Welcome, Y'all, to a private little place made just for you.

For those of you who are new, here is a link to a video that explains our dude ranch work. For you oldtimes lurking about, here's a memory that will probably make you cry.

So What is occuring for 2010? And, What is NOToccuring for 2010?

Wrangler Safety Certification course!
You will find a collection of articles that we will use in your orientation Dude Ranch Orientation Articles.

On our dude ranch home page we say:
"Sundance Trail is a dude ranch with a special quality... The moment you arrive, you'll feel it. The feeling is "home." Sundance is our home, and while you are here, it will be yours too. Our home is a place of recreation, relaxation and retreat, where friendships are formed and a lifetime of memories are made."

This sounds real hokey, but you know, there's some truth there...

We believe that this "home feeling" and can be especially true for you dude ranch staff. The summer will be intense and very busy with lots of hard work, but it can also leave you with lifetime friendships and good memories.

NOTHING tickles us more than see you staff type folks returnming to visit years later! (At 50% discoiunt!) > This page is to give you an introduction to some of the people and horses who will be living here this summer. We hope this will give you a bit of a "familiar feeling" for the place before you arrive, and make it a bit easier to get oriented.

Handy-Dandy Guide to the folks and horses around here...

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Comments: Hello, I am the hired slave driver. I am here to whip you into shape, make sure you are up before the sun, not in bed until long after the sun sets, and that you have an all-around miserable time. My goal for the summer is to wipe that beautiful, pearly white smile off of Kristina's face. Good luck to me!

Ok, so maybe not exactly. I'd like to tell you a little about myself, but I have no idea what to say now...I'm quite a confused kid. So, here's my best effort. I grew up in NW Kansas and eastern Colorado, I lived in Florida for 4 years, which is where I came from last summer, expected to return there after my summer, met a boy, didn't go back to Florida, and am still around the ranch area. Do I live in Florida or Colorado? Don't really know...I'm here...my stuff is in Florida.

I'm looking forward to another great summer and happy to know the first few months should go a little more smoothly now that I have a handle on how I like things run. I look forward to meeting all of you and can almost guarantee this will be one of the best summers of your life...unless you were here last year and then we'll just have to MAKE it better than last summer..Good luck to us! :)

. Here is my little back ground statement:

Hey ya’ll! My name is Kristina, a little background about me….I am from Georgia, I am about to finish my third year at Georgia College and State University, I am a middle grades education major. I have been riding horses for most of my life, and loving being around the barn and animals, well except for turkeys! I also enjoy being active, go running, playing volleyball, just being outside.

I am a military brat so I do have a tendency to say yes ma’am, no sir, which I found out last summer that not everyone says this ha. I am from the south and sound like I come form the south, I talk with a bit of an accent but I still love it!

I love to have fun but I know when it is time to work and what is appropriate at certain times. I am easy to get along with and can’t wait for anther summer at Sundance! Can’t wait to meet everybody this summer! ?

Comments: My name is Jessica Isabella Beethe. Everyone calls me Isabel or Bella. Originally from Houston, TX, I moved to Oklahoma City, OK to go to college. I graduated in ’08 with a BFA in Graphic Design and Advertising with a concentration in illustration. In the fall of ’06, while I was a junior in college, I started a small design and marketing firm with two friends of mine, called RedHouse. We were in good business until Jan. ’09 when one of my partners decided that he’d had enough selling and marketing and wanted to run off to New York to become a fulltime photographer. My other business partner (my life partner as well, Donovan. He is here at the ranch too) and I thought, what the hell, and we closed the firm down (honestly, we too had had enough of the corporate art world and were ready to leave). The following week we had sold everything that we could sell, had packed up what we needed and moved on.

We left OKC in early April ’09 and traveled the SW USA for a month in our car; camping and hiking our way through New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Colorado. In early May we wound up at the Shambhala Mountain Center, 6 miles from Sundance Trail Guest Ranch. I worked as a chef in the kitchen there. (I do love to cook – and I’m pretty damn good if I do say so myself). At some point during the beginning of August, I approached Dan and Ellen to become a volunteer here at the ranch. I worked one day a week in exchange for getting to work with the horses and learn what I could. When I was younger (8yr-16yr old) I went every summer to stay with my grandfather’s sister’s family in southern Illinois. I worked with horses then but it was pretty basic and it has been quite some time since then and I wanted more experience. With the Ranch so close to the Mountain Center, I had the perfect opportunity. But then Shambhala had their winter lay-offs. Neither Donovan nor I was really sure where we were going or doing since we had been expecting to be at Shambhala for a whole year (that was how long we had been hired on for). I talked with Dan and Ellen about what was happening to let them know that I wouldn’t be able to volunteer anymore and they presented Donovan and I the prospect of coming to work for them during the winter. And thus, here we are.

