A Family Grows Up At Our Ranch-Backpacking The Baby

So let’s continue our story about Mia, John, Madeline and Olivia at the ranch. Olivia was still too young to do much more than stay with Mom and Dad. They had to take turns going on rides since you have to be six to ride out on the trails. Here, John is hiking her up to Benson’s Point while Mia and Madeline are riding. The youngsters still get to enjoy the horses and are ponied around the ranch.

As she “grew up” on the ranch each year that the family visited, she loved being around the horses, which is pretty common for the kids at our ranch. They feel like the horse is their own and spend time petting them and grooming them.

The older she gets the more she realizes she wants to be a real cowgirl. Here’s a picture of Olivia as “Cowgirl Fashionista”

Next week, “Olivia Gets To Ride”!

A Family Vacation At A Dude Ranch

 The Dude Rancher’s Association is a wonderful organization that preserves this special way of life and the wonderful environment in which dude ranching takes place.  “Horses, Hats, Hospitality, Heritage, Honesty and Heart” are the core principles of dude ranching. Here at the Covered Wagon Ranch we have the honor of following a family that has been visiting our ranch for several generations, and here is their story…..

Well before our (JT and Debi’s) time, this family from Minnesota has been coming to the ranch. I don’t know how many years in total that Judith and Ken have been visiting us, but I know it goes back there! I can always rely on Judith to tell me a story or two about the ranch from way back when. I love those stories and it helps us continue to get a better understanding of the history of the ranch. As time went on, family members continued to add to the family vacation. Eventually, Mia, Madeline, John and Olivia all started showing up on this annual tradition.  Our story will start pre-Olivia.More time passes and next thing you know, Olivia starts to enter the picture.

This all took place about 7 years ago, just before JT and I got to the ranch.

Next thing you know, Olivia is born! She basically grew up at the ranch and we all got the pleasure of watching her grow. She participated in the cookouts, and got to grow up around the horses. Next week we’ll talk about Olivia growing up at the ranch and when she actually got the opportunity to ride her own horse!

Mia and Olivia Get To Give Special Treats To Their Favorite Dude Horse at the Montana Dude Ranch

I mean, after all, it is the season of Valentine’s Day, isn’t it? And we don’t always have to talk about love between humans. Some of the deepest love we have is for our pets, and here at the Covered Wagon Ranch our guests get the pleasure of realizing that love with their horses. So I thought I would take a few minutes and write about  How To Say “I Love You” to your horse.

To help me along, the February 2012 issue of Horse & Rider has an article on just this topic! On the very last page in the “You Said It” column, they interviewed several horse owners on how they express their affection for their favorite horse. Here are some of those quotes:

“I halter my horses and take them out of their pens to graze in an open field. I bring along a curry comb so I can groom them and tell them what good boys they are” K.P. from Washington…..”I give my mare hugs, pats, scratches behind the ears, and kisses on the nose” L.D. from Ohio…”I give my gelding a carrot, cradle his head in my arms, and stroke his forehead while I tell him what a good boy he is-and how much I love him” D.L. from Colorado…”My horses get neck hugs and chest rubs” K.S. from Michigan….”During a trail ride, I provide a nice stop at the best clover patch in the field” W.C. from Kentucky, and my favorite: “I close my eyes and lean my forehead onto my horses’ necks and talk to them softly while I caress them. My horses hold their heads down and shut their eyes while I do that.” A.L. from Colorado. I think there’s nothing better in this world than the beautiful eyes of a horse, the smell of their hair on their neck, and the sound of leather from a saddle. That says it all.

And remember, it’s not all about us. Thanks to Lyn D. from England for this photo, but our horses love it too! Happy Valentine’s Day from our wonderful herd of horses and for all the love you share with them at the ranch.

Feeling The Love At The Dude Ranch In Montana

“Teddy Rides A Moose” is an actual photograph (not “photo-shopped”) from an old Life Magazine. My nephew Daniel just sent this photo along. One of his classmates at Princeton was doing some research on Roosevelt and came across this very cool picture. The description below the photograph states: “Roosevelt once said, “the conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our natural life” (Photo credit: Bettman/CORBIS) in 1906. I really hope that riding a moose is not an example of the proper use of our natural resources!!

President Roosevelt was an avid outdoors-man and conservationist and one of the leading forces in promoting the United States National Park Services. He was a particular fan of Yellowstone National Park and did a great deal to promote the enhancement, protection and use of the Park.

In 1906, Roosevelt signed the Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities, giving the president the power to officially declare natural and historic sites situated on government land as national monuments.

“It is a pleasure now to say a few words to you at the laying of the corner stone of the beautiful arch which is to mark the entrance to this park. Yellowstone National Park is something absolutely unique in the world so far as I know. Nowhere else in any civilized country is there to be found such a tract of veritable wonderland made accessible to all visitors” . With these few words, President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the arch that now bears his name, at the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, Gardiner, MT on April 24, 1903.

