Missouri Trailblazing

Friday Fun - Color Breed Crossword Puzzle

2012-01-27T21:16:00.001-06:00

Color Breeds crossword puzzle game » make crossword

Horse Tip and Trivia of the Day

2012-01-27T10:22:00.002-06:00

Today's Horse Tip of the Day: Don't forget to brush your horse's coat regularly even if you don't ride a lot during winter. It will help you keep track of their weight, find cuts or sores, and keeps their itchiness to a minimum.

Today's Horse Trivia: Horses will mourn the passing of a companion.

Horse Tip and Trivia of the Day

2012-01-26T10:49:00.000-06:00

Today's Horse Tip of the Day: Be sure and check your fences after winter storms to ensure that no large branches fell across them, causing damage.

Today's Horse Trivia: There were no horses in Australia until 1788.

Wordless Wednesday - Easyboot Gloves

2012-01-25T10:59:00.002-06:00

Cassie sporting her Easyboot Gloves. Do you boot?

Smokey the Blind Horse Competing in a Trail Challenge

2012-01-24T08:35:00.000-06:00

I like to write about obstacle course info on Tuesdays, so I wanted to post this video about an amazing horse and rider team who's video I stumbled across the other day. This horse Smokey is totally blind in both eyes, yet he trusts his rider enough to compete in a trail competition. This trail course is set up totally indoors up in Oregon. Challenging to even a sighted horse, Smokey makes his way through this course quite well with the guidance of his owner Angie Egberg. Watch, enjoy, and be impressed...

Keith Temple - 2011 River Springs Chapter of the Show-Me Back County Horsemen Member of the Year

2012-01-23T18:25:00.000-06:00

Keith Temple

He’s been called “a character” by many and when they first meet him, you might agree, but after getting to know him, you would state for a fact that Keith Temple is a character. You wouldn’t suspect Keith to have the impressive credentials he has. His tall lanky figure, long beard, twangy drawl, and Harry Potter sorting hat might throw you off, at first, but Keith has a depth most people don’t even suspect.

He grew up around Canton, Mississippi, and earned a degree in Animal Science from Mississippi State University. After graduating, he went to work for the U. S. Park Police in Washington, D. C., and several years later transferred to San Francisco to work patrol and dispatch for two years. While there, he was selected for training in the mounted patrol unit. He attended a 400 hour mounted patrol course in Washington, D. C., then returned to San Francisco and “rode on the beach” for four years. Keith says it was the best job he ever had. He got to ride in many parades, including the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, California. Eventually other things and places called and he wound up in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. That is when he found and bought his present farm in Kelly Hollow near Alton, Missouri. Still, it wasn’t time to settle down and he moved back to Mississippi to work for the Bureau of Land Management as a wild horse and burro specialist. Finally, after thirty two years working for the U.S. Government, Keith decided he had suffered enough of the heat and humidity of Mississippi and decided to retire to the ticks and chiggers of Missouri. He explained that he is grateful to the American taxpayer for his employment which allowed him to buy his farm, travel, and experience the wonders of this country. He even got to stand on the head of George Washington at Mt. Rushmore. Not many people can say that. That is why he contributes so much of his spare time to volunteering doing trail maintenance and sawing. It is his way of paying back the American people so we can experience what he has.

Keith founded the River Springs Chapter of the Show-Me Missouri Back Country Horsemen and was its first president. He is a certified sawyer with the Forest Service and logged over 100 hours in 2011 sawing and maintaining trails. He also volunteers for the Ozark Trail Association. He adopted a section of the trail near his home and contributed 40 hours of sawing and trail maintenance with them. The OT Association thinks he has probably done more than 100 hours of volunteer maintenance in 2011, but 40 were all he reported. He is always on the trails with his horse and pack mule so keep an eye out for him the next time you are out trail riding.

Horse Shot in St. Charles County

2012-01-21T00:58:00.001-06:00

An 8 month old filly, Twister, was shot and killed In Flint Hill, MO on Jan. 18, 2012. She was shot right through the heart. There are no clues to who would have done this, and the family is hoping someone will come forward with information.

If anybody has any information that might help, please contact Detective Ross Bishop at the St. Charles County Sheriff Department. 636-949-7900 ext. 4468.

For more information, check out KSDK's website. You can also go to the family's memorial page for Twister on Facebook.

Friday Fun - Coloring Page

2012-01-20T00:00:00.001-06:00

Arabian Costume 1

Frugal Camping Idea Series

2012-01-19T13:20:00.000-06:00

Camping is one of the most affordable ways you can spend time with your horse and family, but it never hurts to cut costs anywhere you can. That way you can put the money to better use on more important things - like gas money.

There are many ways you can cut costs without adversely affecting the fun or comfort of your trip. Once you have all your camping needs, the cost to camp is next to nothing. However, collecting all you need at first can add up quick.

Regardless of whether you tent camp or camp in your trailer, what you sleep on is one of the most important and costliest decisions you have to make. If you have a trailer with full living quarters, this won't apply to you, but most everyone else has to deal with this issue.

Most people go with either sleeping bags or an air mattress. Sleeping bags don't provide you with much cushion, and air mattresses have a bad habit of losing air overnight. They also do not insulate you from the cold ground when camping in early spring or late fall.

Do not fold your blankets for the pallet. Stack them in single layers. Cut off tassels if there are any.

One option that works great with sleeping bags, is a thick blanket pallet. It's cheap, easy to make, provides comfortable padding, and keeps a layer of insulation between the sleeping bag and the ground. You can make them any size you need from twin for one person or queen for two people. To make:

1. Collect old blankets and comforters from family and friends. Most people have extra they'll give you. If not, you can also get them cheap at yard sales and flea markets. Make sure they're all the same size or close to it. Wash well them well if you buy from someone you don't know. At least one wool blanket to add inside the layers would be great for its insulating abilities.

2. Stack blankets on the floor in whatever room you have enough floor space to work in. (Be sure and clean floor good first. I don't like to stack more than about 8, depending on how thick each blanket is.
You'll have to play that by ear depending on how much trouble you have tacking them all together.

3. Taking crochet string or yarn and a large darning needle, tack all the layers of blankets together in numerous places, pull string tight, and tie in place. Be sure there's enough tacks to keep the blankets from bunching up anywhere. Mine had tacks every 9 inches, each row offset from the row above.

4. Using blanket binding, I whip stitched all the edges together, which also helps to keep the whole thing securely in one piece, as well as giving it a finished look.

5. When done, I roll the whole thing up like a sleeping bag and store it where I store my sleeping bags. Periodically, I drape it over a fence or or clothes line to air out. I've never had to clean it beyond that because it lays under the sleeping bags, keeping it clean.

This can also be made and used in the nose of a 5th wheel trailer. It's easier to cut to shape than a mattress or futon, especially if the nose of the trailer is rounded. If, like me, you wake up stiff and sore because your body doesn't like to sleep on something hard, you can even make two of these pallets to stack on top of each other for extra padding.

Check back next Thursday for more Frugal camping tips.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T10:33:00.000-06:00


Sean & Shadow. Quiet Hands = Relaxed horse and rider

10 Free or Almost Free Obstacle Course Ideas

2012-01-17T00:47:00.004-06:00

I've seen pictures of late that show some really awesome, and expensively designed and built, obstacle courses. I'd LOVE to have a fancy course designed by someone like Mark Bolender, Craig Cameron, or Clinton Anderson but, well, it ain't happening... LOL

With a little hard work and imagination, you can build a neat, and safe, obstacle course with very little money. I've got a lot of obstacles in mine, and since I built much of it while my husband was out of work, it had to be done inexpensively. I got a little help from my husband Hank, my nephew Sean, and my son Jeremy, but most of it I built all by myself

1. Water Obstacle - At it's most basic, this just takes some digging. The one I built here is about 6 x 6 foot, and one shovel deep. I didn't need a lake, just something I could put water in. I didn't care if it got muddy, so it's just a simple hole in the ground. I did get help digging this from Sean and Jeremy.
Total: Free

2. Ditches - Again, just takes some digging. My horses had a habit of jumping small ditches. I wanted them just to step over them. So, I made one 8 foot long ditch. One end I made about 2 1/2 shovel's width wide, the other end I tapered down to 1 shovel width. I also made it one shovel deep. I did this one myself. Total: Free


My ditch

3. Hill with a step down - I couldn't afford to make a "Texas 3 step, so I just used all the dirt that was dug out of the water obstacle and ditch to make this. I had 4 treated landscape timbers laying around here that I used, so it was free for me, but usually (around here anyway) you can buy them for about $3.00 a piece for a total of $12.00. I spiked the 4 timbers together, then used two short pieces of wooden fence posts with points, driven into the ground to keep them stable. The fence posts were 3.00 each, but you can sometimes find used ones for cheap or free. We back filled the 4 timber wall, leaving 3 sides to slope. Total: $18.00 or less


I've added one more timber so it's 4 timbers high now.

