Fort Worth Stockyards and Stock Show

We next went to the Fort Worth Stock Show (FW SSR), reputed to be the oldest stock show in the country. I was interested in seeing the Pony of Americas show, where ponies of all coat colors, including one that looked like a Dalmatian, were shown on a lead line. The little girls who led them were dressed in glitzy Western outfits. The stock show runs all month with lots of animals- cattle, pigs, rabbits, and more. For lots of families, it is a tradition to show their stock at the FW SSR.

Finally, we went down to the old stockyards area to see the daily cattle drive. Twice a day, longhorn cattle are driven through the streets of the stockyards. It’s a good chance for visitors to see the giant horns on these cattle. The horns can grow in a twisty pattern, curve out to each side and their coats hold different colors and patterns as well. Each year, what is the preferred look for these cattle may change, making it hard for the breeders.

I was able to talk with the trail boss a little at lunch at the old Stockyards Hotel, where they make a mean brisket. She has taken those Longhorns through New York City and takes great pride in theses hardy animals and their history. They remind me of the Connemara Pony, being able to subsist off of whatever they can find on the land.

National Cowgirl Museum, Fort Worth

I was pleasantly surprised by Fort Worth. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I loved the cool, old west feel of some parts of the city, the friendly people, good food and diverse attractions. I visited the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, which was great. I could have definitely gotten pulled into the gift shop for a while, had I more time. The museum is dedicated to women who have exemplified the Western spirit. I saw photos of cowgirls on the empire state building, marveled at these artistically decorated saddles and gloves and oh and ahhed at the old black and white photographs of babies in cowboy hats, and interesting women adventurers.

Hill Country Equestrian Lodge, TX

We drove up to Hill Country Equestrian Lodge just before sunset. The main house is a 100-year-old home on the grounds of an old cattle ranch. Guests here stay in new cabins, fully equipped with kitchens and fireplaces. This is an intimate, 9-room ranch that focuses on riding technique, as well as taking riders into the Hill Country Natural Area and on the varied terrain surrounding the ranch.

Riders may choose English or Western style on their vacation here. I chose Western, as we are in Texas. My horse for the day ride, Molly, was a grey, 12 year old Appendix Quarter Horse with a very smooth and controlled canter.

Dianne showed us around her property, including to a spot with nice views of the surrounding area and we tried out some light trotting and cantering to get warmed up. You can bring your own horse or ride one of Dianne’s seven well-trained mounts.

We rode into the Hill Country State Natural Area with Dianne as well, but went to flatter trails down by their “Verde” creek, so named because of its greenish tint. The limestone on the floor of the creek acts as a natural filter, so the water is really clear. We headed to a place called Comanche Bluff, a higher cliff wall on the other side of the creek, by which the trail runs. I felt very sheltered riding here and very serene. There are all of these great old trees hanging over the creek. It is a really nice area to explore on horseback and Molly was the perfect mount for the day.

Running-R Ranch, TX

Owned by German couple Irish and Ralph Kutchner, the Running-R Ranch is a small guest ranch in the Hill Country of Texas, just outside of the small town of Bandera, self-proclaimed as the Cowboy Capital of the World. We picked this ranch out of many in the Bandera area, as it takes a smaller number of guests (up to 50) and focuses on horseback riding above all else. There are big family style lunches and breakfasts. For dinner, guests are on their own to explore the town of Bandera. Just make sure to be careful driving here at night, as the area is overrun with deer.

I went on a day ride with Lou, a Welsh wrangler who rode a Quarter Horse named Sonny, and Dale, an Oklahoma steer wrestler turned Texas wrangler who rode his wonderful horse Poncho. If nothing else, experienced riders can enjoy some nice, fast gallops at the ranch.

After a big, hearty breakfast of breakfast burritos, eggs, bacon, sausage, homemade banana bread, coffee and fresh fruit, we headed over to the barn. I was able to try a couple of horses before we chose Linus. My first horse was having some issues being around Lou’s horse (they must have had a tiff the night before), so I rode Linus, a young, cappuccino colored palomino Quarter Horse, who was super fast and well behaved.

We walked through the oak trees and nearby ranch trails before entering the Hill Country State Natural Area. This is a popular place to go horseback riding for many area Texans, as well as visitors. There are many miles of trails within the park, taking you through diverse terrain. We rode on trails that wound through fields of green sotol plants and tall wheat grass up and down hills. Our destination was a place Lou called Twin Peaks, where there is a great view of the surrounding area.

The weather was perfect as we climbed the hilly trails. At around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with sunny blue skies and a slight breeze, we had lucked out. This is Texas in the winter! It can be cold, as we witnessed today, our day of departure, but it can also be quite nice.

We had some wonderful gallops and canters during the rest of our ride on these trails through great open fields. The open space is what Texans love about this part of Texas and what I had come to see as well. Being on horseback here was the perfect way to see it.

Rancho de la Osa

Today I rode with Ron, a true cowboy and character, from Rancho del la Osa, a historic ranch right beside the border of Mexico. I picked this ranch because of its unique history and location. You can see the wall, built on the border here between the Mexican and American towns of Sasabe, from the ranch. We also rode up to a high overlook to see the beautiful rolling mountains of Mexico. I rode a wonderful horse named Chewy, who listened very well. We got along great.

Our ride started at the ranch, which is a conglomeration of beautiful pastel colored hacienda style buildings, and went through a wash to a graveyard that is more than 100 years old. The ranch is in a large valley surrounded by mountains, so everywhere you look there is something to see. At 4000 feet high, there aren’t as many saguaros, making it look different from Tucson. There are lots of mesquite trees along the trails and a few barrel cacti. The barrel cactus points south, so that it can absorb as much sunlight as possible.

