August 25, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 33

Hi Everyone,

Marybeth on Chewy and Tessa on Boyd

This week we were extremely busy with projects at the ranch and at Graze. From checking cattle to horsemanship and shoeing there was no shortage of work to be done. With our fantastic group of guests we had a blast getting it all done.

Anna and Scott have been taken on as Nathan’s shoeing apprentices, which means there has been a lot of shoeing and learning going on. Both graduated from trimming to shoeing and nailed on their first shoes this week. Under Nathan’s watchful eye they have been learning everything they can about each horse on the ranch. In fact, Nathan has been working on a book of all the unique aspects of each horse in order to capture the fine nuances of how to keep all 100+ head of ranch horses sound.

Anna’s first shoe on Wyatt Earp

Horsemanship this week was all about softness (both legs and hands), riding transitions, serpentines and perfect circles. If you have prepared your horse properly a nice round circle on a loose rein in proper flexion will be attainable.  To do this, short serpentines and lots of transitions in and out of a soft feel are a part of the preparation. Shayne, Des and Roby have done thousands of these movements when educating the horses they ride and they and most importantly, their horses, reap the benefits from it. Often times riders will want to work on the “fun” things, or the things they are good at, when what the horse really needs might be something very different.  These movements are a good example of this, and this is where focus comes in!  If you work at improving your weaknesses, they will soon become your strengths.

Scott’s first shoe on Taz

In addition to being able to ride in Horsemanship this week, Janice also got her first ride out at Graze this season! She and Jenna rode with Steve, Marybeth and Caroline from the Davis parking lot out to the “wolf water tank”.  The scenery is amazing and the company couldn’t have been better.

The State Section and McKillop allotment are both around 650 acres large so finding cattle on Davis is a much bigger challenge given that it is 7,000 acres. You can ride all day and not see a single steer. We were successful though finding several needing to be doctored and took them back to ranch where they were doctored and then weighed. We got to learn how eyes are doctored, how to run the squeeze chute, and how to run the scales. Back on Davis we saw lots of wolf and bear scat, which reminded us how important it is that we keep a close eye on the cattle.

Pat and Twizzle in the mine.

It is amazing what neat spots you can see while riding through Davis which, because of its size, is much more diverse than other grazing allotments. On Tuesday Sue, Jessie, Genna, Diana, and Pat rode up to the Talc mine. It’s a huge canyon that evokes images of old western movies. There are so many vantage points from which to view the surrounding mountains. On Thursday, Jenna, Jessie, Steve, Marybeth, and Caroline found a mountaintop pond, which they named as “Jessna Pond”. It seemed like the perfect place for cattle to gather to escape the heat of the day. When riding out to graze every day is different and new.

Dave testing fence

This week Phil, Pat’s Husband, rode along with Dave as he drove around Davis checking water tanks, filling mineral, and maintaining fences. One night he came home telling of the huge black bear they saw on the mountain, which may be largest bear we’ve seen all season! Phil also acted as resident photographer and caught some of the inner workings of the ranch as they happened.

This week marks my last Highline of the season. As I prepare to depart the ranch, I am reminded of how much of a home it has become. From walking into the corrals and seeing familiar equine faces to riding with some of the best horsemen and women in the country and working alongside my ranch family. McGinnis Meadows has been a big part of my growing up and each time I return I not only become a better person but am able to see another side to the person I am becoming. It has been an honor to ride with all of you and write for everyone reading from afar.

No matter where my life takes me – I’ll always know the way home.

Home is where your family is.

Happy Trails,

Jessie

Genna and Bandit!

L-R: Jessie on Mr. Magoo, Steve on Amigo, Jenna on Scotch, Marybeth on Mighty Mouse, and Erika on Clayton

L-R: Pat on Twizzle, Jessie on Cisco, Genna on Boone, and Diana on Trump

Jenna and Jessie in front of “Jessna” Pond.

Sue and Genna taking a break at the top of a mountain.

Marybeth and Steve. Photo Credit to Phil!

