blog @ covered wagon ranch

For those of you who know me and my horses, I can’t stand to see a horse laying flat out in the pasture. Many a time I’ve been known to run out there with my cell phone in hand and ready to press the button to call my vet, only to find that the horse stands up seconds before I get there! Well, thanks to Horse & Rider Magazine, I now have second thoughts before I run out there to disturb them! Here’s an article I read from the March 2010 Issue:

HORSES ‘N ZZZZZZ’s

“While we need about eight hours of sleep a night to be at our best, our equine counterparts sleep just three to four hours a day in short bits at a time. Plus, they spend most of that sleep time standing up. How do they do this? With an internal “stay apparatus” of tendons and ligaments that allows them to lock their front legs while relaxing one hind leg and rotating their hips, so they can snooze without keeling over.

But to get that quality REM sleep, horses must lie down-either stretched out flat on the ground or partially upright with their legs tucked underneath them. And, believe it or not, many researchers report that horses do, in fact, dream. In REM sleep, their eyes move rapidly back and forth, and sometimes they grunt, twitch their ears, and even move their feet. Makes you wonder what dreams those may be, doesn’t it?”

So, next time I see them laying flat out on the ground, I’ll think twice before I rush to wake them out of a deep sleep. RIGHT……….

On our way up to feed the horses today, we run into a herd of deer!

Well, typical Montana Easter and Spring Time in the Rockies. JT and I headed up to Raspberry Butte today to feed the horses. First we spot a Golden Eagle on a telephone pole, then we see two Sandhill Cranes along the drive, and as we turn the corner to head up to the ranch we spot this herd of deer.

First step is to drive the flatbed up to where the horses are hanging out.

We head up the hill and can see that these guys (and gals) are just about out of hay. We feed them about once every three days now, as the pasture has been grazed down. Next step is to get the bale off the truck.

Not such an easy task. The horses are hungry and need to stay clear while JT puts the chain around the 1500 lb bale of grass/alfalfa mix and I drive the truck forward!

Rolling the Bale out to form the feed line

Now we’re talking!! First bale rolled out. Second one will be easier now that everybody is being fed!

Now that the feed line is out there, everybody is jockeying for position:

Now McCrae is saying “am I missing something????”

McCrae hasn't quite figured out what's going on-but he soon learns!!

Now everybody is happy!!

Everybody is a happy camper.

And of course, now that the feeding is done, the storm starts to lift. Soon it will be blue sky again! Happy Easter to everyone,

debi and jt

Berkeley, Brayden and Chase Enjoying the Sunshine at the Ranch

Thanks to Mary and Berkeley we’re posting some photos of their stay at the ranch this summer. We get lots of questions from potential guests concerning what their children can do at the ranch if they come to stay. It’s hard to put into words the value of the experiences these kids will receive, and it’s more than just a structured program. Instead, we notice it’s an opportunity for families to vacation on a dude ranch and get to spend quality time together, whether it’s riding a Montana dude Horse, floating inner tubes on the Taylor’s Fork that runs through the ranch, or just having fun with the family. We boast that our ranch is “Screen Free”. No TV, no cell phones, no TV but just a good old family vacation in Montana on a Dude Ranch.

For some, it’s just having the opportunity to wear a cowboy (or cowgirl) hat!

Berkeley's Proud To Be A Cowgirl

For others it’s getting a chance to learn how to rope a calf while we’re enjoying the campfire at our Friday Night BBQ’s.

This Cowgirl Has Learned To Master the Rope During Her Stay At The Ranch

But the biggest smiles usually come when riding their horse. Berkeley loved her

A Picture Says A Thousand Words-And So Does A Smile

horse “Tugboat” and he looked after her safety during her stay.

So all in all, it’s the time together WITH the family and not AWAY from the family that makes the difference and the stuff dreams are made of and a lifetime of memories here at the Ranch..

Jochen and Felix with Mama and 3 Cubs

Thanks to Chantel and Jochen, from Belgium, we have the pleasure of capturing the wildlife in the Gallatin National Forest and Lee Metcalf Wilderness, where the Covered Wagon Ranch does most of it’s riding. Nothing to be afraid of, our horses and wranglers are trained and well aware of the wildlife out here, making it safe for you enjoy all this country has to offer.

We had the pleasure of enjoying Chantel’s and Jochen’s visit in 2008 and hope to have the pleasure again some day! Thanks for the photo’s guys!

Jochen and Chantel touring England-Wales

Welcome to Christmas in Montana

Come Sit By the Fire

Enjoy Watching the Tree!

Or Just Watch the Snow Outside!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our friends and animals! Here’s to a great New Year. Thank you for spending Christmas with us online!

debi and jt

So many people have asked me “what do you do with all that time off after a Montana Dude Ranch closes”?? Well, it’s pretty boring around here. JT goes off and hunts for days at a time, Jeremy and Darlene and company go back to Big Timber and look after the Montana Dude Horses, train new horses and ride, and I sit at my desk on the computer all day. Boring. Not to mention, it’s 15 degrees out there, snow on the ground and not much fun outside at the moment. So I went to the Hallmark Store to get some birthday cards for a friend-and I fell in love with  these two little guys: Frick and Frack (thanks to my sister Rene’e for naming them!). Two dwarf African Frogs that live in their own little ecosystem. How cool is that?? Now they sit at my desk while I work at the computer and I get to watch them all day. Unfortunately, there is one design flaw…..they’re NOCTURNAL. Oh well. Guess I have to find something else