4. Cowboy Curtain - My first one was just made by stringing clothes drying line between two trees. I then added an old sheet that I had which I cut into strips. Even if you bought all the supplies new, you can pick them both up at a dollar store for under $10.00. Total: $10.00 or less

5. Cavaletti - Saplings can be cut to make these. If you have no woods of your own, you can probably find someone, a friend, neighbor, or relative who will let you cut down 6 or so. You can just lay them out on the ground flat or find objects to set them up on. #10 cans, from coffee, tomato sauce, etc, can be used for that. Just turn them upside down and lay the sapling's ends on them. If you do use saplings, take the time to remove the bark from them. They'll last longer. Total: Free

6. Rock and boulder obstacle - This is harder work. Good for training a horse to carefully make his way through rocky terrain. I usually procure my rocks by driving up and down gravel roads looking along the edges of them. When plowed, they often pull big rocks up with the plow blade. They accumulate along the edge. I just gather the largest ones I can pick up without giving myself a hernia. When I have a small truckload, I bring them home. Then I place them strategically in my course like a "minefield" to be carefully negotiated through. I also intend to put a lot along one side of my hill/step down obstacle.
Total: Free

7. Barrels - Barrels can be used in many different ways. You can often find them for free, check freecycle, put an ad asking for free barrels on Craigslist, or put an ad on a bulletin board near you. If you can't find any free ones', you can often get them for $5.00 each. Buy as many as you can afford. With as little as two you can invent several different obstacles. Trash cans, when not in use, can also be used. Total: $10.00 or less

Taylor and Cassie squeezing through the barrels.

8. Tires - Another thing that can be turned into several different kinds of obstacles... Here where I live, the local tire shop will give me all the tires I want for free. Even big tractor tires. If you can't get them free near you, keep your old tires when you get new ones for your car or truck. Total: Free

9. Bag of cans - Get an old pillow case, save several empty soda cans, and use an old lead rope and you have an obstacle. Total: Free

10. Bags - Bags can be used for many different things. Tie some Walmart bags on trees or fence posts to blow in the wind. Make a maze, backing L shape, or row out of bags filled with leaves in the fall. For extra interest, you can pick up orange lawn bags on clearance after Halloween. Total: $5.00 or less

Can you think of anymore things that can be made for free? We welcome suggestions.

Hercules Glade Wilderness

2012-01-16T21:10:00.001-06:00

Location: Taney County, southeast of Springfield, MO

Trailer Parking: Moderate. The only trailhead suitable for horsetrailers is the Tower Trailhead.

Fire Tower in the middle of the trail head.

Trail Mileage: 32 miles in multiple loops. Mark Twain National Forest used to list it as 42. I don't know if they've gotten more accurate information from using a GPS, or if they've allowed some trail to revert back to forest.

Season: Open year round, but late spring/early summer would be the best time to ride. The creeks start to dry up later in the summer, making water hard to find. Hunting is allowed here, so caution should be used if you ride here during hunting season.

Equine Camping: Is allowed, both at the trailhead and primitively dispersed along the trail. The trailhead, however, has no water. This would be a great place to pack supplies in for an over night trip and camp down by Long Creek, which just about cuts the trail in half. Short day trips are easy to handle due to several cross trails which allow you to take shorter loops.

Trail Notes: Steep terrain, stream crossings, the vast size, and sparse trail markers make this a more difficult trail. The area is interesting, going in and out of woods, glades, and prairie. There's a variety of wildlife. In addition to the more common animals we're used to seeing, like deer, encounters could include roadrunners, tarantulas, rattlesnakes, wild hogs, and black bear. From what I've seen and heard about this trail, it's a must ride for anyone who likes a challenge and has a sense of adventure.

For more information, visit it's webpage at: www.missouritrailblazing.com/SW_Area/HerculesGlades.html

Temporary 1 Day Trail Closure

2012-01-15T15:18:00.001-06:00

Little Indian Creek Conservation Area will be closed to everyone Jan 23, 2012 for a wild hog hunt.

Trail Horse Word Search

2012-01-14T10:52:00.001-06:00

Here's a new game for you all to try:

Great Trail Horse Breeds word search game » word search

Friday Fun

2012-01-13T00:13:00.001-06:00

For something different, here's a game of Hangman to enjoy today:

A Great Trail Horse Breed

A Horse Breed hangman game » play hangman

Website Updates

2012-01-11T23:02:00.002-06:00


Snow's coming, are you ready to play in it?

The picture above is my beloved horse Majic.

He was playing in a light dusting of snow here.

I still miss him everyday.

RIP Majic

1984? - 2007

I haven't been posting this past week, but I have been working hard on the website. Much of what I've been doing is behind the scenes work like checking links, trying to make all the pages consistent, and trying to figure out how to make interactive location maps for each trail. The maps are proving to be a challenge, I will however, figure out how to do what I'm wanting to do with them.

Time seems to move so slow this time of year, when I'm waiting so impatiently for spring to come. I try to take advantage of the down time to get caught up on site maintenance, but I never seem to officially get caught up...

Just wanted to let you all know, even though you might not see posts from me daily, I'm still working on the website daily, doing all I can think of to make it the best site I can. Keep checking back periodically to see what changes I make and I'll be back to posting on a (mostly) daily basis soon.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T10:43:00.003-06:00

And a warning about round bale feeders


Luckily, he's just fine.

2012 Trail Riding Goals

2012-01-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

As today's Tip of the Day suggests, I sit down every year and try to plan out where I want to ride for the year. I seldom get to ride all the places I plan on, but it's a good place for me to start, gives me something to look forward to, and is an excellent way to spend time when I can't - or don't want to - brave the cold, snowy, or windy weather this time of year.

I sit down with the new calendar, my Missouri Trailblazing Book, and a pencil. I try to schedule 3 weekends of trail trips, leaving one open for working around here, visiting family, or as a "rain date" in case I can't make one of the other planned rides for some reason or another. When I was younger and didn't have any responsibilities, it was easy to fulfill all my goals for the year. It's not been easy at all over the last 15 years since I got married, had a family, and had to live in the "grown up world". Things seem to be cycling back around however so, I have high hopes for this year....

My plan for this year is to schedule one camping trip a month for the peak riding season and at least two day trips, hopefully 4, for the other 2 weekends each month. Although my husband Hank enjoys riding too, he's not nearly as passionate about it as me so luckily I can get out on the trail with Lalita too. Her husband David works on Saturdays so I'm hoping that her and I can ride most Saturdays together somewhere and that Hank and I, or all 4 of us can get together on Sundays to ride. Lastly, at least once a year, I like to try and plan a long weekend camping trip farther away than we'd normally go.

This year, several goals I have include:

Day rides:
Cliff Cave (haven't ridden yet)
Daniel Boone C.A. (haven't ridden yet)
St. Francois St. Park (haven't been here for about 15 years)
Bell Mountain Wilderness (haven't ridden yet)
Sam A. Baker (always must have)
Cedar Creek (haven't ridden yet)
Greensfelder (be sure and ride Mustang Trail)
Canaan C. A. (close by)
Chubb Trail (haven't been there in a long time)
Indian Camp Creek (haven't ridden yet)
Cole Creek Trail (haven't ridden yet)
Forest 44 (specifically to get video)
Long Ridge C.A. (specifically to get video)
Meramec C.A. (specifically to get video)

Camping trips:
Paddy Creek Wilderness (didn't get to go last year like I wanted)
Caster River C.A. (haven't ridden yet)
Kaintuck Hollow (A favorite and one I can't wait to get video of)
Lead Mine C.A. (Haven't ridden yet)
Rudolf Bennitt C.A. (Haven't ridden yet)
Berryman Trail (A favorite)

Big Camping Trip:
Berry Bend at Truman Lake (Haven't ridden yet)

Hmmmm, might end up being more camping trips than originally planned... LOL There are so many places I want to go...

When I plan my trips, I like to try and include many trails I haven't ridden yet and get a good sampling from around the state. I admit I have a lot less planned from Northern Missouri, but there are so few trails there compared to the southern half of the state. There are several places I'd love to go, but don't believe our horses will be physically or mentally ready for them this year. (or me for that matter) They're on slate for 2013. Two of those include Busiek C.A. and Huckleberry Ridge C. A.

What trails do you plan to ride this year?

5 Best Primitive Horse Campgrounds

2011-12-29T08:57:00.003-06:00

Campsite at Berryman Campground

This list of campgrounds is a list of primitive only campgrounds. To me, this means there is no electric hookups at all. These 5 trails made this list because, even though they have no electric hookups, they still offer other facilities that help make your camping trip a comfortable experience. These are listed in alphabetical order, not best-to-worst order. They're all about equal in my mind because they are all just different enough that it's hard to judge one as being better than the other, although Smithville lake slightly noses out the others because of the laundry and shower facilities available.

1. Berryman Trail - St. Louis Area - Mark Twain National Forest
    This trail has two campgrounds and the one I'm talking about is Berryman Campground, not the Brazil Creek Campground. Berryman Campground has nice outhouses (as nice as an outhouse can get anyway), highline posts, picnic tables, fire rings, concrete parking pads, a pavilion, and a lantern hook.

2. Cedar Creek Trail - Central Area - Mark Twain National Forest
     This trail has all the same facilities as listed above, but also include a BBQ pit. The parking pads aren't concrete, they're gravel, but they are well packed and more than long enough. If it hasn't changed since last time I was here, this had the best outhouse because it actually had a strong air freshener of some kind in it. It was the best smelling outhouse I had ever been in. LOL Small campground compared to the others though, this one only has 8 campsites.

