June 2008 Newsletter

Day Ride at Eagle May 10th

On May 10th, a dozen HON members met at the Southern Kettle Moraine’s Eagle trailhead. The weather cooperated, providing us with a perfect day for a spring ride and picnic lunch. We also encountered a little “taste of endurance” as we met up on the trail with some riders and drivers that were part of the Glacier Trails Ride competitive endurance ride/drive that started at Horseman’s Park.
Thank you to Sandy Robers for organizing an enjoyable ride and also for being our knowledgeable trail guide through a very scenic area. (Submitted by Linda P)

1st Annual HON Confidence Clinic May 11th

Those of us who attended the Tracy Porter Confidence Clinic on Sunday, May 11th learned something about ourselves and our horses. Tracy and TJ Clibborn offered great advice and encouragement.
TJ Clibborn is dynamite in a small package and his ability to read us and our horses was amazing. TJ and Tracy started our day helping us gain respect from our horses through ground work. It was clear, as we hopped in our saddles, that the ground work made a huge difference in our horses. In addition, the groundwork helped us to understand and communicate more clearly with our horses from the saddle.
We began asking our horses to face the obstacle course Tracy had prepared for the clinic. Crossing bridges, walking over a mattress, passing thru hanging pool noodles, and having a four foot ball tossed at you were just a few of the many challenges we faced during the clinic.
When the rain finally ended, we were able to move to the outdoor arena and TJ had us playing games that required us to control our horses and use the skills we learned earlier. It was a blast!
For those who attended the clinic, I hope you left feeling as good as I did about myself and my equine partner. If you were unable to attend, I highly recommend the Confidence Clinic by Tracy and TJ. Everyone could benefit from this clinic no matter what level of experience you have in the saddle.
Confidence grows as we come to know ourselves and our horses better, face our fears, and work through them together. Check out the photos. (Submitted by Penny J)

Ukarydee Camping Weekend

Ann, Sandy, Sherri, Carol, Wendy, Jan (Check out some more pictures.)

Castle Rock Trail Ride & Stay at Ukarydee Equestrian Campground (May 9-11)

My husband Bob and I pulled into Ukarydee Friday afternoon around 4:30. We stopped by the house, paid for our reserved site, and then headed there to unload. On the way I spotted the HON's hustling around, in different stages of settling in for the weekend. I couldn't wait to get camp set up. When we got to our reserved site, horses were in the round pen and some one else's rig blocked the entrance. Rats!!!!
The nerve of some people! When I got out of our truck and headed in their direction to have a talk with them, they turned and walked away from me. Not always a good move when being pursued by agitated Norwegian! Long and short of the story is; between the site jumpers, and apparent friends set up next to them, there were at least four dogs, and a goat running around at the ends of different lengths of rope. Who knows what else they had inside their trailers? I decided they should just keep our site. We drove back to the house, told the campground owner what had happened, and were promptly given another site. It was close to where the main group of HONs was set up, so I was happy!

As we unloaded our horses, a humming cloud of blood sucking mosquitoes swarmed us. These mosquitoes were direct descendents of the “one pound each” clan! You know the ones I'm talking about, right? The ones that leave skid marks on your body when they land? Thank God for bug sprays that work!

All the while we set up camp, we found ourselves checking out the black and white leopard mule at the site next to us. Bob and I, our dog, and our horses, had never laid eyes on such an animal! The first time he busted loose with a chorus of loud brays we all nearly turned inside out. Talk about funny! Later, Ann, the owner of the leopard mule, strolled up, and introduced herself. Turns out Ann, is a retired nurse, has had horses all her life, wanted a mule, finally purchased one, and was totally pleased with her (unique, to say the least) Picasso, as she calls him.

As the afternoon turned to evening, clouds rolled in, temperatures dropped a little, and the relentless mosquitoes found somewhere else to be. People who were lucky enough to get a short ride in before dark, were drifting back to camp. The sounds of laughter, the thud of hooves covering ground, horses whinnying back and forth to one another, the intoxicating aroma of campfire smoke, intermixed with all the different foods being cooked, and floated around on a northerly breeze. I thought, 'If I ever get to heaven, I hope there will be places like this for me to hang out at'.

