning. When all was said and done, they were gathered and their owners retrieved them a couple of days later!

Adrienne and Twizzle

The colors are spectacular right now both on the ranch and up higher,. The mix of the golden hay with the yellows and greens of the Aspen and Larch trees, is stunning. We even had our first appearance of snow on the mountain two mornings this week. As I glanced out the window a few minutes ago I was surprised to see it snowing quite hard- it has since stopped and the sun Is back out. Next week is forecast to be back in the high 50’s and sunny! We’ll take it 🙂

14 guests arrived at the ranch on Sunday with most of them being first timers. We had folks visiting from the Midwest, California, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, New Mexico and New Zealand! Not only did they hunt for, drive, sort and weigh cattle, they learned to rope, got to observe the nuances of shoeing, had an afternoon of in-depth groundwork, and did some trail riding in the midst of the peak color.

Amanda on Cheech and Kathy on Nigel

Shelly and her family came to visit, with Shelly keen on riding her two horses who have been in training here for several months. She was joined by her three kids, Madeline, Angelina and Isabella, and her mother in law Laurie. The kids were a pleasure to be around and they are quite the riders already! Laurie (who has not ridden before), even tried her hand at it on Monday- she did great!

Intern Rachel out on a crisp and colorful morning

Kathleen and Brian stayed for a second week, and Kathleen is hooked on enough at this point, that she will be coming back in two weeks to do a month long internship! We are excited for her to have this opportunity and really look forward to having her at the ranch.

Kathy, a long time visitor, joined us again and was able to visit with her horse Romeo (also here for training). Kathy focused on riding ranch horses during her visit so she can continue to really dial in her horsemanship and be able to offer her best to Romeo when she takes him home next spring. Her favorite was Nigel, a cute chestnut who is new to the guest string this season.

With all the cattle off the mountain, Dave and Nathan were busy taking down the panels from Davis Grazing allotment, where we sometimes had put steers that needed to be brought in for doctoring. Adrienne has been very busy cleaning up the limbs from what will soon be the horse herd winter pasture.

Scott and Anna have also been busy doing a variety of different things, including continuing their shoeing education with Nathan and Randy. Scott has been jingling in the horses each morning for the latter part of the season, and I think he is happy that they now have an 8 am ETA to be brought into the holding corrals- it stays dark longer now and it is always a plus to be able to see where you are riding. Just another sign that winter will be here before you know it!

Marsha and everyone’s favorite, Bandit!

As for the reflections I alluded to earlier, this peak season has been filled with the opportunity to meet many great people who spend their vacations with us. It is amazing how friendships can blossom within one week. We were blessed with no nearby fires that caused us any anxiety, even though the season was a dry one. The rains have started coming with more frequency now and for that we are grateful

The team here at McGinnis really had fun all season and worked hard to ensure that horses stayed happy and healthy, guest’s expectations were not only met but exceeded, and they expanded their horizons doing different things on the ranch. Sue did a great job out at graze this summer, along with Jenna, Brenda, Scott and Roby –yes, even Roby got to ride out this year, (usually he is riding client horses in the arena) and he made the most of it. Anna and Scott, as you know, have also been learning a new trade as farriers and they are coming along really well. While we are sad to see this part of the season end, we are very excited to be delving into a focus of horsemanship now. If you would like more as well, or want to check it out for the

Trudi and Amigo

first time, we have a few spots available for winter horsemanship. As long as the weather holds here, we will continue to ride outside- this upcoming week looks stellar! And thinking ahead, Thanksgiving week is really special at the ranch. Ride in horsemanship all day, everyday, and come in on Thanksgiving for a home cooked meal with all the trimmings made by Miriam :-).  Just two spots remaining for that week…Give me a call for more information or to reserve a spot. Space is limited. (406) 293-5000. info@mmgranch.net

Until next week,
Janice

Can’t beat this view

Heading home

Brian, Adrienne and Kathleen taking in the color

October 6, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 38

The search for cattle and other things at McGinnis Meadows…

This past week we continued the search for cattle on Davis mountain.

