We have been helping, as much as we can, several wonderful opportunities within the horse community. Many of you traveled with us to The Valley of Peace Christian School over the years. We have supported the school and especially several students through high school. We never ask for donations or money to anyone, but many of you have helped these wonderful children (education is not free in Belize) and we are grateful to be in the company of generous people like you. I believe we are less than $750 away from the final payment to pay for these students' education through high school. It has been difficult at times, but it was well worth it. 

In Ohio, we also provided financial support to help a college student finish their agriculture college program when they had nowhere else to turn, paid a medical emergency bill for someone else who had no health insurance, and helped a family who experienced a family crisis beyond their control- good people who were forced into a temporary financial strain and just needed a hand.

The upcoming Kansas Chisholm Trail Ride Event next September 9-13, 2020 has just been announced.  Too early , you might be thinking. On the ride we did this past June for an upcoming multi-episode series for the television show, our rider list was filled within a week and we had a 91 person waiting list. People complained that they did not have enough notice, so we are announcing it now. We will limit the number of riders, supply the breakfast and dinner, parking, the ride, nightly campfire with music, cattle events in the rodeo arena each night, and plenty of instruction on learning to rope or work cattle. We will return to visit Old Cowtown in Wichita (which was a great highlight of the recent ride) and have more seminars and speakers. The price is lower for a first come, first served basis, at $100 deposit and $59 a month payment so anyone can go, but it will limit the ride to half the normal riders. The rider fee is discounted until September 1st, 2019 , where it will be almost double in price. (We feel our viewers and Best of America Family deserve the first shot at riding at special events.) Call Lisa in our office at 540-829-9555. The cut off will probably be next week, and after that it will be a waiting list.

You will see new rides in California, Kansas, North Carolina, the Badlands of North Dakota, and Wyoming as a result to emails from folks asking us to come to their area. If you wish to recommend a ride, please email me directly at [email protected] and tell us who to contact at a ranch or facility with name and number. We will do everything we can to make it happen. This past week alone, we have had four requests for a cruise during the winter months, so we are studying the possibilities of places to ride in the islands.

I truly enjoy making calls every day to our birthday list. It gives me direct feedback on places to ride. More importantly, it gives me an opportunity to talk with you. I want to be informed of the health of you and your family, where you are riding and places to ride. I give my personal email, which comes directly to me and I answer each email. However, sometimes the emails response is a day or so, but the birthday calls are daily. If you change your number, please let me know via email or by calling our office. Please call Lisa in our office to add friends and family members, as I welcome calling them as well. It is a highlight of my day each day and I welcome it so much. Even if we have not seen you on a ride for a long time or if we have never met, I will call.

As always, you can contact me direct at my personal email:   [email protected]    Lisa in our office can be reached at 540-829-9555 for any questions or if we can help you or your community in any way.

Tom Seay

[email protected]

Join Us at Events Across the Country

Best of America by Horseback is Proudly Sponsored by Priefert

Priefert has an unbridled commitment to safety and quality when it comes to the equine products they manufacture. Regardless of discipline or age, Priefert wants your horses to be healthy and happy. That's why their products are designed with the highest degree of consideration for the safety of both the horse and the handler.

5' Bunk Feeder

Hay & Grain Feeder

Tombstone Round Bale Feeder

by Carole Herder

Psychologist Solomon Asch called his experiment a 'vision test.' Of the eight men in the room at Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College, only one was the real test subject. The others were told precisely how to answer the test questions. The subject believed the others were also involved as testing participants and remained unaware of the ruse. This is a famous experiment, used to study conformity in groups. Overall, 50 students were used.

The 'vision study' participants were shown a series of lines and asked which ones were the same. The real participant did not know that the others were instructed to answer the question incorrectly. Even though the answer was wrong, 75% of the test subjects conformed to that group answer at least once.