Caroline and Benny

August 18, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 32

Hi Everyone,

L-R: Mary Jo on Bandit and Sherry on Trump

The big job this week was to find all of the cattle in the McKillop pasture and push them through the Elk Creek pasture onto Davis Mountain. This task was continued from last week and we were determined to find every steer before the weekend. Involved in the cattle finding were Genna (who celebrated her 11^th birthday with us on Wednesday), Mary Jo, George, Danielle, Catherine, Ruth and Sherry. In mixed groups with Brenda, Scott, Jessie, Jenna, and Sue they spent the greater part of the week scouring the mountain to find all of the steers.

Catherine and Twizzle

We finished the week joined by Roby who found the final 15 steers in McKillop. All of us were thrilled to have succeeded in bringing all of the cattle bringing a triumphant end to two weeks of gathering.

A lot goes into finding and moving cattle into a new pasture. We think constantly of where to block, where to push, and where to let off. What gets less attention is the importance of having a good count. Having a good count when moving cattle into a new pasture is vital – without one we don’t know if any are missing. If our count is accurate and comes up short then we can know that a steer might be injured, sick, or just outside the fence. If we aren’t absolutely sure how many cattle are in each location then we won’t know if they are all healthy.

A perfect line of cattle as viewed from an ideal counting spot!

Counting cattle can be challenging, as individual cattle are hard to distinguish from a sea of black bodies, heads, and legs. One of the worst places to count cattle seems to be from below them as they travel down a road – all you can see is a bunch of moving legs. By pushing the cattle gently we can get them traveling in a single file line making them far easier to count, especially from a vantage point above them. If they are traveling through a gate it is best to push them slowly one or two at a time with someone out of the way on the other side of the gate taking the count. Often we count our cattle three or four times just to be sure we are consistently getting the same number. Because we counted so well while moving cattle to Elk Creek and Davis we know how many we should see while checking cattle in the coming weeks and months.

This week was prime for not only cattle but wildlife sightings as well.

L-R: Danielle on Jasper, George on Jesse, Catherine on Twizzle

On Thursday, one of our cattle searching groups saw the black bear that has been frequenting the upper water tank on McKillop. Shortly after that they saw two skunks – one of which crossed the road right under Gunner’s nose! We were glad that neither felt too threatened, as we didn’t want them to spray us. They retreated to a burrow under the road.

On Friday, we saw several signs that a mountain lion was on McKillop. There were tracks in the dust along the sides of the road and the cattle, when we found them, seemed slightly panicked. We kept a close watch on them as we brought them from Elk Creek and were well prepared in case we saw one. Saturday, Scott saw a whole herd of elk in the Davis parking lot where they drank half of the water out of the tank there. Also seen this week were deer, frogs, and a whole flock of wild turkeys.

A whole flock of wild turkeys.

This week in horsemanship, Roby taught the first few days as Shayne and Des were out of town. Roby worked with guests of several different abilities and reviewed how to create energy and life in their horses. Without energy, there is nothing to direct, meaning you’ll struggle when trying to work on lateral movements, straight lines, transitions and really anything that requires movement of your horse’s feet.  Shayne touched on these points as well as others when he was back teaching on Friday.

Little Snake

Once everyone improved in this area, fine-tuning the transitions came next. How prompt is your horse when you ask him to go from a walk to trot, to a trot to a canter, or back down to a good, lively, walk?  Counting strides can help you be honest with yourself, and accurate about whether or not you are both improving.  It was fun to see everyone working hard at these components all while getting a soft feel and lightness in their horses! Being able to control rate at different gaits and transitions allows riders to be able to do a job with their horses, like moving cattle, in an efficient way- too much energy might ‘spill the cattle’ and too little will have them stopping whenever the green pastures capture their attention!

All in all there was a lot of good riding these week- hats off to everyone for all of their diligence and hard work.

Until next week,

Jessie & Janice

Fancy Pants looking… well…. fancy.

Frog!

Sophie found a very comfortable perch.

George and Brenda

Jessica and Dandy

Father – Daughter Moment!

August 11, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 31

Howdy!

Scott and Yellowhair demonstrating how to ask a horse to back up.

