LeDan Morgans/Southwest Scoot Boots
Another Spanish Ruby
2013 Chestnut Missouri Foxtrotter
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After regaining her confidence riding Stormy, her quarter horse gelding, for a little more than a year, Letha yearned to return to the smooth ride of a gaited horse. She has Cimarron, her 8 year old gaited Morgan gelding we raised, whose training progress has been delayed during a long recovery from a serious accident during his training. So she searched long and hard for an experienced gaited horse with a calm demeanor she could be confident on as a second horse. Ruby was a great find from a friend who made her available for Letha though not on the market yet. Ruby and Letha hit it off from day one, She's a real sweetheart, has a great mind, and a very steady girl in general who isn't afraid of much of anything. Very gaited, and has a nice canter as well; something Letha hasn't been confident to do for a long time. We did about a two hour ride in San Tan Park with her previous owner before we took her home and Letha had a huge grin on her face after about the first 20 minutes or so as we walked, gaited, and even cantered on the hilly trails. Ruby's is a keeper! Letha and Ruby pictured at right in front of a crested saguaro cactus on the San Tan ride.
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Letha first rode Ruby in the round pen after getting her home as they got to know each other better and Ruby adjusted to her new home. Mostly a non-event for Ruby; just give me the love and feed me seemed to be her only requirement!
Another day and on to the arena and some new stuff.
Obstacles!? No sweat; piece of cake!
Ruby checking out the scenery on her second ride off our property, this on the State Trust Land near the Mescal Movie Set where the movie Tombstone was filmed 5 minutes from our home in Mescal.
Ruby and Letha posing with the movie set in the background.
Letha and Ruby posing in front of the Fairbanks Post Office after a 2 hour ride along the San Pedro River trail under the trees. The river had only a trace of water in it this time of yesr, but frequently has water running. Letha nearly drowned in it a couple years ago on a cold December morning when her Rocky went down when it was running hard. Only excitement this day was a deer popping up in front of us from amongst the thick trees. Fairbanks is a old mining town from the 1800's near Tombstone.
GRANDDAUGHTERS FIRST RIDE ON RUBY
Kinsley
Kinsley
Kinsley
Kinsley has been horse crazy since from the beginning pretty much and had her first lesson pre-covid at age 3. She loved it and did well for several months with a great trainer at J6 Equestrian Center. A long break over the pandemic but has been begging to get back on a horse and talked Mom and Dad into it on June 4th, 2022 at age 5 at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Ruby.
Sedona
Kinsley
Kinsley
Sedona liked the horses from the start but was a bit more timid of them than her younger sister Kinsley initially. But after watching her sister for three of her lessons decided she could do it too, By her third lesson at J6 she had graduated from the mini-Shetland cross to a big quarter horse named Tank and eating it up at age 5. The trainer said she'd never seen a kid so young do so well so fast! She was eager to get on Ruby with no fear
Riding the De Anza Trail near Tumacacori along and in the Santa Cruz River with the Tucson Saddle Club. Letha and Ruby in the foreground here; no big deal for Ruby! A gorgeous place to ride with a lot of shade in the dead of summer.
Ruby and Letha in the Santa Cruz River near Tumacacori on the Tucson Saddle Club Ride, sans the fly mask.
Ruby"s first trip in Brown Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista on an early morning ride. This shot is at the top of the trail in Brown Canyon. From here you can go left towards lower Miller Canyon; or go up between the two trees just behind her into the Miller Peak Wilderness That trail gets rougher and fainter going up. It was going to be an "Excessive heat day" in Southern Arizona that day so we headed back down.
Ruby was getting a drink at the trough when something got her attention to Jondalar's and I's right. This is a very pretty ride up the mountain from the Historical Brown Canyon Ranch, now a Federal Historical site with a Caretaker/Host on site. Popular with hikers, bikers, and horse riders. But everyone we saw on the trail today was very considerate of all genres of users. Not too busy on the weekday either.
Letha and Ruby on the trail to Eternal Springs on Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista during a Hozro Ranch Riding Club ride on Father's Day. Beautiful ride in the Huachuca Mountains to the spring which has water coming out of a large pipe all year long regardless of the drought conditions. Makes for happy trees and riders!