I've always wanted to ride my horse in Texas, so in March of 2010 that's what Randy and I set out to do. We overnighted at the fairgrounds in Hope, Arkansas where we had plenty of time to relax after a long day's travel. The following day we arrived at the JC Horseshoe Ranch in Tarpley, TX where we were warmly greeted by the ranch owner Jody who couldn't have been more helpful in getting Quiz situated in a spacious and impeccably clean pen. Jody kept close watch that first evening to make sure all was well with Quiz after another 500+ mile day journey. She even made sure he wasn't lonely by putting a cute little pony in the adjacent pen, and the two equines quickly became good buddies.

    We then trailered 1/4 mile down the road to the Carribean Cowboy RV Resort which resembles an oasis in the midst of cowboy country. Just as the name implies, the entire park is laid out in a Carribean theme. Guests can enjoy the sounds of Jimmy Buffet while doing a workout in the small gym, swim in the pool or simply relaxing on the deck. We camped next to a group of super friendly RV'ers whose company we shared almost every evening on their beautifully decorated decks.

    Jody took time out of her busy work days to trailer Quiz and me to the Hill Country State Natural Area just a short 7 miles away. The park offers more than 40 miles of trails spread throughout over 5,000 acres. The terrain is mostly rocky and hilly, but some of trails are sandy and flatter for those who prefer less challenging riding. Markers indicate whether the trail is easy, more difficult and very difficult. A ranger pointed to one particular trail that even the mule riders felt was too steep to ride, and we sure appreciated that warning. There were numerous water crossings that allowed the horses plenty of refreshing drinks since the days were warm, and the horses still wore lots of winter hair. In the 3 days we rode in the park, Jody and I felt we managed to ride most of the trails. She and I shared lots of laughs, horse tales and just plain girl talk.

     On the days we didn't go to the park, I took advantage of Jody's wonderful facility and exercised Quiz in the numerous arenas on her ranch. At one end of her huge barn is a covered arena. Other times I chose to ride in an over-sized outdoor riding area. In addition to those were 2 round pens, one large and one smaller. But one thing is for certain--at any given time, a visitor has to really search to note any manure! Every pen, stall and arena is kept thoroughly clean; manure is spread twice daily in a far pasture. No doubt Quiz stayed in a 5 star facility!

     Even though Tarpley is such a small town, there is SO much to do in Hill Country. Randy and I loved visiting nearby Bandera, Kerrville, Fredericksburg and San Antonio. During our stay we were fortunate to be able to meet up with Randy's former coach Mr. Avery, my HS classmate Linda and also watch a demo given by Kerry Kuhn who was engaged in a Purina tour that same week.

     The 2 weeks flew by way too fast, and we have high hopes of seeing our new TX friends again.

     Click here to view a short slideshow highlighting parts of our trip.