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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Focus on the Positive on Your Next Trail Ride
This year, the allure
of traveling cross country with BeBop and Khan diminished with increased family
responsibilities and the rise in fuel prices. Not permitting reality to ruin our
ride season, Vanessa and I shifted gears and decided to fit in several weekend
trips, instead.
We... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Hill Country Texas Trail Ride
Continuing our trip
west, with a lot of great trail miles in our log book, Kathy and I headed once
more for Bandera, Texas. Our route took us into Oklahoma and a stop at the Four Winds Ranch,
just off Route 40. (For more information, call owner Michelle Richardson,
405/584-0684 or... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Paso Fino Mare is "La Loca"
A high-strung reject,
my little mare Paso Fino, Natalie Bravo, didn't become a trail-horse success
overnight. My horse has certainly earned her nickname, La Loca ("the crazy one").
She's proven that some hard-to-handle, spirited horses can become good trail
mounts for certain riders under... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Tandem Trail Training
With trail riding the love of
our lives, I winced when I went to the barn one sunny morning in early May and
saw our tack covered with a generous coating of dust. Life had been overly
hectic recently, finding a new best friend for Ace and
getting my daughter through graduation then into... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Ace of Hearts
If you'll
remember, Absolute Charmer, known as Ace, is a 15.1-hand-high, sleek chestnut
gelding with a white mitten marking on his face. Ace was given to Vanessa after
life's circumstances forced his owners to abandon him on our farm. I told his
story last issue in "Holding an Ace." ... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
The Truth About Going Gaited
You've likely noticed the increasing number of smooth-gaited
horses on trails in the United States and Canada over the past few years.
There's no mystery as to why these horses are becoming more popular; it can be
explained in two words: baby boomers. "If I wanted to bounce, I'd buy a... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Honey & Bran Mash
She came
off an idaho horse-trader's rig in the dead of winter
along with an older mare who was obviously her mama. She was an "emergency
purchase," as my show horse was suddenly succeeding in the show ring and I
needed a trail horse. She had a touch of Appy--mottled muzzle, eye rims and... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Retirees and Horses
Go to any gathering of horsepeople -- backcountry horse group, a
poker ride, or just a plain old trail ride. Who has the most stamina,
the
heartiest laugh, and the best of times? Chances are, they're the
senior
citizens. A determined man rides from Mexico to Canada to raise money to... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Trail Riding Dreams
You'll remember that last summer Vanessa and I, regaining confidence after a
"bad riding year," packed up our veterans of competition, Beene and Thunder, and
toured west in our rig from the Finger Lakes area of New York through
Yellowstone National Park to Jackson Hole, Wyoming . Suffice to... | read »
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On Trail: Feedback
from the pages of Trail Rider
Urban Development
I love to read about the good old days in author Will James' books (Mountain
Press, www.mountain-press.com ). They're filled with wonderful stories about the
lives of cowboys working in the wide open spaces of the American West a hundred
years ago. Some of James' tales inspire me, such as the... | read »
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| Tennessee Walking Horse Breed |
| Evolution of the breed:
In the mid-1800s, a new breed of horse began to emerge from the bountiful,
bluegrass region of middle Tennessee. Bred by farmers to till the fields during
the week, these horses were also expected to provide them a comfortable ride on
weekends, and... | read |
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