3. Honey Creek - N.W. Area - Missouri Dept. of Conservation
     This campground is not as nice as the Mark Twain National Forest campgrounds, but it's much better than the average campground that MDC usually has. It includes highline posts, hitching rails, an outhouse, and a few picnic tables.

4. Lead Mine - S.W. Area - Missouri Dept. of Conservation
     Again, this campground isn't as nice as Mark Twain, but it is the best campground that MDC has to offer. It is a large campground with room for 25 horsetrailers. The parking pads are well packed and long. There is a nice outhouse and they used to have a cistern for water, but last time I was there, someone had broken it.

5. Smithville Lake - N. W. Area - U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
     This is a very large campground with 90 campsites. This is probably the best primitive campground overall because in addition to providing outhouses, picnic tables, fire rings, and trash cans, there is also laundry and shower facilities available here.

Drinking Buddies - Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T10:09:00.002-06:00


Lucky and Cassie drinking together.

Central Missouri Meeting

2011-12-23T16:25:00.003-06:00

Sponsored by the Show-Me Backcountry Horsemen, who is trying to get a group of volunteers together to help maintain Cedar Creek Trail. The meeting is Jan 5. For more information, see article.

www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/dec/23/horse-riders-aim-to-improve-cedar-creek-trail/

Christmas Ideas for the Equestrian Series

2011-12-22T10:09:00.000-06:00

Popsicle Stick Barns

When I was a kid, I would have LOVED a barn for my horses, but commercially made barns were much more expensive and very rare back then. Now you can find them easily, but they are still quite expensive for the average family. Kids who are lucky enough to have a parent who can do carpentry work might talk them into making them a barn, but again, not all kids have a parent that have the skills or time to do so.

I've got a niece who is showing signs of being just as horse crazy as I was and is already starting to acquire a small collection of model horses. I drew her name for Christmas, so I'm making her a small stable out of Popsicle sticks. It's not hard to do, very inexpensive, and fairly quick to put together. You can make it as big or little, simple or elaborate, as you want. All you really need is the sticks, cardboard, glue, small hinges, and hot glue. The stable I'm making is 2 stalls and a tack room, and it has cost me just about $15.00 to make. You can reduce that dollar amount some by putting "rope doors" across the doorways instead of actual "doors", but I wanted the real doors so I got the hinges. They were the most expensive item to buy.
Cutting the Popsicle sticks was the hardest thing for me. I bought a small cheap hacksaw from Walmart and used it to score the top and bottom of the stick where I wanted to cut it, then used pliers to break it off the rest of the way. I did use kitchen shears to cut quite a few of them at first, and although that worked, it often split the sticks, and of course, the shears got dull in no time flat.

Here are pictures of the one I'm working on:


Still have to finish the last two doors and add hinges.


This stable fits the "Traditional" sized Breyer horse.

I added a few things like a little hay bag and straw floor.

Tack room has tack bridle holders and two little shelves.

After I constructed the main building, I cut out two pieces of cardboard the size of the bottom. Glued them together to make it a double thick piece for strength, then glued the stable down to the cardboard. In the tack room, I drew on a board floor, including the nail heads, to make it look more real.

I've added some extras like hay bags made from the mesh bags that onions come in, little brushes made from tooth brushes that I cut the handles off of, and saddle stands (also made from Popsicle sticks) I spread straw on the floors by spreading glue evenly on the cardboard floor and sprinkling hay across it, pressing it down, then spraying it with a clear spray finish to seal it.

I was really quite surprised at how realistic and sturdy it is. I made "beams" for the corner posts by gluing 4 sticks together, then across the top of the whole barn, I glued extra sticks and a "top board" for even more strength. This barn is made 2 sticks high and 2 sticks wide for each stall and the tack room.

Go ahead and try putting one together. Although it took me a little time to figure out how to put it together at first, it's really pretty easy. It took me about 2 days total, to finish. If you do a more basic set-up it would be even easier. I just have the crafting experience to add more to it.

Since Christmas is quite close now, if you don't have time to finish one now, it would also make an awesome birthday present....

Top 10 Reasons to Hike... Yes, Hike!

2011-12-19T11:03:00.003-06:00

Scenery along a hiking trail. Some things you'll only be able to see if you hike.

1. ImprovedCardio Fitness

2. Weight Management

3. Increased Core Strength

4. Increased Balance and Agility

5. See Trails That Don't Allow Horseback Riding

6. Get a New Perspective on a Trail You Ride

7. Get Great Photographs of Items of Interest Along the Trail

8. Increase Your Confidence

9. Enjoy the Outdoors

10. It's FUN

Christmas Ideas For The Equestrian Series

2011-12-16T12:22:00.002-06:00

Use a line art drawing like this and color in yourself.

Flash Cards

When I was a kid, I loved to learn anything and everything I could about horses. I also loved any horse type game. One thing I would have loved to have had when I was a kid was a set of flash cards for horse colors and markings. It's not easy to find these pre-made, but it's easy and fun to make them.

Google "horse line art", then when the results page comes up, click on the "images" link on the left side of the page. Then I always clicked on "large" because I wanted to start with large pictures that I could downsize. I'd pick a picture that I liked, download and save it. Next, I'd set it up to print, 4 to a page, on cardstock paper. After printing out as many pages as I'd need for the amount of colors I wanted, I'd then go back to google and search for "horse face line art" and "horse leg line art". Follow the same above steps I did for the horse picture. If you want to go to the trouble of figuring out the layout, you can print the name of the color on the back of the cardstock behind each horse. I didn't want to bother to figure that out, so I just wrote in the name with a thick black pen or marker.

You have to watch out for copyright on this, but I figure if I print it out and use for my own amusement and don't sell them, then it shouldn't really be a problem. If in doubt, you can always add the word "copyright free" to all of your searches.

Next, cut each page into 4 cards. Once all the cards were cut out, start coloring. I use color pencils. You can make them as elaborate or simple as you want. Once you're done coloring all the pictures, then you can either buy self laminating sheets or clear shelf liner. Cover each card, front and back, with the laminating sheet or liner. This makes them thicker, last longer, and easier to keep clean. I did a set of 25 cards.
Of course, if you don't like to color or don't feel you're good at it, you can always print out pictures of different horses and do the same thing.

You can also do something similar, but make two identical of each card, don't print the names on the back of the card, print them below the picture, then you have a Horse Concentration Game.

Bay
Sorrel
Tobiano Paint
Overo Paint
Buckskin
Blanket Appaloosa
Leopard Appaloosa
Snowflake Appaloosa
Palamino
Dun
Grullo
Blue Roan
Red Roan
Grey
Albino
Dapple Grey
Black
Chestnut
Blaze
Star
Bald Face
Stripe
Sock
Stocking
White Coronet Band

Of course the most important part of all is, after they unwrap their new present..... Play it with them.

Caramel Apple Cobbler Recipe

2011-12-15T09:31:00.001-06:00

Finished Cobbler turned out on a plate.

Now's the time to collect recipes for next year's camping trips. Here's an awesome recipe that you can cook at your campsite or at home in your stove.

Ingredients:
2 cans apple pie filling
1 tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls
1 bottle of caramel (found in the ice cream section)

Equipment:
Dutch oven
Spoon or spatula
Aluminum foil or pan spray

Instructions:
Line the bottom and sides of the Dutch oven with aluminum foil or spray with pan spray. Spoon the cans of apple pie filling into the Dutch oven. Empty the bottle of caramel and spread on top of the apples. Layer the cinnamon rolls in a ring with the last one in the center, on the caramel, leaving space between them for room for them to puff up as they cook.

Place the Dutch oven on about 8-10 coals, and cover with 12-14 coals. Cook until the rolls are no longer doughy and slightly brown.

You can also cook this in your oven at home. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. You can use a dutch oven in your conventional oven or use a round cake pan. Bake until the rolls are done and slightly brown.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T09:32:00.001-06:00

Two obstacles combined. My nephew and son riding our obstacle course.

10 Ideas To Add Interest To Your Obstacle Course

2011-12-13T11:18:00.003-06:00

Lucky and Ashley Picking Up A Tennis Ball

Do you have an obstacle course that you've ridden your horse through so many times that your horse and you are already getting bored with it? Have you already re-arranged the course as much as you can, but still find your horse going through it on auto pilot? Then it's time to think outside the box and shake things up a bit. These suggestions are for more advanced horses and riders and should be approached with caution and common sense. Don't push your horse or yourself more than either of you can handle. Never be afraid to go back a step or skip an obstacle if it's too much. The author take no responsibility for injury to persons or horses from use of any of this information. I have no way of knowing what you or your horse are ready or capable of, so it's up to you to use good judgement.

1. Ride through the course at a trot or gait.
2. Ride through the course at a canter.
3. Ride through the course bareback.
4. Ride through the course at night.
5. Ride through the course with your feet out of the stirrups.
6. Make your horse stop half way through each obstacle for 3 to 5 seconds.
7. Make your horse perform each obstacle backwards.
8. Combine 2 or 3 obstacles to make one big obstacle.
9. Incorporate smoke bombs or a sprinkler with one of the obstacles.
10. Incorporate noise into one of the obstacles, like a siren, cap gun, recording of loud applause, etc.

