Biscuit and Sarge hear a gaited horse...omg it sounds like an alien

Sarge is all of that and a bag of chips

Part of a Ride in Kisatchie!

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Louisiana

Biscuit and Denise by the little springs on Friday

Brandon, Tony and Mr. Weber at Kisatchie Friday

Sunday Morning Trail that Barry rode Saturday evening

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Louisiana

Tony, Brandon and Mr. Weber Friday's ride in Kisatchie

Mr. Weber and Shine...he didn't want to get his little hooves in the mud!!!

Biscuit's mane looking gorgeous

Bicuit hears the wild horses...he was all excited

 

Saturday Kisatchie Ride

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Louisiana

Tana and Ranger, Mr. Weber and Shine, Denise and Biscuit on Sunday morning ride

The gorgeous Kisatchie Forest on a beautiful Sunday morning

Denise, Tana and Mr. Weber

Denise and Tana riding in Renegade Alleghany Saddles  one in black one in red!

Denise and Tana

Barry and Sarge and Denise and Biscuit

Yes, there is traffic control in Kisatchie! 

 

Kisatchie National Park

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in LouisianaBarry and I made plans to ride Kisatchie a few months ago.  I took Thursday off to get ready.  I went grocery shopping, picked up dinners at Mazzio's and sandwiches at Sertino's.  Barry got off at 1:30 and we went to get the horses.  We hauled to the Lucky 4B Ranch in Melder, Louisiana.  It took about two hours and 30 minutes to get here so we really made good time. 

We put the boys in a little pen and visited with Sam and Tony, the owners of Lucky 4 B and we met Mr. and Mrs. Weber.  He is the resident expert on Kisatchie.  He said he would be glad to ride with us on Friday morning.  We hauled our stuff up to the Saloon Suite and got settled in.  We later moved the boys to a one acre pasture where they were happier.

The next day we got up and Barry went to get the boys and he said they were running around like wild horses in the paddock.  He worked them both in the round pen before we saddle them.  A young fellow named Brandon arrived and saddled up his Tennessee Walker that was a very nice horse.  Mr. Weber saddled up his little mule, Shine and Tony was on Dot.  We started off and it was rocky as all get out on some of those roads.  Biscuit is always tenderfooted and I hadn't put his boots on as I thought these were just sandy roads.  We went down a road and then crossed into a field and we going along and  Tony's horse Dot shot sideways - it was a hog that startled her.  Then she got tangled up in vine and was stumbling and spinning around and she was struggling to stay on her feet.  Tony came off and fell flat on his back.  Saints preserve me; I nearly had a cow.  He didn't pop right up either.  He finally got to his feet and mounted Dot and Mr. Weber took the lead.  Another hog popped out of the brush and scared the snot out of Shine.  Shine was spinning round and round back and forth and Mr. Weber did a great job of keeping Shine under control.  He finally got Shine calmed down and Barry and I took the lead.  I told Barry I was a little unnerved by all of that.  Brandon's horse, Duke, was totally unconcerned about the hogs.  He has been hog hunting and wow...what a well behaved horse.  Anyway, Sarge took off and we went about 15 to 20 feet and a hog ran out from about 10 feet away.  Sarge startled and jumped to the right just a little bit and Biscuit startled even less.  I was so proud of my boy.  Prouder of me...LOL  I didn't wig out. 

We carried on and went to the bluffs.  Gorgeous scenery, deep bluffs, sandy dry creeks, deep shade.  At the bluffs, Barry rode Sarge all the way down and back up.  Sarge loves that kind of stuff.  We went to the springs and let the horses drink.  They were marking trails with green spray paint.  Biscuit cantered twice - very controlled and very nice.  Bless his heart.  It was a wonderful ride.  We rode 9.9 miles in 4 hours and 20 minutes or so.  We were stopping constantly to mark trees so that is what took so long.

We came back to the 4B and unsaddled the horses.  Sam and Tony said we could put Sarge and Biscuit down in a turn out pasture that was about 1 acre.  They really enjoyed that.

Mr. Weber was cooking up fried pork ribs and rice dressing later in the open kitchen - LOL  sweet sounding Cajun voices and the smell of Cajun food cooking - what could be better?  We all sat out there and talked - I met Brandon's wife, Lee Ann and their little boy.  Barry tasted the ribs and rice dressing and pronounced them wonderful.  We ate our dinner from Mazzio's and it was pretty good.  I heated it in the little oven and reheated the garlic toast in the toaster.