As many of you know, our dude ranch is just 3 miles from the NW boundary of Yellowstone National Park and 35 miles to the West Entrance where you can tour Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We are proud of our Concessionaire’s Permit that enables us to take our guests horseback riding in Yellowstone as well.

Horseback Riding at Fawn Pass in Yellowstone National Park

A Dude Horse Perspective of Viewing Wildlife Near Yellowstone National Park

 Do you ever wonder what the horse is thinking when s/he encounters the wildlife out on a ride? It never ceases to amaze me. How come I get spooked but they just do the old “ho hum” deal and move on? I must admit, I’m grateful that this is the response I get!

Our guests love to see the animals when they go out on a ride. Sometimes we chuckle and tell them we’re going to ride where we “set the stage to see the animals” . It’s a real treat to see an elk, a moose, a deer, a wolf, and especially a bear when out on a ride. June is the best month to try and catch sight of one in the wild. As the weather gets warmer, the animals head for higher ground and can only be spotted in the very early morning or late at night. September is also “optimal wildlife viewing time” as well.

Catching a glimpse of Bullwinkle

Moose are really tough to spot and pretty much keep to themselves. They usually have their calves in June as well. We typically have a “resident moose” at the ranch and mom and her baby can be seen around the ranch if you’re lucky.

Mama Moose and Baby Taking In Lunch Viewed right from the Cabin at the Dude Ranch

Wolves are always a topic of conversation around the dude ranch, especially since we are so close to Yellowstone National Park. They have been spotted on the ranch, but on rides as well.

Wolf At The Trailhead

And last, but not least, everyone is always on the hunt for the Grizzly Bear! This past year we had guests who had never seen a bear on their rides, and have been coming to the dude ranch in Montana for years. Well, Boone took them out on a fantastic ride and they saw seven bears in one day!!

A Grizzly Bear Cub Near Yellowstone National Park

Every day is a different experience and so is every month. But I can tell you this-it’s always exciting for both guest as well as wrangler! And even though the horses are pretty much cool, calm and collected, I know they are always happy to head back to the dude ranch for a bite to eat!

A Happy Horse At The End Of The Day

The Covered Wagon Ranch is pleased to announce our Top Ten Dude Horses for this past season.  We are really proud of our entire herd, and each horse contributes in some way to the overall success of our operation; but these are the stars of the show.  The Top Ten are as follows:

10.    COLONEL – Colonel is a big, black gelding who handles many of our larger riders with confidence and ease.  This year he provided 38 guest rides, and two wrangler rides for a total of 40 out of the possible 96 riding days.

9.    BUSTER -  Buster is a smaller, sorrel gelding with a fair amount of age on him.       

       Very gently and friendly, he is pretty darn solid in the mountains, even with his very  

       crooked from leg.  Riders who can keep him from enjoying the green grass (at his

       convenience) really like his stable personality.  He had 39 guest rides, 1 wrangler

       ride, and 2 crew rides for a total of 42.

8.    EMERSON – Emerson is our Tennessee Walker who is very comfortable for our 

       guests riding pleasure.  He is noted for his high socks on each leg.  He came to

       us about 4 years ago from Kentucky, and has taken to mountain life quite well.

       We have never worried about Emerson missing a meal, he seems to always maintain

       a rather rotund figure.  Emerson provided 40 guest rides and 3 wrangler rides for a

       total of 43.

7.    TRIGGER – Trigger is a good sized, and handsome palomino gelding.  A favorite of

       many guests, he has always been a very dependable mountain horse with a very

       steady mind.  He and his good buddy Chisum are always reluctant to go to pasture

       on Saturdays, and are often seen being pursued (and probably cursed) by a couple

       of wranglers way behind the rest of the herd.  He gave 43 guest rides and 3 wrangler

       rides.

6.    RENO – Reno is a handsome sorrel ranch raised gelding.  He came to us from

       Georgia, and has become a really nice mountain horse.  A couple of years ago he

       quickly became a wrangler favorite, and the past two years has performed quite

       well as a guest horse.  Reno provided 44 guest rides and 2 wrangler rides for a

       total of 46.

5.    PROXIMO – Proximo is a very tall (well over 16 hands) palomino appaloosa

       gelding.  He had suffered a very serious leg wound two years ago, and was used

       sparingly in 2009.  This year one of our wranglers took him under his wing, and

       used him for leading guest rides as well as wrangling horses to and from pasture.

       He provided 48 wrangler rides out of 96 possible.

4.    SIXGUN -  Sixgun is a beautiful blood red bay gelding with a “zorro” star on his

       forehead.  A perennial favorite of the ranch, he has always performed at a high level

       for our guests.  He provided 49 guest rides, and one wrangler ride for a total of 50.

