Boonlight Dancer knows when a paparazzo is present.

Recently, Clay, Danielle, Danielle’s husband Wade, and I had the opportunity to visit Polo Ranch in Marietta, Oklahoma. Polo Ranch is home to the stallions Gallo Del Cielo “Rooster”, Soula Jule Star and Boonlight Dancer.

Danielle makes friends with a hybrid dog/wolf at Polo Ranch.

One of the stallion managers, Shane Wilson, kindly spent the time with us to pull out each of the boys and show us what they looked like away from their stalls. Even fresh out of bed, the stallions were perfect gentlemen.

Soula Jule Star.

With a foal by Soula Jule Star expected from our herd later this spring, we were super excited to see what he looked like up close. His conformation did not disappoint and he proved to be quite a character. We like horses with personality.

With only 29 performers, Soula Jule Star’s offspring have earned $732,099.

On the note of breeding, Wilson offered us this little piece of advice: if you’re producing foals to ride, they can be born later in the year. But if you’re producing them to sell, they really should be early babies. Gaining an advantage with January, February, or March AQHA papers may help you as a breeder, meet the demands of the performance horse market.

Soula Jule Star’s brand.

However, early-in-the-year foals are not often feasible for Canadian horse folk and that’s why they can sometimes be the subject of “colorful” discussion amongst breeders. While Clay and I appreciated Wilson’s honest advice, the stallion manager did offer this ironic tidbit: if you look at the statistics, most Kentucky Derby winners are March / April babies.

This guy needs no introduction. Rooster, sire of offspring earning $4.3 Million.

Wilson also brought up the notion that there are some people who of the opinion that a mare’s first foal is always her best. And as she gets older, she doesn’t produce as well anymore.

Yet he reminded us that if you take a look at Secretariat’s dam – she was 18 when she had him!

Rooster - Gallo Del Cielo (Peppy San Badger x Doc’s Starlight).

The Polo ranch stallions have sired multiple champions in cutting, reining and reined cow horse events. All are ranked by Equi-Stat as leading sires. And I can tell you from personal experience, Polo Ranch staff are extremely helpful and accommodating if you are trying to ship semen to your mare in Canada.

www.poloranch.com

Road Less Saddled – Day 4

We’ve loaded the horses and set out from Albuquerque at 7:30 am. Feist is doctored, cold hosed and all the winter blankets are exchanged for lighter show sheets. The forecast at our destination of Cave Creek, Arizona, is predicting 21 Celcius this afternoon! As we change out the blankets, we realize our palomino mare looks gaunt, despite having a large bucket of fresh water all night in her stall. Clay and I chalk this up to the probability that she didn’t care for the taste of the water for some reason. Thankfully, all the other horses were fine with it. We give the mare some paste electrolytes and start the last leg of our journey.

Our morning starts on Route 66. Kinda.

Approximately a half hour into our day we begin to pass Casinos, small towns and open desert. In addition to that, there are several roadside signs warning drivers about the dangers of picking up hitch hikers: this is a high prison area. Other roadside billboards discuss sad but poignant issues such as Crystal Meth, abortion, child and animal abuse. I am in unfamiliar territory.

As Clay and I roll farther west on I40, we find a spot to pull over to offer our palomino some water. The electrolytes should have had a chance to work by now and we are hopeful she will drink.

Clay offers the horses water and thankfully, the palomino drinks.

During this stop, my husband also checks our rig: the tires, lights and axels. This is a routine practice of his, however what’s not routine is the protruding piece of metal sticking out the top of one of our trailer tires. This particular tire’s sidewalls are also very warm and a lot of axel grease has leaked out here.

Lovely...

We consider our options: keep going and hope for the best? Or should we just change the tire right now? Either way, we are in a bad place to change a tire so we decide to set up the road a little farther and see what we can find.

The scenery is beautiful here but isn’t doing much to help our accident-waiting-to-happen.

Clay drives for a few more miles. And just as we are both getting really nervous, the next bend reveals a huge commercial truck service station! What luck, eh?! We pull our rig up to the Bosselman 24 Hour Boss Truck Stop near Ciniza, New Mexico (I think).

Our heroes.

The mechanics there immediately instruct us to pull our rig into a large service bay, horses and all. Turns out, we had picked up a nail in the tire, however, it hasn’t quite punctured through the tire’s inner tube. Yet.