From there, we rode through some more of the wash trails and to a section of rock formations. These rocks look almost like a pastry, with thin layers resting on top of each other. We rode to a higher point, where you could see Baboquivari Peak, a mountain peak on a nearby Tohono Indian reservation, which points to the sky. Ron told me that the Native Americans believe that this mountain is sacred.

On an even higher nearby mountain, we took in Baboquivari Peak from a different angle, but also Mexico’s rolling mountains and its town of Sasabe, which is bigger than the Sasabe in Arizona. It was sort of surreal being so close to the border and actually riding beside a wall. Having only heard about border issues on the news, it was definitely interesting to hear tales from people who live and work at a ranch on the border and to see things left behind from people trying to cross.

Cave Creek, AZ

Today, I rode a beautiful horse named Pressley, a Foxtrotter owned by Terry Smith, a Cave Creek local who is an avid horse trail preservationist. In fact, a lot of Cave Creek residents are into preserving trails and making life in their town horse friendly, including Don and Cathy Peterson, who also came along on our ride. You can ride into town and tie your horse to a hitching post to eat at the local’s Buffalo Chip, shop or just take in the scenery. There are trail systems throughout the area that run into the wider open spaces in Arizona, including the Tonto National Forest.

We rode from a horse friendly Bed and Breakfast owned by Babs, a horse and dog owner herself, called the Happy Hidden Ranch. You can bring your horse with you on vacation and stay with Babs, who makes great, hearty breakfasts, perfect if you are riding out all day. The beginning of the ride led us through washes surrounded by saguaro trees and lots of other vegetation. We then traveled down School House Road and into town. A trail runs alongside the road, so that horses can ride into town, just like cars. How many other towns can you ride into on horseback!

Terry Smith is passionate about keeping Cave Creek horse friendly. We passed many other locals on horseback, taking a Saturday morning ride. We rode to a higher trail, where one could see to Elephant Mountain, where Terry told stories of Native American raids in the area. There, we could see a panoramic view of the mountains that surround Cave Creek, before we dipped into town.

We rode through town, past shops selling everything Western, to eat at the Buffalo Chip, where I had done some two-stepping a couple of nights before. Barbara Kennedy taught me how to make a peach cobbler, Dutch oven style and made a plethora of other delicious foods. She cooked a stunning cowgirl queche, which has sausage, cheese, peppers and eggs. We also had piping hot coffee and tea and honey butter biscuits and chorizo. With Dutch oven cooking, you cook everything in these large cast iron pots with lids. The pots are surrounded with coals. Lots of folks on cattle drives and on the trail used and some still use this method of cooking, as you can cook quite a large dish in these large pots. Barbara says that you can tell it is done when you can smell it. I could certainly smell that peach cobbler. It was good.

It was great to be in Cave Creek, a warm, horsy town where cars yield to horses.

Bradshaw Mountains, AZ

Today we rode with Joseph Milton of Windwalker Expeditions in the Bradshaw Mountains outside of Phoenix. With views of large, Lake Pleasant juxtaposed with the dry, high Sonoran desert, sprinkled with saguaro, cats claw, prickly pear, palo verde, jojoba, mesquite, hedgehog cactus, jumping cholla, ocotillo and vegetation and rolling mountains, this is a beautiful ride.

Donna and Bill, two local riders from the town of Cave Creek, rode with us. I was on a white, mixed breed, 15-year-old horse named Indian. Joseph rode Dee. We rode on old mining roads. During the 1800’s, this area, which is still littered with mines, was a hot spot of mining activity. The roads where riders can still travel on horseback, were once traveled by wagons and people traveling into these mountains in search of gold.

We saw many wild burros along our ride and a couple of cows grazing on what little nourishment they could attain in this desert environment. The burros were used to go into the mines during the mining days and many were set free.

After riding in the Bradshaws, we headed in a jeep further into the mountains to meet a gold prospector at a historic mine and ghost town. It’s very strange to me to think about people still looking for gold. There are people out there who are still searching though. We searched for gold ourselves and did find a few small specks- no nuggets. Gold is so pretty. What an interesting ride!

Canyon de Chelly, AZ

Hi from Arizona, where we are filming a new episode for our third season. We're traveling from the Northeastern part of the state down to the border or Mexico. I was definitely reconsidering my choice for riding in Canyon de Chelly in the Navajo Nation in the Northeast in the winter, as I stuck my cold, gloved hand in my pocket to feel for the warm pouches that I used to use on ski trips as a kid. That is, until we reached the cliff dwellings. Carved high into a sandstone cliff peppered with snow lay the homes of the Ancient Pueblo People, known by the Navajo as the Anasazi. I was in awe. I had seen the photos online and in magazines, but nothing prepared me for seeing them in person.

I was riding with Lee Bigwater, a Navajo guide from Totsonii Ranch, who guides riders into the canyon year-round. Lee explained that this ruin, which he called the “First Ruin” may have housed 25 families. Its walls would have been covered in plaster and consisted of timber and adobe style bricks. People have been living in the canyon for thousands of years, leaving behind these cliff dwelling, petroglyphs and pictographs in the canyon.

My horse Quarter Moon and my guide Lee’s horse Chase, our Mustang/ Quarter Horse mixes, got along really well, as they are brothers. They were adept at navigating the flat dirt trails that line the canyon floor. As you ride further into the canyon, the canyon, the canyon walls grow taller, reaching 1000 feet. It is quite spectacular.

You can ride into the canyon year round, but if you are going in winter, be prepared for snow covered terrain and cold temperatures. Dress in layers. I might trying those electric socks for my riding in Quebec in the coming weeks. Until then, we’re heading south to the warmer parts of Arizona, but I sure am glad that we were able to ride in this historic and peaceful canyon.