Our Last Hug Goodbye

Goodbye Hug (jodi442) 2011

Thank you all for being part of our equine family and traveling along with us on our blog site over the past thirteen weeks. The purpose of our blog was to write amazing content that engaged fellow equine enthusiast, campers, and travelers for a digital marketing course I am enrolled in at Chippewa Valley Technical College.

Our blog was used to connect our blog content to both the needs of our target audience and to the theme of our social media content shared among Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We covered lots of amazing topics that both our traveling and equine enthusiasts would love to read about, including topics such as camping recipes, events, trail riding tips, and all the fun and exciting vacation hotspots Colorado has to offer.

What I learned about blogging, is that it's important to incorporate “why” you are blogging about the topic into your blog and to make sure that what you are blogging about is relevant to the core purpose of your business and the needs of your target audience. It’s also imperative to engage them with videos and pictures relevant to your blog to make it more engaging and entertaining for your readers.   

Thank you all again so much for riding along with 

us and joining me on this amazing journey. We will miss y’all and can’t thank you enough for being a part of our family. It has been truly an amazing ride and one we will cherish for a lifetime.

Ride Along With Us on Our New App....

Hey Y'all

App (Barbara ALane) 2017

We just launched the testing of our new free app. It's a fantastic way for you to connect with us all in one spot. We are super excited for you to provide us with some feedback. Click here to take a peek.

We value your feedback and would love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment on our blog to let us know what you think!

Trailer Travel Safety

A Few Important Trailer Travel Checks Before You Go

As we headed out to the Midwest Horse Fair this week in Madison, WI, we encountered a little trailer trouble with a flat tire on highway I-80 near Des Moines, Iowa. This made us think about how important it is when traveling long distances to keep trailer safety in mind and to make sure to perform a trailer safety check before you leave. With this little extra downtime while we fix the trailer, I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you a few important trailer safety measures to consider before loading up and heading out on the road this summer.

• Check the tires for any worn tread and low pressure. This will help prevent having a flat tire alongside the road and becoming stranded for hours with no place to go.

• Make sure to have a spare tire along, because there is nothing worse than being stranded on the side of the road with your 4-legged friend in the trailer impatiently waiting to be let out. With this in mind, you will also want to make sure you have a jack along that has the lifting strength and rate for the tongue weight of your trailer to allow you to fix the tire safely and quickly to get back on the road.

• Check the brakes to make sure they are working effectively each and every time you hook up to leave. Burning out your brakes is not a fun way to travel when carrying over six thousand pounds of weight behind you. It isn’t safe as you now are relying on the brakes of your truck to stop the momentum of the trailer which are not durable enough to do the job all on their own. 

Horse Trailer (Bhakti2) 2014

• Check the wooden floorboards and trailer frame to ensure that they are sturdy and strong. The last thing you want is to have a rotten board that doesn’t protect your equine loved one from falling through the floor. Thankfully, this has never happened to us at the ranch. It’s a true blessing that we haven’t had to experience this horrific type of event while traveling, and hope that we will never have to experience something so horrible. This safety check is one we consider a true lifesaver and is the most important safety check to complete before loading up and heading out on the road with your trailer this summer. 

• Lastly, verify that all your trailer hinges, springs, and latches are in good working order to help ensure they are secure enough to withstand the speed and wind while cruising down the highway with your load. 

These are just a few of the most important tips to remember when getting ready to head out with your equine friend this summer. Please feel free to check out this awesome horse trailer checklist from our supportive equine friends at eqgroup.com to help ensure your trailer is all ready to go on the road this summer.

As for our next blog, our trail ride has come to an end. We hate saying goodbyes and so we say, “Thank you all so much for following along with us and journeying with us through the semester.” It has been an amazing ride and will miss you all dearly! As our favorite quote says, “True Friendships Last a Lifetime” so, thank you for being our friends and these memories will truly last us forever!