Another great (and hot!) week at McGinnis Meadows has come to a close. We had a diverse group of guests that helped make this week a blast. From the East Coast we had Chuck, Susan, and Liz and from the West came Ross, Samantha, and Jen, Catherine, Peg, and Kyla. The South was represented by Holly and Tony as well. On the international front we had Genna from Germany and GG from France. Al doesn’t really fit in any of these groups because it seems he’s from just about everywhere! By the end of the week everyone was friends and it was delightful to be part of the camaraderie of the week.

L-R: Holly and Levi, Tony and Amigo, Kyla and Roanie

Throughout the week we worked to move the cattle from the McKillop pasture through Elk Creek holding pasture to Davis Mountain. Davis is their last stop of the season and they will reside there until the fall when we gather them and bring them back to the ranch. Since the temperatures were in the 95 – 100 degree range we started early in the morning, driving groups out to graze to move cattle before the heat of the afternoon. This was our first week of the season trailering to Graze and it was fascinating to see what goes into preparing the vehicles and loading the riders and horses. There is a fine art to knowing the order in which the horses should be loaded and it is important to know how to place them correctly in order to maintain tranquility in the trailer. It is my opinion there are few things as exciting as hauling out early in the morning to search for cattle.

Samantha and Scotch

One of the challenges we had on Friday was moving a blind steer to the corral at McKillop. Once in the corral (with a buddy of course), he was brought back to the ranch. He should regain some sight and is currently wearing an eye patch. Genna has named him Jack Sparrow and he will be kept at the ranch until he is ready to go back with his friends on Davis Mountain. Until then, we have the pleasure of having Jack in the scale house pen and seeing him every day.

Cathrine and Boone

On both Thursday and Friday we beat the heat by taking large groups to the lake. Everyone paddled and swam their hearts out. We also got the rare treat of having Roby accompany us to the lake, bringing along some of his own lake goodies. Roby’s immense lake arsenal includes not only a paddleboard and a Kayak but also a giant, purple, winged unicorn named “Magic”. Magic was a big hit, especially with Genna and Kyla who rode along being towed by Brenda. A lot of watermelon was consumed and fun was had.

Nemo bringing out his inner flower child.

In horsemanship, groups worked on riding with the reins in one hand. Although this is not often done in the course of a typical horsemanship session it is important as we prepare to be able to advance our horses to the bridle and to do everyday jobs on the ranch. From flagging horses, roping, and opening gates, it definitely let everyone know where they were depending on their reins rather than their seat and legs to direct the horse. It was a challenging exercise but also extremely enlightening.

As frequently happens here at the ranch we had to say a few goodbyes this week. Anna went home to start her final year of college and Vanessa went home to prepare for the start of the school year. Their positivity and enthusiasm will be missed, however, both will be back next summer – we can’t wait!

That’s all for this week,

Jessie

Tony and Holly (And Trouble)

Samantha, Ross, and Jen

Genna and Dunny

Happy Birthday Janice!

Gathering the Herd

August 4, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 30

Catherine and Brumby

Last weekend’s Buck clinic in Kalispell seemed like a family reunion with so many familiar faces (equine and human!). This week the reunion continued with the return of several repeat guests and some former staff. Betty, Susanne, and Catherine have all been to the ranch many times and came back to better their horsemanship. They’re always good students and we were glad to see them back. Eden and Stephanie both brought personal horses and they were a joy to ride with again. It is so fun to see where they are with their lives and their horsemanship.

Suzanne and Breezy

Because of the large number of personal horses brought this week we received lots of demonstrations of how new horses react to our training methods. When horses react differently it provides new opportunities to see how Shayne, Roby, and Des make fine adjustments to what they do to get through to the horse. Since more and more of our ranch horses have spent most of their lives being worked with in this style of horsemanship, it’s interesting to get to see the change as things resolved that were not addressed in previous training. From groundwork in the round pen to working at the hitching rail we learned a lot from these horses.

