Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> Can you tell me what type of
> "western appearing" saddle you are riding in in the Grand
> Canyon photos please? It looks
> comfortable.

Sheila -- I don't think Don reads ridecamp, but since I took that photo
and have ridden with Don enough to know what kind of saddle he rides in I
can tell you.  It's a Synergist.  I'll send a copy of this to
him in case I'm wrong he can let you know. :-) 

btw, since I'm posting about Don (he will love this I know, lol), here is
something I got him to write up for EN when they were putting together
the issue on the 5000 Mile Horses.  Geronimo is a little ahead of
the curve, I think now he is probably closer to 10,000 than 5.  He
is a real special horse, you probably noticed that Don rides him in a
rope halter (he's a stallion!)  

Here it is:

Geronimo is a 12 year old Spanish Mustang who was born and bred by
the Brislawn's on the Cayuse Ranch in Oshoto, Wyoming. The Brislawn's are
the founding breeder of the Spanish Mustang. At  14 hands, Geronimo
has lots of go and all of the natural Spanish Mustang characteristics
that man has not interfered with. We took him off the range in Wyoming
and started riding and putting the miles under his feet when daughter
Stacie needed a sponsor.

When I met Trilby Pederson at the Death Valley ride in 1999, she
encouraged me to ride 1500 or more miles that year--we went ahead and did
2240 miles instead before I could get him whoa'd. Geronimo gets trailered
around 25,000 to 30,000 miles per year. He has never had a metabolic
problem, and is the best he has been since getting started, over 8000
miles ago. He's done rides in the Southeast, Midwest, West, Southwest,
Pacific South and Central regions. When we get his shoes worn out which
is normally about every 600 miles, which is about the time my packer
heals are due for an overhaul (that is a size 9 boot that I wear). Shoe
size is 2 in front, and we use the very fancy John Deere Baler belt for
pads on the fronts. Hind is #1's rolled. Most the time the electrolytes
he likes the best is the Nevada dirt. I feed very little free choice but
if he wants to lick it up he will. He has no processed feed in him just
oats and grass hay.