Cattle drives

There are 14 remaining up there and the rest of the steers are content munching hay in the ranch meadows.

So, there were several trips to get the cattle moved- hunt for them on Davis Mountain, gather, lose them on occasion, regather, then push them on to the Elk Creek holding pasture.

Then, typically the next day, a group would either go back to Davis to hunt for more, or go to Elk Creek to drive them all the way back to the ranch. Currently the ranch cattle are in two of our north pieces. There were also weighing days, and the cattle were picked up in groups of 50 from the meadows, driven to the scale house, weighed and brought back to their respective meadows.

Something a little different were  “wrangler challenges” this week. Mid week, Roby gave each wrangler and their groups of guests a specific route to move the cattle. This had to be done without mixing groups, and required a good understanding of the best way to get to each gate, water crossing, etc, with minimal stress on the cattle.

Another was to move a group of cattle with the guests and not give any directions to each other all the way to their destination- with just a point person leading the way. It sounds easy, doesn’t it? The reason for this exercise? It requires a feel to move cattle and really gets everyone thinking ahead and being aware of what is happening around them. The guests in this exercise did awesome- they got the cattle through some sticky spots, maneuvered around and through timber, kept them contained in places the cattle wanted to spill, and did the entire trip with no words! It made for a really fun and rewarding end to the week.

There were 16 guests this week with Neville and Lisa riding their own personal horses

Kim and her horse Cotton

Their horses did great and they got to take them out to graze, move cattle around the ranch and do some horsemanship along the way!

We had a mixed group of repeat guests and those that were here for the first time. Wayne stayed another week, couples Sharon and Bill, Amy and Scott, and Kathleen and Brian returned for more fun with cattle. Travis, Lisa, Tom and Nancy ( cousins) made the trip to fulfill a wish  that was on their bucket list. They did great and said they had a blast. Friends Alex and Arnold visited too, and you would never know at the end of the week that they had arrived with limited riding experience. They were sorting cattle, chasing renegade steers and driving them like pros! Tanya was visiting us all the way from Martinque! She liked having a mix of horsemanship on the trail and cattle work.

Wayne riding Jasper through the meadows!

The colors were so vibrant this week, especially in the meadows with all of the Aspens. Up high on the mountain, guests also got to see the changes each day, it seemed, with reds, greens, yellows and orange leaves leading the way. Combined with the crisp mornings, and clear days, it was ‘picture perfect’ for riding.

Throughout all of this we all continue to work on our horsemanship skills, searching for things in this realm as well. Are we paying enough attention to what the horse is telling us? Are we feeling things they are presenting and giving back, or are we forcing things to happen? This becomes especially challenging (and rewarding) when working outside of the arena where other distractions are plentiful. Shayne is always trying to get us to be aware of our surroundings, ride with good horsemanship while getting a job done- whether it be teaching guests or herding cattle. Either way if gets you better as a horseman when you begin to get good at multi-tasking!

Sharon, Amy, Scott and Wayne

Next week is the last week before entering into our horsemanship program. We have some last minute openings throughout October, and still have a few spots remaining this winter for people looking to tune up and improve their riding skills. Contact Janice for more info- these spots won’t last long! 406-293-5000, info@mmgranch.net

Happy Trails,

Janice

Nathan!

Bill and Brian herding cattle

Cousins!

Janice and Brian Holding the herd

Moose Pond visit

                                             Fall colors!

Greetings everyone,

This week continued our fall cattle gather and it was a big week!

Cattle and Color!

Our guests were all about it and there was cattle work in some form every day. With the cattle leaving soon we really have to make sure they are all off of the mountain in the next couple of weeks. The hunt goes on out on Davis mountain with any found steers being driven to the holding allotment at Elk Creek. From Elk Creek they come in to the ranch to be weighed and turned out in the ranch pastures.

We also had outside horsemanship, and trail rides happening.