Shortly after eating char-grilled brats and other stuff, we spotted Ann and her husband, drinks and chairs in hand, hiking toward the HON's campfire. We grabbed our chairs, jackets, and our cooler filled with munchies & beer, and followed them. As a new member of the club, the one thing that struck me from the get go, is how out-going, warm, and friendly ALL of the HONs sitting around that campfire were! There wasn't a single minute lost to the process of trying to fit in. At times there were three and four intense conversations going on at once: Someone’s horse had acted up, etc. The gal Sherri had rode up to Ukarydee with, Sandy O., had received an emergency call from her husband saying that her dog had had a stroke, so she had turned around and went back home.
Fortunately Sherri didn't have to pack up and go back with her, because fellow HONs Ginny & Sally took her under wing, invited her to sleep over in their trailer, and volunteered to get her and her Paint mare, Dakota, back home. Everyone was missing Sandy Rogers, fondly referred to as the “herd mare”. Sandy's mom had passed away. Those who've known the depth of that loss, grieved for her. Like campfire conversations from the beginning of time, the topics covered around the HON's fire that night were as varied as colors in a rainbow. All good things must end, though, and our campfire exchanges came to an abrupt halt when ice-cold rain started pelting us. Rushed "See you in the morning…" and "Lets all be in the saddle and ready to ride by 9:00…" echoed back and forth as everyone headed for their trailers to settle in for the night.

Saturday morning welcomed us with air as clean and fresh smelling as any living being could ask for. The first beams of sun, filtering across the campground, found dozens of early risers rushing here and there. A few, who had the foresight to plan ahead, carried crisp white rolls of toilet paper to and from the portable johns. Others were lugging water buckets about, divvying out portions of grain and fresh flakes of hay, mucking out pens, pushing wheelbarrows, rekindling the remnants of last night’s campfire, walking dogs, or in hushed voices, as not to disturb neighbors, rehashed the events of the prior evening, and were making plans for the new day ahead. The smell of coffee brewing up wind kicked in my need for caffeine. I fought off the urge to run, with empty cup in hand, to see if I could beg a cup. Instead I got busy (or should I say bossy?) and nagged Bob awake. I reminded him that number one, on his "To do NOW list!" Was to" Please (emphasize the "Please") get some coffee brewed, while I attend to the horses!"

It was right around 9:00 by the time our group had camp chores covered, breakfast ate, and horses saddled. We spent a few minutes trying to get a group picture before we hit the trails. We took the back way out of camp through the twists and turns of the maze, in order to settle fresh horses. When we came to Cumberland Avenue's sand packed surface, we took a left, rode maybe a quarter of a mile and then veered right and rode trails that would lead us to the trailhead located at the far north end of the Castle Rock trail system.

What can I say? Could any of us who shared that awesome ride from camp north, to the trailhead and back, find words that could possibly describe the whole of the experience? Personally, I feel unequal to the task, but since I replied to "Herd mare's" plea for help to write up an overview of the weekend, I'll give it my best shot. It's "Get R Done" time!

-The weather was, for the most part, cooperative!

-Other than when we first got to camp, there were no mosquitoes, deer flies, horn flies, horse flies, black flies, gnats…. get the picture?

-The company of all the riders in our group and the horses they were mounted on were a pleasure to be around.

-The trails! Oh, my God, the Castle Rock Trails! You couldn't ask for better-marked trails. No steep cliffs to climb or slide off of. No rocky terrain to hamper hoof health. No high traffic areas to ride along or cross. Solitude, solitude and more solitude!

-No trail congestion! If I remember right, aside from camp and the trailhead, we only crossed paths with one or two groups of horse rider teams, the entire weekend.

We rode along; around and through beautiful select cut meadows that reminded me of places I'd hunted elk out west. We rode through stretches of forest, intermittently poxed with pristine pools of water, which at times surrounded us. More often than we'd have liked we had to forge trails that were totally under water. Several times while in the middle of a long stretch of flooded trail, I'd hear Sherri and others (whose horses apparently liked to lie down in water) yell "Don't stop now!" in panic laced voices! Time and time again, we'd approach and meander the edge of secluded ponds, where wildlife, too abundant to list, either held tight, or flushed, as we passed.