I love to read, draw, get tattoos, draw tattoos, do yoga, cook, listen to music, watch movies, rock climb, hike, camp and learn anything of interest. I’m a pretty quiet person and get along well in any situation. Come October, Donovan and I will be moving on to somewhere outside the US. Our intentions, at the moment, are to head toward Nepal/Laos/Northern India to teach English as a second language.

I look forward to meeting all of you this coming Spring and working with you throughout the Summer. Cheers!

Comments: Hey,

My name is Rachael Barron and I am one of those true Floridians. I was born and raised in central Florida. I come from a crazy southern family; I love them and wouldn’t trade them for the world. I love just about any animal and am working to get my degree in animal behavior and business.

At the present, I go to school at a community college, volunteer, and work part-time. I love anything that has to do with the outdoors; including biking, camping, canoeing, four wheeling, mudding, horseback riding, and just about anything else.

I’m a pretty easy going person and love to try new things.

Have any other questions fill free to ask. If not I’ll be seeing yall this summer!

Name: Donovan
E-mail: keegandonovanokeefe@gmail.com
Position: Mainly Wrangler, but he does everything.

Comments: A little about me?

What would you like to know? And what would tell you who I am? I have no idea. Like all of us. A picture and a few words tell us next to nothing about ourselves. It only creates ambiguous accusations about what might be.

But I suppose I could say I am a practical, simple, creative person. Whatever that means.

I’ve written books, owned companies, spent time in almost every state in the US and been to 8 foreign countries. I’ve sold paintings for $3,000, managed bands, hosted concerts and created music videos. I’ve lived on streets in New York and Los Angeles, traveled from Oklahoma City to Kansas City via box car, got kicked off and hitchhiked to Chicago (as well as most of I-40). I’ve gotten stuck in the middle of the Nevada desert in June and walked 19 of 20 miles with no shoes towards the nearest gas station, got picked up on the last mile and dropped off at the pump. I’m not sure what these things matter to you or to me but I suppose they are something to tell you.

I am a transient person by nature. But I have little to say about my past or my future. I like music, art, physics, biology, geography, astronomy, philosophy, and all of humanities religious and spiritual expressions.

All I know is that I love to be where I am and always enjoy people, places, and things.

Life is a marvels adventure that continuously stretches out before us.

I know each one of you will have an effect on my life that will stay with me for as long as I live.

See you soon. And try not to remember any of this when you meet me. It will be better that way.

Peace, love, and understanding

Anyways, to be a bit more SERIOUS… I love horses. Well, isn’t that obvious!?!?! All animals too- snakes, spiders, insects, turtles, monkeys, whales, dolphins... you name it. Oh, and especially deep sea creatures that I learn about on t.v. that look kinda creepy. Like the kind that give you the heebie-jeebies just looking at on a t.v. screen and if you were to face them up close and personal you would probably pee your pants (not that it would matter, you’d be in the ocean anyway!)

I’m easy going. And when I say that I don’t mean lazy, I mean I get along with everyone. I never waste my energy on drama, life is too short. I snowboard and love it! Since college began I haven’t had a chance to do as much outdoor activity as I’m use to, but hopefully all that will change upon graduating this May. I will be earning a bachelor’s in biology shortly after May- but I consider myself to have earned a degree of “going-broke-due-to-college-expenses-and-learning-to-live-off-ramen-noodles-and-beer, being learned, acquiring-endless-patients, learning-to-try-harder-and-not-go-out-on-Friday-nights-when-you-have-important-studying-to-do, being-satisfied-with-the-grade-you-got-rather-than-beating-yourself-up-over-it, putting-up-with-your-roommates-snoring-and-late-night-calls, sharing-a-bathroom-and-learning-to-like-it-with-the-20-other-people-on-your-wing, studying-until-2am-in-the-morning-because-you-still-don’t-know-enough-about-photosynthesis-and-cellular-respiration-to-satify-your-professor, learning-to-thrive-on-the-fact-that-there’s-not-enough-time-in-the-day-to-accomplish-everything-you-wrote-on-your-theoretical-to-do-list, and the-importance-of-drinking-coffee-24-hours-a-day, 7-days-week” degree. Whew! I’d say I’m quite proud of it…