There are two main reasons for going along with a group answer. Firstly, people seem to want to fit in and fear to appear different, standing out or being ridiculed. Secondly, a person may believe that the group knows more about something or understands it better than they do. They don't trust their own conclusions when the group is saying something different. It takes courage to be true to your own beliefs and stand up for what you know is right. It takes courage to do something different with your horse when everyone else in your barn is doing the same thing. There is a lot of pressure to stay the same as the group. 

“Opt-in”, or “Opinions"

Today, Google is the most potent overall influencer. It can influence our purchasing habits, our healthcare protocols, and even our voting choices. Sure, it can play a valuable role in helping to make choices and channeling our behavior, but we should always know that investigation into the real facts might uncover something completely different. This means it's entirely our own responsibility to learn and find what really resonates with us – that we know from a deep place in our hearts to be true. Consider the numerous requests to opt-in, provide your contact details, and receive marketing or educational information. 'Opt-in' is a shortened version of the word 'opinion.' Opinion on the internet is rampant, contagious, and often disguised as fact.

Rabbit Hole Full of Opinions

So much of our information about horses is dogmatic. Horses do this, and they don't do that. Quarter horses' feet are this way. Thoroughbreds are that way. My Grandpa always did this or that. You must nail metal into horses' feet because it protects them. You must hammer metal into their feet because we've forever done it.

Remember when we relied on the guy with the metal forge for all our hoof information? Much has changed, and even though the internet offers rabbit hole reams of education, there's just as much opinion in the guise of fact. I remember when there was no information about barefoot horses. Lack of knowledge and experience kept us doing the same thing we always have done. It kept us from making the transition we knew to be healthier, natural, holistic, and ultimately more cost-effective. I was like the test subject in the experiment. I'd cringe when the farrier came to do the deed, but I went along with it anyway. This has changed.

We Are the Trail Blazers

The positive and most valued aspect of making a choice about Hoof Boots is Social Proof. Here, you can absolutely derive information from the internet. The thing is, you must use your analytical mind to sift through the opinion. Is it marketing material – opinion disguised as fact? An excellent way to verify is through social media. When there are large amounts of third-party postings, you might be on to something. Look at whether the postings are individually generated or following a 'me-too' discussion. Are they merely agreeing with each other, or are they personally inspired to share their experience?

When a member of the horse community is moved to tell their story, they have nothing to gain but to voice their experience and offer a guide for fellow horse owners. Stories are different from advice. Stories are about involvement and practice. You can sift through a story to find the facts. What really happened? Use your internal filters when you see a posting about Hoof Boots on Instagram or Facebook, and then be comforted and supported by others to make your decisions. Booting barefoot horses is the most forward evolution we've experienced in our industry in our time. We are the trailblazers changing the world, and luckily, we're no longer alone. We're no longer like that conforming test subject, going along with the group and shoeing our horses or standing up for our beliefs and being ridiculed. We can now take comfort in our community. The benefits of barefoot horses and Cavallo Hoof Boots are transparently told by many. And don't worry, you can't get it wrong. Your community hasn't been instructed to deceive you. This isn't an experiment. Check it out. Here at Cavallo, we appreciatively receive great stories every day. Choosing Cavallo is about providing ease, comfort, and protection for your horse for years to come.

Here's a Real Story

“These boots are the BOMB!!!! My 30-year-old retired show horse was having trouble keeping shoes on, so my farrier and I decided to take them off and let him go barefoot. Unfortunately, he quickly became very sore and could barely walk out to the pasture. My farrier suggested I try the Cavallo Boots, as he had a client who used them with great success. I immediately ordered a pair and they arrived two days later. The boots were incredibly easy to slip on and fasten.... but the real test....1. Will they stay on? 2. Will they rub? The answer to 1. is YES!!! The answer to 2. is NO!!! My old boy walked out without any soreness, and once in the pasture he proceeded to trot, then gallop around like he was a ten again... this after barely being able to walk. He has worn his Cavallo's 24/7 for the last two months and he has yet to lose them or get a rub, even during a few crazy runs with his pasture mates. My farrier says his feet are looking much better and the Cavallo Boots are working out great!!! I can't say enough about these durable, well constructed boots and would highly recommend them to anyone (My farrier did quietly say they could put him out of business if everyone caught on to these). Once again, they are the BOMB!!!”