The next morning Barry went and got the horses but they didn't give him any problems.  I pulled Biscuit's hoof boots on so his hoof wouldn't get chipped more and he is tender footed.  We saddled them up and I went to get on and my jeans were not very stretchy and I had to get on with a mount.  Bummer.  We went over by Mr. Weber's area and he was saddling him Tennessee Walker Poncho.  The little mule, Shine, was not a happy camper;  he wasn't getting to go and was braying to beat the band.  Barry took Sarge over by him and Sarge was all charged up over it but behaved.  LOL  every molecule in his body was on alert! 

We rode out with a good sized group - some from Morgan City, Lafayette, Iota, Carencrow and a few other places.  We rode a different trail going to the bluffs that was very pretty.  At the bluffs, I noted that one of the ladies saddle had the same hardware as mine - it was a black saddle.  LOL  It was a Renegade Alleghany Trail Saddle!  Hers was nice in the black but I like mine with the little hoofpick pocket with my initials on it!  Several people went up and down the bluff on their horses - woot!  They were having a blast.  We carried on to the springs and Biscuit drank out of the stream.  We stopped and chatted there and then took off again.  The lady with the Alleghany was on a Missouri Fox Trotter that was very nice.  At one point he stumbled and went down on a knee poor fellow but he was ok.  I did notice that we were riding with many gaited horses and they were all so well behaved and none of the rider's were acting crazy people.  I have rode with gaited folks before that made me nervous because it seemed they didn't have really good control of their horses.  Some gaited horse riders are just fine (LeAnne!!!) and others not so much!

We rode around to a different trail and were crossing dry creeks and we came upon the wild horses.  They moved off quickly and did I have my camera out?  No...what a idiot.  I finally got it out and we rounded a ridge and went up a little higher and there they were - a group of about 6 wild horses.  They were all paints except one solid colored horse.  They moved off and we followed quietly and I took some pictures but they were pretty far away and there are tons of trees.  Biscuit got all excited - all of the horses did - they could smell and see them of course so they were definitely interested!

We continued on around the trails and Biscuit once hit a canter coming up from a little dip - wow wee - hoof boot gloves and all!!  Later I had Biscuit on Sarge's tail jogging - but he can't jog that slow for long!  Later when we were near the Ranch Sarge was loping and I was urging Biscuit to canter but he never would.  He did take the lead from Sarge (the other horses had gaited out of site!) and he was trotting really fast but would never canter. 

We got back and we had gone 10.7 miles so we rode 20.6 miles all together.  I rinsed Biscuit off - he was a sweaty boy.  When we got to the trailer there was a donkey in their pen.  OMG Sarge was having a nervous breakdown over that.  Barry tied him to the trailer (Donkey is gone by this time ) and he was still all charged up, pawing at the trailer and then he started rearing up.  I fussed and him and told him in a loud cranky voice to knock it off.  Barry came and got him and put him in the pen.  LOL  Sarge is a hoot. 

Later, Barry, Mr. Weber and two of the ladies from Lafayette went on a 5.5 mile ride where they cantered and Sarge liked that!!!  They went on a totally different trail to the west of the ranch so I sent the Garmin to catch all of that!!! 

We visited with the Weber's, the policeman from Carencrow (he was on a HUGE palomino) and looked at the trails.  I had uploaded them and Mr. Weber had me mark them with waypoint names.   That was pretty cool. 

Barry and I ate another Mazzio dinner - he didn't want me to cook the pasta dish I had planned so Mazzio it was.  We ate dinner, watched some TV and went to bed.  My knee doesn't bother me when riding but going up and down the stairs to the Saloon Suite hasn't made my knee a happy camper!!
We rode Sunday morning with Mr. Weber and Tana, the lady with the Allehany saddle.  We rode a different trail that was gorgeous!  Biscuit behaved so well today.  We jogged behind Shine - it was good for Biscuit to be in a position to HAVE to jog.  He can't do that very well.  We also cantered a few times before the jog and I was able to kick him into a canter easily.  He is getting better.  Later we cantered behind Barry and I had to tell Barry to speed up!!!  We cantered 2 or 3 times and it was so much fun!!!  Biscuit was the bomb dot com today.

We got back and washed the horses and Sarge was being a pill again - rearing up against the hitching post.  We talked to Sam and Tony and the Webers.  They are all such sweet people and I'd love to go back.