Always remember to end any ride on a good note!

Horse Camping - 2 Best Public Horse Campgrounds in Missouri

2011-12-08T09:26:00.001-06:00

Sign at Greensfelder. For more info and pictures go to Greensfelder's trail page, linked below.

I am often asked what equestrian campground I like best. That can be a hard question to answer because we have several trails with good campgrounds. I have to say though, that we have two exceptional campgrounds available to us trail riders.

Greensfelder Trail - St. Louis County - 20 miles

Electric and primitive sites
Safe drinking water, as well as water for your horses
Showers
Flush toilets
Tie Stalls (some at the campsites, most in a covered but open "barn")
Round pen at trailhead
Good trail mileage. Trails are in excellent condition and laid out in a way that you can choose from several different lengths and difficulty to ride.
Cross Country Jump Course

Berry Bend Trail, Truman Lake - Henry, St. Clair, & Benton Counties - 25 miles

Electric & primitive sites
Safe drinking water, as well as water for your horses, however the water smells like sulfur
Showers
Laundry facilities
Flush toilets
A couple sites with open box stalls for your horses. The rest have high line areas.
Great mileage and layout of trails also makes it easy to choose different lengths and difficulty, but trail is rutted and washed out in some places. Needs maintenance.
Playground for the kids

Many other trails have great camping facilities too, but these two, by far, stand out above the rest. They have the best of everything, especially if you want to camp for a week or more at one site.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T13:17:00.001-06:00

Love

St. Louis Parks to Remain Open

2011-12-07T09:02:00.001-06:00

According to an article published on KSDK.com, the decision has been reached for all of the St. Louis County parks to stay open, but there will be many layoffs coming. Good news for us, sad news for some park employees. Seems to me if they make cuts in all the right places, including the pay of our high paid county politicians, many if not all of those jobs could be saved.

Thank you to all the people out there who did what they could to ensure that our parks would not close! It is appreciated!

Horse Ownership - It's Not All Beauty, Fun, and Relaxation

2011-12-06T11:47:00.001-06:00

In fact, usually it's more work, frustration, discomfort, and irritation. 99% of the time, there's nothing glamorous about it.

What my horse normally looks like each day. Before, and 5 minutes after I'm done grooming her.

Here in Missouri, winter usually means more mud than snow. Much of the winter our temperatures hover at the freezing point, which means it can snow a foot one day, melt and be a muddy bog 2 days later. We fight mud all winter and spring. We add gravel every few years to make the ground more solid. Within 3 to 5 years it's almost as if all the gravel we had vanished.

Reality Check:
A true horseman will take care of his horses in the rain, snow, extreme heat, extreme cold, during all hours of the day, in the middle of the night, and when they are sick themselves. We have dealt with blood, puss, snot, spit, manure, and urine. We've been snorted and sneezed on, farted at, stepped on, pushed on, headbutted, thrown, smashed, and squeezed. We've walked in manure, mud, pee, and often the mud has sucked a muck boot off, meaning you either step in mud with a bare or socked foot, or get tripped up and land on all fours in the mud. That usually puts a crimp in the day...

To us, it isn't an interest or hobby. It's a passion and a way of life. We do and put up with all of this and wouldn't have it any other way. Have you asked yourself "Why the @%$! do we have horses again?" more times than you ride each year? If so, you might not be a true horseman.

Are you a true horseman?

Sunday Silence

2011-12-04T08:04:00.001-06:00

Friday Fun - 25 Songs About Horses

2011-12-02T01:37:00.001-06:00

I had this album.

I recently decided I wanted to make a list of songs that were about horses so I could decide on background music for a slideshow. A few came to mind easily, like A Horse With No Name, but I didn't get very far on my own. After doing some searching around on the web, here's the list that I came up with.

Trying to think of another "different" idea for a gift to give the horse person in your life? Collect all these songs and put together a music CD. I know I'd like it... LOL

1. A Horse With No Name - America
2. Wildfire - Michael Martin Murphy
3. Beer For My Horses - Toby Keith and Willie Nelson
4. Mr. Ed Theme Song
5. Tennessee Stud - Johnny Cash
6. Wild Horses - Garth Brooks
7. Run For The Roses - Dan Fogelberg
8. The Race Is On - Sawyer Brown
9. Let That Pony Run - Pam Tillis
10. My Rifle, My Pony, and Me - Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson
11. Silver Stallion - Highwaymen
12. Caballo Diablo - Charlie Daniels
13. White Horse - Taylor Swift
14. Cowgirls Don't Cry - Brooks & Dunn, Reba
15. Crazy Horses - The Osmonds
16. One Tin Soldier - Coven
17. Ride - Martina McBride
18. Riders On The Storm - Doors
19. Stawberry Roan - Marty Robbins
20. Theme Song From Rawhide
21. The Highwaymen - Highwaymen
22. Commanche The Brave Horse - Johnny Horton
23. Back In The Saddle Again - Gene Autry
24. Pony Boy - Bruce Springsteen
25. The Old Grey Mare - Old Traditional Song

My favorite songs above have to be Caballo Diablo by Charlie Daniels, and A Horse With No Name by America. If you haven't heard either of them, check them out.

Are there any songs about horses that you know of that I didn't think of? I know I didn't find all of them and that there's a "country" slant to my list. Tell me the ones you know about and I'll add them to the list.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T01:03:00.001-06:00

The Three Amigos. Belle, Cassie, and Lucky. They Get Along Great!

Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas For Horse Crazy Kids

2011-11-29T22:48:00.000-06:00

Most frugal gift ideas are things that have to be made. This is often hard for a person who isn't particularly crafty or has a lack of time. Even harder when it comes to pleasing a child. Since I was a horse crazy kid myself, I tried to think of things that I would have loved to get when I was younger. Over the next few days, I'll list several ideas, directions, and sources, I came up with.

Rework Embroidery Kit
You can make these home made. I've made them before. They take maybe an hour or so to put together and the best part is, they're easy, and the kids do the crafting, not you... Depending on what you might have on hand, you can buy all the things you need for under $5.00 and have enough to give away several as presents or give one child several pictures to embroider.

1.Get a piece of white or off white material, 9x9 inch square.

2. Lay it over a simple coloring book picture or clipart picture from the internet (of a horse or pony of course) and trace it lightly with a pencil. Try to pick the picture according to the age of the child. Nothing too detailed.

3. Buy a skein of red embroidery floss (or blue, purple, or their favorite color), a small package of embroidery needles, a threader, and a large wooden hoop.

4. Develop an instruction page. Include a drawing of how to do a stem or outline stitch and a simple way to finish the picture. Easiest way I know of is to center the finished embroidery picture in the wooden hoop, cut away some of the excess material from the back and glue it down. The wooden hoop could even be painted to match the floss. Then it can be hung on a nail or tack on the wall in their room.

I put masking tape on the tip of the needle and attached it to the directions.

5. Put it all in a gallon zip-lock bag. You can even take a piece of cardstock, fold it in half, decorate the front with the child's name, what it is, and a simple border. Example: Laura's Redwork Embroidery Kit Then staple that to the top of the zip lock bag to make it look more "finished" or professional.

More for a preteen, this one has 4 pictures of ponies to embroider. Pictures included are shown on the cardboard top.

Misc. Notes:
I've made some of mine with material from an old sheet or pillowcase I had on hand.

Keep an eye out for floss and hoops at garage/yard sales, flea markets, or auctions to get them even more inexpensively.

Type "horse coloring page", "horse line art", "pony coloring page" or "pony line art" into google and search through images. You can even start with a basic line picture and add the markings you want to make it more personal to the child. Adding french knots for an Appaloosa works great!

The finished embroidery pieces can also be turned into a small pillow, a simple small square picture with "pinked" edges. For older kids (preteens) you can put 9 squares together and turn into a simple tack quilted wall hanging. Just stitch a zigzag line or blanket stitch between each square. This is something you can help them with to add a good memory to go along with the gift.

Have fun with it!

Sale on Missouri Trailblazing Book or Riding Journal

2011-11-23T09:47:00.001-06:00

Book

Riding Journal

For anyone who would like to buy our Missouri Trailblazing book or Riding Journal, Lulu.com is running a special. Save 25% on any purchase...
Coupon Code: BUYMYBOOK305
Coupon expires December 14, 2011
$50 Max Savings

To order, just visit:
www.lulu.com/spotlight/motrailblazing

Thank you!

10 Easy Obstacle Course Ideas

2011-11-22T10:54:00.001-06:00

Not all obstacles have to be complicated or something that has to be built. Some of the best obstacles are things you have on hand, or can buy from your local Walmart or Dollar General.

As always, use common sense when choosing something to use. Make sure it's safe for you and your horse and that you take the time to train him from the ground first before attempting it from the saddle. No guarantees, but you lessen your chance for accidents that way.

1. Hula Hoop - Laid on ground to step into, hung on fence to pick up and put over your horse's head or hindquarters, or swung on your arm from the side.