3.    TUGBOAT – Tug is probably one of the best “kids” horses on the ranch.  He is a

       tall (upper 15 hands) and handsome bay gelding.  Tug has a great mind, a very

       kind eye, and is truly a gentle giant.  He has been a Dude horse all of his life, and

       does his job extremely well.  Tug gave 49 guest rides, 1 wrangler ride, and a crew

       ride for a total of 51.

2.    PRIZM – Prizm is a tri-colored paint of medium size who had an exceptional year

       for the ranch.  He has always been unnoticed in the past, and seems to just do his

       job without fanfare.  He finally got recognized for the solid horse that he is, and

       quickly became a favorite of all of those who had the opportunity to ride him. 

       He provided 44 guest rides, 7 wrangler rides, and 1 crew ride for a total of 52.

And finally, drum roll please…………. The number 1 horse at the Covered Wagon Ranch, for the third straight year is…………

       DEUCE – Deuce is a very special horse on the ranch, and very quietly, confidently,

       and reliably performs his job at the highest level.  He is a ranch raised gelding who, 

       before coming to the ranch, had performed as a roping horse on a working cattle

       ranch.  Since coming to us, he has shown a great mind in the mountains, and can

       still “get after it” if called upon to do so.  He is an extraordinary Dude Horse, and we 

       are really proud of the excellent service that he provides our guests each summer.                                  

       Deuce provided 59 guest rides and 1 Wrangler ride for a total of 60 rides out of the 

       possible 96 days.

Congratulations to these great Montana Dude Horses for being the best of the best.  If you have the pleasure to join us at the ranch, tip your hat to the hardest working employees at the ranch, for they are the true essence of the Dude Ranch experience.

It was love at first sight. When Cordy visited us from Switzerland this year (and Erna too!!) we were really excited to have visitors from this country, although they will tell you I kept saying they were from Sweden. At least both countries started with “Sw…”! They took full advantage of all the ranch had to offer, including a Backcountry Pack Trip right from our Montana Dude Ranch, and tons of horseback riding. It was a perfect Montana Dude Ranch Vacation including trips into Yellowstone National Park.

Cordy did not ride Annie (the mare, not the mule) for most of her stay. Towards the end she wanted to try a horse that was better suited for a more advanced rider. She (Cordy) is quite a cowgirl. She even has her own Western Store in Switzerland called “Western Store” (www.westernstore.ch). So the last few days of her trip she decided to ride Annie and just loved her. And Annie loved her as well!

Cordy heads back home. The ranch finished out its season. Then next thing you know I get an email from Cordy that she wants to buy Annie and send her back to Switzerland! I have never done anything like this before and basically didn’t think it was possible. I (unintentionally) put just about every obstacle I could think of in front of Cordy, but she is quite a goal oriented, determined woman. Much like Annie! She worked on all the details that were necessary to have her transported overseas. This was quite an exciting process for me to observe (I have to say observe and not participate. She did all the incredible legwork).

The time was drawing near. Her first attempt failed because Switzerland has a quota on how many horses they can ship into the country during the period of a year. They were full for 2010, so she had to wait until 2011. Then there’s the quarantine period, health checks, vaccinations, transporters, etc. that have to be arranged. But she charged forward and pulled this all together.

Once I could see this was really going to happen, we had Boone haul Annie back to Bozeman to go through her health checks and vaccinations.

She was pretty furry this time of year, as Montana has had some pretty cold weather for extended periods of time. The next difficult step was coordinating all her health requirements and getting the vet out here. Sometimes he’s just pretty busy and hard to find. You never know where he is!

It was all coming together pretty quickly now. Brand inspections, health certificates, vaccinations, etc were all being put together (might I add that JT was in Eastern Montana goose hunting during this time period??) (did I also mention that it was sooo close to Christmas??).

So here is what Cordy had put together. First, there was a hauler from Twin Bridges, Montana that picked Annie up at my house. He actually had another horse in his trailer (an Arabian) that was going to Kuwait! He was driving them both to Utah.

From there, they were hauled to Oklahoma, to this amazing company called Nedpoint Quarter Horses (www.nedpoint.com). Here they quarantine the horses for thirty days, then transport them, via plane, to Amsterdam. From that point they are hauled to where-ever else they go. Nedpoint was really fun to work with. Watch their video!

So Annie was loaded up on the trailer and headed to Utah. Some pretty significant snow storms delayed the trip to Oklahoma, but in a few days she was on her way again. She is now stalled at Nedpoint, waiting for her trip to Amsterdam on January 21! Good luck Annie! What an adventure. And thank you, Cordy, for taking such good care of her. It’s a rare occasion that a Covered Wagon Ranch horse gets sold. But when you know it’s the best thing for both parties, you can’t stand in their way. I’ll keep you posted when we hear she made it safe and sound to Switzerland!