My other hobbies include frisbee golf,hiking, painting (I’m not that great at it, hence “hobby”), laughing, smiling so much on purpose that I weird people out, being random, telling jokes, making other people laugh, making funny faces, crossing my eyes in the wind just to see if they will pemanently get stuck (I've been lucky so far), enjoying the moment, playing (not working) with horses, learning cool, yet deemed “useless facts” by the general population (I WILL be on jeopardy one day!), acquiring all the knowledge that I can given the average human lifespan is about 80 years (which I personally think is way too short!), hanging out with my two younger sisters, picking on my youngest brother (only because it’s my civic duty to do so!), building forts, playing in the mud, using my imagination (because I still have one), challenging myself constantly, and exploring the unknown…

Comments: Hey people I am Ivan an I’m a new Yorker an it may sound weird but I can live in the country perfectly.

I love to ride horses and play guitar.

My grandfather is the now my boss so im going to be the best sport with just about everything and don’t call me (booger) I am not that big so I will be trying to do the big heavy work. I can chop wood like no bodies business. I ‘m good with kids 10 and up so I can help with the kid wraggler and I ride drag allot. And I can the dishes very well.

so that’s me and I am full bred Russain but I cannot speak it any more.

Name: Timothée Pley
E-mail: timoui992@hotmail.fr
Position: Mainly Wrangler Intern, but he does everything. Tim earrives in mid or late July for about 6 weeks.

Comments: My name is Timothée Pley. I am from Lyon, in France. I spent the last two summers at JW Rafter Ranch, at Greeley, Colorado. I loved the wrangler job I did there and I really wanted to come back to Colorado and live another experience of the same kind. I've been riding horses for most of my life. I love outdoors, nature, and my second passion is fishing. I also enjoy being very active, swimming, playing volleyball, soccer and most of the sports (except climbing!!) . I want to become a veterinary, specialized in equestrian medicine.

I can't wait for my new adventure at Sundance Trail and I'm looking forward to meeting all of you this summer!

That's it!

Comments: I was born in Croatia, in it's capital Zagreb and have lived here all my live. Zagreb is called a little America, and there is even a song about this.

There was a lot of stuff to do here, so as kids we used to do all kinds of foolishness that often got us into trouble and in danger. For example there was a local abandoned construction site with half completed building and very tall crane. So our activities included everything from bombarding people with snowballs from the top, exploring what happens to a water melon dropping from the fifth flor, to escaping from the construction site guard.

I consider ourselfs the last generation that didn't spend their childhood playing video games.

I'm currently enrolled in the last year of petroleum engineering study and still don't know what and where would want to work. A lot of "w" here. Who knows where life can take you, but it took me to the STR, and that's another coincidence how I even ended up looking for a job in the USA.

I have never been outside of Europe, so going to the STR is really exciting for me. Hope to meet a lot of people here and make some new friends. Can't wait to meet you all.

Comments:Howdy,

Here’s a little about me. My name is James, I’m an Australian from a smallish country town in the North West part of New South Wales called Moree. I’ve just recently graduated from mechanical engineering at Sydney University and now find myself in the fortunate position of spending one year traveling around the States on a working visa! I applied for this job because, despite having no real cowboy experience, I noticed the Sundance Trail Guest Ranch on the internet and thought that learning to ride horses and live in the rockies sounded pretty cool.

I like sports and outdoor activities, and play Rugby Union (not too sure if anyone’ll be too familiar with rugby, but come Bledisloe Cup time I’ll do my best to inform anyone interested about the game they play in heaven), like to fish, play cricket and dabble poorly at surfing. I also like building and taking things apart… hence the mechanical engineering. At the moment I’m being a ski bum at Grand Targhee resort and just starting to look forward to a change of scenery and some warmer weather! Can’t wait to start at the ranch.