On Monday Roby taught horsemanship in the meadows again. Giving people the tools they need early on to be able to work cattle and get a job done on the ranch, allows riders to gain confidence and venture out early in the week.

Kim and Roanie

We were blessed with beautiful weather all week long with temperatures in the 60-70 range- a little unusual for this time of year. The fall colors have really popped this week, and it seems every day there is more. The meadows are a brilliant color as well, as you’ll see from the photos, making the horsemanship days even more special.

These sessions continued through the week and guests were all smiles with the progress they made from Monday to Friday. Some have horses back home that they would like to improve and others ride only when they come to the ranch. Either way the horse gets a good deal when their riders develop softer hands and better timing – they just love it!

We had a couple of riders who had experienced accidents on their horses at home and were really looking to rebuild their confidence and get back to riding. Kim pushed through her fears to get back on a horse after two years and at the end of the week even cantered on Brownie!

Gill, Karen, Dottie, Susan and Laurie

Susanne also had a successful week and learned a posting trot, how to get her horse to move out at a good walk, a cow turn and cantered on Bob.

We had several returning guests who love going to graze and anything cattle oriented. Gill, Karen, Laurie, Wayne, Robert, Ron ( with us for a second week), Dave and Dottie came back to the ranch for more cattle work and to see the country the ranch has to offer.

Dave and Jasper had fun moving cattle.

Husband and wife Kim and Mark, and Suzanne were first timers but you would never know it by the end of the week. It was apparent at Friday night dinner, with all the laughter and good fun, that friendships were made this week.

Maintenance continues around the ranch as well, as we gear up for the winter weather months. Dave, Will and Willy were replacing lighting in the indoor arena and in the saddling barn and boy what a difference- it is nice and bright in both places now. The de-limbing and clean up is starting to show some nice progress in the winter herd pasture too!

Dottie and Ron

The cattle gathering will continue next week and we will keep you posted on how the boys are behaving and how many we have left to find!

Until next time,

Janice

Mark and Kim

Robert and Romeo

Wayne on one of the younger guest horses, Nigel

Ron & Quick sorting cattle to be weighed

Gill and Mr. Magoo

There is nothing like fall season at the ranch!

Suzanne and Brownie

Hey everyone,

WOW, we just wrapped up the end of a very special week, exclusively for repeat guests.  We had guests who had been coming here for 3 years all the way up to 17 years with plenty in-between!

To show our appreciation, we wanted to make this week special, epic and most of all, memorable.

Karine, David and Roby finishing up the morning jingle!

To start with, we revived our morning jingle for the week—ROBY took out two guests with him to bring in the horses each day.  Right now, they are on the farthest end of the pastures, so it’s at least a 2-mile-long trot in the crisp fall air. 

We had about 20 head of cattle that needed to be moved out to graze from the ranch.  They were all the way over on the Jo-Ann Wallace pasture, by the Davis place.  Guests drove the cattle all the way from the ranch to the firetruck tanks on Davis mountain!  It was definitely an all-day event with beautiful views through the vibrant colors of fall.

Picnic Lunch with a view

One afternoon, Miriam made a deluxe lunch that Dave brought out to graze for all cattle-goers to enjoy on one of the ridge tops.  I wish I could have been there!  It was a gourmet anti-pasto platter, with wines, coffee and some goodies too.

Roby, Scott, Ron and Carl had found 19 head that they were going to bring to the Elk Creek Pasture just before lunch on that day.  He staged them in a nice spot, hoping they would hang around in time for them to grab some food and continue their cattle drive.  Unfortunately, in the 30 or so minutes they were eating, the cattle vanished!  Everyone got a laugh out of it and it was OK…the hunt is most of the fun anyway!

Dave Blackburn’s band came and played a post-dinner show for everyone in the dining room on another evening.  Janice did stretch classes throughout the week.  Scott made a couple bonfires too.  Guests roped horseback.  I’m sure I’m missing some other cool stuff but that’s the majority of it! 

