Welcome to the seventh edition of the Sierra Ranch News! I know lots have folks have been taking advantage of the wonderful fall weather and riding. It is now deer gun season so riding has ceased until the first part of December in most places. And now we are finally getting the seasonable cold weather that makes you not want to ride.

Sierra Ranch is starting to make more preparations for the winter. Check out the articles below for more helpful hints on how to make your horse more comfortable when the nasty winter weather hits. Several of our horses don’t make much fur and are blanketed on and off. Make for a fun time trying to keep up with the weather and what it will be doing.

Tell us what you where you plan on riding this winter. Many folks stop riding in the winter, but sometimes this is the best time of the year to ride. Let us know what information you would like to learn tips on horse keeping, latest horses for sale and any other info you find interesting. As always you can email me and let me know what might interest you to learn about.

Sierra Ranch Logo!

I know you thought I would never actually get this done. But at last here are two different Sierra Ranch Logos. We are changing our tag line from “Come test ride your next horse today!” to “Where your equine experience begins!” Part of the reason for doing this if the fact that Rick finally came to the realization that he really doesn’t want to sell any of the horses we have. So in order to keep them they must earn their keep and be leased, used for lessons, or trail rides. We will have more on that in the coming months.

I have been working on a couple of logos. This is the first one. Next month we will have the second one. Rick thinks the horse looks a little mad. I tried to make it not so mad, but then Rick thought we needed something different, since we changed our tag. The one I am still working on incorporates all the different aspects of what we do. We have raced, loved to ride, jump, and do performance events. Most of our horses are good at all these things, so we should show this off. The picture is attached to this email or you can visit the Yahoo Group site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SierraRanchOK/ or at the Sierra Ranch Multiply site at http://sierraranch.multiply.com/ or at the blog at http://sierraranchok.blogspot.com

Let us know what you think about this logo and shortly we will post the other one for all to critic. Soon we will have set up a CafePress site with stuff to buy. Until then please check out the HorseMatch.net CafePress store. Check out the link: http://www.cafepress.com/horsematch. I am working on getting calendars and posters on the store. You never know whose picture will be on the calendar. We also made some t-shirt at a local t-shirt shop to sell at the ranch. Look for more stuff to come along the way. We want to get our name out and about on the trails around Oklahoma and other places.

Check this out!

Winter Care: Use Caution When Changing a Horse’s Rations

Some horses might need more feed to replace energy loss brought about by cold, harsh weather conditions. Equine owners must practice sound management in altering their animal’s rations to avoid problems with colic or laminitis. To read the whole article, click the link below:

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=10826

Laminitis Studies Financed by Barbaro Fund to Commence

Two projects focusing on the equine disease laminitis will be launched soon utilizing funds raised by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association in memory of the late 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. The projects, at more than$100,000, will be conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia and Louisiana State University, according to a release from the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation. To read the whole article, click the link below:

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=10784

The Business of Horses – So You Want to be Involved in the Horse Industry?

Winter is a great time to reassess your business and why you are in it. Here is a great article about getting into the horse business and what is required. Not everyone can be the trainer, sometimes you have to do the other jobs required to make a successful horse business profitable. Hope you find this informative. To read more of this article by Ralph Bain from www.businessofhorses.com, click the link below:

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Business-of-Horses—So-You-Want-to-be-Involved-in-the-Horse-Industry?&id=734973

Upcoming Rides and Other Events

It’s time to send in events for the upcoming year. Send them to me or to the link on Oklahoma Horse Online. Many of these came from listing on www.oklahomahorseonline.com. Check it out!

December 8-10 Wild Horse Trail Camp Last Chance Ride, Honobia, OK. Contact: Sherry Wright 918-755-4570 Electric & water hook-ups available. Cabin rentals also available. Camp sites & cabin rentals available year round.

December 8 Lake Carl Blackwell 2nd annual POKER RUN, Stillwater, OK. This is a pleasure ride event with prizes for the best hands collected, hamburger cook out. Point of contact is the Lake Manger, Chad.Meisenberg@okstate.edu, www.lcb.okstate.edu

January 1, 2007 BGTRC New Years Day ride at Bell Cow in Chandler, OK. Contact Deena Wilson at (918)766-3402.

January 26 Practical Horsemanship Clinic Series, Bridlewood Equestrian Facility 5300 N Air Depot, OKC, Oklahoma. A bi-monthly Series of Equestrian Educational Speakers & Clinicians 9-5 Bring your own chair. $20. Audit fee Door prizes. Western & English Disciplines, Health & Nutrition, contact: Bridlewood 405-771-3606 (c) 213-9772

March 8, 2008 BGTRC Back in the Saddle Ride Bell Cow Lake –Contact Deena Wilson at (918)766-3402.

June 14-15, 2008 13th Annual City Slickers Trail Ride Sponsored By The Bad Girls Trail Riding Club, Robber’s Cave State Park Friday (June 13th) bring your hotdogs and marshmallows and join us at the campfire. Saturday (June 14th) Cloverleaf ride (OETRA approved mileage). Leaving at 9AM returning to camp at noon for lunch. Afternoon riding out at 2PM and returning about 4:30PM. Saturday evening: 6 p.m. Dinner by the BGTRC BOD and 7 p.m. Karaoke with a Karaoke Contest for Cash Prizes and City Slicker Buckle Raffle ($1/ticket) Breakfast and lunch Saturday can be purchased at a minimal cost from the BGTRC BOD. Sunday (June 15th) on you own!! Registration before June 1st is $25.00 each. Registration after June 1st is $30.00 each. Children under 12 are $10.00. Registration includes camping Fri. & Sat. nights as well as Sat. dinner and entertainment! For information contact: Deb Stowers deb@sierraranchok.com Phone: 918/341-5799 Cell: 918/607-6094 DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS GREAT RIDE! Children under 6 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. ORIGINAL current negative coggins required – No stallions. No alcohol on the trails – Horses should be shod. Check out: http://www.sierraranchok.com/bgtrc/cityslicker.html for flyers and registration forms.

