From: HAROLD & ELAINE WILSON
10/06/2005 FLORIDA WAGON TRAIN

To see the photos from this trip, click on this link or copy and paste to your browser: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=k4qtmvb.6v1rckgz&x=1&y=-t4iefp

Several weeks ago we obtained a “rescue horse” and needed to place it somewhere. We contacted our friend, Susan Chafin in Robertsdale, AL and she told us that her nephew Patrick would love to have it. We had planned on taking it the following weekend, and then Jimmy Shell told us he was flagging on the Bonifay Wagon Train. Riding with a wagon train was one thing that my mule SPF MARSHAL DYLAN had never done. I prefer to ride wooded trails, but this would be good training for Dylan.

Lane doesn’t like to ride wagon trains either but she said she’d take a book and her knitting, move the trailer up to the new camp each day and just hang around camp. Then we decided we’d also take her horse Little Man and go ride at Coldwater for a few days after the wagon train, as it was just a few miles from where the train would camp. Sounded like a good trip. So we put off taking the horse to Patrick for a week.

We arrived at Susan's late in the afternoon on Thursday. We turned Little Man and Dylan out in the pasture with her horses. Susan has Lane‘s horse Sassy and she looked wonderful. When I walked to the living quarters door to get a drink, I opened the door and hit Dawn Ringer‘s horse, Smoky with the door as he came up to check out what we were doing. All the horses were standing in about nine inches of grass.

After a few minutes rest, we took the horse to Patrick, just a few miles away. We found that he had NEW fence around a pen for his new horse. He told us of his plans to enlarge the pen and also showed us his new saddle. He was a very happy young man.

As usual, Susan had planned a BIG supper. I think it is her goal to keep me from losing weight. Ribs off the grill with all the fixin’s eaten on her front porch listening to the night sounds. She has a beautiful place at the end of a dirt road. The house, at the back corner of about twenty acres of pasture, is surrounded by a chain link fence. While we were sitting there talking after supper, all the horses came up to the fence out of the darkness. Brandi went in and got a package of carrots and fed them. Susan said they do this every night and she goes through about ten lbs of carrots every week.

The next morning we loaded up and headed for the wagon train. We were within a few miles of Coldwater so we stopped there to make sure we could get a campsite on Sunday night. After a nice visit with Bill Stewart, the manager, we headed for the wagon train campsite. We have ridden on wagon trains with this group before, but this was our first time on the Bonifay Wagon Train.

If you have never ridden on a wagon train before you must realize it is a different group from trail riders. The first thing you notice is that a LOT of their rigs are RV’s towing a horse trailer. Some of these trailers have been special made with a horse compartment in the front and a flatbed at the rear to haul the wagons and the horses at the same time. Some have trucks and trailers and put a tongue on the wagon and pull it behind the trailer. What a sight! Just don’t ask them to back into a spot until the wagon has been unhooked. Sometimes you will have a family come two vehicles, one pulling a horse trailer and the other pulling the wagon. Every day the 'train' rides to the next camp. After the horses are tied, a bus takes the teamsters and outriders back to the old camp to get their rigs and move up to the new camp.

One of the things I have noticed over the years is that the camp is different in a wagon train from a trail ride. It seems like when the ride is over on a wagon train, you hardly ever see anyone in camp. I finally figured it out why this weekend. One reason is that there is no permanent camp set up so you have very little set up outside of the rigs. There is rarely a campfire. The other reason is all the RV people would rather sit IN a RV with their friends than to sit outside. We don’t have that much room in our trailer, and would rather set out some chairs and watch the camp and talk to our friends as they go by.

One of my greatest pleasures in camp is to wake up early, care for my horses or mule, make a cup of coffee, and just sit and watch the camp wake up. The camp is like a great being itself. It starts off slow with a few people getting out and moving around. The Being then starts to stretch and goes into full activity. All this while watching a beautiful sunrise.

I knew our friends, Jimmy and Elaine Shell, would arrive early on Saturday morning. Jimmy was going to be the lead flagman. Margaret Russell and Larry Carter had told me they were coming to ride also. They had never ridden on a wagon train and were going to ride their donkeys. They were easy to find.

I had never ridden Dylan on a wagon train but had every confidence that he would do fine. I registered for two days as I thought that would be all I needed to train him for it. We saddled and rode around camp to let him see a wagon. Boy, did I waste my money. He acted like he had been on a hundred wagon trains. Nothing in camp fazed him. As soon as we started down the road, I knew I could go back and declare him to be a wagon train mule. He stepped right out in his ground-eating walk and walked right up beside a wagon. When a wagon trotted to catch up, rattling and clanging behind him, he didn’t even look back. I like this mule.

Before we left camp, Doug, the lead wagon master, told us that we would go at a pace of four miles an hour. He lead out and just after he got on the road a RV passed him and his mules tried to do a 40 mile an hour pace. In about a half mile he got them stopped. I knew he had good experienced mules and asked him why that had happened. I found out that one mule was a young and when she took off, the other one joined her. No injury except for Doug’s pride. Of course we wouldn’t let him forget this, but they were fine for the rest of the day, at a four miles an hour pace.

We rode on pavement for a short way and then hit dirt roads. Some of these were so narrow that the outriders could not ride beside a wagon. Several stream crossings with our lunch break at one of them. We rode for about 20 miles and got to pavement again just before going into camp. Four miles an hour was a little too slow for Dylan to gait, but his "walk" is really smooth and most enjoyable. I think we got to camp a little after 3pm. It was a beautiful day and a great ride. Did I tell y'all that I like this mule?