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. Comments: Lori and Darren (and rarely Darren's evil twin brother) visit us two or three times each year. They torture new staff. We are trying to encourage Lori to sell her photographs. When here Darren often takes up a project, such as maintaining the tractor. The tractor loves Darren.

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These are some of the animals that we own, we will have a total of about 40 horses this spring, along with dogs, goats, chickens, a variable number of cats, two donkies, 5 baby turkeys and NO rabbits.

Name: Annie B aka Annie Oakly
Color & Markings: Buckskin
Horse Age: 1998
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: Medium
Rider Skill: More experienced riders.
Bit: Padded soft hackamore
Watch for: Annie can get anxious on the trail. Has a very fast walk, which some riders enjoy, and which intimidates anxious riders. She has no jog/trot - do NOT use to teach trotting to new riders. Very sensitive sides. Can be hard to catch - loves to play and test!
Comments: A wrangler favorite. Purchased 3/08. Has a lovely habit of placing both front feet in water troug and kicking all of the water out. Coco and Wynona are learnig this as well... so the three mares can empty all three water troughs at the same time... sigh...

Name: Apache
Color & Markings: Liver sorrel gelding with brown spot on L butt, solid face
Horse Age: 1988
Horse Size: Small
Rider Size: Medium (not counting Dan)
Rider Skill: Wrangler/Advanced only.
Bit: Low port
Watch for: Fast & headstrong. Loves to run. Loves to lead - hates to follow. Watch nutrition/weight!
Comments: Dan's horse. Apache has started showing his age this year - dan will probably not him ride much, as Dan is getting very fat. Wranglers may now share the best horse on the ranch.

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Name: Asia
Color & Markings: Bay; star, strip, snip
Horse Age: '03
Horse Size: Small
Rider Size: Small
Rider Skill: Advanced & Wrangler only
Bit: In D ring snaffle - might soon be time to move to tom thumb
Watch for: head strong!! Asia is at the very bottom of the pecking order (watch weight) - so she is going to test you every step of every ride. Very fast! Bolts when held back. Watch trees & branches! Lead only - she does not like to follow!
Comments: New fall of '09 She will be an awesome little horse when she developes a bit of confidence and calms down.

Name: Clyde
Color & Markings: Clydesdale/QH mix gelding.
Horse Age: 1995
Horse Size: Very large
Rider Size: Any
Rider Skill: Beginner
Watch for: Has a heart of gold, but rider must watch for branches vs. knees and head (ouch!). Walks slowly.
Comments: Difficult to bit, as he got into bitting argument with a guest and we all lost. Bit very slowly, gently and with patience & praise - it may take a full 2 or 3 minutes to bit - please do not rush! It will get easier when he developes some trust in you. Insist that he bring his head down to your level!

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Name: Cherokee
Color & Markings: Tan Apoloosa (no tail, no mane, ugly! sweet!), lots of brands
Horse Age: 1994
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: Medium
Rider Skill: Spirited Beginner
Bit: Low port
Watch for: This animal is a sweetheart. Walks fast! Likes to run. Watch for sudden right turns when loping (this was prpbably the rider kicking - we are still watching to see if this is a habit or what?).
Comments: Cherokee is our first "Boarder." He belongs to Brian and Merrily and Shane. When they here, they get "first dibs" on him.

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Cimmaron on the left, with her little brother Montee on the right.

Name: Cimarron
Color & Markings: Dark Bay, strip. Note R rear sock.
Horse Age: 2004
Horse Size: Clydesdale- QH cross Big girl!
Rider Size: Big
Rider Skill: Begginer or Intermediate - still occasionally spooks (minor) on the trail if away from other horses.
Bit: draft (6" wide ?) tom thumb with short shanks
Watch for: VERY buddy sour - calm when in the middle of the group, anxious when alone. Will walk as fast or slowly as asked.
Comments: Purchased fall of 2007.

Name: Coco
Color & Markings: Brown
Horse Age: '06
Horse Size: Percheron - Our largest horse!
Rider Size: XXL
Rider Skill: Advanced until she gets more experience
Bit: O ring snaffle
Watch for: Little girl is timid - spooks at everything! Will bolt if rider gets spooked.
Comments: I would like to work her under wrangerl a LOT this spring - I thik she will gain confidence with work.

