What our Customers and Visitors Said About Our Calendar! 

Linda H: What a gorgeous calendar! I'm so glad you did this! (at the launch)

Fran Jurga: Projects like this at times like this are a win-win for all involved. Everyone needs a calendar. Everyone needs to buy reasonably-priced Christmas gifts this year. . .  And, most of all, everyone needs a good laugh.

Sue Broux: A preeminent publication is being sold at this very moment: Hunks and Horses, a 2009 calendar featuring 12 of your favorite farriers. . . . I perused the calendar. I suggest you should, too. Be sure to spend some extra time with Mr. September. Ooh la la.

Doug J: I think I've finished my Christmas shopping. These calendars are GREAT! (at Desert Thunder Rodeo)

The SaddleBabes

Jeannie's Story:

Coming Soon  

  Linda's story:

   I wanted a horse from the time I was four years old. My dad constructed a wooden horse and painted it white. Then my mother made a facsimile horse head from cardboard and attached a broomstick (remember those?) and by the time I was twelve my blue Schwinn bicycle was my "horse." Fortunately, as I was growing up, my dad would take me riding at the local stables. My mother was afraid of horses and I'm sure she thought I would outgrow my horse obsession.

   I never did outgrow it. I suppose it got put on the back burner and the years passed by.

   Fast forward to today: I now have five horses: Smokey (shown with Mr. November in the 2010 calendar), Dusty, Diamond, Leroy Brown, and Murphy.

   I go to the barn every morning and when I see my horses, when I ride my horses, when I just hang out with them, I still get the same thrill I did as a child. I used to buy shoes and clothes and, well just plain SHOP.  Now I know why: I needed a horse. Now money sacrifices are made willingly to keep horses in my life. All I really needed was a pair of riding boots . . . okay, maybe two pairs. It's not always easy, but life is happy, meaningful, and lived with awareness because of these fabulous horses.

   Who said dreams don't come true?

Sharon's Story

  As a child, I couldn't think of anything that I wanted more than my own horse. It wasn't a reasonable dream, though, as we rarely had enough to feed our large family, let alone a horse. I know now that had I gotten a horse, it would have been impossible to keep him fed, and I would have had to give him up to someone who could take care of him. And that would have broken my heart.

So, without a horse of my own, I had to turn to movies and TV and dreams. Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were the kings of the western movies and I remember wanting to be Roy Rogers.  I never aspired to be Dale Evans, and, although I loved her horse, Buttermilk, a gorgeous buckskin, I was disdainful of her habit of wearing split skirts instead of pants. I should have been grateful that she didn't ride sidesaddle, but it was Roy that set the model for what I wanted to be.

Of course, I never became the rider that Roy was (who did?) or even that Dale was, but I did (finally), as an adult, find my way into horsemanship. My friend got a horse and I joined her for lessons. My early lessons were on a beautiful sorrel mare named Red who was 17 hands high! In spite of having to climb up on the fence to mount, she was great and she taught me a lot.

Today, I have my own horse--a beautiful buckskin named Paco who is perfect, even at 16 and one half hands!. He is gentle and affectionate, and as an older horse, I figure he has as many years left in him as I have left for riding. With him, my joy is complete. 

On Location 

The calendar photos for 2010 were mostly shot at Spirit Dog Ranch, and Pusch Ridge Stables, both located on the western slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains with excellent access to trails in Catalina State Park, Catalina Regional Park, and Coronado National Forest

Kerry Dykes
PO Box 90404
Tucson, AZ 85739

Ph:  520-237-4807
kerrydykes@yahoo.com

13700 N. Oracle Rd
Tucson, AZ 85739

Ph:  520-825-1664
vickie@puschridgestables.com

The June and December photos were taken at HEART of Tucson

Our Current Favorites

Best Place to Ride:

Sonoran Desert: Catalina State Park, Coronado National Forest out of Pusch Ridge Stables and Spirit Dog Ranch

Saddles:

Treeless Torsion Endurance

R.L. Watson Endurance

Hilason Gaited Paso Fino Dressage English Saddle

Circle Y Flex-2 Trail Saddle (Topeka)

Books:

Talking with the Horse, by Henry Blake

Chosen by a Horse, Susan Richards

The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd, by Joe Camp and Monty Roberts

Trainers/Horsemanship Gurus:

Bill and Tom Dorrance

Clay Harper

Ray Hunt

John Lyons

Linda and Pat Parelli

Websites

Hoofprints (Unique Products for Equine Enthusiasts and Farriers)

Fugly Horse of the Day (Snarky commentary on the breeding of poor quality horses, silly or abusive training techniques, etc.)

 Greenhorn Horse Facts (Do you have the basic facts to take careof your horse?)