Trail Riding in CT: Reflections on our Open Spaces

There is not much that is better than heading out on a cool fall day on a trail ride. That's what I did over the weekend. When I am not traveling and riding, I am home in New York City and riding on the Greenwich Trail System in the great state of Connecticut.

Our small group took one of our usual rides, heading up and down wooded trails and over a series of jumps. We’re always on the look out for deer as we ride. At one point Demi, the mare I was riding, got spooked as a herd of deer whizzed by us in the distance. I felt so free as we moved from a canter to a gallop, and I attempted to hold back Demi so that we were not eating rocks and dirt from the horse and rider in front of us. It is amazing that there is open space like this right outside of New York City!

As I head to my local diner back in the city for breakfast, an article on the front page of USA Today, makes me pause to think about the future of the open spaces where we ride and even live. Entitled "How will the USA cope with unprecedented growth?", the article looks at our booming population, which last week topped 300 million and is expected to reach 400 million by 2040. With an increasing population comes an increase in the amount of land and resources that we consume. It also may change the way we live, driving more and more people to metropolitan areas and making land a more valuable commodity. Many ranchers out West are already selling out to land developers. Many of us already face commutes to the office and our horses which are longer than we would like. With all of these changes, what will happen to our horses and where will we ride? As more Americans live in cities, and these urban areas continue to grow, how long might it take us to drive to the barn?

George Returns Home

For all of you who have been following George's progress at the Biltmore, we are happy to report that George has returned home!

Kelly emailed me that "George was happy to be home, is eating and looking more alert! Thanks for all of your help."

Thanks to all of you out there who were thinking about George!

In other news, a friend emailed me this quirky news piece from the BBC website about another horse who has recently undergone a health crisis. See the BBC website for the article on a snoring horse.

See video of Kelly and George.

See Kelly Sigler's website.

Read the Biltmore Blog entry on Equisearch.com.
See more photos from the Biltmore.

George at Biltmore Update

George seems to be on the mend! Kelly Sigler emailed me this morning with an update.

"George is doing better. He is eating on his own now and drinking a lot more. He is now off the IVs, and he is less ataxic- his neurological signs are also improving...Hopefully he can come home tomorrow!"

It was a good thing that Kelly recognized that George was ill quickly and got help. Just thought I would update everyone who was thinking about George. I am looking forward to seeing him next time I am at the Biltmore.

See video of Kelly and George.

Read the Biltmore Blog entry on Equisearch.com.
See more photos from the Biltmore.

More Morgans

A couple of months ago, Jessica Beales posted a comment that she wanted to see more photos from the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in response to my blog posting.

Well, it took us a little while to input these, as we have been traveling for so long, but here they finally are in the Equitrekking photo gallery.

Also, this weekend, I will be on The Travel Queen Show with Jane Degrow. The show airs on Michigan Talk Radio, but you can tune in for the live broadcast online at The Travel Queen's website at 10:06 AM EST this Saturday or for the replay at 5:06PM EST on Sunday. The show will also be archived online, so if you miss those broadcasts, you can tune in later online.

George at the Biltmore, NC

Yesterday, I spoke with Kelly Sigler, who I met this summer while filming at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. Kelly is a Parelli instructor and teaches natural horsemanship, among other things, to students at the Biltmore Equestrian Center. It is always great to hear from people that we meet in our travels, and I am always curious to hear how the horses that we have met along the way have progressed in their training.

George, a thoroughbred and former racehorse, was Kelly's first horse. We interviewed Kelly and learned more about George and his progress. Kelly's and George's story is a great one, because both of them have come such a long way - together!

When Kelly talked to me yesterday, she said that George is really sick. He is in the hospital and they are running many tests to see what is wrong. They are not sure that he will recover.

Kelly has asked us to put up a video of her and George, as many of her friends and family members around the country have George in their thoughts and prayers.

The video that we have cut, like many of the videos that we place online, is unique. The footage will not be in our Equitrekking series on television, so you can't see it anywhere else.

The video of Kelly and George shows the special bond that each of us have with our horses. And what a wonderful bond it is! I am happy to put up George and Kelly as our first new video clip from our summer travels. More to come, but as you watch this, we hope that you will send good thoughts their way. I, and the rest of my Equitrekking team, are all hoping for George's speedy recovery.

Read the Biltmore Blog entry on Equisearch.com.
See more photos from the Biltmore.

Cattle 101, Wilderness Trails, CO

It was time to cowgirl up at Wilderness Trails. One group had pushed about 15 cows from an upper meadow down to a paddock, so that we could all get acquainted. I have done a little cattle work before, of course, not on Aspen, and not playing some of the games that I was about to learn.