Name: Commanche
Color & Markings: Orange Buckskin Apaloosa gelding - bugeed out eyes - so ugly he's cute
Horse Age: ?
Horse Size: medium
Rider Size: medium
Rider Skill: beginner
Bit:
Watch for: Can be a fast walker - loves to follow but will lead when asked. Can be stubborn.
Comments: Arrived December 2005

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Name: Creed
Color & Markings: Dunn gelding
Horse Age: 1986 (2010 - Creed is starting to show his age this year.)
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: Medium
Rider Skill: Beginner - slow walker.
Bit: Low port
Watch for: Formerly alpha, now #3 or #4 in pecking order. When on trail, must be first, second, or last or tantrums. Tends to bite and kick lower horses - can be a snot.
Comments: Keep reins loose. NOte that Watch weight carefully.

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Name: Debbie
Color & Markings: Sorrel
Horse Age: 2000
Horse Size: medium/large QH
Rider Size: Medium - large (<230#)
Rider Skill: Beginner & Kids
Bit:
Watch for: Can drop weight quickly. Slow to medium walker - leads well.
Comments: Sweet as sugar, but can have an attitude. very low in pecking order, but defends herself well.

Name: Doc
Color & Markings: Dark bay gelding. Star & white splash to R nostril.
Horse Age: 1983
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: medium
Rider Skill: Beginner Walks slowly - gettin' old! Stubborn old man.
Bit: Tom Thumb
Watch for: Eats on trail. Watch weight. Easy to colic -- Doc will walk through a field of chest high sweet grass to get to an old bale of moldy hay.... (sigh).
Comments: Slow, mellow, friendly.
Note: Doc has special tacking needs. Years ago, he suffered from a bad off-side buckle that stabbed him when cinch was tightened. Tighten his cinch quickly and watch him buck! and pull down the fence!
This does not inspire confidence in the child or anxious adult that will ride him...
When saddling, first vigorously rub his off side where short latigo hangs, then tigten cinch slowly!

Name: Dusty
Color & Markings: Piebald faced Appy gelding, buckskin/red roan, rear socks.
Horse Age: 35+?
Horse Size: Big boned but skinny
Rider Size: Children only
Rider Skill: Child
Bit:
Watch for: very limited endurance - watch weight!!!!
Comments: Arrived 1/30/06. Dusty is now about 35 years old, and he looks it. He is missing many teeth. Keeping weight on him is a major job. He is a happy and healthy old fella, and loves kids.

Loves to work. may leave with his (itty-bitty) rider before you are raedy! Can walk at the pace of the group.

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Name: Fancy
Color & Markings: Sorrel QH, fancy flame-like strip
Horse Age: 1991
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: Small to medium
Rider Skill: Was a beginner horse up until last year. Has developed an attitude - now intermediate to advanced until worked. Walsk fast.
Bit: Tom thumb
Watch for: Was bottom of pecking order, now climbing. Has become very competitive, and will pick fights with other horses while riders on-board.
Comments: This is another horse that will benefit from lots of work this spring - but watch weight.

Name: Foxy
Color & Markings: Chestnut mare, rear socks Looks a bit like Red (who is skinny) and Skip.
Horse Age: 1996
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: Medium
Rider Skill: Intermediate - advanced rider as she is bucks in the spring
Bit:
Watch for: Can be a bitch. A real Nancy Pelosi - will test and bite/kick other horses in her climb to the top. keep in front or back (first or last) till she calms down with work. Slow to medium walker - will not fall too far behind - she'll trot to catch up on her owwn.
Comments: Spoiled brat! Very willing, and although a bit hesitant about all of the dragons and misc. monsters on the trail, she never argues or acts out in any way. Except in early spring.

Name: Frenchy
Color & Markings: Sorrel
Horse Age: 1998
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: medium
Rider Skill: beginner
Bit:
Watch for: Good guy when following. Stubborn when leading. Fast walker.
Comments: 4/1/10 - Frenchy had problems at the rait this week - with feedbag on his nose, he spooked and tore rail off the arena fence, spooking everybody! We could find nothing wrong anywhere! We'll update as things progress.