Jason on Concho and Jackson on Gunner

In horsemanship, we continued the work done by Buck in his clinics.The week began with practicing short serpentines both in the open and through a series of cones. This helps define the pattern and gives us a reference point from which to perform the movement in order to be more particular about how it is executed. Later in the week we worked on preparing our horses to get their leads. It at first seems daunting to think that one can know for sure if a horse will get his leads before they attempt it. When we better understand what goes into setting the horse up for the correct lead and what dry work assures they will catch it, it’s easier to predict if the horse will pick it up right away or have trouble. If the dry work isn’t good and you get the correct lead it may be that the horse is accomplishing it in spite of you rather than because of you.

Jackson feeding with Dave and I

Several days this week we went to check on the cattle on McKillop. Brenda, Sue and Scott took the lead on this and were assisted by Jackson who came with his Dad and Grandma. Jackson was a great help and was eager to do anything he was asked. In addition to riding on the mountain, Jackson got to learn to rope this week and even helped us feed one day. It is so fun to see what the youngest of our guests are able to accomplish with their horses because they are able to ride in a way that isn’t restricted by overthinking. They just go and their horses seem all the happier for it.

John and Trump

One of the neatest parts about riding at the ranch is the sheer number of equine teachers you get to learn from. I have found that the things I struggle with on some horses come easily on others and vice versa. Riding different horses helps us get exposure about how movements are supposed to feel versus how they happen to feel on a given day with a specific horse. If I can feel a united circle on one horse I can ride another horse with that feeling held in my mind as an ideal to strive for. After all, the measure of a good horseman is being able to make all of their horses, diverse as they may be, look the same all while having a good expression. As this week comes to a close, I find myself particularly thankful for both the horses that allow us to feel the things for which we strive and those who make us work to replicate that feeling.

Have a great week everyone and be sure to check back for next week’s installment of The Highline.

– Jessie

Twizzle shares a drink with some curious cattle.

Janice and Malone

Stephanie and Cody

Nevada

Steers about to release their next hit single.

“Hey, can we have a bite of that sandwich?”

July 28, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 29

Hi Everyone,

Buck and Eddie

What a week! This week was the second Buck week and boy did we learn a lot! It’s been incredible to get to watch Buck’s horses improve over the last two weeks. Just when you think his horse is as soft as he can be, he unlocks another dimension. It is both inspiring and moving to see an example of what we all aspire to achieve in our own riding and we appreciate Buck for giving us that opportunity.

Kureha and Mighty on the cutting ball.

Although the guests started the clinic right away instead of riding with us a couple of days before it started, everyone got dialed in quickly and were working in the rodeer and on the cutting ball the very first day of the clinic. It’s so cool to see how fast everyone catches on to how to make their horses work. Being oriented toward a task – like cutting a steer from the rodeer – also helps everyone get focused on a common goal. On Wednesday Buck left for Kalispell and although we were sad to see him go we’re excited to see how far his horses get before we see them again.

McGoo, Jesse, and Romeo, the White Horse Trio.

During the clinics Sue, Brenda and Jessie went to the state section to continue pushing the remaining cattle over to the McKillop. When we move cattle to a new pasture it is always important to take them to a water source, which in this case was one of two water tanks. We spent time making sure both were running well and were full. This entails checking the spring boxes that fill them and making sure the valves and hoses are clear of silt. In the upper tank we found that a bear had used one of the floats used to fill the tank as a chew toy. We replaced it, thinking that the new one would last for a while before the bears came back. The next day, we went back to the same tank and found that the bears had already returned! We had to replace the float again and hope the bears have had enough fun for a while.

L – R: Shelly and Chalky, Terri and Dandy, Brenda and Paco, and Sam and Jasper

On Thursday and Friday Sam, Shelly, Brenda, Jenna, and I looked for the remaining few steers. We found the final eight on a side hill below a logging road. There were too many sticks and logs to ride to where we could get below the cattle so Shelly and Brenda volunteered to push them up on foot. Everything seems closer until you look down the hill and see how small everyone has suddenly gotten. They got the cattle on the road and mounted back up to drive them up the mountain. Dessert was certainly earned for that hike!

