For more information on The Wild In Us Project visit www.thewildinus.org
For more information on
the Ataxia Foundation visit
The rest of my rig, I would make myself. I made my pack bags a little lighter by using slightly lighter leather, these are my pack bags, not ones that would live at a pack station and get abused day in and day out. My saddle I would build off the Wade tree that Timberline Saddle Tree company made for me with my specs. But that’s where any notion of a modern saddle would end. I dreamt up my saddle over years of buying saddles and constantly being disappointed in it in some way. My saddle weighs 19lbs and is a full working ranch saddle without all of the extra unnecessary weight and leather. I had 2,600 miles to ride, and I wasn’t about to throw a 55lb saddle onto my horse’s back and expect him to carry it and me every day.
From the beginning it was my goal to raise as much money as possible for the Ataxia Foundation
It was also important to me to increase awareness for the disease. I would raise money from private donations, but the bulk of it would come from the sale of the mustangs. This would be the hardest part of the entire journey. To let go of the animals that mean the world to me. Minaret would earn his place in my life forever while on the trail, saving my life on several occasions, but Gary and Banner would be sold. Minaret will stay with me and continue the story. He will help me to train the next generation of mustangs for future rides. Gary, I sold to someone that I met along the trail that fell in love with him after a chance encounter at Mammoth Lakes Pack Station’s spring horse drive and Banner is still for sale. As my remount that I never had to use, Banner didn’t get the miles and trail time as the other two, but it doesn’t make him any less of a horse. He just needs to find the right home, the right person.
The Wild In Us will continue
Not knowing how far or what kind of impact this project would have in the beginning, I wasn’t sure what would come at the end of the ride. But now that It’s over, I can’t let it stop. Not until a cure is found. Money buys research, research finds a cure.
that there might be a chance of bad weather when I left the trailer, I’d pack my tent instead.
I started off packing Minaret and riding Gary, because while in training it seemed that was going to be the best order. But once on the trail, the two mustangs thought differently. About 300 miles north of the Mexican border they both told me that they wanted to switch rolls. From that day forward, there was never a fight, never a disagreement.
My packsaddle was made by Outfitters Pack Station. I didn’t know the shape of the back of my animals and would most likely be switching my riding horse and pack horse around so the obvious choice for me was their Phillips Form Fitter design with self-adjusting bars and will be from here on out.
The rest of my rig, I would make myself. I made my pack bags a little lighter by using slightly lighter leather, these are my pack bags, not ones that would live at a pack station and get abused day in and day out. My saddle I would build off the Wade tree that Timberline Saddle Tree company made for me with my specs. But that’s where any notion of a modern saddle would end. I dreamt up my saddle over years of buying saddles and constantly being disappointed in it in some way. My saddle weighs 19lbs and is a full working ranch saddle without all of the extra unnecessary weight and leather. I had 2,600 miles to ride, and I wasn’t about to throw a 55lb saddle onto my horse’s back and expect him to carry it and me every day.
From the beginning it was my goal to raise as much money as possible for the Ataxia Foundation as well as increase awareness for the disease. I would raise money from private donations, but the bulk of it would come from the sale of the mustangs. This would be the hardest part of the entire journey. To let go of the animals that mean the world to me. Minaret would earn his place in my life forever while on the trail, saving my life on several occasions, but Gary and Banner would be sold. Minaret will stay with me and continue the story. He will help me to train the next generation of mustangs for future rides. Gary, I sold to someone that I met along the trail that fell in love with him after a chance encounter at Mammoth Lakes Pack Station’s spring horse drive and Banner is still for sale. As my remount that I never had to use, Banner didn’t get the miles and trail time as the other two, but it doesn’t make him any less of a horse. He just needs to find the right home, the right person.
The Wild In Us will continue. Not knowing how far or what kind of impact this project would have in the beginning, I wasn’t sure what would come at the end of the ride. But now that It’s over, I can’t let it stop. Not until a cure is found. Money buys research, research finds a cure.