Name: Gauge
Color & Markings: Blaze, no socks, left eye 1/2 blue. Gelding
Horse Age: 1994
Horse Size: Medium large
Rider Size: Medium to large
Rider Skill: Beginner (Supposed to be kids - but not yet)
Bit: O ring - maybe time to move to tom thumb
Watch for: Can be fast. Likes to be in the front. Not good at end of the line!
Comments: Purchased 3/08.

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Name: Jeremiah
Color & Markings: Sorrel gelding - smal backwards "J" star
Horse Age: 1999
Horse Size: smallish - medium
Rider Size: smallish
Rider Skill: Intermediate.
Bit: Tom Thumb
Watch for: Very low in pecking order, so gets kicked a lot. Good walker. Horrible trot, amazing lope.
Comments: HATES to lead - will slow down, get anxious and spook. Ask for speed when leading and he will fall apart and buck.

Name: Jerry
Color & Markings: Gray, tweek on tip of L ear, large drafty Quarterhorse mare
Horse Age: 1992 (?)
Horse Size: large
Rider Size: any
Rider Skill: Wrangler only!!
Bit: Hackamore (although we are re-introducing tom thumb again).
Watch for: tantrums, especially when tied to rail for tacking or when putting on hack! She LOVES the attention!
Comments: We have adopted Jerry from the CSU Reproductive Lab, where she has been a brood mare for since the age of two. She is a badly spoiled sour brat who wants to eat and stand around and not work. Her neurotic hystrionics have lead to some less than ideal wrangler behaviors that have left her even more neurotic (and immediate termination of the wrangler's employment here - he's lucky I didn't shoot his ass).
When with a group, she is just fine. Dan leads rides with her all of the time. Last summer she would do anything that Duff asked her - she responds to firm gentility and patience.
When asked to run, she will buck out a bit, but she's so fat that she really can't get her feet off the ground much.

Jerry has developed some very bad habits - like rearing up when we approach her at the rail, ripping the rail off and dragging it around in hysterics. Hates/fears halter/feed bag/bridal.

Professional trainer - helped us to identify that she has poor vision on off side, very dead to pressure on off side (which explains why so hard to catch). Has hundreds of neurosies and "stuff."

To catch, approach only on the on-side.
Tie her and grain away from other horses.
Engage her before you start tacking.
Untie lead rope and move slowly when tacking.
If she startles when tacking, walk her around a bit.
NO SPURS! She is very willing under saddle but anxious. A good leader.

Always be aware of limited eyesight.

Name: Leo
Color & Markings: Sorrel gelding, white blaze & socks
Horse Age: 1991
Horse Size: Smaller
Rider Size: Smaller
Bit: Snaffle
Rider Skill: Beginer - slow poke Extremely slow - this is THE horse for the terrified adult rider. After an hour, the most anxious of beginners will beg for "more horse."
Watch for: Very intellegent. Keep him in the front of the line - if last, he will slow down and quit, leaving rider alone watching the group walk away into the sunset...
Comments: Comments:It's easy to confuse Foxy, Red and Leo. Leo is fatter and has diagonal socks. Foxy & Red have two rear socks and Foxy is female. Red tends to be skinny (special feeder) with sway back.

Leo is also showing his age.

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Big sister Cimmaron has the blaze, and little brother Montee has the star/snip.

Name: Montee
Color & Markings: dark Bay, star & snip, rear socks and BIG feathers
Horse Age: 2005
Horse Size: Clydesdale/QH
Rider Size: large
Rider Skill: Advanced only, until he gets more experience
Bit: O ring snaffle
Watch for: Loves to work - young and energetic! Mouthy. Gets very excited when moving out of walk to trot!!! Hard to calm him back down... getting better with experience. can't walk straight! has to see and smell everything! Immature, really good guy.
Comments:

Name: Oreo
Color & Markings: Bay, short, big belly (Paso/QH cross)
Horse Age: Old (a lot more than 20)
Horse Size: Small
Rider Size: Small and/or short
Rider Skill: Kids or small adults
Bit:
Watch for: Old on-side cinch sore behind elbow. Watch carefully EVERY time you cinch him. Neoprene cinch only. If skin breaks down, oreo is to go to horsepital until *fully* healed. Teach guest assigned how to check spot when cinching. (When we brought oreo home, that ulcer went all the way through the fat and muscle - you could see his ribs - the vet spent almost 2 months getting it healed.)
Comments: Can have speed. Can drop weight . very sweet little guy . Leandra likes to work him no more than 2 days in a row, then one day off to protect his ouchie.
Please do NOT put any ointments, salves or gunk on this scar - tell Dan if it gets red or angry looking.

