“You’ve got to be kidding!” This pretty much sums up the club’s reaction to Atascadero city government’s suggestion that our club sign a formal, binding agreement committing to the completion, maintenance, and liability of the arena area below Home Depot. Considering the attendance at a meeting specifically to discuss the issue, lengthy e-mails, and phone calls, this is obviously an issue with a lot of emotion behind it. 

Considering that our club and some of our individual members have and will occasionally use the facility in the future, I would like to see the club voluntarily continue to slowly help improve the area. Perhaps we could spearhead a coordinated effort with other clubs to raise funds similar to the team approach to improve American Canyon access and other areas this last spring.

Horse Profile of the Month: “Rico”- Four-year-old Rico looks like a very tall horse, but acts more like a big dog. Although he doesn’t actually roll over suggesting we scratch his belly like our Border Collie, he has numerous canine characteristics. Totally relaxed, confident, and friendly, Rico will fetch sticks and bowls and follow you anywhere (like “Cody boy”), begging for a scratch. When I bought him, they told me he would be gray, although he’s a little “smoky”, I’m still waiting.

Horse Tip of the Month: “Horse crazy energy x10!”  Susan and I pictured five days of relaxed riding through spectacular Monument Valley scenery with a Navaho guide this last May. We got the “spectacular part”, but the “relaxed part” evaded us. You see, we made the mistake of taking two inexperienced 4 year olds, Reggie and Cricket. The dramatically new environment, constantly changing weather (including a little gale force wind and lightening), large number of amped horses, the loose colt that continually ran the length of the riders, new diet with alfalfa, etc., led to our mounts almost being unridable “monsters on meth”!

We got up early each morning to try and relax them and “take out the buck” by climbing sand dunes until it was show time. Because our horses were still crazy wild, we had to continually spin them and ride about 30 yards out from the bunch out of consideration for others. I figured their behavior and super energy would go on for one long day of sand and hill at the most.

Wrong! We had a half-day of relaxed riding. Oh well, live and learn!

Happy Summer
Rod Neubert