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Photographing Friends, on Horseback

Nov 022018

By Patty Wilber

I went to Golden Open Space last Friday with four friends. There was water in the arroyo that is normally dry and we had some gold cottonwoods–which were not the source of the name!

The water. We got nearly two inches of rain last week, which seems like a huge amount here considering that our annual precipitation is around 16 inches at my place and only 8 inches in Albuquerque. The amount that we had actually caused live water to be running down the arroyos at the open space. If you live in a wet area, this excitement may seem ludicrous, but to use desert rats, any running water is a thing. A big thing!

Siri on Tabooli riding along WATER!

I know our 2 inches was a mere dribble compared to the hurricane drenched states where 30 to 50 inches fell in a matter of days. If that happened here, all the houses might literally wash away. Our soil just could not handle it.

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

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Sep 282018

By Patty Wilber

In order to see if my body stays in shape using only horseback riding as exercise, I went backpacking for my birthday with the Spouse and Progeny #2.

We went to Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky mountain high, a la John Denver. (Which, since 2007, is one of the official state songs of Colorado. Click the link to hear it.)

My trip leaders billed this as a very leisurely 6 mile hike up Inlet Creek. It turns out doing pretty much anything outdoors with that duo results in the Epic Dial being in play. And it was 7 miles. Just saying.

Mark, me and Jim. Mark’s wife Erika, missed the fun. She is in Vancouver!

First off, we drove from Estes Park (the town) into the National park, and the park was spectacular! We saw a huge bull elk, a huge dead bull elk, pronghorn and then I said, “I would sure like to see another moose” (having seen some in Alaska). We turned the corner and there was a bull moose!

I then tried conjuring up a bear on the drive, but that did not work. (We were also bear-free out on the trail, which was fine with me.)

The hike in was uphill, but the grade was gradual, so while is was not “very leisurely”, it was not strenous. Also, my pack was light (this being a one night excursion), so the hike (and a short-on purpose-freezing cold swim in the creek for Jim and Mark) went well.

We cleared a down tree, because, well, once a Back Country Horseman trail volunteer, always a trail volunteer, even if your horses are at home. In truth, I directed and Jim did the work.

Ox Canyon, Manzano Mountains, Labor Day 2018

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Sep 072018

By Patty Wilber

For the last eon, the Pecos Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen has gone to Beatty’s Cabin in the Pecos Wilderness over Labor Day. If you click here, you can check out five years of Labor Day blogs. I am sure there are more.

But this year, we went to the Manzanos to work on the Ox Canyon Trail.

We stayed in the Ox Canyon Campground.

Pretty ! Jim and Terri set up an electric pen. We highlined.

Here is a link to a topo map. This is not a very well known campground and it was perfect for our bunch of horse trailers. I think three other parties drove through over the weekend and because we had sort of taken over, they moved on. It is a a dry campground, in that there are no water spigots, but there are nice tables, fire rings, and a decent outhouse! There are good places to highline stock and plenty of trailer parking.

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!

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Jul 132018

By Patty Wilber

Chapter 15 of Callie’s Star is posted!

As you may know, my new Appaloosa ranch horse prospect, Lucy, is here!

She arrived two weeks ago. Thank-you Connie and Don for selling her to me and getting her from Canada to Montana and David for getting her to New Mexico from there. I have only done a little of this and that with her so far, but I have still learned a few things about her!

She understands horse language and herd dynamics. She was raised out on pasture with other horses and it shows. When she first met the crowd over the fence, there were no dramatics. She is still in a pen alone right now, but as soon as two horses head home, she will be out with LT and probably Atti. Yes, there is always a risk, but the horses seem so much easier to be around when they also have horse friends they can touch.

L to R: LT, Cannon, Atti anxious to meet Lucy. Cometa is in the background.

Guest blogger: Kathy’s Riding Lesson

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Jul 062018

Chapter 13 Callie’s Star is posted

By Guest Blogger Kathy Davies (with rebuttals by Patty Wilber)

Kathy and Patty at Ghost Ranch

FYI, I am Patty’s younger, horse-clueless sister, here for a week-long visit.

Patty offered a riding experience.

The “lesson” started with grooming, so that went smoothly. We brushed Cometa and Penny, while Patty saddled Atti. Then Patty asked Maryanne (my 10 yr old daughter) to take Cometa out to the arena, with strict instructions: “Do not let him eat!” Maryanne did not let him eat, and I told him repeatedly, “DO NOT eat!” Maryanne did a great job, and we held him in the middle of the arena, far from any tempting grass.

(Patty says: I am pretty sure I saw him eat once, but we will let that go.)

Visiting Leilani

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May 042018

By Patty Wilber

We jetted to Oahu Friday and came back Tuesday. What a fun visit! Not bad for a weekend jaunt!

Leilani is nine months old, and I taught her Patty Cake! Fitting, I thought.

With all that plane time on Friday, I got Chapter 2 of Callie’s Star up to snuff and so today there are TWO posts!

We went on a movie tour at the Kualoa Ranch.

They have horses, so we had to visit those, of course!

Petting the horse!

Well, if you can’t ride the real one, why not the statue?

Ojito

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Jan 122018

By Patty Wilber

In December, Jim and I went hiking in the Ojito Wilderness. We accessed it via Cabezon Road and hiked the Hoodoo Trail (red dot and line) over by Bernalillito Mesa.

The hoodoos are surreal, like being in a different dimension, but as far as horseback riding, it is a short trail.

So, Tuesday, us ladies in our big trucks (cuz we might be AARP age, but we are formidable, especially in a group) went on US 550 3.5 miles past San Ysidro to the gray road on the map. We went in the green gate and parked right there. Then, we followed that gray road on horseback into the Ojito and saw a different side of it.

Marianne, Siri, Linda, and Lily.

Merry Christmas, 2017!

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Dec 222017

By Patty Wilber

Merry Christmas from our barn to you!

Sydney (who used to lease Penny) is home from college (West Virginia!) for Christmas and she came out to ride, so I solicited her help for the annual Christmas Hats blog. I added people and a garland this year, too. Whoo!

When Sydney had Penny, they got along well, which is saying something as Penny tends to be a bit on the grumpy side. (No wonder people like geldings…) Penny perked her ears when she saw Syd and was obviously happy to see her. (That made two of us.)

Penny and Sydney. Merry Christmas!

Four Generations x 3

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Dec 012017

By Patty Wilber

This Thanksgiving, the whole clan on the Hannon side got together in California, and as a new Granny, it was, well, ESPECIALLY AWESOME.

I am not one that is normally drawn to babies, but since she is my grandbaby and my own baby girl is her mother, I guess a whole different set of emotions come into play. I was, once again, (just like when she was first born and we went to Hawaii), very happy to sit still and hold that sweet thing!

Leilani!

Crossing the Line and Stomping the Divots

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Aug 182017

By Patty Wilber

I went to a polo game while in Hawaii! I had never been to a polo game.

It turns out all sorts of people, not just the horsey type, will come tailgate and hang out at a polo match! At $12 per head. Businesses also sponsor tables. Too bad we couldn’t harness such interest for cow horse events. Maybe if we have tents with tables, serve champagne and…add a tropical beach!

Polo has four players per team and each has a position, but if you are new to polo, it is not super obvious what the positions do. The object of the game is to hit a ball through the goal. If that occurs, the game restarts at the center and the teams switch which goal they are attacking.

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