Things Just Got a Little Fishy at Circle Z

Try a Few of Our Fave Fish Camping Recipes

Pan-Fried Fish (Scottgardner) 2013

Camping and fishing is just one of Circle Z’s favorite past times. We love taking the horses down to the river and throwing in a few lines, then bringing our catch back to camp to cook up some amazing meals. With all of this fish talk this week, we thought you might find a few of our favorite fish recipes something to rave about back home or around the campfire.

With being so close to the streams here, we have

an amazing time catching panfish and trout which is what we predominately catch here at the ranch. Now, I wish we could take full credit for these recipes we share with our guest, but our friends at Outdoor Life have some really good ones for cooking up bass, crappies and a variety of panfish. If you can get past all of the bones, they have a recipe that could turn your head into liking bullheads all fried up with a little dill pickle and mustard to give it some zing. Check out their amazing recipes at OutdoorLife.com to bring some with you to cook up here while staying in any of our fully furnished cabins.

For all our camping peeps, we have five succulent panfish meals you’ll want to try from the awesome crew at Bass Pro Shops that will cook up fantastic over the campfire. These recipes will go great with bluegills or sunfish, but feel free to try them with any of your favorite panfish. We have lots of rock bass, sunfish, or perch here at the ranch and can help you fix them up just the way you like them. You can check these Bass Pro Shop recipes out right on their website.

Campfire Trout (Lum3N) 2016

Lastly, trout is one of our most popular catches in the streams that run along the ranch and is super tasty when cooked up fresh over the campfire, especially with a little lemon, salt, and pepper. We found a great recipe that is going to be one not to miss for all of our bacon lovers. We came across this one on TasteeofHome.com and the prep and grill time is really quick, just 40 minutes and your meal is ready.

For anyone of our campers or lodgers, it’s also important to plan your meals at home to make sure you have all the ingredients that you will need. Bass Pro Shops has some super tips to help you plan the necessary items to pack, like a grill basket to hold your pan-dressed fish or fillets, along with a camp stove to support your skillet to make lunch or dinner a cinch. You’ll definitely want to take a quick peak at their article to double check that you have all the necessary items before you head off to camp. 

Well, all this fish talk has made us hungry and excited for camping season to start so make sure to swim on by our Facebook and Twitter page to hear all about the camping and fishing excitement we have going on this week. Happy Trails until next week, when we will be bringing y’all some trailer safety tips as we saddle up to head out to Madison, WI to set up camp at the Midwest Horse Fair.       

Circle Z's Favorite Vacation Hotspots

Make Sure to Check These Out This Summer!

With April flowers blooming, it gets us thinking about one thing, and that is trail riding and vacation season. With all this excitement of getting ready to vacation this summer, we thought it would be a wonderful time to mention some of our amazing attractions to check out while your visiting us in Colorado.

One of our favorite spots to tell our customers about and to check out is the Royal Gorge. This high suspension bridge is breathtaking and for anyone who loves the thrill of heights, they will definitely want to put this on their list of attractions to see. The 956-foot overlook of the Arkansas River is simply amazing and there are several ways to take in the view. One way is to walk across the bridge or you can opt to take a gondola across it. If heights aren’t your thing, then there are a few additional ways to see it. You can go by train or see it while whitewater rafting to take in the view from below. I have walked across it and seen it by train, either way that you decide to see it, it’s worth every cent to see something so beautiful. We highly recommend visiting their website to learn more about this vacation hotspot or to see some amazing pictures of the bridge, but I can honestly say pictures don’t do it justice after seeing it in person.

The second place we highly recommend is Seven Falls. It’s 224 steps of peer beauty. In my opinion, it’s also one of Colorado’s little secrets. This magical waterfall has seven falls that cascade down a steep canyon wall. I have been there a few times and well, yes, one of those times was in the winter, and to this day my husband and I still laugh about it. Even though the frozen falls were gorgeous, I highly recommend this as a summer visit. One more little tip when visiting the falls, is that you should try to make this a nightly outing, as they light up the falls with some beautiful lights at night. Seven Falls is also the only waterfall to be recognized in the National Geographic’s list of international waterfalls. What an experience this would be for you to be able to say, you’ve seen it.