Our group of eight split into two groups of four for the first game. I was riding with a husband and wife couple from California and a Scottish man, who looks a little like Liam Neeson. We named our team Steer N Push and were ready to take on the other team, who had Tyler, a rodeo rider--your basic ringer.

For our first game, we had to move the herd around a series of neon cones in a figure eight pattern. Tyler, who was leading our afternoon cattle session, said that slow and steady worked best. He also suggested that we four form a figure eight to push the cattle and use the fences as another person.

So this game is harder than you may think and slow and steady is key. I kept yelling out strategies, as our group began the slow move. A couple of cows were more stubborn than others. Our team managed to make a couple of figure eights in a little under five minutes, laughing pretty hard along the way.

The next game consisted of cutting cattle in a sort of modified team penning. Now, I have recently ridden a championship cutting horse (see my cutting horse dream week experience), so felt that I may have had a slight leg up on the others. We had to separate a cow from the herd, open a gate on horseback, and get the cow into a paddock by himself. Sounds easy, but it wasn't.

The white-faced steer that we attempted to separate had most likely played this game before, and he was not going in the paddock alone without a fight. Needless to say, our time was up before we were able to get him alone, but we had some fun chasing him up and down the paddock.

We ended the day with a cookout, cowboy singer and fun sing-a-long. It's my last day in the great state of Colorado, which is sad, but what an adventure it has been.

We keep adding more photos, so check out the new Wild Mustang Photos. Stay tuned for more postings and check out Equitrekking's sponsor, Wyoming Travel & Tourism.

Vallecito Lake Ride, CO

Today, we headed out with Erika, Gene and Jan’s daughter, on the Lake Lookout ride. I was back on Aspen, and looked forward to heading into the forest to explore. The nice thing about riding in this area is that though it is mountainous, the trails lead through the woods and to open meadows, where you can do some faster riding. You get the best of the mountains and the flower-filled meadows.

Erika trains horses and does special clinics at Wilderness Trails Ranch. She grew up on the ranch, and has ridden on these trails since she was a child. Gene and Jan rode with us too, as well as Chip, Doug and a trusty pack horse.

Erika told us that the area that we were riding through is the largest roadless area in Colorado. The ranch is located in a valley called Los Pinos or the Pine River Valley. The Southern Ute Indians used the valley as summer hunting ground. Los Pinos River runs through the ranch. Guests use it and a nearby pond to fish. They also venture to Vallecito Lake to enjoy water sports.

We were headed to a spot with views of the mountains and Vallecito Lake. We saw a coyote run across the meadow in the distance. Gene said that bears are common in the area as well. Not Grizzlies, but brown and black bears.

Wilderness Trails focuses on quality riding and instruction, but also offers other activities. With close proximity to Durango, guests could head into the city to ride the historic train, shop or visit nearby Mesa Verde. I probably wouldn't leave the ranch at all though.

I can see why today's ride is called Lake Lookout. The views of the lush green mountains and lake were beautiful. I will leave you with some photos of the ride. Stay tuned for Cattle 101.

In the meantime, please check out Equitrekking's newest sponsor, Wyoming Travel & Tourism! After spending time exploring great ranches in Wyoming, we are excited to welcome them to our family of sponsors.

We keep updating our photo section, so please check out more photos from Wilderness Trails Ranch.

Horse Accident in Queens, NY

My New York friends let me know about a terrible accident tonight that happened in Queens, New York. A seven-year-old Quarter Horse named Romeo was killed when he was hit by a taxi cab. His rider, a 13-year-old boy is in serious condition.

There are several things that struck me about this story. I was shocked to hear about the death of a horse in the city. Most people don't think about riding in the city, but horses have a long history of living and working in cities. There are a variety of stables where people can ride in the New York Metro area, and if you have ever walked around Times Square or Central Park, you may have seen one of the many mounted policemen on patrol. There are many people who have strong feelings about horses living in the city. What are yours?

The story also led me to want to know more about the Federation of Black Cowboys. The particular stable where the boys were riding is owned by the Federation of Black Cowboys, whose mission is to promote the history, culture and legacy of black cowboys, particularly among inner-city youth. It was founded in 1994 by law enforcement officers and professionals. There have been numerous stories on this Federation and the positive impact that their programs with horses have had on urban kids and their city neighborhood.

You can read more about the horse accident and The Federation of Black Cowboys, and more about the Federation of Black Cowboys. In the meantime, today I am thinking about Romeo and hoping that Jerrod, who is recovering in an area hospital, will one day get the chance to ride again.

Wilderness Trails Ranch, CO

Jan and Gene Roberts own and run Wilderness Trails Ranch, located about a half hour outside of downtown Durango in Southern Colorado. They run a great family ranch, with top notch riding, great food, a friendly staff and good horses.