Joe and Twizzle

During our search for cattle I really gained an appreciation for how much I had learned about the country, where to look for cattle, and how to get to water in the six days we wranglers have spent rounding up the cattle. As long as you know where you are you don’t have to follow the exact trail you did last time. Each trip was a little bit different and everyone had a great time. As Randy said, every day outside is new no matter how much time you spend out there.

Federico and Hunk

The haying crew continued their work and finally finished on Thursday. The hay sheds are overflowing and we should be more than ready for winter. Since the meadows were mowed, Roby got to teach horsemanship there on Friday. It’s exciting to get to ride through the open meadows and we’ll be doing it a lot in the coming weeks! The haying crew all got a well deserved day off on Friday – which most spent at the Buck clinic in Kalispell. I’ve never met a group of individuals that worked so hard and yet were so eager to take advantage of every opportunity to learn. The rest of us have plans to go to the clinic this weekend to audit and support our fellow staff and interns riding in the clinic. It’s sure to be a great time!

Until next week,

Jessie

Traci and Chief

Mollie and Boone

Stash keeping a careful eye on the cattle.

July 14th, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 27

Hi everyone!

What a whirlwind this week has been! The excitement and temperatures have been rising as preparations for the Buck clinics have tilted into full swing. This week we had a wonderful and diverse group of guests with whom we were able to share the ranch, horsemanship and beautiful country.

Vivian and Dunny

Janice, Kevin, and Scott took Ben, Erica, Shannon, Ali, and both Julies out on a couple of ¾ day trips into the state section to check cattle. When we check cattle we are sure to observe as many groups as possible making sure they’re behaving normally, are uninjured, don’t have runny eyes, and often we will drive them to a water source in order to assess whether they are moving correctly and that none are lame. We did have one steer that looked a little off so it was important that the groups going out checked his progress daily – by the end of the week he was looking much better. Later the groups rode to the top of the mountain and stopped for lunch, dining with a picturesque view of the Cabinet mountains.

Julie B. and Jenga

Horsemanship started the week in the arena and on several occasions moved to the shade of the trees in the elk pasture.. This was largely due to the new footing that has been being added to Shayne’s arena to prepare for the Buck clinics. There has been a steady stream of dump trucks in and out. It will be exciting to ride on it when it’s done. The elk pasture is a really neat place to ride and everyone had a great time.

Meadows ready for harvest.

Haying season has officially begun at the ranch! On Thursday Randy, Dave, and Anna began haying in the meadows. It’s interesting to hear the conversations coming over the radio about bale density, mowers, rakes, and making sure vehicles are in their proper locations. Haying will continue during the next two weeks as the crew works to get hay put up for the winter. I can’t wait until the hay sheds are full and the meadows are open for riding. Until then we all get to enjoy the delightful smell of fresh cut grass and the hum of tractors in the background.

L – R: Kate, Ben, and Zoe

Since the temperatures this week have been mostly in the upper 80s and mid 90s a trip to the lake was in order. Janice, Brenda, and Vanessa took Ben, Kate, Zoe, Kathy, Cody, Erica, and Julie C. to the lake which was a refreshing break after a hot week of riding. Kate, a professional bass fisherwoman, observed that the clearness of the water was far different from that of the lakes back in South Carolina. The group kayaked and paddle boarded all afternoon, convening in the middle of the lake to enjoy fresh melons and other fruit. Not a bad way to end a great week!

This week Julie B. remarked on how amazing it was to be served by staff that are so efficient in their jobs but so kind and happy to help where they can. It’s something I notice with everyone I have the pleasure of working with here and something I’d like to discuss in more detail as it is something of which we are all extremely proud.

Alie and Shannon

It all comes down to leadership. Doing ranch work requires a special and important brand of leadership. When most people envision leadership they think of offices held, teams captained, and employees supervised. Here, each staff member and intern is a leader taking initiative to see what needs to be done or fixed, communicate with those around them, and insist on quality at all times. At the ranch there is very little hierarchy, which allows each of us to work autonomously enough that we don’t need constant direction but can also see the whole picture as to who should be where and what they should be doing while they’re there. For example, when handling the horses each person is responsible for each horse they lay eyes upon and needs to check that all the shoes are on and firmly placed, no one is off, any doctoring is taken care of, and all tack and gear is fitted properly and in good repair.