Our rig in the Boss Truck Stop service bay.

It is at this point that I realize: what a blessing in disguise it was that our mare appeared gaunt this morning! Giving her electrolytes required us to stop and offer her water 30 minutes later. If we hadn’t needed to do so, it’s possible we may not have noticed the nail otherwise. And instead, the crew at the Boss Truck Stop took us in immediately, fixed the tire and our axel grease problem and sent us on our way. What a huge relief!

Yes, those are extremely rare plastic animals up there.

On the road once again, we count the driving hours remaining. We cross the Arizona stateline and immediately, there is a Port of Entry we have to visit.

More bugs on the windshield.

One more stop.

The attendant asks us what livestock we have on board, tells us the Ag office is closed and flags us through.

Clay is driving me crazy with his whistled version of “Bonanza.” Up ahead there’s a sign boasting another tourist trap approximately one hour away. There, it might be time for a pit stop. And hey, you can get 50 per cent off meteorites today! Excellent.

We arrive at our destination in good time and unload the horses, first thing.

I think they were happier than we were to get to Arizona!!

The Road Less Saddled – Day 3

In the morning, we get ready to leave Albuquerque, NM. Feist is cold hosed once more and doctored. Clay and I feed the horses their breakfast on the trailer, say our thank-you’s to Mike at High Line Stable and head out.

Early into our day, another weigh scale appears on the side of the road. It’s open and all vehicles over 10,000 lbs are asked to stop. Clay goes inside with our paperwork and everything checks out fine. Aside from watering stops and weigh scales, we rarely have to pull over today, since our freightliner carries massive fuel tanks. Plus, we always travel with extra jerry cans of fuel. Therefore, diesel fill-ups at night are really the only time we ever have to stop for fuel – which is why it’s wise for me to watch my personal water intake!

Denver. And yes, we have obtained a crack in our windshield. The traffic isn’t too bad right now, which is the reason I have the guts to take a picture at the moment.

When we arrive in Denver, CO, the traffic is thick in some areas, we have no desire to stop here. And even though Clay is driving, in intense road conditions I somehow feel as though it might be helpful if I refuse to take my eyes off the road as well. Clay however, begs to differ. For some reason, my white knuckles on the armrests and frequent gasps only serve to agitate him.

I ponder this.

Yes, we have bugs on the window.

Finally we are through Denver and light snow begins to fall on the windshield. It doesn’t seem to last however. Thank goodness, we have been really lucky on this trip for road conditions so far. Two weeks prior to heading out, Clay and I actually decided to delay our trip when reports of large snow storms in the Denver area made the news. Clay even went out to purchase tire chains, in the event we would need them. Getting stuck in a Colorado mountainous range with 7 horses isn’t our idea of a good time.

Tonight the horses are staying at the Broken M Ranch in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Clay and I have also made arrangements to stay in the guest cabin they have there. We recently found out that the Budweiser Clydesdales had been there the night before and we are excited to see what the place looks like.

Of course, crossing the New Mexico state border means another Port of Entry.

Upon arrival at the Broken M Ranch, we are greeted by owner Susan Miller. Along with her husband, Keith Duke, Susan relocated to Albuquerque from Michigan. There, Duke was a Detroit narcotics officer. And when he retired, Duke wanted to try his hand at being a cowboy, so he packed up his family and moved to the Broken M Ranch (aptly named because Susan says something is always broken around there.) Who, in the horse business, can’t relate to that?

Broken M Ranch. www.broken-m-ranch.com

Again, Clay and I get to work settling the horses for the night. Clay cleans the trailer and flips it around for an easier departure in the morning. The sheer size of this rig sometimes makes it difficult to negotiate entrance gates and gas stations, among other things. Once the horses are bedded down, it’s our turn for supper and relaxation. To our delight, the guest cabin at Broken M is fantastic!

The front entrance of the Broken M Ranch guest house reveals the kitchen and eating area.

Everything a traveler could need is stocked in this little place. Eggs, bacon, coffee and cereal for the morning. Soda, Beer and Twinkies to wind down in the evening. Spike TV (for Clay) and internet (for me). And then, there is nothing better after a day of driving than a hot shower and climbing into a soft bed piled high with fluffy pillows, a down duvet and crisp white sheets.