A final little attraction idea we really recommend visiting before you vacation back home is taking in some of the natural hot springs that Colorado has to offer. It’s a terrific way to end your day relaxing in the hot springs after a busy day at the ranch. One of the hot springs we recommend is SalidaHot Springs Aquatic Center. Here you get the poolside experience with all the benefits of the hot springs. If you’re looking more for an outside hot springs experience, one we can recommend if you want to take a little drive is JoyfulJourney Hot Springs just outside of Moffat, Colorado. It offers a beautiful mountain view while your soaking away, and this will definitely provide the rejuvenation you’ll need after a long day on the trails.

Royal Gorge (Lexus_/) 2015

We hope you have a chance to check out some of these vacation hotspots when you visit and make sure to follow us on Instagram to catch our Instagram promotion for a chance to win a weekend stay with us this summer. Happy trails until next time my friends, when we will be talking all about some tasty fish camping recipes you’ll want to try out this summer.

Sources:

Royal Gorge Bridge and Park

Seven Falls

Video:

Seven Falls

Published By:

Once In Your Lifetime - Travel Vlog

Published Date:  August  20, 2017

Barrel Racing

Speed and Endurance is Key to Winning the Race

We thought with all the excitement of bringing some rodeo action to the ranch this week, it would be an exciting time to take a closer look at one of the most elite women rodeo sports established in 1948!  Barrel Racing! The name says it all! It’s the thrill of racing against time around three barrels and the best time wins.

Barrell racing was a way for women to enter the professional rodeo atmosphere while the men were calf roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, and bronc riding in the rodeo circuit! The first barrel race event ever to be held was said to be hosted in Texas where a group of women got together and developed the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) to provide advancement opportunities for women to compete competitively in rodeo. Barrel Racing to this day is still considered the most popular sport among the WPRA. 

Now that you have heard a little about how barrel racing came to fruition, let me tell you more about the sport itself. Barrel Racing is an individual event where it’s one horse and one rider going against time once they cross the electric eye of the timer. The goal is to perform a cloverleaf pattern around the barrels avoiding any disqualifications (running past a barrel) or penalty from knocking over the barrels. It takes a lot of technique and skill by both horse and rider. Horses are trained professionally to take barrels properly, and every second counts. The closer the horse can shave off time by leaning their shoulder into the barrel the better their run-time.

Barrel Racing (Werner22brigitte) 2014

There's all sorts of competition for all levels of 

riders in barrel racing. I personally have competed at the local level while I was growing up and the thrill of chasing the cans, as they call it, still lives within me. The local level competitions are a great way to get started learning the sport prior to hitting up the nationally sanctioned shows by the National Barrel Horse Association and Better Barrel Races Association. Many barrel racers have competed at these levels before entering the rodeo circuit where the competition is stiff and extremely competitive. Barrel Racing at this level is co-sanctioned by both the WPRA and PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) which allows women to compete at any PRCA endorsed rodeos and the Wrangler National FinalRodeo, which is the season-ending championship held in Los Vegas.

 

With all this being said, make sure to check out some of the local PRCA  or WPRA Barrel Racing events to catch some rodeo or barrel racing action right here in Colorado while you're vacationing with us this summer.   

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_racing
http://prorodeo.com/prorodeo/wrangler-national-finals-rodeo

World Champion Barrel Racer (Wangler Network) 2017 Video
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJsYGkBQKtY

                                                                     

Circle Z Ranch's Barn Dance

Keeping the Music Alive Country Style 

This week we are getting out the musical instruments and riding fast to keep country music alive with our upcoming Circle Z’s Keeping the Music Alive Barn Dance. It’s happening this Saturday, March 17^th and is a fantastic opportunity to support Music in Our Schools Month in March. We are huge supporters of keeping music alive in our schools and there’s no better way to support it but by partnering up with one of our local school’s choir and band program for our 2018 barn dance.  