Kevin enjoying a well earned lunch break.

The brand of leadership cultivated at McGinnis Meadows is why we’re all so eager to help, teach and accommodate. It is because we endeavor to see problems before they arise and know that each of us makes such a difference in the experience for the guests and the horses. Each of us knows we have the agency to make something better and strive to do so. By studying horsemanship we seek to be kinder and better human beings and this shows in our everyday interactions with each other and those around us. As Buck says “Horses and life, its all the same to me”.

Until next week,

Jessie

L-R: Erica, Alie, Julie C.

Zoe, Gunner, and Jasper

Twizzle

July 7, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 27

Hi Everyone,

Anna on Brumby and Roxy on Benny searching for cattle in the Ferguson

This week presented the perfect blend of friends, horsemanship, and cattle. Anything scheduled for the interns, the guests got the experience as well. All of our guests were here to improve their horsemanship and studied hard making great improvements throughout the week.

Tuesday began somewhat challengingly as Kevin, Anna, Nathan, Lauren, Ryan, and I attempted to move the final two steers from the Ferguson. While most might think that larger groups of cattle are harder to move, lately it seems that small groups have been the most mischievous. By afternoon, however, we had contained them and moved them onto new pasture.

Roby and Dickens

The Fourth of July is always a really special celebration at the ranch and this year was no different. The day’s festivities began with Roby jingling in the horses with the American Flag. The horses trotting up the driveway in the morning mist followed by Roby riding Dickens straight up in the bridle with the stars and stripes waving was truly moving. After a full day of riding guests, staff, and interns came together to share in each other’s company. Dinner was a magnificent spread, from Erin’s mom’s special baked beans to burgers served between Miriam’s homemade brioche buns. We ate outside, eager not to pass up the opportunity on such a picturesque evening. Each year I am reminded that I would be hard pressed to find a better way to celebrate American independence than living and learning here at the ranch.

Madi and Roanie

This week we were reminded how easily things can come if you don’t overthink what you’re doing. This year we had 10 year old Madi visit with her parents Ryan and Lauren. Though usually spotted riding her pony Norman, Madi spent most of the week on Roanie. They got along famously and even though Madi’s legs hardly reached the middle of Roanie’s belly she had him as soft as could be, executing maneuvers like leg yields and canter departs without a change of rate. It just goes to show that when you don’t overthink, you can communicate better with your horse and stay out of his way.

This week we brought cattle down to Shayne’s arena and practiced cutting out of the rodeer. This experience provided several different opportunities for learning. First, Shayne demonstrated all of the drywork that can be completed while holding the rodeer, from practicing cow turns as a steer runs by to getting life in your horse and shifting his weight in preparation for turning. The more of this dry work that can be completed while waiting your turn to cut means more time cutting once you ride into the rodeer.

Penny and Bandit in the rodeer

The rodeer also presents the perfect opportunity for practicing rate and transitions with your horse. As Shayne sent groups of riders in to ride around the rodeer we were challenged to fill any gaps that might arise where the cattle could escape. For some this meant transitioning down from a higher gait with quality and for others this meant riding their horse faster without overtaking or blowing by the rider in front of them.

Finally, cutting in the rodeer reminds us how important it is to be able to maintain correct flexion. Without it the horse cannot make his cow turns and you might lose the steer or even trip your horse by pulling him off balance.

Lauren and Mighty separating the cattle

On Friday, we got to observe Roby, Shayne, and Des roping and doctoring two lame steers. Roping is perhaps the ultimate example of how good horsemanship can keep a necessary ranch task from becoming a serious wreck. In their capable hands 800lb steers were laid down gently and held so that Kevin and Scott could administer necessary treatments.