One of the things that attracted me to Wilderness Trails is that both Jan and Gene are certified riding instructors. They have over 30 years experience in running Wilderness Trails and a lot of repeat guests, some of whom we would meet upon arriving on day one of the guest ranch week.

Wilderness Trails is located in a valley surrounded by the San Juan National Forest, meaning there are ample trails for riding. We started day one with an orientation, so that we could get used to our horses for the week and the Roberts' style of riding.

I was impressed with the level of instruction for the orientation. We all split into groups based on our riding ability. Choosing a group above or below your riding level doesn't lock you in for the week. Riders could move from one group to another depending on their comfort level. Also, if they excel during the week and feel comfortable enough, they can move up to a higher level.

It makes sense. There were some beginners, who would be going out to learn Western riding basics and some more advanced riders, who would be working on their skills as well.

At Wilderness Trails, they ride with two hands holding the reins, use leg cues and post the trot. It's more like English, so I was pretty comfortable from the start. We rode around the ranch grounds. I was on Aspen, a beautiful and responsive Paint Arab mix. She is a 12-year-old mare, who is delicate and easy to ride.

I worked on my steering, as we traveled up to a meadow that overlooked the mountains in the distance. In 2002, there was a devastating fire that came right up to the doorstep of Wilderness Trails. Firefighters literally camped out at the ranch and fought off the fire.

As we rode around, I noticed the new growth of Aspen trees, as well as the many trees that had been charred by the fire. The focus of Wilderness Trails is quality riding and communicating with your horse, so no matter what level of rider you are, you will enjoy a safe riding experience.

Back at the ranch, we feasted on chicken with a spicy green chile sauce, rice, beans, grilled vegetables and homemade cake with fresh berries. The chef at Wilderness Trails is a Le Cordon Bleu trained Executive Chef, so the food is wonderful. It's healthy and gourmet.

After dinner, we danced off the calories with line dacing and two step lessons. I danced with Derek, an older British man who was a lot of fun. We have a great group at the ranch this week. I can't wait for tomorrow's ride to Lookout Point to take in the views.

In the meantime, please check out Equitrekking's newest sponsor, Wyoming Travel & Tourism! After spending time exploring great ranches in Wyoming, we are excited to welcome them to our family of sponsors.

We keep updating our photo section, so please check out more photos from Wilderness Trails Ranch.

Engineer Mountain continued: Durango, CO

We started up the trail to Engineer Peak, which crosses through Alpine forests and meadows with incredible mountain views. Anne and I stopped by a pond to give our horses a break on the way up, and I learned more about her background and business. She used to lead pack trips, but now leads day ride and helps pack people in and carry them supplies. Anne also is a movie wrangler, who sometimes does stunt riding for Western films. She is a neat lady, with a true passion for the outdoors and her horses.

I could feel the air grow colder as we ascended up the mountain. The trail that we rode is only good for riding about two months out of the year. I could see why, as Cinnamon slipped a little as we walked up. It's monsoon season and this area has been getting a lot of rain. This is good, because they need it, and it makes the area green, but it can wash away a lot of soil on the trails.

As we passed meadows of wildflowers, Anne pointed out some of the various flowers that grow along the trails. The clouds in the distance looked ominous. I zipped up my fleece vest and hoped that it wouldn't rain. Rain is not ideal for film equipment.

The views at the base of Engineer Peak, at almost 13,000 feet, are spectacular. We looked into the distance to a large lake and various mountains. If it had been clearer, we may have been able to see all the way to New Mexico.

Of course, just as we began to enjoy the views, the thunder began to roll. Large chunks of hail fell down onto my cowboy hat, freezing my bare hands and making Chip's horse quite anxious. I could hear the patter of the ice on my hat, as I began to shiver. I needed more layers. I wore my chinks, which helped my legs from freezing inside my jeans.

Anne began to explain that this was a mild storm. For me, hail is never mild. We are in Colorado though, so I actually felt like the hail was part of the experience. Now I see why people wear cowboy hats. It was really protecting my head from the elements.

The storm stopped long enough for me to throw on a layer and to consume several granola bars. Riding sure does make you hungry. Anne and I talked a bit more on camera, with gorgeous edge-of-the-world views in our background.

Our descent home was a little more treacherous. The trails were slick and rocky. Cinnamon slid more than a few times. Chip's horse heard more thunder and got pretty agitated, but overall, we made it back to the trail head safely.

This was one of the highest rides that I have ever taken. It was beautiful and so different than the high views in Wyoming.

Stay tuned for riding at Wilderness Trail Ranch outside of Durango and check out more photos from Engineer Mountain.