Note: What is wrong with this picture??? (Hint: high and short)

Name: Prince
Color & Markings: Brown, small star
Horse Age: 1993
Horse Size: Med
Rider Size: Med
Rider Skill: Wrangler/advanced/intermediate rider for now
Bit: tom thumb
Watch for: Anxious when you first mount. Settles down after a few minutes.
Comments: Having problems with hind quarters this winter (2009) - has not been ridden all winter. We gave him a pretty darn good sheath cleaning, and will get a saddle on him soon.

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Name: Skip
Color & Markings: Sorrel
Horse Age:
Horse Size: Larger QH
Rider Size:
Rider Skill:Any - will take good care of beginners, but delightfully responsive with advanced riders as well.
Bit: tom thumb
Watch for:
Comments: Good ol' boy. Eager to please. Fast walker, but easily conrolled.

Name: Smoke
Color & Markings: Gray with darker mane & tail. Much like Pepper, but different equipment "under the hood."
Horse Age: Old, very old, old as dirt
Horse Size: Medium
Rider Size: Adult
Rider Skill: Intermediate
Bit: tom thumb
Watch for: Weight drop - can be a hard keeper.
Comments: Arrived November 2005. This horse belongs to Frank Winter, and Frank has "first dibs" whenever he can get up here to ride.

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Name: Trigger
Color & Markings: Bay, brand on on-side shoulder
Horse Age:
Horse Size: Tall & skinny
Rider Size: Medium
Rider Skill: Advanced beginner or intermediate who is not afraid of speed.
Bit: Low port
Watch for: Very competitive. Fast. Good brakes. Will test the timid. Loves to race.
Comments: This animal has speed and has taken off with his rider!

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Name: Black Velvet or just Velvet
Color & Markings: Black
Horse Age: 1993
Horse Size: Small
Rider Size: <130#, kids
Rider Skill: kids
Bit:
Watch for: Follower. Low in pecking order. Trips a lot. Good with kids, but argues with adults riders.
Comments: Do NOT lead with this horse. Purchased 3/08.

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Name: Wynona
Color & Markings: Sorrel, blaze, front half socks, almost no tail
Horse Age: 2004
Horse Size: Belgian - QH cross Big girl
Rider Size: Big people
Rider Skill: Advanced & Wrangler Only - still a little spooky and easly intimidated by other horses.
Bit: snaffle
Watch for: Much less timid than 2009.
Comments: Purchased 3/08.

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Name: Calamity Jane
Color & Markings: BLM Wild burro (Arizona desert herd)
Horse Age: 1999
Size: Tiny
Rider Size: Itty bitty kids - note: staff (NOT parents) to hold lead rope while children in saddle. Do NOT trust parents to lead!!!!
Rider Skill: N/A
Bit: None. halter led only.
Watch for: Overfeeding! Wild burros die of founder and heart attacks - absolutely NO snacks!.
Comments: Ellen adopted Calamity Jane a couple of years ago, and is in the process of gentling her. If she continues to progress at her current rate of gentling, she will be ready for children's riding sometime in 2055 (maybe...).

Foubndered in Jan 2009 - do NOT allow unrestricted feeding!

This animal has done nothing in three or four years. She needs training!

Name: Little Joe
Color & Markings: Gray cross dunn with zebra stipes on legs and hugs roll of fat on neck!
Horse Age: 1996
Horse Size: Bigger than Calamity Jane and smaller than everybody else.
Rider Size: Itty bitty kids - note: staff (NOT parents) to hold lead rope while children in saddle. Do NOT trust parents to lead!!!!
Rider Skill:
Bit: None. halter led only.
Watch for: Overfeeding! Wild burros die of founder and heart attacks - absolutely NO snacks!.
Comments: Calm and sweet. Never argues.

Hass done nothing in 3 or 4 years. We need to train him!

4/2010 - Dan now riding when weather permits.

Name: Rose Blossom
Color & Markings: Sorrel with three stockings (none on L front), blaze
Horse Age: Born 2/22/08
Horse Size:
Rider Size:
Rider Skill:
Bit:
Watch for: Spoiled brat - LeAndra's problem...
Comments: Purchased 3/08.

