Tanque Verde Ranch Ride, AZ

Before my step-mom and I headed up to Bellota Ranch, we spent some time exploring Tucson and stayed one night at Tanque Verde Ranch.

We shopped on historic 4th Avenue near the university. With shops like the Salt Crystal Palace, where you can buy salt crystals that have healing powers, and the Hippie Gypsy, it's eclectic and colorful. We ventured one block off 4th to hit a store called Borderlands Outlet Store, which has imported items from Mexico at pretty much the same prices.

If you are staying in Tucson for more than one day, you may want to rent a car. Things are pretty spread out. We traveled by taxi, which was helpful also, as our driver recommended a great lunch spot, Cafe Poca Casa. We wanted a good Southwestern or Mexican meal. The food was amazing, creative and the restarant's decor was pretty hip.

We also spent one night at Tanque Verde Ranch. This is a large family oriented ranch with over 100 horses and plenty to do. It rests at the foothills of the Rincon Mountains. We took advantage of the night campfire and the morning breakfast ride.

The vegetation and terrain is different than up at Bellota, which is at a higher elevation. We rode past the giant saguaro cacti on our way to the chuckwagon breakfast of blueberry pancakes, eggs, sausage and hot cider. I rode a white quarter horse named Powder, who was a bit of a character, but sturdy on the rocky trails. There were a few steep inclines, but other than that the ride was a leisurely one, meant to give us a taste of the beautiful desert surroundings. Those desert mornings can be chilly! Here are some photos from the morning adventure:

Horse Issues on Assateague Island

This weekend's Washington Post featured "A Gnawing Problem On Assateague Island" which reminded me of a similiar situation that I wrote about in my blog on Cumberland Island, GA. In both places, the wild horse population is eating plants that are vital to keeping the ecosystems in balance.

The problem is on the Maryland half of Assateague Island. On the Virginia half, the ponies are owned by the Chincoteague Fire Department and auctioned off after an annual Pony Swim every summer. The Maryland Assateague ponies are governed by the National Park Service, who is grappling with a solution.

You can read the article by David A. Fahrenthold here.

Bellota Ranch, AZ photos

Here are some more photos from our week at Bellota Ranch outside of Tucson.

We rode up to a very high peak, where the scenery was fantastic.
Getting up to this peak was no problem, but getting down was actually a bit more of a challenge.

Marley and me in the corral

Hiking around the ranch, where the horses have lots of land to roam when they are turned out.

Diane gets Biggins to pick up the pace. It looks like the cows are chasing them, but they are actually going after a cow. ; )

Mr. Fizz, one of the resident cats, who was a talkative one.

A scenic Ride, one of our many daily trail adventures.

Bellota Ranch, AZ

I have been off the map this past week partici- pating in Women of the West at Bellota Ranch in the high desert of Arizona outside of Tucson. Bellota Ranch is a real working cattle ranch on over 60,000 acres in the Coronado National Forest. The area is rugged and wild, making trail riding (on and off the actual trails) challenging and views from the high peaks rewarding.

I was fortunate enough to be paired up with Marley for the week, a 13 year old Appendix horse. The experience was really unique as Marley was almost brand new to the ranch, having only been ridden once before I got there. Tom Chambers, who specializes in natural horsemanship, helped me learn about how to discover Marley's strengths and weaknesses during the week and get Marley used to his new setting at historic Bellota. Tom also helped me learn a lot more about myself.

Marley and I really bonded and by the end of the week, I didn't want to leave Marley. Marley, who began to follow me around everywhere, seemed to not want me to go either. With no cell phone, computer or access to the outside world, the trip was a wonderfully relaxing and special experience. We spent our days barrel racing, pole bending, trail riding, working with our horses in the round pen, eating great food and our nights under shooting stars in the hot tub. Ahhh!

I'll post more photos this week, but here are a few to start.

Diane, my step-mom, and her horse for the week Biggins (top)
Things to watch out for on and off the trails (middle, bottom)