October 4th, 2008 – 2nd Annual Hooves for a Cure Charity Trail Ride, J-D Trail Riding Camp, Octavia, OK – Come ride in the beautiful Kiamichi Mountains and help raise money to fight breast cancer. Ride fee is $10 with a potluck dinner on Saturday Night, Silent Auction, and Raffle Drawing. Come for the day or spend the entire weekend! (Camping fees not included in ride fee) Non-riders are also welcome! Located just 10 miles East of Honobia on Hwy 144. For camping reservations, contact Jo Harrington (580)244-7261, or visit www.j-dtrailriding.com . For ride information, contact Andrea Fowler (918)231-9911, afowler@trustok.com. For more information about Hooves for a cure, visit our website at www.Hoovesforacure.com Wear PINK and put pink on your horse!

Riding Lessons

A Horse is not a Puppy
By Rick Stowers
Check out Rick’s Riding Lessons at http://www.horsematch.net/Rickstowers.html

We all know the scene… A child receiving a new puppy and forming a bond growing up together. Well, back to the title. Most young people simply do not have the years of patience it takes to train a 2-year old horse.

All of us who are mature in our equestrian lives know that before a horse is five or so his attention span is short at best, and possibly nonexistent on some days. Just like it takes our children years to go through the growth process – mentally as well as physically (some take longer mentally, our equine companions take years not months to mature.

My student was totally horrified when I answered the question of “How long will it take for my horse to be trained as well as the lesson horse I am riding?” with an honest 2.5 years or so.

Let’s face it. Maturity comes with age and there is no magic potion to turn a two-year old into a mature horse over night. For most humans today our “instant gratification” concept and a young horse just doesn’t make sense. Any trainer worth his salt will tell you that you can’t have a fully trained horse in less than 1,000 hours of time. Working time, not pasture time. And how many of us want to put out that much effort.

Remember we are talking about OUR children. Is it really worth risking life and limb just to say you started and trained the horse yourself?

There are some unscrupulous people who pass themselves off as trainers. They say the can have your horse “broke” in 30-60-90 days. Well, let’s examine the definition of “broke.”

If you ask for that definition you might not like the answer. According to Pat Parelli in his book Natural Horsemanship. You should put only 100 hours on a three year old; another 100 hours when he is four and then when the horse is five you can “have at him.”
Well, this is saying that you can’t possibly be able to finish a horse until he is five. This is a three year wait, if you buy a two year old. Let’s consider the cost of this endeavor.

Assume you pay nothing for the two year old horse. You need immunizations for the horse, plus halters and tack, plus feed, plus hoof care, plus vet care for this year. At three repeat this and add a saddle, plus time or expense to get him started (the first 100 hours) approximately 30 days of training. At four repeat this process again remembering the saddle may not fit now or halter or tack because he is growing, and add in the next 100 hours of training. Finally when he is five you can finish his training (approximately 800 saddle hours) and have him trained.

Deborah and I spend approximately $200 dollars a year average on vet care per horse. Trimming hoofs around here is about $25 per head, so at every six week trims you are looking at $400 per year farrier care. Feed and de-worming cost us about $2 per day for $730 per year – and this assumes you do all the training yourself.

So your free horse has cost you $1330 per year for 3 years or $3990 with nothing added for the saddle or tack. No colic episodes or other vet emergencies (which cost premium prices), no training fee and three years to get a trained horse.

Is it worth it? That is your decision.

We hope you enjoy our philosophy and will come visit Sierra Ranch.
LET’S GO RIDING TODAY!!!!

Horse Spotlight

Grace

http://www.sierraranchok.com/Grace.html

Need a trained show horse for the upcoming show season? Here she is! Grace has been there and done that and is ready to do it again. Grace has competed in local shows. She is a great jumper that has been used for lessons at her previous barns.
I have added more pictures of Grace riding and jumping. I am sorry that the jumping pictures did not come out well. I guess my digital camera isn’t quick enough. They kinda look artsy when cleaned up. It didn’t help that the light was not the best, but was trying to do it while I had riders. In addition, I didn’t have the kids put one helmets. We usually ride in them, just was kind of a quick thing. Let me know if you need more information. And as always you are more than welcome to come ride Grace yourself.

Grace is a 13 year old thoroughbred mare. She is around 17 hands and about 1200 pounds. She is one of our boarders horses and has been used for showing and giving lessons at other barns that she has been boarded at. She is a quiet and smart horse. See pictures on her site at the link above.

Grace is a finished show horse that is trained in hunter/jumper type events. She is suitable for intermediate and experience riders. She has not been ridden by children, but by teenagers and young adults.

Grace is being offered for $15,000 — She won’t be here long at this price.

Grace is a professional at everything that she does. She is easy to load and hauls well. Stands quietly for bathes, grooming, vet and farrier. She is up to date on her shots and gets continuous wormer. We encourage vet checks for each horse.

Comments

Let us know how you liked this issue. And again let us know about what you want to hear about. We want to make this newsletter for our clients, friends, and families. See you out riding!

Thanks,
Deb and Rick Stowers
deb@sierraranchok.com
www.sierraranchok.com