2. Barrels - Usually easy to find, costs about $5.00 - $10.00 each. Look for ads online or in the Ad Tracker, etc. Set two of them close together to pass through. Set a series of two lines close together to make a "tunnel" of barrels. Set up a line of them like a baracade to have your horse push through, or put two up on opposite sides of the field with a bucket of sand on top to practice "flags" with.

3. Cap Gun - A child's western 6 shooter makes an excellent obstacle because the horses who are not used to gun fire will react to it. It's obviously safer and cheaper than shooting blanks. I did find out the hard way that the old fashioned cap guns that shoot the paper rolls of caps do not work as well as the newer ones that shoot the little round red plastic discs. The old paper rolls misfire a lot and are not nearly as loud as the newer ones. Don't waste your time or money buying the old fashioned ones. Between the noise and the smell of the black powder most horses react to this so, be careful and start working with your horse from the ground.

4. Bag of Cans - A feed bag or pillow case filled with empty soda cans with a lead rope tied to it makes a fast and easy obstacle. Hang it over a fence post or put a coat hook on a tree to hang it from. I've seen some horses react violently to this and others not at all.

5. Tires - Tires are usually easy to get and free. (At least out here in the country) Usually tire shops have to pay someone to get rid of their used tires so, they normally welcome someone to take them off their hands for them. There are so many things you can do with these. I usually don't like setting down a large amount of tires all together for the horse to pick his way through, there's too much chance for an accident for that, but I like one large tractor tire or two, one in front of the other, to walk through. Here are some other ideas:

6. Trash Bags - Tie empty shopping bags to fence posts, fill lawn bags with leaves and line them up like a maze, fill with noisy stuff to be carried from one barrel or trash can to another. Lots of options for these.

7. Buckets - Can be used instead of cones or used for horseback games. Have one filled with water that has to be taken to an empty bucket. Transfer the water from one to the other. Can be used for a flag race. Can be done as fast or slow as you want if used as part of an obstacle course.

8. Balloons - This is an obstacle for much more advanced horses and riders. Attach balloons to trees in your field or to fence posts if you have a wooden fence. Give the rider a stick made out of a thick dowel rod or a hand tool that has a tack attached to the end of it. The object is to ride to each balloon and pop it while keeping your horse under control. Another obstacle, which isn't quite as dangerous, is to buy 6 to 12 helium balloon, divide them into two bunches, attach them to long ribbons with a weight at the end, and set them about 3 feet apart to walk through. They can also be attached to another obstacle to make it more interesting if your horse has gotten bored with it.

9. Stuffed Animals or Pool Blow-up Animal Toys - If arranged on the ground together or near another obstacle, you might be surprised to find that your otherwise unflappable horse won't walk past them. I've seen more than one horse upset at the idea of an army of stuffed animals ready to attack him.

10. Sprinkler - Great for both of you in the heat of summer. This is an obstacle that kids especially will love. The horse, on the other hand, might not be so impressed. Set it up near the edge of the riding area (nearest to a water hydrant) and just simply make your horse walk through it. Might not be as easy as you'd think.

Stirrup Straights or Cashel EZ Knees

2011-11-21T13:02:00.001-06:00

Looking for more Christmas Gift ideas for the trail rider in your life? Here's a product review by Lalita Creighton:

Stirrup Straight

This product is installed between yourfender and your stirrup on your western saddle and turns your stirrups out 90° for you. Since your feet don'thave to hold the stirrup turned out while you ride, this product greatly reduces the fatigue onyour ankles and knees. My husband has bad knees and this product really helps reduce theamount of knee pain he experiences when he rides-and he rides in a 25 year old,well-broken in saddle. The only problem I've found is that they don't seem to work well withthe endurance type metal stirrups. I tried using them on my saddle with this type ofstirrup, and it caused the tops of the metal stirrup to poke me in the leg just above my ankle. Thatdid not happen when I had traditional leather covered stirrups. Cost for this productranges between $18 and $30, depending on which of the two brands you purchase and where.The Stirrup Straights are made from powder-coated steel, and the Cashel E-Z Knees aremade from aluminum. Both come with the screws, sleeves to protect the screw threads andyour fenders, and the nuts to secure them. You will need a standard (flat) screwdriver and awrench to install these on your saddle.

Chicks Saddlery

No affiliation, buta happy customer.

http://www.chicksaddlery.com

Cashel Company
No affiliation, but a happy customer.

http://www.cashelcompany.com

Several other catalogs also carry these items.

Best of America by Horseback

2011-11-17T19:11:00.001-06:00

Nov. 22, 2011, Best of America by Horseback will air an episode featuring Brushy Creek Lodge & Resort in Black, Missouri.

Allison Schottehaml, with Show-Me Missouri Back Country Horseman, along with her horse Lady, attended the ride. She presented host, Tom Seay with a lifetime membership to the Back Country Horseman of America for his continued support of America's equine trails.

The show can be seen on RFD-TV at 6pm CT. For more information, you can also check out www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com

Congratulations Allison! I can't wait to see it!

St. Louis County Council Meeting

2011-11-16T10:00:00.001-06:00

Proposed Closures

Yep, it was a fantastic turn out! Thank you everyone who made it!

I got there later than I was hoping to, so I didn't even get inside. It was so full, a lot of us had to wait outside. I wasn't too happy about it at the time, but it's a good thing I guess! Lalita made it earlier than I did so she got the chance to see the action up close. I'll get a report from her and add more info to this post later.

I did however, get a chance to learn some important information and points of view from some media people I had a chance to meet and talk to while there... Until the meeting started, and they had a chance to hear some of us equestrians comment, they had no idea how many trail riders were there. One gentleman I talked to thought only about 5 horse people were there. Why? Because we don't do anything to stand out from the crowd. The 5 people he knew were horse people made it obvious because a few of them were wearing cowboy hats and a couple people had stick horses with them.

Why is this important? Because we have to be seen first before we're likely to be heard. I'm just as guilty as the next person about this. I'm not used to having to think this way and I just showed up in jeans, a sweat shirt, and jacket. No one would have known me as anyone other than a casual park visitor or hiker. I didn't even have a sign or anything.

This would also help us find each other. A big obvious group of us standing together would make more of an impression than two or three of us mingled in all over.

We here in Missouri have been lucky. In recent years, most of our trails have been added to, maintained, and protected. We have the Show Me Backcountry Horsemen and MEC to speak for us. However, things are changing. This economy is affecting us in ways that nothing else could, and now, sitting back and letting other people do the work and speak for us isn't going to be enough.

There are many easy things we can do, one of the first things is to be seen when we go to something like this. Wear something obviously horse related. If it's only a shirt and a coat or jacket will cover it up, then get a jacket with a horse embroidered on it or some kind of logo-wear. Make sure the logo-wear includes a horse because many logos that only have letters on it mean nothing to non-equestrians. If you don't have or can't get that, be sure if you bring signs that specifically say you're an equestrian like: Equestrians for St. Louis Parks! or Trail riders for saving our county parks! (with a trail rider picture on the sign).

Be seen and heard!

County Council Meeting Tonight in Clayton

2011-11-15T09:37:00.001-06:00

Reminder: Rally at Clayton courthouse today at 4 pm, followed by public meeting at 6:30 pm regarding proposed park closures in St. Louis County. Please try to attend if at all possible. We plan on being there. Thank you!

10 Reasons To Use Hoof Boots

2011-11-12T23:47:00.000-06:00

Lucky wearing her Boa Boots. We want to change over to Gloves for her soon.

There are many reasons, in my opinion, to change your horse over to a barefoot lifestyle. Here are 10 quick reasons why using boots on your horse, instead of iron shoes, is a great idea.

1. They're easier to replace than an iron shoe if you lose it on the trail.

2. They provide fantastic traction on slippery slate rock terrain.

3. If you use gaiters, the gaiters provide protection for the heels & pasterns in rough terrain.

4. You don't have to worry about your horses getting injured worse due to a kick from an iron shod hoof.

5. Road riding is safer with hoof boots due to better traction.

6. Hoof boots leave less of an impact on the trail tread than an iron shoe does.

7. Going to the barefoot lifestyle is a much healthier choice for most horses.

8. If you learn to trim your horse yourself, hoof boots is often a more economical choice than iron shoes.

9. Boots provide more protection to the Frog and sole, while riding in rocky terrain, than iron shoes do.

10. You'll have boots on hand, if you find you need extra protection for your horse's hoof, due to an injury.

Cassie looking sporty in her Gloves. I have the orange keepers on hers, not for fit, but to be easy to see.

Fall Firearms Deer Season

2011-11-11T13:45:00.001-06:00

Don't forget tomorrow is the first day of Fall Firearms Deer Season here in Missouri. If your horse's pastures run along woods belonging to another property owner or public lands, bring your horse up close to your house or into your barn if you can.

Opening day is the busiest day of the season so, if you still plan to ride this weekend, make sure it's at a trail that doesn't allow hunting and wear hunter orange. Good luck to all the hunters out there and be safe everyone!