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Quick Guide (27 Feb 2010):
Name	Birth Year	Gender	Breed/Type	Color	Face/Mane	Feet	Other
Annie-B	1998	M	QH	Buckskin	Strip	None	Lighter buckskin
Apache	1988	G	QH	Brown	Litle snip		Dark brown patch on butt
Asia	2003	M	QH	Bay			Small horse
Clyde	1993	G	QH/Clydesdale	Budweiser paint	Piebald	Front white sox
Cherokee	1994	G	Appi	Tan		None	"471" Branded on L shoulder
Cimarron	2004	M	QH/Clydesdale	Dark Bay	Strip, blaze	RR sock (Cimarron is right)	Big girl
Coco	2006	M	Percheron?	Brown	Solid face	rear socks	No papers
Comanche	?	G	Appi	Orange Buckskin		LR sock	Mohawk
Creed	1986	G	QH	Line Back Dunn	Strip	None	Swayback
Debbie	2000	M	QH	Sorrel	Small star	none	No papers
Doc	1983	G	QH	Bay	Star, snip	LR sock	Beer belly
Dusty	35+	G	Appi	Buckskin Red Roan	Piebald	Both rear socks	Special feeder - watch weight closely
Fancy	1991	G	QH	Sorrel	Irregular strip (flame)	No socks
Foxy	1991	M	QH	Sorrel	Blaze	RF coronette, rear stockings
Frenchy	1998	G	QH	Sorrel	Strip & Roman Nose	LF and both rear socks
Gauge	1994	G	QH	Sorrel	Blaze, L eye half blue. Mark on nose.	None	Stocky
Jeremiah	1999	G	TW?	Sorrel	Backward "J" shaped star	None
Jerry	1992	M	QH	Flea Bitten Gray	"Tweeked" ear		Loves to tantrum when tied up to rail. Loves to rip rails off fence in front of guests. Very digfficult to bit!
Leo	1991	G	QH	Sorrel	Blaze	LF RR half socks
Montee	2005	G	QH/Clydesdale	Dark Bay	Star & Snip	Rear socks, BIGfeathers!	cimarron's little brother - Big boy!
Oreo	1991	G	QH/Passo	Bay	Cresent moon star, snip	None	Ols cinch sore under left buckle - examine carefullly EVERY day! Pad and dress as needed. Special cinch!
Pepper	1987	M	QH	Gray	Gray mane & Long Tail		Slender face
Prince	1993	G	QH type	Dark Bay	Snip	RR LR socks
Red	25+	G	QH/TB	Sorrel	Star, strip, snip	Rear socks	Swayback
Skip	1995	G	Big QH	Sorrel	Large Star & Broad strip	Rear stockings
Smoke	1982	G	QH	Gray			Bulky, stout, "D" on L shoulder
Trigger	20+	G	QH/TB	Bay		RR sock (only marking)	Brand on L shoulder
Velvet	1998	M	QH	Black	Small star	Both reatr socks	Little girl, "F" brand on shoulder. Lames easily - watch closely.
Wynona	2004	M	QH/Belgium	Sorrel	Blaze		Short tail, big girl
Rose Blossom	2008	M	Filly	Sorrel	Piebald face	RF sock, both rear stockings
Rusty	2004	G	QH/Mustang	Sorrel	Strip		Little guy
Calamity Jane	1999	Jenny	Donkey	Gray			Lighter, smaller, a bit less fat
Little Joe	1993	Jack	Donkey	Gray			Darker, bigger, a bit more fat!

Another Quick Guide (Updated 28 Feb 2010):
Kid Horses	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced	Wrangler Only	Other
Doc	Clyde	Smoke	Apache	Jerry	Prince (watch for lameness)
Dusty (limited use - smaller kids only)	Cherokee	Trigger	Wynona	Asia
Debbie	Comanche	Jeremiah	Annie-B		Rose Blossom
Fancy (maybe)	Creed		Foxy		Rusty (untrained)
Oreo	Debbie		Coco
Pepper (older kids)	Cimarron		Montee
Skip	Frenchy
Velvet	Leo
	Pepper				Calamity Jane
	Red				Little Joe
	Gauge
	Prince