Fiddler (Keisner) 2017

This year’s chosen school was Colorado Springs School, and we specifically partnered up with their Upper Band and Choir Program to bring you all a very special treat. Each year, we choose a school either from the elementary or high school level to be recipients of our grant through our Circle Z Ranch Country Music Foundation. Our foundation was established because of our strong belief to support country music. The process to apply for the grant consists of an application completed by each of the school’s band and choir program indicating their needs for support. With the overwhelming support of our foundation from our investors, we have been encouraged to support country music even further in conjunction with Music in Our Schools Month through our social media efforts and this year’s barn dance. All of the proceeds from the dance will go to their choir and band program. Their program is in significant need to replace old instruments, purchase additional music, and cover transportation cost to both band and choir events. We were extremely excited to financially help them not only through our foundation but also through donating all our proceeds from this year’s barn dance to their programs. The timing was perfect with March being Music in Our School Month and it allowed us to combine the two efforts.

  

Cowboy Boots(Alexas_Fotos) 2015

Now that you have heard all about why we are supporting Music in Our Schools this week and our foundation, let us tell you a little bit more about the event. It will take place right here at Circle Z Ranch starting with a chuck wagon meal from 5-6 pm with all the great fixins. The dance will kick off at 7 and ends at 9. We encourage you all to come on out and kick up your boots a bit to support not only the country music that we all enjoy but also our local Colorado Springs School's Band and Choir Program. 

For full details on the event, check out our Facebook event page on either Facebook or Twitter. We look forward to seeing you all there this weekend and please make sure to bring the whole family. In the event you are unable to attend, but still want to support their local band and choir efforts, you may donate directly to them through our website event page. Thank you all in advance for your support. We are very humbled by your kind generosity to help such a great cause. 

As we say here at the ranch “happy trails”, but this time until March 29^th when we return from taking a little trail ride vacation ourselves the week of the 19^th to visit family and friends in Wisconsin. 

How to Help Prepare Your Horse for Colorado’s High-Altitude!

As our summer trail riding excursions are swinging into full force in the next couple of months, it’s time for us to think about our summer trail rides into the mountains. Most importantly, we need to think about what we should do to prepare our trail buddy for the altitude change in the mountains.  Altitude can have a vast effect on our horses. As we prepare our equine friends for the high-altitude change, it’s important to consider these tips when riding the highlands to help make our trail ride adventurous, and not the health concerns of our four-legged friends.

Vet Health Checks

It is important to let your vet know you are traveling and they can take the time to evaluate your horse’s health prior to venturing out to the mountain trails. This evaluation will give you peace of mind that your horse seems to be healthy enough to endure the physical activity. Most U.S. states also require CVI, health certificates and Coggins for your traveling companions. For specific requirements by state, check out the individual state health requirements prior to loading up and heading out to the trails across state lines.  

   

Allow for Additional Travel Time for Your Horse to Acclimate to The Altitude Change

Doing this will allow for downtime and more time to acclimate to the altitude before starting your excursion into the mountains on your trail ride. Altitude can have similar affects on them as it does to us as humans and allowing for additional time to acclimate, can help reduce the effects of the high-altitude. Some of these affects can include increase blood pressure and Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). In an Equus magazine article (The Effects of Altitude, 2002), their study recommended at least an overnight stay and indicated that most acclimation has stabilized within three days based on the physiological measurements that were evaluated.

Trail Riding(PublicDomainPictures) 2013

Gradually Increase Your Trail Riding Activity

Most trail rides have multiple trails with a variety of levels. Start off with the easiest level and as the week progresses, increase the intensity of your trail riding to the more difficult trails if possible. This will help allow your horse to adjust to the increase level of altitude change.

Keep Your Horse/s Hydrated

Providing your horse with water is important to help reduce the effects of dehydration due to the high altitude. When possible, check with your trail guide or lodging manager to map out clean water sources along the trail to ensure that your equine friend stays alert and hydrated throughout the ride. Staying hydrated isn’t only important for your equine friend, but for you as the rider too. It can help avoid potential onset of symptoms of AMS, such as headaches, fatigue, and nausea which can make it such a challenge to enjoy your trail riding trip.