Christmas Ideas for the Equestrian Series

2011-11-10T12:44:00.001-06:00

If you're like me, you're already thinking about Christmas and trying to come up with gift ideas. Times are tight these days and I know a lot of people, us included, are trying to think of neat presents we can make or buy inexpensively. Each week I'll list a different Christmas present idea that is free or affordable.

Movies are always a good idea. You can buy them from the local store, Blockbuster, or amazon.com, but don't forget to keep an eye out for great horse titles at yard sales, and e-bay.

Here's a list of great horse movies for equestrians of any age:

1. Sylvester - 1985, Melissa Gilbert
2. The Story of Seabiscuit - 1949, Shirley Temple
3. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron - 2002, Animation
4. Tonka - 1958, Sal Mineo
5. Seabiscuit - 2003, Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges
6. Phar Lap - 1983, Tom Burlinson
7. National Velvet - 1944, Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney
8. Miracle of the White Stallions - 1963, Robert Taylor, Eddie Albert
9. The Man From Snowy River - 1982, Kirk Douglas, Tom Burlinson
10. Into the West - 1992, Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin
11. International Velvet - 1978, Tatum O'Neal, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Hopkins
12. The Horse Whisperer - 1998, Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill
13. The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit - 1968, Dean Jones
14. Hildago - 2004, Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif
15. Flicka - 2006, Alison Lohman, Tim McGraw
16. Dreamer - 2005, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning
17. Casey's Shadow - 1978, Walter Matthau, Alexis Smith
18. The Black Stallion - 1979, Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney
19. Black Beauty - 1971, Mark Lester, Walter Slezak
20. Black Beauty - 1994, Sean Bean, David Thewlis
21. All the Pretty Horses - 2000, Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz
22. Secretariat - 2010, Diane Lane, John Malkovich
23. Thunderhead, Son of Flicka - 1945, Roddy McDowall, Preston Foster
24. Derby Stallion - 2005, Bill Cobbs, Zac Effron
25. Gypsy Colt - 1954, Ward Bond, Francis Dee
26. Justin Morgan Had a Horse - 1972, Don Murray
27. King of the Wind - 1990, Richard Harris, Nigel Hawthorne
28. My Friend Flicka - 1943, Roddy McDowall
29. My Pal Trigger - 1946, Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes
30. Smoky - 1966, Fess Parker, Hoyt Axton
31. Son of Paleface - 1952, Bob Hope, Jane Russell, Roy Rogers
32. Wildfire: The Arabian Heart - 2010, Willa Townsend, Alex Bartlett
33. The Winter Stallion (The Christmas Stallion) - 1992, Daniel J. Travanti, Lynette Davies
34. In Pursuit of Honor - 1995, Don Johnson
35. Fury - 1955 - 1960, Peter Graves, Bobby Diamond
36. Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion - 1977, Leif Garrett, Milo O'Shea
37. Misty - 1961, David Ladd, Arthur O'Connell
38. Fancis the Talking Mule - 1950, Donald O'Connor
39. Mister Ed - 1958, Allan Lane, Alan Young
40. Brighty of the Grand Canyon - 1967 - Joseph Cotten, Pat Conway
41. The Horse With the Flying Tail - 1960, George Fenneman, Dorian Williams

I know this isn't all the movies there are, but these are some of the best known and my favorites. Many are hard to find. I hope it gives you a lot of ideas.

Winter Riding Tips Series

2011-11-08T10:55:00.002-06:00

Pretty but cold!

Winter Riding Safety

All trail riding has it's risks, but winter riding has its own list of special considerations.

We've addressed staying warm from a comfort standpoint, but we must always remember it's also a safety concern due to the possibility of hypothermia, a life threatening condition. Know the symptoms:

Shivering
Clumsiness or lack of coordination
Slurred speech or mumbling
Stumbling
Confusion
Poor decision making, such as trying to remove warm clothes
Drowsiness
Apathy
Weak Pulse
Slow shallow breathing

A person suffering from hypothermia isn't usually aware of their condition. The symptoms start gradually and their confused mind and poor decisions prevent them from understanding or doing anything about what's happening to them. This is why, when winter riding, it's essential to never ride alone.

Don't plan on riding a whole lot longer than an hour if it's below 35 degrees or snowy. That's more than enough time to exercise your horse as well as give you the opportunity to enjoy some time with him/her. If you ride for too long and come back too cold, it'll be hard to untack and you'll be less likely to want to spend the extra time brushing out and cooling down your horse, which is important.

Don't ride in ice, and if you ride in snow, pick your trail carefully. Don't ride extremely hilly or rocky trails. Hills could be slick and the snow will hide uneven footing, increasing your chance for injuries to you and your horse. Also, don't ride after the snow has had a chance to pack down or crust up. The safest snow to ride in is dry fluffy snow. Packed snow is slick and crusted snow can cut your horse's legs.

Don't ride in snow if your horse has iron shoes. They increase the snow balling up in your horse's hooves. Barefoot is better, boots are best. Barefoot horses will still experience snow balling up in their hooves to some degree, so spraying the bottom of their hooves with PAM or some other cooking spray will help.

Just as it's important to keep yourself warm, it's also important to keep your horse's muscles warm. It's best to ride with a rump rug. If your horse's muscles get chilled, it can cause muscle cramping. This can happen, not only on really cold days, but also on mild days when the temperature is cold in the mornings and warms up as the day progresses. Ride with a rump rug in the morning, then once the day gets warm, roll the rump rug up behind the saddle. One neat product I've seen, but don't have and haven't used, is a quarter sheet that covers the back of the horse and wraps around the rider, helping to keep the rider's legs warm too.


Although this one's being used by an english rider, I see no reason why it wouldn't work western too.

Although it's important to keep your horse's muscles warm, it's equally important to remember that your horse can get overheated this time of year too. Walking through snow, especially if it's deep, is harder physically on your horse and his thick long winter coat will heat him up faster. For this reason, it's more important that after your ride, you take the time to cool out your horse gradually if he's sweaty. Walk the last half mile to mile to the trailhead, then once at the trailhead, either cover your horse with a wool blanket or at least keep his saddle blanket/pad on until he's dry underneath. Curry comb him out good, and you're ready to head home. Make sure your trailer is closed up with good ventilation or you have a blanket for your horse while being trailered.

Do you have any other cold riding tips? Don't hesitate to let us know in the comments....

Winter Riding Tips Series

2011-11-07T12:29:00.002-06:00

Would you ride in this weather?

Staying Warm

Winter is right around the corner. Most people take the winter off from riding because they don't like the cold or snow, but winter riding can be one of the best times to ride if you take the right precautions to stay warm.

Just think, you can ride with no horse flies, spiders across the trail, or yellow jackets. You can see farther into the woods with all the leaves down, often seeing things you wouldn't see the rest of the year.

It's important to dress right for this time of the year. Dressing in several light loose layers will keep you warmer than a shirt and heavy coat or many bulky layers. Bulky layers constrict your movement and make it harder to move or do things like mount and dismount. Loose layers will trap your body heat between them, helping to insulate you like a bird's feathers. Layers also make it easier for you to adjust your clothing to suit your comfort. Adding or removing layers as needed throughout the day.

If you can find and afford them, silk long underwear are worth the investment. Silk evaporates moisture better than cotton so you won't have a damp layer against your skin should you get overheated. Then a layer of cotton (long sleeved t-shirt or sweatshirt) then a flannel shirt. A windbreaker to finish off with will help protect you from the wind. For pants, fleece lined pants or long johns, then jeans, topped off with windpants will keep your legs warm on the coldest of days.

Like your Mom probably told you, you lose most of your body heat through your head, so even if you don't wear a hat the rest of the year, it's important from a safety point, to wear a hat now. There are many kinds to consider, but two great options are one with ear flaps to keep your ears warm, or a Balaclava. It covers your face and neck, like a ski mask, but not as tight.

Balaclava

For me, if my toes and fingers are cold, I'm miserable, so gloves and a way to keep my feet warm are essential. There's nothing worse than being so cold you can't move your fingers. Good winter gloves that work but aren't too bulky can be hard to find. I had some several years back, but they wore out a long time ago and I haven't found any as good yet. If I find another pair that work as well, we'll review them here and spread the word. Then I'll buy several pairs. LOL For my feet, I try to wear two pair of socks, cotton next to my skin, then wool. That entails wearing a slightly larger boot/riding tennis shoe, and then you have to make sure your stirrup is big enough to accomodate that. One thing I plan to try and review this year is the Cashel Cosy Toes. Check back later this winter to read about that.

Now you've read what I like to use to stay warm while riding in the winter. Now, share what works for you? Do you know of any product that you just love? Tell us about it....

Tomorrow: Safety considerations for you and your horse.

Hunting Season Reminder

2011-11-05T10:17:00.003-05:00

From Lalita -

Don't forget that although firearms turkey season is over, firearms deer (youth) is today and tomorrow. Adult firearms deer runs Nov 12 -22 statewide. Antlerless runs from Nov 23 - Dec 4th in certain areas only, and Muzzleloader is Dec 17-27 statewide. There is also another youth hunt Jan 7-8. This is part of why our county parks are so important - they are a safe place to ride, hike, etc during hunting season.

Save St. Louis Parks Public Meeting Info

2011-11-04T18:41:00.001-05:00

Please consider coming and making your voice heard. If you fill out a speaker card, you will have 2 minutes to present your thoughts on this proposal.