As this week comes to a close I find myself reflecting on the opportunities each day presents and how vital it is that we use them to their full potential. Days need not be defined by their perfectness but by their goodness. The sort of goodness that comes from learning from a forgiving horse, from receiving advice from a capable teacher, and from the satisfaction of getting a job done. That is the most wholesome kind of goodness that exists.

Until next week,

Jessie

Amigo after a fulfilling day’s ride

Madi and Roanie cutting on their steer

Penny and Boone

June 30, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 26

As one of the more long-standing staff members at the ranch, I have seen quite a few faces come through the McGinnis Meadows archway. I remember in my first couple of years how shy, green and timid I was of those around me! I’m not sure how big of an impression I could have made!

Jane and Terry driving cattle on Twizzle and Amigo

Regardless though, many individuals made quite the impression on me. A few of those guests were with us this week. Jane and Terry were a big deal when I first met them! After all, they had been coming to the ranch since 2002 and (as of this week) had 24 ranch trips under their belts! Shayne and I were thrilled to find out they had booked for this week because the ranch has made so many changes since their last visit. The coolest part of this week for us? Jane and Terry expressed how impressed they were with how soft and responsive the horses were this trip, the “best ever” they said! As longtime guests and friends, it meant a lot to us to hear how much they enjoyed the new-ness of the internship program, the new horses in the guest string, the grazing allotment and how well the crew worked with one another. Oh and of course, the FOOD. EVERY GUEST could not stop raving about the food!

Deb and Emmett

Deb is another guest who was here my first year. Deb has been riding with Buck and with Shayne for many years. The first time I met her, I thought she was such a study and worked so hard at her horsemanship that she was a lot like Shayne—just a female version! I knew she coached volleyball in Washington and was known to be a pretty strong woman. Over the years, I have been fortunate to get to know her more and can call her a friend. What a treat to get to ride with her and her handsome horse Emmett this week!

Joy visiting the ponies

We were graced by several members of Carolyn’s group, who have joined us now for the second year in a row (Carolyn herself joins us for multiple visits each year!) The group consisted of Carolyn, Kara and Carol. This year she was joined by two other friends, Cookie and her husband Steve! This is such a fun group to teach. The women all bring their own horses to work with and they are super sporty—working on as much horsemanship in as many varied environments as possible! Some of the things worked on this week included gathering cattle, working on the cutting ball, advanced groundwork, flying changes in the arena and SOOOO much more.

Joy joined us for her first week of 5 this summer. Joy can lovingly be referred to as a “fart in a skillet.” She never stops! Somehow between running her businesses back home, she manages to be out early with her horses, stay late to work them, and ride her butt off every second in-between. She has three personal horses at the ranch to work with—Hidalgo, Cisco and Angel, who has been in training with us for awhile.

Penny and Joy’s mare, Angel

Three new guests joined us this week and quickly became part of the family. Art and Heidi who have been visiting guest ranches for 20 years and decided to see what we were about, and Penny, who came here to join us all the way from Australia! They were all so wonderful to work with. Art with his silly sense of humor, Heidi with her kind way and big smiles and Penny who became enthralled with the horse/human relationship taught here. (She even decided to stay a second week!)

Art and Bob

I truly enjoyed all of the time I was able to spend with each individual, whether in the arena or at the dinner table. We are so blessed to be able to have so many unique and engaging individuals each week to work with and learn from.

This week we gave a warm farewell to our two-month intern Becca. Becca made some big strides in her horsemanship and got a lot of experience horseback with cattle in the mountains. The internship program is so dynamic though, that even as Becca headed home, we were joined by a new intern named Mollie! And today, we have another new intern named Abbey joining us! We have had so many compliments this year on the quality of the teaching and it seems like everyone enjoys the part that the interns play at the ranch. We absolutely love having them here with us.

Becca and Quick

That’s last week in a nutshell for ya!

Next week we have a whole lot of neat stuff going on—it is an “internship-style” guest week for one. For another, we’ll be working on a brand-new ranch video for the website! We are pretty excited about it!

Till next time,

Des

Kara and Carol at the lookout

L-R: Carolyn on Harley and Cookie on Gus

The horses grazing peacefully in the Elk Pasture