Our guests were pretty evenly divided in interest this week.  We had our hard-core horsemanship folks who spent all week advancing in their knowledge with Shayne.  It was a fun dynamic since all of these guys have spent a lot of time with us in horsemanship before. 

Roping!

Because of this, on Monday afternoon, Shayne had everyone cantering in formation and doing flying changes over logs in the center of the arena!  Even doing it two-abreast!  That was something he hasn’t done before J  I was able to camp on a couple colts and the guests were also able to watch their progressions throughout the week.  Of course, Shayne also spent a bit of time working on the slower, more refined movements, reminding all of us that every movement counts, be it a footfall or just a flick of the ear.

Our “outside” group of guests started on Monday with Roby out in the meadows and in the trees.  He wanted to make sure everyone was ready for some hard-core riding out at graze.  His guests learned how to navigate centered down very steep hills, could long-trot and switch diagonals with ease and get a job done with cattle.  Throughout the course of the week, the guests kept coming up to me and telling me how much this day made in difference in how well the rest of their rides went!

Lorraine & Clayton

Sue, Roby, Scott and Jenna did a wonderful job out at graze, taking guests down new trails (cut out by Sue,) up to fantastic views, and covering a LOT of miles.  This is really the best time of year to be out there—the fall colors seem to become more vibrant with each passing day.  The weather this week was perfect too—chilly in the am but warming up to temps in the mid to high 60s and blue skies every day.

 We want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our repeat guests who came here this week and for those who were unable to make it this time around. 

Maggie and Donald Trump 🙂

You guys are what keeps this place going and we so appreciate the opportunities to ride with you, spend time with you and consider you our friends.  We hope to do this again next year!

Des

Ron & Paco

Carl had a great time riding Mr. Magoo. They got along really well!

Lisa & Scotch

David & Roanie in Horsemanship- trotting and cantering over the log was all in a days work.

Lorraine takes in all the color!

And Bandit does too!

Joy and Lorie on their personal horses doing a calvary exercise

Our newest intern Ash, seems to be having fun!

Karine and Maggie out on the mountain

Carolyn also rode Roanie in horsemanship

Brooke & Adam-Newlyweds celebrating their honeymoon at the ranch!

September 15, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 36

Greetings MMR friends,

This week was filled with cattle and trips to graze, and lots of horsemanship, both inside and outside the arena. The weather was a little cooler this week and we had more much needed rain- even a little hail during one of the downpours. These hard rains are not that common here so it was an event! There was a beautiful BIG double rainbow after the rain stopped that started in the meadow and ended right in front of Shayne’s arena!

Jean and Nicoletta

Shayne had his horsemanship students working on a lot of movements at the walk, really perfecting them and moving with life. He also did a fair amount of cantering with our guests in the afternoon sessions included flying lead changes over a log!

Outside of the arena guests continued their practice while taking in the views. The logging roads provide a great opportunity to work on rate, transitions, leg yielding and keeping the horses soft. We had a lot of fun also incorporating a few games on horseback along the way.

Roby and Des spent a lot of time riding client horses and restarting some of our older ‘colts’. They are getting to spend some time outside the arena gaining valuable exposure to what the different environments can offer a horse. It is so much fun to see them trotting and cantering across the meadows just having a blast while they work on their horsemanship!

It was an international week here at the ranch. We had guests from North Dakota, California, New York,

Pennsylvania AND the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland. It was a fun group and everyone had a great time together– several took advantage of the hot tub to relax after a busy day of riding.

Jean, who was an intern here in 2015, came back to see us and brought his friend Nicoletta with him. Mom and daughter, Judy and Deb, got to spend a lot of time together this week. Lisanne spent another week with us and continued seeing the views and working on her horsemanship. Melissa came from New Zealand and will be returning here in March to do an internship!

Tanja and Max!