The weather up at Raspberry Butte Ranch, where our horses winter pasture, has been some of the coldest, snowyest, windy weather I’ve seen in all the years I’ve been here in Montana.

I thought JT was crazy when a) he wanted to buy a tractor and b) he “needed” to get some expensive snow blowing attachment for the stupid thing. Well, after watching Boone (bless his heart) plow and plow and plow with this tiny little bobcat, I finally got it. I was glad he got it….until now.

JT, being the Good Samaritan he is, volunteered to plow out our neighbors road to their house. Then the call came-he was stuck and could I please drive the white pickup out to help pull him out of the ditch. I mean “really”??  I’m just a girl from New Jersey.

But being the faithful wife that I am, I don the carharts, boots, hat and gloves, and head to the scene of the crime. I’ll take the truck. He takes the tractor. Bad move. I can’t budge the truck to pull the thing out of the snow bank. Assuming this was a safe bet, we switch places. Second bad move.

We’re now back to back. I’ve been in a vehicle before that was being towed, and knew there was a quick “jerk” when the chain reaches its end. I’m ready to get this thing out of there, when all of a sudden “BOOM”. I’m hurled to the back of the tractor with lightening speed. Then “BOOM” I’m pushed back against the tractor again. What in Sam’s Hill was he doing??? So here I am, thrashing about the cab of this tractor like a fish in a bowl in an earthquake, and now I watch the tractor slowing tipping to its side. I’m doomed, I fear, as I fight for my life to drive the thing backwards and steer it out of the ditch. I mean, after all, I AM a woman driver.

How we got it out of there without me killing myself was nothing short of a small miracle. Once on the road, I crawled out of the cab and back to safe ground. My knees were shaking so hard I could hardly stand up. Thankfully, I threw a menancing “wifely” glance towards my husband, that only those married long enough would understand, and simply stated: “Don’t ever do that to me again.” And then I drove back to the house to regain my sense of balance.

Not fifteen minutes later, I get a second call. I’m stuck again. OMG. I frantically search the ranch for some other source of testosterone. Damn you Boone for taking time off and going to the NFR. I look to the geldings-no luck there. The only thing I can find to a living breathing male is a very hyperactive ten month old Golden Retriever that’s been neutered and a fifteen year old deaf, half blind, neutered, demented Jack Russell Terrier named Francois Pierre. Nope. No help here.

So it’s back in the truck, and once again I don’t have the where-with-all to pull the stupid thing out. But who’s the stupid one? It’s back to the tractor I go. But this time I have the sense to expect the earthquake-like tremors in the cab when the chain takes force. We slowly move out of the snow, as rocks keep throwing back to the cab windows. The truck spins out to pull us out. Next thing I know the windows blow out and the safety glass is thrown all over the cab. I thought I was going to lose my eyes. Fortunately, all was well, with the exception of the windows, and we were once again back out on the road.

I quietly got back in the truck, passed a “classic” glance to my husband, and drove off. I’m headed for Arizona, I say. And I definitely don’t think “his tractor’s sexy”!!

I decided it was time to get over my writers block. Besides, I’m here with the horses and it’s blowing like crazy outside, snowing, and the temperature is in the 20′s. So it’s time to start thinking about warmer weather and all the fun we have at the ranch. This is a photo story of one family’s journey here at the ranch.

First things first. Monday mornings the wranglers get up around 4:30 a.m. It’s true. They head out up the mountain and find the horses on our 2000 acre grazing pasture above the ranch. They wrangle them down the mountain and into the corrals to get ready for work. Hey, even the horses have a “Monday”.

They ride all day and search for wildlife. It could be moose, bear, deer, and in this case, elk. This bull is in velvet. It’s a protective coating enriched with nutrients to help his “rack” grow. By September, when the elk go into “rut” (their mating season), he’ll shed this coating and the antlers will be smooth and shiny.

The rides are endless and into some of the most spectacular country you will ever see. However, if you’re so inclined, you can also take a day off and head into Yellowstone National Park and enjoy the sights there as well. We’re only 3 miles from the N.W. boundary of the Park and a lot of our rides will take you there. This picture is Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon.

But there’s a whole lot more to do, include fly fishing, white water rafting, hiking, biking, and just plain nothin’!

The end of the week we have a great cookout on Friday night, with roping and music and all kinds of great food. Then it’s more riding on Saturday. Only to end the day with our “infamous” wrangle, where the horses head back up the mountain to graze on fresh green grass and play “horse”. This particular shot is one of Boone running the horses across the water to head up the mountain. When the journey is done, the wranglers come home and rest on Sunday. Just to get ready for their next adventure on Monday morning!