By the time we reached the trailhead, most were ready to climb out of the saddle to stretch. Nature calls forced some to search out bushes, and in at least one case, a vacant looking truck/trailer, to hide behind. I can't help but laugh when I think about Sandy and Tom’s close encounter. I won't go into detail, but what happened sure was funny from my vantage point. After the short rest, we saddled back up and rode another loop of trails that got us back to camp around 1:00.

It was decided that after lunch, we'd all be back in the saddle, and ready to ride a different loop of trails. By 4:00 p.m. every one was ready to go. We didn't get very far though, before Mother Nature tossed us a curve ball. Ominous, dark, thunder clouds rolled overhead. Winds picked up, rain threatened to soak us to the bone. For several reasons (safety being number one) we decided to make tracks back to camp, where we planned to hole up until the storm passed. It was nearly 7:00 before the sky totally cleared. Dan & Linda and I were the only ones to sneak in another ride before dark. We managed to ride the entire loop of the purple trail that's located south of camp and enjoyed every minute of the experience.

As dark set in, HONs gathered in a tight circle around the main campfire. Again, I was struck by how out-going, warm, and friendly every one was! Conversations touched on subjects that included $4.00 a gallon gas, money or lack there of, the great morning of trail riding we had together. There was a lot of speculation regarding how many miles we'd traveled, memories of past rides, and thoughts regarding friends not present, future trail ride/camp-outs were discussed, and the lack of toilet paper in the portable johns was brought up again. Stories about our families, jobs, retirement plans, and occasional jokes, made time spent around that campfire special for everyone. Like the night before, unwelcomed gusts of chill-you-to-the-bone wind, mixed with freezing rain, forced everyone to split up and head for cover.

Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful. The air, freshly washed by rain, smelled of pine and wet soil. There were more people moving about, tending to camp duties, than there were the previous morning. The added chore of repacking for the trip back home, while caring for horses, preparing breakfast, and planning for the last ride of the weekend, had the entire campground on the run.

Around 9:00 we were all back in the saddle, eagerly anticipating the loops of new trail ahead. Again, we came across tranquil pools and ponds and skirted the edges of Wisconsin River backwaters teaming with wildlife. Every bend in the trail presented us with one visual feast, after another. I am convinced that there are heavens here on earth, and feel strongly that we, as a group, got a glimpse of a few during the time we shared riding the Castle Rock Trails. Happy trails to you all! (Submitted by Carol Bredeson)

June 8th Anniversary Ride

Celebrate 6 years of Hags on Nags with lunch, cake and champagne, and a ride in the beautiful Kettle Moraine Forest.
That’s right…it was six years ago in June that a handful of horse loving “empty nesters” got together for the first annual Hags on Nags trail ride. We rode at Lee’s place that day, remember?
We’ve grown from a group of half a dozen to a group of over 75 members!!! Let’s celebrate!
We’ll meet at Horsemen’s Park in Palmyra at noon. Bring a dish to pass and a drink of your choice…the rest is on us! Bring your friends….we’d love to have a great turnout for the Gazette reporter/photographer that is doing a story on us!!
Everyone is welcome.
We plan to ride at 1:00 and then have a meeting afterwards for those that are interested in participating in the Whitewater 4th of July Parade.
Contact Crystal if you have any questions about the anniversary ride.
Even if you don’t want to bring a horse, please join us for lunch and some fun! Hope to see you there!

Governor Dodge Camping

June 9th at 6:30 at Countryside Bar there will be meeting to discuss the trip. Please contact Brenda if you can make it or need directions.

Country Supply Pay-Off!

I’m happy to announce that the Country Supply donations have finally accumulated and a check was recently received for $50.99. Remember, when you order, use the code hagsonnags and see that a portion of what you spend comes back to our club.
Thanks, everyone!