Our camp was in a large pecan orchard. We camped with Jimmy & Elaine and Margaret & Larry. I knew Dylan didn’t need any more training and suggested that we go to Coldwater on Sunday so Lane could ride too. Margaret and Larry were willing to join us, but Jimmy had his duties on the wagon train so they couldn’t go.

Sunday morning we broke camp and drove to Coldwater, about 20 miles away. When we checked in, Richard, the ranger on duty, told us that ATR member Janet Petalinsky had called to say that she would be joining us that afternoon. Margaret needed to go home to check on her business so she called her daughter Emily to bring Larry’s horse to Coldwater. Emily got to ride for a few hours before taking Margaret and the donkeys home.

As we started to set up camp we discovered that the plug to our electric hook-up was broken. Lane went to Pace, FL to get a new plug end and I said I would wait on Janet and took a nap. Lane got back a few minutes after Janet arrived and just in time to say good-bye to Margaret. It only took a few minutes to put on the new plug and then it was time to fix supper. So much for riding on Sunday. Lane made her famous Hoppin’ John for supper and Janet added homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. We sat outside and talked till bedtime.

Everyone was ready to ride Monday morning. I know this will shock most of you, but even Lane was in the saddle at 8:30! We started out down the Blue/White trail with Dylan taking the lead with his long striding walk. We haven’t had the chance to have Dylan in gait very much, as we’ve been doing a lot of hill riding. Most of the trails at Coldwater are flat, so I moved him up into a slow gait. He went into it and stayed there for almost the whole ride. We cut across to the Yellow trail and followed it back to camp. About eight miles. Once, while we were in the lead, a whole covey of quail flushed ALL AROUND Dylan and me. He didn’t even pause to look. I like this mule.

For me, eight miles was just a good start and I wanted to ride Little Man for a while, so I rode out again down the Red to Blue to Yellow and back home. About twelve miles for that trip. Time for a nap. I wanted to ride Dylan some more, but no one wanted to ride again until it got cooler. About 5pm Janet and I saddled up for a short ride of four or five miles.

Just as we left camp there was a herd of five deer just standing, looking at us ride out. We didn’t even bother them. Twice more we flushed a covey of quail. No problem. The last thing Lane said to us as we left the stable was to be back before dark. Well, only the last mile was in the dark but it was easy to see the white sandy trail. I didn’t mean to test my mule on night riding, but he sure passed with flying colors. I really like this mule.

Lane had a light supper waiting for us. Cheeses & crackers, hard boiled eggs, sliced turkey breast and a cauliflower salad. Later, while we were sitting and talking, we ate boiled peanuts that Janet had brought. Her husband Frank has a large peanut crop.

Tuesday morning we broke camp and came home. I was anxious to check on the horses at home and we had to get ready for another ride in 3 days.

Tomorrow (Friday) we are going to go to the Autauga Academy ride in Autaugaville, AL. It is really a day ride but the owner of the land used to park the rigs always lets us camp on Friday and Saturday nights. Several members of the AlabamaTrailRider Group will join us in camp. Hallee will ride and camp with us and some of the other grands will join us for supper and music on Saturday.

This ride is held twice a year and is a favorite of ours. It is also a great social event. They provide lunch and a wonderful supper. After supper there will be a very good local band for dancing. Lane lived in Autaugaville as a child, still has relatives there and knows most of the “locals”, so this is almost like a homecoming for her. Hope to see a lot of y'all there.

Until next time, don’t just ride ..... GLIDE !

Harold and Lane

Now for a commercial:

PERUVIAN MULE FOR SALE: After this weekend I feel that Dylan is a finished trail mule. He has “been there - done that”. He has climbed mountains, and ridden in the Florida flatlands. Extremely rocky trails to deep sand. Crosses water, ditches and bridges. Loads and unloads without hesitation. He has wonderful hard feet and has never had shoes on. He will ride in front of, beside or behind wagons. He will lead or follow. He will ride alone or in a large group. He is not buddy bound or barn sour. He has had deer and birds in his face. Nothing seems to bother him. I will ride him at Autaugaville this weekend and will ride my youngest granddaughter double with me. I don’t put my grandkids on anything that I don’t trust 110%.

PERUVIAN GELDING FOR SALE: Perry’s gait is solid at any speed, including a much desired very slow gait. He has never seen an obstacle that he would not do. He has been through the same drills as Dylan. Everything I said about the mule applies to Perry. Lane has ridden Perry and she doesn’t ride anything that is not dead broke, calm and gentle.

I can’t keep them all, and these two NEED A GOOD NEW HOME.

We didn't write a report on the Rockford ride last week, but here is a link to the photos we took: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=k4qtmvb.breh85bf&x=1&y=qrul39

Please join us at AlabamaTrailRider Group, Click on: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlabamaTrailRider/

Check our calendar of Trail Rides of AlabamaTrailRider at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlabamaTrailRider/cal For info on an event click on the event.

Harold & Elaine Wilson
SOUTHERN PRIDE HORSE & MULE FARM
VISIT OUR PHOTO SITE OF PERUVIAN HORSES & MULE FOR SALE: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=63311036103&n=483863709. Info below photos.