Horseback Riding --- It's Fun, it's Anti Aging, it's LIFE!!

YES --- horseback riding at Makarios Ranch, along with preventative nutrition, have been two of my biggest passions in life---little did I know that 60 years later, I would consider horses, their care, and horseback riding my second best Anti Aging magic potion (preventative nutrition being #1 ---why it works.)

It goes unsaid that Prayer and a Spiritual Life are on the very top of it all.... and the Guardian Angels who protect us.....

I grew up in Colorado Springs with Pikes Peak in our back yard, and was blessed to live near a working cattle ranch. The kids were my age and we went horseback riding almost every day. I got my very own horse, Zahdy (a little girl's nickname for Bint Sadaan...), 1/2 Arabian, 1/2 Quarter Horse.... the PERFECT horse for a kid!!! She would do absolutely anything I asked of her, was patient and kind and bomb proof!!


One of our neighbors just happened to be Ruth Tyree, who in later years was a very well known horsewoman (completed the Tevis Cup, a horseback ride of 100 miles, at age 72!!!), trainer, teacher, all around fabulous person!!! We had a riding club, the Rock Creek Riders, and learned from our earliest years how to train and ride and, Top Priority, have loads of FUN!!

Sure enjoyed Reining on Rhett for several years!

I had the blessing of caring for and riding Esora (pictured here, summer 2008), now age 30, still in great shape and going strong! Anglo-Arabian who, at ages 17, 18, and 19, completed the Tevis Cup ride!!! 100 miles in under 20 hours, WOW!!


Camping with horses was a highlight of summer!!!

Here we are, in the early 1960s, camping in the mountains west of Colorado Springs---green grass, flowing streams, glorious forest!!

It was a simple, happy time. No worries about needing nontoxic organic cleaners as there were so few toxins back then (compared to tens of thousands today...). We did read Rachel Carson's SILENT SPRING; what a rude awakening that we totally took to heart---this set me on the road environmental ''activism!!''

So happy to say we use a great Non Toxic Fly Spray, healthy to horses, humans, and the planet!

Practically unheard of, the need for horse supplements. They were to come later in life.
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Clicking the link gives Tips for Prevention and ''Aid'' of Equine Colic. This method has given us 99.999% success since 1976.

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Bareback was our main horseback riding style, and we rode and rode and rode the wilds of the Colo. Spgs. of the 50s and 60s............ Ruth molded us, loved us, taught us all those years, one of the biggest blessings of my life!!!

Bareback riding is still my favorite, and now I am joined by several friends who are similarly ''addicted!'' I make my own ''rig'' with a latigo, cinch, and saddle pad with pockets.

There are many ''store bought'' Bareback Pads found online, and these are some of our favorites...

Most of the horses are able to open and close the barbed wire ranch gates! We try not to get off to do gates when ever possible, LOL!!!

Click on Tyree's photo below to watch him open one of our craziest gates!! As you can probably see, we love our Palm Straw Hats!

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Couldn't help myself..... this Camel & Arabian Horse Dressage Pas de Deux is SO inspirational......maybe one day, a Yak & Horse pas de deux!!


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When I attended CSU (Colo. State Uinv.) from 1965-69, I worked for Al Richardson, who ran the entire equine program. Al wrote a book of memories growing up in Wyoming in the early 1900s, Polecat Bench.

At the same time I was reading No Life For A Lady by Agnes Morley Cleaveland---she grew up in SW New Mexico about the same time. I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone!! As a chiled, she went horseback riding 20 miles, sidesaddle, to get the mail in Datil, NM---and lots of other amazing adventures!!

Bursitis plagued me since the late 1960s when I rode large Quarter Horses at Colo. State University, but I found help for that too!

Zahdy was the horse everyone wanted to ride! I earned all the advanced degrees in teaching and training that CSU offered; horseback riding in college, what a great blessing that was!! It was here I first started to learn about horse colic

In late 1971 Zahdy and I moved to Cerrillos NM, where i have been ever since. I moved to my beloved Makarios (Greek for ''blessed'') Ranch in 1975, and Lord willing, here I will spend all the days i have on this planet, horseback riding every day possible!

My beloved Zahdy died of colic in 1974...had I only known about colic cures back then.......

The very special combination of Herbs came from a very observant man studying what bears, especially, ate when they came out of hibernation, also known as the ''deep sleep''.

What better way to detoxify the body that eat the herbs that Nature shows as beneficial. It has been reported that Native Americans observed these same herbs, and used them in medicinal ways as well.

THE SPECIAL CLEANSING HERBS

I have no idea why this special combination helps with horse colic, but because it DOES, I don't question the particulars. I have enjoyed studying the different herbs and what they do....

For the details on each of these 9 fabulous Gifts of Nature, please visit my name

Colic Herbs Page.

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MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH---we did some horse showing as well, English, Western, Trail, Costume, Gymkhanas, whatever classes were available had we entered!!!! For 8 years I did Reining on my 3/4 Arabian Rhett. What fun we had! Even won a trophy saddle!

But all that strain on his joints made us ''retire.'' He needed joint relief , and after trying just about everything, I gave him what I was taking for my own creaky joints-- boy did it work!

Because our area is so diverse, we can ride in the riverbed, up the steep Cerrillos Hills State Park, winding in and out of arroyos, galloping across plains and hillsides.......... just having a LOT of fun horseback riding, and seeing a lot of spectacular views and terrain.

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My new friend Jean has the MOST amazing collection of Horse Names for every size, color, breed---you MUST check it out!!!
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Have you been looking for an automatic horse water system? Look no more, MiraFount to the rescue!!

And Old as Volcanoes...... BENTONITE! God's alternative to the antibiotics that are becoming a HUGE PROBLEM in our world today. Volcanic Ash in Water---working near ''miracles''!!!

I look forward to meeting many new horseback riding friends, one of the greatest adventures this life has to offer!

If you are looking at purchasing a horse to do show jumping, dressage or just plain pleasure riding check out these tips on buying a horse.

From my new friend Debbie, some great horse info from Local Riding
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