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There will be a rally before the meeting. Here's a flyer about that:

Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

2011-11-04T10:17:00.001-05:00

Nothing caps off a day of cold weather trail riding like a great cup of cocoa! I love hot chocolate and prefer to make my own mix. I've tried a lot of different recipes but this is the one I like the most. It's easy and cheaper to make than buying pre-made packets so you can have it as often as you want.

Hot Cocoa Mix
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup coffee creamer
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, incorporating evenly. To make your hot chocolate, fill your mug half full with the mix and fill with hot water. Store the rest in an airtight container. This will keep indefinitely.

The cornstarch makes the cocoa thicker so don't leave it out. If you can find it, use whole milk powder. For variations, you can use flavored coffee creamer such as french vanilla. Other additions that are great include adding cinnamon or a peppermint in the bottom of your mug. For a festive touch, you can stir your hot chocolate with candy cane. Lastly, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the whole batch for a hint of spiciness.

Rainy Days

2011-11-03T10:54:00.001-05:00

It's raining here where we live. I'm glad cause, we needed the rain, and I'm tired and need a break from all the work we've been doing. LOL We still have a lot to do, so I need the chance to recharge....

Horses were acting crazy yesterday. Running around like fools, kicking, bucking, and farting... lol They're enjoying the cooler weather and NO FLIES!

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet? Are you making or buying gifts for your horse? Do you have horse friends to buy for? If so, don't forget we have Missouri Trailblazing Books and Riding Journals for sale. They make great gifts! Order early to avoid the rush... Just visit our store above to order. Thanks!

Online Petition to save St. Louis Parks

2011-11-02T20:01:00.000-05:00

Here's two things you can do in the fight to save St. Louis County Parks.

1. Visit this sight and sign the petition. http://affton.patch.com/articles/petition-launches-to-save-county-parks

2. You can also email each of these people and let them know how you feel:
The parks closing include major units (and a few equestrian trail parks) including Greensfelder, West Tyson, Lone Elk, Sioux Passage, and Fort Bellefontaine.

Time is short to put the brakes on this unbelievable move to degrade the quality of life for all metro area citizens. Please make your voices heard by emailing the following elected officials.

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley
http://www.stlouisco.com/YourGovernment/CountyExecutive/DearCharlie
(314) 615-7016

St. Louis County Council District 1 Councilwoman Hazel Erby
HErby@stlouisco.com
(314) 615-5436

St. Louis County Council District 2 Councilwoman Kathleen Kelly Burkett
KBurkett@stlouisco.com
(314) 615-5437

St. Louis County Council District 3 Councilwoman Colleen Wasinger
CWasinger@stlouisco.com
(314) 615-5438

St. Louis County Council District 4 Councilman Michael O'Mara
MOmara@stlouisco.com
(314) 615-5439

St. Louis County Council District 5 Councilman Pat Dolan
PDolan@stlouisco.com
(314) 615-5441

St. louis County Council District 6 Councilman Steve Stenger
SStenger@stlouisco.com
(314) 615-5442

St. Louis County Council District 7 Councilman Greg Quinn
GQuinn@stlouisco.com
(314) 615-5443

Here is a link to a story in the Post Dispatch on the closings:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_44accba7-b5f6-585e-8f16-d2157ae496f1.html

Sam A. Baker Trail Ride

2011-11-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

The rockiest trail I've ever ridden.

Early Saturday morning, Lalita and I headed out to Sam A. Baker State Park looking forward to a day filled with riding, talking, and enjoying the Fall colors. I was really looking forward to getting a lot of pictures and video to add to the website, and in general, just enjoying some much needed time away.

It was still pretty cold when we got there, but we were dressed in layers and it was easy to stay warm while tacking up the horses. Just before heading up the trail, I wanted to get some pictures of the trailhead. I was surprised when, after one picture, my camera was giving me a low battery warning. They were brand new batteries so the camera should have been able to take lots of pictures and some video before being low. Oh well, bad batteries.... It happens. I wasn't worried though because I came fully prepared for a long day of camera use since I had 14 new batteries with me. I change the batteries and we were on our way. Little did I know that was a forewarning of what the rest of the day was going to be like.

Mudlick Trail is a very rocky trail with some steep hills. In fact, you barely get going and you're already going up the longest steepest hill on the trail. Along the ride, I try to get a few pictures, but again, I get low battery signal. Well, I've never tried to take pictures in this cold of weather, so I didn't know batteries don't like the cold. Lalita suggested I put the remaining batteries in my pocket for body heat. We continue. Things are going good. The horses are taking their time. They've been here several times before and know it's a long hard trail so they seem to be conserving their energy. I'm managing to get a few pictures here and there, but only getting one or two pictures per battery change.

At about 2.5 miles in, Lalita's horse Flirt starts acting strangely. He's repeatedly throwing his head up and down hard and refusing to move forward. After several moments of not being able to convince him to continue, I ride Jinx into the lead. We figure Flirt would follow but other than about 3 steps or so, he remained unmoved, still throwing his head. Knowing how good of a trail horse Flirt is, Lalita knows something must be wrong and she notices some shaking in his right front shoulder. She dismounts to check him over. Sure enough, the whole right side of his chest, shoulder, and leg is quaking. We had no forewarning that something was wrong before he started throwing his head. No lameness, no favoring his leg, no other balking...

Lalita starts massaging his chest, shoulder, and leg, noticing that there is a hard lumped up ridge of muscle in his chest. After some rest and the massaging, the quaking stops. We think he might have had a Charley Horse or muscle spasms, but since we don't know for sure what's wrong, we decide to head back to the horse trailer. Lalita, being the good horse mom that she is, leads him back instead of riding him.

Lalita leading Flirt back to the trailer.

We thought it would take hours to get back with Lalita on foot over this extremely rough terrain, but we were pleasantly surprised it wasn't bad at all. Lalita thought she'd be tired and have to rest a lot along the way, but other than stopping to check on Flirt to make sure he was still fine, she barely stopped and wasn't even out of breath much. She did great! We agreed before heading back that if she got too tired, we'd switch horses and she could ride a while and I'd lead Flirt, but she never needed to do that. I felt bad about riding while she was doing all the hiking, but like she said, it would not be a good thing if I got hurt or tired and then she'd have to worry about how to get both me and Flirt back. She also didn't want me too tired to hike if she did need to trade horses later so, it was sound judgement for one of us to stay horseback....

Once back at the trailhead, we let the horses rest while we enjoyed some lunch and talked for quite a while. We were happy things turned out as well as they did under the circumstances and saw no reason to hurry back home since the horses seemed fine and we could still enjoy the time away...

Lalita kept an eye on Flirt the rest of the weekend and called her Vet on Monday. He figured that Flirt did have muscle spasms or a Charley Horse, just like we thought, and wasn't too concerned. We do think next time we ride this trail, we'll warm the horses muscle's up first by riding them around the trailhead for a few minutes (Today's tip of the day).

Have you ever experienced your horse having an episode like this? Charley Horse or muscle cramps?
For more pictures and information about this trail, check out our trail page: Sam A. Baker State Park

Urgent! Greensfelder Park Could Close Soon.

2011-11-01T14:12:00.003-05:00

According to e-mails we have received, and backed up with an article in the Post, there are several St. Louis County Parks on the list to close in the near future due to severe budget cuts. Here's the St. Louis Today article:
www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_44a771df-b9ed-507e-8b49-7bf8ec381d85.html

Several of these parks have horse trails, and most importantly, Greensfelder Park is listed.

Save the date of Nov. 15th for a county council meeting. We will post the details of where and what time it is, as soon as we find out, so we can all show up to voice our opposition.

I'll post more info as I find out about it.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:16:00.002-05:00

Lalita and I went riding at Sam A. Baker State Park on Saturday. A lot happened that I want to share, so I'm in the process of writing a short article and making a video. I plan on having it on here tomorrow, so have a safe & happy Halloween, and check back with us tomorrow!

Sam A. Baker Bound

2011-10-28T10:05:00.001-05:00

I won't be on posting over the weekend. Lalita and I are going to be riding at Sam A. Baker S. P. trail tomorrow. I plan to get plenty of video and pictures to work with, so look for both added to the website in the near future.

Sam A. Baker is one of our favorite trails. It's gorgeous but challenging. We'll be riding Lalita and David's horses Flirt and Jinx because my horses aren't physically fit enough to ride here yet. For more information about this trail, see the information page here on this site: Sam A. Baker State Park

Are you riding this weekend? If so, where are you headed to?

Our Plans for Missouri Trailblazing

2011-10-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want for Missouri Trailblazing. What I want it to do as well as what I want from it.

Back in 1996, when I wrote and published the first version of our book, my financial goal had been to sell just enough books to someday be able to buy a two-horse horse trailer. At the time that seemed like a big dream. LOL I'm happy to say that, although I didn't get rich from it, I made more than enough money to surpass that dream. Thank you all for helping me with that!

