The first week I was at Sombrero, for my training. It was pretty rough. I hadn't ridden for about 2 years before getting this job, so I was a little nervous being on horseback. I also had altitude sickness really bad, which sucked. There were supposed to be 3 other people who would show up at the same time as me and we'd all get trained together in a group, but NONE of them showed up, so I spent the first few days wandering around not knowing anyone except my boyfriend, who I broke up with in the first week. But I was finally sent out to Moraine Park Stables. There were about 14 other wranglers all in all at the busiest part of the season. I made a lot of friends, and being surrounded by horses all day long- even if they weren't exactly the greatest horses in the world- was my idea of heaven.
Here's a sample of my daily schedule:
1. Get up each morning at 5:40
2. Eat breakfast (not-quite-done pancakes, who can forget 'em??)
3. Put halters on all the horses (30 at the beginning of the summer, 90 by the end)
4. Run the horses though the barn, single file, where they got brushed, got a blanket thrown on, feedbag put on, and a saddle. My job was usually either brushing, putting on feedbags, or taking off feedbags outside.
5. Go out and grab as many horses as needed for the 8:00 ride (anywhere from 2 to 30) and tie them up to the rails outside the corral.
6. Put bridles on all those horses, check tack, etc.
7. The tourists arrive!
8. Help people on horses. (Usually only requires a calculated shove in the butt, occasionally people would fall on me, though.)
9. The boss, Dave (we had other names for him, too), would surprise us with the announcement of who was going on the ride. We gave the lecture on how to steer, and off we went!
9.5. If we weren't on that ride, we'd put the hay out, refill feedbags, go on poop patrol, kick rocks, throw rocks at each other, throw rocks at ground squirrels, throw rocks into cups... we had many games involving throwing rocks. :)
10. ON THE RIDE: For two hours I'd tell people repeatedly to pull their horses head up, don't let them eat, "Hey up there on Dolly, can ya put your feet back in the stirrups?!" "Please keep your horse to a walk." "STAY IN SINGLE FILE" "KICK YOUR HORSE!!! HARDER! HAAAARRRDDDDEEERRRR!!!!!" and various other comments designed to keep tourists from getting kicked, run off with, or stuck in a patch of really yummy grass.
11. We'd finally get back to the barn, help people off, trying not to let them fall, and they'd limp away.
12. We'd send the next ride out.
13.At 5 and 6:00 we'd break down the horses- run 'em through the barn, take off saddles, give 'em feedbags, put out the hay. (they got hay 3 times a day, grain twice)
14. We'd all storm the kitchen for dinner, or else go out to eat if Jim's cooking looked particularly bad.
15. After dinner, we all hit the showers (1 shower for 8 girls-fun) and if there was any time after that we'd either go to town (Estes park) or else just sit on the porch and chill out.
We got one day off a week, and we could do whatever we wanted- even take out a horse and go for a ride. You'd think that'd be the last thing you'd wanna do, but there's such a difference between riding by yourself and trailing along having to keep an eye on 17 tourists.
So that was my summer. I really miss the people and the horses, 'specially Whisper and Baby and Mouse and Joker and Boots. And Lizzy and Blueberry of course. :)
Things to remember:
All the horses' names.
Jim's cooking and the fact that I can no longer eat any soup that has beef and macaroni noodles in it.
Mud.
That gorgeous little grey mustang that Tom rode.
Patti hitting a groundsquirrel with a rock.
Chance freaking out in the barn. (Thankfully I was outside.)
"Bad things will happen."
Altitude sickness.
Don't let Jess drive.
Jessica's parking job with one wheel hanging over the ditch.
The stars at night.
Jim's conspiracy theories. (NWO, the Long's Peak launching base, ect.)
"Naked" Kodie
Going to Colorado Springs with Kodie.
Riding Boots on my day off.
Getting caught in that storm like an idiot with Theresa on our day off.
Watching the Cowboy Way how many times in one day???
Partying at the trailhead and learning how to pee in the woods from Gina.
The mechanical bull at the Grizzly Rose.
Ty freaking out on a ride, dumping that brat.
Ty. I hate that horse.
The Malt Shop.
MMMMMMMMMMMMM the Malt Shop.
Galiga.
Cody in the grain bin giving advice on 19 year old boys.
Cody's dog and pony show.
How nervous I was the first week.
Penny from Venezuela riding Mary and her stories about the Grandfather tree and all the 'indian trails.'
Buckshot running away.
"Buttercup! Rail!"
Getting run over by a dust devil in the middle of Beaver meadows.
Trying to saddle Belle by myself when she was being a complete brat.
"Hey Big Head! I got what you need."
Not it.
Dave, Jim.... Randy, Erica, Adam, John, Jessica, Kodie, Patti, Beth, Juliane, Keyon, Big Jim, Theresa, Jarod, Gina, Ginger, Ginger II, Caleb, Becca, Matt...