We hope these helpful tips guide you in preparing your horse for the highlands. We look forward to riding in the mountains with you and your equine companion when you come and visit our wonderful state of Colorado. 

Vacation Planning Success

Tips for Planning Your Summer Vacations!

With summer just around the corner, y’all know what that means! Yes, that’s right, planning for those summer vacations.  We thought with all our talk about being at our favorite summer event, Country Jam CO, it would be a great time to discuss some of those need to knows for planning your personal vacations to planning those yearly trail ride excursions which we will discuss in a later blog.

Personal vacations are an exciting way to get away either by plane, car, train, or even bus. With all of these options, it gives you some flexibility on how you want to travel. You also have the advantages of taking a shorter vacation too, with having so many travel options available to you.  Some additional tips to consider while planning your personal vacations include the following:

Travel/Vacation (Kirk Fisher) 2017

Determine Your Length of Stay First
This can make a difference in what travel method is best to get the most out of your vacation time.


Pack Appropriately for Your Method of Travel
Many times, when traveling by car, you can bring those little extras, but traveling lightly is important when going by bus or plane. With many airlines increasing their baggage fees, you want to make sure to visit the airline's website to know their baggage policies and pricing.  Here are some links to the most traveled airlines, including United, Frontier, and Spirit airlines, to check out their baggage policy before booking your summer flights.

Check Out Your Lodging Options
A lot of times, you can save time and money by spending a little more on your stay by making sure that it includes a good continental breakfast. It’s a time saver in the fact that you don’t have to plan to eat out for three meals and can grab your food and go in the morning.

Confirm if Your Personal Auto Insurance Agency Covers Car Rentals
When renting a car, you can also save some cash by checking with your personal auto insurance company to see if your rental car is covered by them instead of taking out the extra plan offered by most car rental agencies.  It is also important to make sure that your insurance company will cover any downtime that rental agencies may charge for in the event the rental car needs repair.

Make Sure to Pack Appropriate Clothing
Some vacation hot spots or activities require specific attire. With our many years of being in the lodging and trail riding industry, we have noticed guests miss packing appropriate riding attire including pants and boots for trail riding.

We hope these tips are helpful for planning your next vacation, and to see more tips on travel planning, feel free to visit a few more of our valued travel resources at sheknows.com, vaction-list.com and realsimple.com.  We look forward to seeing you this summer and happy trails until next week, when we discuss how to prepare your horse for Colorado's high altitude. 

Let's Talk About John Wayne

The Most Famous Western Movie Cowboy of All Times!

This week we talked all about Marion Mitchell Morrison, better known to movie fans as John Wayne. Some of you also might know him best for his legendary nickname Duke, named after his trusty Airedale companion. We thought we would share a little with you all about his legacy. His family later moved to California where he chased his dreams of playing football, but a bodysurfing injury lead him in a new direction to becoming the legendary movie star he is today. His devotion to following his dream to movie stardom led him to work for Fox Film Corporation on the stage crew as an extra in many football films.


His acting career was largely started by his role in the 1939 John Ford movie, Stagecoach, starring as the “Ringo Kid,” a fugitive on a mission to track down the man who killed his father and brother. After making his debut in Stagecoach, he appeared in 142 motion pictures, of which 83 were Westerns, playing cowboys, cavalrymen, and marshals. He spent time with known cowboys and was dedicated to bringing the true cowboy way of life to the big screen.

John Wayne (Skeeze) Pixabay 2014

He was best known for his role in True Grit, which is our personal favorite John Wayne movie here at the ranch. In this movie, he played Rooster Cogburn, a drunken U.S. Marshal who reluctantly helps a young girl bring the man who murdered her dad’s hired hand into custody. She hired him to help her track down the villain because she felt he had true grit. His character undeniably did have true grit with his outgoing and tenacious attitude. He later won his first Academy Award for Best Actor for True Grit. True Grit, is still today, one of the most iconic John Wayne films you surely don’t want to miss if you haven’t seen it already. Many of his films also display his memorable quotes, including “Hurry it up. We’re burning daylight.”