In 2006, when I started this website, my goal was to quit producing the book and make the whole thing web-based. I was frustrated by the limitations I felt I had with the book, being able to see in my mind's eye a vast array of neat stuff that I could do with a website. Unlimited space for all the info I wanted to add; color pictures & maps; videos, interactive things like a forum; a way to bring the trail riding community together.

I've got a good start on all that, but again, I find myself frustrated with how hard it was to change and add info to the website setup I have. So, I'm changing it again. My hope is that this change will make it easy for me to add info, news, tips, articles, and anything else I can think of, as often as I want. I didn't stay consistant because it just became a pain in the rear to deal with. Please have patience with me as I work on our website and get everything moved over. I hope you'll find it'll be worth it when you find yourself enjoying an easy to use site with information added to it at least weekly in the off season and more often during riding season. I envision it being an information/news/media/blog/entertainment website.

Thanks so much!

We're going to have a baby!

2011-10-25T21:07:00.002-05:00

Baby horse, that is..... LOL

We decided we wanted to have a chance to raise and train a horse up from day one. I've had one that I trained, starting at 18 months old and he turned out to be one of the best horses I owned - even if he was an Arab. ;-) I also started to train a 6 month old colt, but didn't get to keep and finish him out because I lost him to my ex-husband in a divorce a long time ago....

We can't breed Cassie due to life threatening issues. She's been in foal twice in the past, lost both, and the last one almost killed her too. We got her at the price we did because we promised to never breed her. Lucky has also had two foals. I've seen how both of them came out and couldn't be happier with what she and the Sire we've picked, produced.

The stallion we're breeding to is from Loeb-A-Rosa Ranch, here in Owensville, MO, where we got both Lucky and Cassie. His name is Betwixt and Between, but they call him BB. Here's pictures of him:

Lucky's two foals were both out of this same Stud. Both were colts. Her first colt was born in 2006. His name was Loeb-A-Rosa Bandit. Here's what he looked like:

Her second colt was born in 2007. His name was Loeb-A-Rosa Rock Bandit. Here's what he looked like:

He looked the most like her, but was a bigger horse. He was over 15 hands high. I hope ours isn't so big. LOL Rock Bandit was very laid back, almost lazy.

Lucky is at the ranch right now being bred, so she should have the foal in late September or early October.
I can't wait!

About Us

2011-10-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Cassie and I

I have, of course, loved horses all my life. I collected model horses while a child, waiting patiently until the day I could have my own real horse.

My first horse was a pony that my Grandparents got me when I was about 10. His name was Star. He was kept in Illinois so I didn't get to see him too often, but that didn't matter, he was real and he was mine.
At 14, I started working at Valley Mount Ranch as a trail guide. I worked there for 2 summers.

Several more horses and several years later, I can say that I have been a serious trail rider since about 1988.
I've been lucky enough to have a lot of great experiences from the top of a horse. In 1993 I went to Montana to ride in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and to learn some back country packing skills. My plan had been to work on a ranch in Montana in the summer and come back home to Missouri in the winter. After 3 different episodes where I thought I was going to die in that one long weekend of riding in the wilds of Montana, I couldn't wait to high-tail it back home where I felt safe. That is indirectly how I ended up writing a book on Missouri's horse trails. I decided if I was going to stay here and ride, I needed to find a few places I could take my horse. I don't know what surprised me more, that fact that we had so many places here to ride, or that there was no easy way to find out about them all, like in a book or a website. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I've ridden in several of the trails here in Missouri. Babler, Audubon, Greensfelder, Little Indian Creek, Meramec, Long Ridge, Castlewood, Chubb, Forest 44, Rockwoods Range, St. Francois, and St. Joe - All in the St. Louis Area. In other parts of the state, I've ridden at Canaan, Kaintuck, Sam Baker, Swan Creek, Paddy Creek, and Glade Top.

In addition to writing Missouri Trailblazing, I've put together a trail riding journal, work on coloring books, and a couple of other projects are on the back burners.

When I'm not riding or working, my other interests include genealogy, cottage gardening, camping, crafting and playing games. I love board games and have a fairly good collection of them.
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Lalita and Flirt

Co-Author: Lalita Creighton

Lalita Creighton has lived in Missouri for most of her life and currently resides in Jefferson County, MO with her husband, their two horses, potbellied pigs, and cats. She started riding at 8 years of age and started working as a trail guide at a rental stable when she was 13. After graduating college, she bought her first horse and there's been no keeping her off Missouri's trails since.

She also used ot show in local fun shows in classes such as Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, and Equitation. Lalita has ridden in many places in Missouri including Berryman Trail and Bell Mountain Wilderness in Mark Twain National Forest; portions of the Courtois and Trace Creek sections of the Ozark Trail; several Conservation areas such as Little Indain Creek, Long Ridge, Meramec, Daniel Boone, Rockwoods Range, and Forest 44; many of the State Parks including St. Joe, St. Francois, Sam Baker, Route 66, Johnson's Shut-Ins, and Cuivre River; and in the St. Louis County parks Greensfelder, Queeny, Fort Bellefontaine, and West Tyson. She is a member of the Missouri Equine Council, the American Quarter Horse Association, and the Show-Me Back Country Horsemen. Lalita is also the treasurer for a non-profit organization called United Pet Pig Registry, which is a registry for pet pigs of any kind and is on the board of directors for Planet Pig, a potbellied pig sanctuary in Franklin County, MO.

Lalita can be contacted at lalita@motrailblazing.com and would be happy to talk 'trail' with you.
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Hank and Breezy

My Husband, Hank

I guess God knew what he was doing when he made us wait to meet each other so late in life, but I still haven't been able to figure it out. Hank and I met in an online horse chat room. Neither one of us were looking for anyone, but after a year of talking to each other online, we met when I picked up a pony he was selling. It was love at first sight. He asked me to marry him 4 days later and we were married 4 months and 1 day after first seeing each other. That was almost 15 years ago and the honeymoon still isn't over. A cabinet maker by trade, he is one of those handy man types that can do just about anything. The thing he does best though, is spoil me rotten. There's not too much he doesn't let me do or have. He's truly the compass in my life who keeps me from getting lost.

He has also loved horses most of his life, but unlike me, didn't get to do much with that interest until we got together. His first real trail horse, Mystic, died in a freak accident in 2001. We looked for years for a good replacement. We went through several different horses, but we've finally found two great little mares, so we've worked out way through that problem and should find ourselves out on the trail and back in camp this year.

When not riding or working, he enjoys target practice, camping, studying history (especially the Civil War), reading, listening to and playing music.

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David Creighton

Lalita's Husband, David

Bio coming soon!

Jinx

2011-10-15T02:12:00.000-05:00


Jinx

Jinx is Lalita's husband, David's mount. She's the horse that I ride when Lalita and I ride her horses together. Jinx is more flashy than Flirt, but she's not nearly as athletic. A good all around trusty trail horse, she's calm and experienced, and never fails to try and sneak in a bite when her rider's not paying attention.... LOL

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Flirt

2011-10-15T02:08:00.000-05:00


Flirt at home

Flirt is Lalita's trail horse. She's had him for quite a few years now and he's really turned into a much trusted mount for her. She trusts him enough to ride alone with him out on the trail. He's very athletic, handy, and sure-footed on the trail. A been there done that kind of horse that can calmly negotiate any trail terrain that you want to take him over.

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Lucky

2011-10-15T02:03:00.000-05:00

To look at them you might not guess it, but Lucky is a full sister to Cassie. Having a more typical Tennessee Walker build, she's bigger and more angular than Cassie. She's also got that bigger Walker head on her, although it doesn't look too big for her body like some of them do.

Lucky's a great horse, but she's no where near as personable as Cassie is. She's great on the trail, but she can be a bit more of a handful than Cassie at times so, that along with her taller height makes her a bit intimidating to kids. Experienced kids have no problem with her though and most of my nieces and nephew love her too.

Cassie and Lucky are like two peas in a pod. You usually see them together. They often walk in unison and have no arguments when sharing grain. In fact, if we pour grain in two separate buckets and try to separate them in the paddock, Cassie won't eat her grain.

Their both black and white pintos, but we have no trouble telling them apart. Cassie is more white, with a white butt and a star on her forehead. Lucky is more black with a black butt and a blaze on her face.


Lucky, saddled and grazing while she waits

Sean and Maranda loving on Lucky


Getting ready to ride again

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Cassie

2011-10-15T01:43:00.000-05:00

We had gotten Cassie for Hank at first, but when we got Lucky, he preferred her. For a short time, when we still had Shadow, Cassie was delegated to kid's horse.

We had to downsize to just two horses, so after much contemplating, we decided to keep Cassie and sell Shadow, so now Cassie is my horse.

Always the first to the gate to greet anyone, we often jokingly call her "Miss Congeniality". She loves humans and will follow me around like a puppy dog. After Majic, I swore my next horse would be shorter. At just 14.2 hands but with a short back and stocky build she's the perfect size for me and carries me with no problem even though I'm a "fluffy" rider.

She'll never be for sale. She's a trustworthy trail mount for someone with experience like me or someone with no experience like kids, and she's got personality plus.... She's the horse that's loved by everyone.


Cassie and my niece Taylor


Cassie and our son Jeremy


Cassie with Taylor again

Jeremy riding Cassie bareback and bridle-less

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