Cookbook

Thanks also to those of you that have sent in recipes for our cookbook! We have a start, but would sure welcome more. Appetizers, entrees, salads, desserts, beverages, and camping favorites…send them now! We need more recipes! Even if you have already sent in some, more recipes are certainly welcomed. Please send recipes to flipsfarm@centurytel.net or snail mail to Marise Flippin 9130 N Kidder Rd Edgerton, WI 53534

40 Year old Horse Celebrates Birthday in Whitewater

Everyone who visited me at my farm will remember the good ole, er, OLD grey horse that boarded there -- Dusk.
He is officially turning 40 YEARS OLD in June, and his owners are planning to have a birthday party for him at the old stone barn by the train depot in Whitewater. I'll let you know when the date is; they plan to bring Dusk into town for his big birthday celebration!
By the way, his owner, Bridget, has owned him his WHOLE LIFE from the day he was foaled, except for a couple years when some friends kept him while she was going through a tough stretch.
Now, that's commitment to a horse for life!
Y'all come see the spunky old fellow and wish him well on his birthday.
(Submitted by Patti Mirsky)

PLEASE get a short auto-biography and picture of yourself to Lisa, our webgoddess!! With so many members, it really helps to have a reference. We have over 70 HON members now, but only about 1/3 of you have completed a profile.
Come on, ladies….git ‘er done!

A big welcome to our newest member, Alison Bussack. Many of you will remember Alison from some of the camping trips and day rides where she was a guest. She’s made it official and can now call herself a HON. Alison lives in Mukwonago and rides a nice Quarter Horse mare. Welcome to Hags on Nags!

May Mystery Member

Remember last month there were THREE photos of our Mystery Member?
Well, Brenda K was the one to correctly guess last month’s puzzle. The May Mystery Member was none other than Kris Ellis!
Congratulations to Brenda.
Looks like we’ll have a break from the Mystery Member feature of the newsletter since I am completely out of photos.
Thanks to all of you that have participated!

News from Our Members

******from Patti Mirsky
Hi Everyone, Still living in Savannah, although some days I wonder how I'll ever find friends like I had in Wisconsin, especially my HONS.
Anyway, somehow I survive, it's especially helpful to stay in touch via email and seeing what you're all doing as a group. Sure wish I could join you for a few of the rides this summer.
My horses seem to have made the adjustment to the warmer climate, and I'm enjoying getting to ride.
Amos is 24 years old now, but he seems quite the forward moving horse these days. Sally has learned to pick up a canter on both leads (for those of you who saw me trying to do lessons at Jelaine’s a couple years ago with her, you'll know what an accomplishment that is!) I don't know if I told you all about my "accident" last year on Amos, but we fell while running at a full gallop on the trails -- I literally landed on the top of my head. I had a helmet on, and I'm sure it saved my noggin -- so, dear HONS, please wear your helmets!
I do have a request which is sort of a "mutually beneficial" need: My hayfield at my farm in Whitewater needs to be cut & baled. If there is anyone who would like to take on that job, and sell the hay, I'd be more than willing to work out a mutually agreeable arrangement. There's about 13 acres of hay. I'd love to hear from you all -- please email me!

*****From Ginny H.
To those that were at Ukarydee….I just want to say that it was great! I had great fun riding and sitting around the fire. The laughter was wonderful. To the new members who showed up…. I'm so glad you joined. You are so much fun!
The husbands or partners that were there…. it was great. You added to the ride and to the camp fire fun! To Sherri… it was great that we could go camp site to site and say hi and have laughter. We did miss you, Sandy R, as you are always a joy to have around. Thank you, Sandy O., for sharing the screen tent and the food. I'm looking at going up sometime this fall. To all who want to join in fun…. keep in contact.
I'm looking at Sept or Oct...To all who ate… we had the best supper, breakfast, and lunch a cowgirl could ask for. The time with all who were there will not be forgotten in my heart.
Thank You so much! I can hardly wait for another great camping time that is as wonderful as that was.

News from the Hag Up North…I mean that Good-looking, Voluptuous, Blonde-haired Cowgirl Up North!
Follow Babs as she continues on her mission…..