To read more of John Wayne’s legendary quotes or to learn more about this iconic western movie star, visit his website. If you’re planning a vacation to Iowa, be sure to visit the John Wayne Birthplace, and keep John Wayne’s vision of the Old West and his legacy alive! Help us celebrate this amazing cowboy all week long by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Source Links:

John Wayne

True Grit

Stagecoach 

Website:

John Wayne

How Horses Say,"I Love You!"

Equine Valentine's Day Love Signs!

Have you ever wondered how your equine friend says, “I LOVE YOU” and displays their affection to their owners? Some of the signs can be so settle or out and out obvious. Just like humans, many horses have their own personality and display their love in so many ways. Horses are such compassionate animals and with their majestic outer beauty can be just as amazing on the inside. Your equine friend’s love is based on trust. Once that trust is established, some horses will want to move mountains for you to display their love and affection. Here are some of the amazing ways that horses show compassion and love to their owners. These are sometimes taken for granted but is truly the love language of our equine friends.

• A gentle whinny when you arrive at the barn is sometimes mistaken for their compassion for food, but many times horses are vocally saying they are excited to see you. This is their way of saying, “I love you!”

• Those warm snuggles aren’t a typical response to humans with being flight animals. When a horse allows that barrier between you to be broken down allowing themselves to get closer to you, it's their gentle way to say they are trusting in and love you whole heartily.  

• Those horses that can’t wait to greet you in the pasture are amazingly trusting that your love for each other is mutual!  Their natural instinct would be to run from their predators and protect themselves from any potential danger. Their love and trust for you has emotionally brought them to understand they are safe in your loving care.

•   Sometimes a simple resting of their chin on your shoulder is their way to give you the loving hug you need during those challenging times. They are showing you, they are there for you as your loving partner. 

• Other times, they will simply follow you around to display their love and affection to show you how much they want to be by your side.

• Horse’s that let out soft little nickers when you are present, is just another way they vocalized their compassion and tell you they love you.

• When a horse shares its breath with you, it is a true sign of affection, comfort, and love. They are totally entrusting in their human companion and sharing their breath is a way to treat you as part of their family.

Arabians (Ainslie,G-P) Artistsoul, 2016

Our horse’s love language is so unique which makes their display of love so special and meaningful. It can be truly heartwarming with their only means of showing love being through simple signs that we as owners can truly enjoy. We then can understand better their way of communicating their love to us and know how it lies deep within their sole. With that established trust and an unbreakable bond of affection, it can truly create a loving relationship between horse and rider.

Colorado Dude Ranch Hospitality

Get to Know Us at Circle Z Ranch

Offering You Outstanding Lodging for Your Next Equestrian Vacation!  

Circle Z Equestrian Ranch, best known as “Circle Z Ranch,” is a dude ranch located just north of Colorado Springs in the amazing mountainous state of Colorado. We are family-owned and operated for over 25 years. Taking care of customers' lodging and trail riding needs when they come to visit our ranch, is what we do best. We have over 15 trails, 10 cabins, and 20 camping sites for you to enjoy. The gorgeous mountainous terrain is the perfect backdrop to take in the breath-taking sunrises and sunsets. We also offer summer camps, giving kids in our local community the opportunity to learn and understand the ranching industry from knowledgeable staff.

 Horse (DeMers, James) 08-27-2013

We are open year-round, which makes our ranch unique. We open our trails to enjoy snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Visitors are welcome to relax in our cozy cabins and take in a campfire after a day out on the trails. Colorado’s mild winters also allows us to offer you the ranch experience in the winter on those beautiful winter days. The trails are open for visitors to hangout on with their equine friends as well, putting family time first and unplugging from the demands of life and technology.

On our blog, you should come to expect posts  on the latest trends on the dude ranch experiences, tips on booking those summer vacations, helpful information on trail travel safety, camping receipts, and the hottest vacation spots. We look forward to serving you and offering you the lodging and dude ranch experience you come to expect.