But the only problem is, neither Clay nor I can sleep. We were too excited to get to AZ! Only one more day to go…

The Road Less Saddled – Day 2

Clay and I decide to take in some American history.

Clay and I are well rested and ready to hit the pavement. Since it’s very cold this morning, the horses are blanketed and brought out to the trailer one by one. And unfortunately it appears our little “Feist” has obtained some kind of a small puncture during the night. Who knows what she did but luckily, we’re equipped with antibiotics, Bute and Furacin.

Once Feist is looked after, we load up and go. Soon we’ll cross the Montana / Wyoming state border and our plan is to travel into a third state today and overnight in Nunn, Colorado. Since we still have many miles to go, I am surprised when Clay suggests that we stop, only minutes into our day.

“Want to check out the Little Bighorn Battlefield?” he asks me.

“Sure! Why not?” is my response. Can’t do it when we’re not here. So Clay pulls our rig off the main highway and into the National Monument Park. I had learned about Custer’s Last Stand in grade school, but never had the opportunity to see the location in real life.

With the truck and trailer safely parked in the park’s car lot, Clay and I take a quick tour of the Little Bighorn Museum and learn about the Clash of Cultures that led to battle and ultimately, one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their ancestral way of life. Then we hike up to Last Stand Hill. Here, General George Armstrong Custer and an estimated 41 men shot their horses for cover and spent the last moments of their lives fighting as part of the 7th Cavalry.

Last Stand Hill.

Prior to this trip, I had often heard that Custer’s horse “Comanche” was the only survivor of the Battle at Bighorn. So naturally, I looked for evidence of this fact at the museum. I found none. Later, I began doing a little research of my own and was quite surprised at the results. Turns out, the horse “Comanche” did exist and had been a survivor at the Battle. However, he was not Custer’s mount. When reinforcements arrived at Bighorn, Custer and approximately 210 of his men were found dead. Any horses that had survived were taken by the Indians, although Comanche was left behind because he was injured.

Comanche was then nursed back to health and he became a famous figure for the white man. The public wrongly assumed he had been Custer’s horse and that he was the Battle’s sole survivor. Subsequently, the Army and the Federal Government paraded Comanche around the country, gathering public affection and support for their efforts as he went.

The horse passed away in 1890, 14 years after the Little Bighorn Battle. He currently stands at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum. Comanche had been stabled nearby at Fort Riley and when he died, it was automatically assumed that he would be preserved. The best taxidermist in Kansas worked at the museum, so Comanche was sent there and stuffed. However, the officers at Fort Riley failed to pick Comanche up or pay their taxidermy bill. Hence, Comanche stayed. He is still there on exhibit, wearing his cavalry blanket and saddle.

But back to our visit. As Clay and I headed out from Little Bighorn Battlefield, we take a few moments to walk through the National Cemetery. We also pay our respects to the US soldiers who now rest there, many who fought in the first or second World Wars.

Go here. Not here.

Finally, we hit the road again. And it wasn’t long after that, we have to pull over again. Clay steers our rig into the Wyoming Port of Entry. Our rig is weighed and we are flagged directly through.

We stop one more time to water horses. Just like yesterday, they decline the drink and instead, splash it back onto Clay. This is why I choose to take pictures today, instead of offering to help my husband.

At approximately 7 pm, we finally get to our destination for the evening: High Line Stable in Nunn, CO. Owned and operated by Mike Dalrymple, High Line is not far off the I25 and is a very happy place with fearless, horse-loving kids! Our horses will spend the night in huge stalls (12×14), bedded with newspaper.

High Line Stable, Nunn, CO. www.highlinestable.com

I’ve heard of newspaper as bedding before but have never used it. However, the end result boasts very environmentally-friendly, efficiently maintained stalls.

Our horses will spend the night in stalls bedded with newspaper.

Clay went to clean and ready the trailer for the next morning, while I get to work removing blankets and brushing down each of the horses. Mike also allows me into his washrack to cold hose Feist’s leg. Then Clay and I head over to find a hotel room for ourselves and an authentic Mexican dinner. We’ll aim to get going again for 7 am.

THE ROAD LESS SADDLED

With seven horses in tow, Clay and I are hitting the highway!