Tanja was here for the horsemanship and she rode in class every day to better her riding. Meg had fun mixing it up between horsemanship and riding out. Joy spent another week here as well- she is such an inspiration with the way she studies her riding, so that she can along with horses in the best way possible- And we will get to see her for one more week 🙂

We will miss these folks when they leave, but we know that some are already planning their trip back for next year ! The photos really tell the story and I hope you enjoy them too.

Happy trails,

Janice

Melissa, Lisanne and Scott on the trail

Melissa on Donald Trump and Betty on Clayton enjoying the views!

Jean and Malone. He loved going to graze and helping with ranch work!

Nigel shows off the vibrant colors up on Davis Mountain

Lisanne and Betty-the two of them didn’t stop smiling all week!

Daughter Debra and Mom Judy

The gals! Tanja, Lisanne, Melissa and Betty

September 8, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 35

Hello!

We could not have asked for better weather this week- 70’s, even squeaking into the 80’s! We were able to take guests to the lake again and they loved it.

We’ve been very fortunate the past couple of weeks to not have smoke drifting in from the various fires in Canada, Washington and California. The skies have been bright blue and clear, and just this morning we even had a bit of much needed rain.

Sam, Ashley, Bill, Alex, Lisanne, Cathy

Cattle season is in full swing and just about each day groups headed out to graze to check on cattle. They are all looking very healthy and seem to be enjoying life on the mountain. Jenna, Scott, Sue and Brenda are typically the “graze Crew” and go armed with a variety of ‘stuff’ to make sure the day goes smoothly. Maps, shoeing and first aid supplies, tools (since cattle don’t necessarily stick to logging roads, there is sometimes trail maintenance along the way to get to them!) are all part of the kit.

The boys are all looking healthy!

Horsemanship was a fun endeavor this week as well. Roby taught several days in the meadows! It is pretty cool to see 8-10 horses and riders doing individual exercises and then coming together to synchronize a pattern called out by the leader! The meadows are still nice and green too.

The many faces of graze…

Many of the guests opted for ½ day trail rides this week. Of course, these included horsemanship on the go and the logging roads can be a great place to practice transitions, leg yields, and play my favorite game – leap frog J. This helps riders get smooth at changing gaits, getting a soft feel, leg yielding and keeping accurate rates.

The guests reported that the lake this week was so calm, and they had it pretty much all to themselves! Ardra, Yohanna, Lisanne and Amy made good use of the paddle boards and kayaks with Brenda leading the way.

Alex having fun on the mountain

Dave, Willy, and Randy continue to work on projects around the ranch and one that is sure to be a favorite are the new water spickets that were installed at the outdoor horse pens! This will save time and keep the water truck available for its other important jobs, like keeping the dust down on the driveway and surrounding areas.

For a half day, I was able to spend some time teaching guests groundwork and they got to watch Roby as he worked with two of his client horses- one a young two year old, and the other an older horse who is being restarted. The groundwork

Roby working with Forest, a young colt

plays an integral part in how the horse will develop under saddle and it incorporates many of the same movements. An added benefit is being able to study the horse’s feet and movement from the ground, which can really carry over once you are on their back.

The gals! Amy, Alex, Ashley, Cousins,Ardra and Johnana, and Lisanne

Anna and Scott continue to work under the tutelage of Nathan to learn the art of horseshoeing. They are doing great and really seem to be taking to it. Scott also had an extra special week because his parents Cathy and Bill were here as guests! They got to spend some family time together out at graze, in horsemanship and checking on cattle around the ranch.

The ranch still looks like summer!

Jenna and Miriam continue to produce amazing meals EVERY day- we are so lucky to have them here as well as their assistant’s Erin and Anna (who is also now helping in the kitchen!)

All in all it was a stellar week!

Until next time,

Janice

Lisanne on Jasper and Johanna on Bandit. Johanna joined us all the way from India!

Have you ever seen a horse that knows how to open a roll up garage door?? Taps does! He also is good at opening the gates.

Quite a view from the meadows.

plenty of sunshine and relaxation!

Jim and Donna

Roby and Amy- We got to celebrate Amy’s birthday with her this week!