The snow is flying. The temperature gauge is dipping well below zero. And the Canadian show season is dormant until spring shows up. That means Clay and I are ready to pack up seven of our most elite horses and head down the road, to have a bit of a holiday. We also intend to stop and visit some friends along the way, learn some new things and I’m really hoping to improve my Español – I’ll keep you posted on how that goes…

For now, we intend to travel to Arizona over the course of the next week. We really have no schedule, however, since I do not have a Class 1 (Airbrake License), Clay is the only driver of our rig. That means to safely travel anywhere, Clay can only maintain a maximum certain number of hours behind the wheel. After that, he must be out of the vehicle, resting. His driving and non-driving hours must be documented in trucker’s log, in case we are ever asked to present our mileage at a State Port of Entry or weigh scale.

Our Trucker's log.

Leaving Regina early in the morning, our first stop is the Estevan, SK, Tim Hortons. This will likely be our last Timmys coffee for a while so I intend to make the best of it! Two large French Vanillas and a box of donut holes later and we’re on our way again. The next stop is only a few minutes down the road later. We have a scheduled appointment with North Portal’s Federal Vet at 9 am. And once Customs clears our paperwork and passports, our rig is x-rayed and we have finally really begun our big trek!

We have decided to divide our trip to Arizona into four days of travel, with three overnight stops along the way. This will allow us to offload the horses and bed them down for the night, in addition to permitting time for a decent meal, showers and a warm bed for Clay and I. We’ve done the sleep-on-the-side-of-the-road-thing and trust me – stopping for the night makes for much happier travelers. Both of the horse and human variety.

So that’s where www.horsemotel.com came in very handy! Googling from the road, I came across this lovely, stress-saving site. Featuring literally hundreds of stables all across North America, horsemotel.com provided my blackberry with contact information, customer reviews, maps, prices, amenities and facility pictures in some instances. Traveling with 7 horses could be challenging: not everyone has the facilities to house this number of animals, each in their own indoor stall. We will spend Night #1 in Billings, Montana at the Box T Ranch.

GPS comes in very handy on trips like this. But we learned the hard way that a rig of this magnitude requires the “Fastest Route by Bus” setting.

Owned and run by Rada Rogers, Box T Ranch is a very clean, accommodating facility equipped with large stalls each with their own fresh, flowing water trough. We have stayed at Box T previously (with 15 horses in tow) and we’re extremely pleased with the fact that Rada could take us in. Our horses are extremely happy about getting off the trailer after a long day. Although we stopped every four hours along the way to offer them fresh water and hay, collectively they have drank very little. Often, bedding the horses down into a stall for the evening allows them to relax enough to consume water. Plus, the Box T Ranch’s stalls are big enough for our horses to move around and have a roll.

Box T Ranch in Billings, MT.

Clay gets to work cleaning out the trailer and I begin brushing each of the horses down. With the cooler temps at home, we trailered our mares wearing blankets. Brushing each night helps to keep that film of dirt from developing with prolonged blanket wear, plus I can look their legs over and ensure there are no travel wounds.

Once the horses are fed and looked after, it’s our turn to turn in for the night. We get a room at a hotel nearby and settle in for the evening. Box T Ranch is great in that Rada keeps a close eye on our horses and offers to feed them in the morning, so as soon as we arrive, we can load up and get on the road. The only consideration we have to take into account is to come into the Ranch from the long route: our rig is so big, it can’t negotiate the tight turn of the driveway entrance if we come in from the west side of the approach.

If you’re planning on taking horses to Billings, MT, give Rada a shout – 406-252-4388.

DIRECTIONS TO BOX T RANCH (the west side of the approach):
When you get to Billings take the I-90 Exit 455 – turn at the stop sign and head south to the Flying J – at the light there turn left (east) on Old Hardin Road, go about 300 feet to Becraft Lane and turn right (lane is between the Exxon station and Little Horn State Bank) – proceed on Becraft about 7/10 mile  to our sign (3306 Becraft) just across the irrigation canal – turn right and see the big barn off the lane about 1/4 mile.

If you decide to take the long route (east side of the approach):
Go to the Flying J light – turn left (east ) on Old Hardin Road, travel about 1-1/2 mile to “Noblewood” – turn right and go until it ends (about 1/2 mile) and turn right on Becraft – proceed to our driveway at 3306 Becraft – turn left at the sign (before canal) – this way will avoid the sharp turn for the larger trailer