-        Martha Wentworth

Written for Steve and Shirley Vicchitto 

By Harold Roy Miller 

When I first learned about Shirley Vicchitto and her husband Steve, 

it was a heart-wrenching story that I could scarcely believe. 

These folks were put through the wringer of pain, grief and despair, 

but somehow they came out intact, thanks to God's infinite care. 

Shirley had always been crazy about horses, even as a little girl 

and wanted to be near them because they were the center of her world. 

So she volunteered to muck stalls, groom or feed the daily hay 

just so she could take a ride when her jobs were done each day.

She chose to work over continuing school, since her love for horses 

consumed her young life so much more than any college courses. 

She bought a National Show Horse that she was thrilled to train, 

a pretty chestnut named Zarina with a flaxen tail and mane. 

Shirley loved that noble mare who soon became her best friend 

but little did either one of them know that that their joy was about to end. 

One day a truck muffler backfired as they was taking a trail ride 

and Shirley jumped off and broke her back as the young horse spooked and shied. 

With a spinal fuse and a body cast, her equine dreams fell apart. 

She was forced to sell her beloved mare and this broke the young lady's heart. 

She was horseless for a year and a half but to her it seemed more like ten, 

and because of the accident she wasn't sure she'd ever ride again. 

Then she met Steve and they got hitched and Shirley tried her best to hide 

the fact that she was still horse crazy and she really wanted to ride. 

When the doctor told her she could ride again she was so happy to hear it 

that she went right out and bought a barrel racer with lots of speed and spirit. 

When she climbed back into the saddle again she was totally elated 

but sadly for Shirley, this equine acquisition would also be ill fated. 

While riding down the trail one day some motorcycles shot past her 

and what followed out there on the trail was an absolute disaster. 

Shirley was badly injured again. Her body was one big contusion 

and the most unfortunate part of it was she'd broken her spinal fusion. 

Enduring the pain was bad enough, but what turned her blue skies gray 

was that while she was recuperating, her horse was given away. 

The Vichittos moved to a farm in Canada, raised crops, horses and show pups, 

but their life now seemed to be plagued with a lot more downs than ups. 

Shirley was pregnant and her bad back made walking a major chore 

so she had another spinal fusion when she could stand the pain no more. 

The times were hard for Shirley and she felt her life was on the skids 

when she was told to give up horses and not to have any more kids. 

The family moved back to Connecticut and sold their Canadian farm, 

then a terrible misfortune happened; the woman again came to harm. 

Shirley had an automobile accident that broke her back again. 

She was thrust back into the battle of pain that it seemed she couldn't win. 

The diagnosis was one in a thousand that her back would ever heal 

but with great faith she had another surgery as they prayed for God's will. 

The LORD came through. Shirley walked again, though the pain was always there, 

but by now affliction was something this stalwart woman had learned to bear. 

Their kids grew up and moved away and they entered the grandparent phase. 

They continued to raise their Shelties and it seemed like happier days. 

Although Shirley couldn't ride horses anymore, she could raise Sheltie pups. 

She chose good bloodlines and some of them won grand champion cups. 

They were enjoying their life of raising dogs and traveling to the show rings 

but dark clouds of trouble were around the corner, just waiting in the wings. 

Returning from the Nationals, they stopped overnight in the Show Me state. 

When Shirley called home to check on things, she had another brush with fate. 

She happened to touch an ungrounded freezer and had a horrifying surprise. 

Shirley got electrocuted and her whole life flashed before her eyes. 

She lost her memory, had multiple strokes and was bedridden again. 

Shirley felt totally useless as her whole world begin its downward spin. 

She was miserable and severely depressed; many times she hurt and cried. 

But through all this her loyal husband stayed right there by her side. 

The heavy medication she was on kept her in a foggy drug-induced state 

and as a result of being so sluggish, she naturally put on some weight. 

She had to relearn everything. It was such a difficult time in her life, 

but resilient Shirley slowly recovered and Steve regained his wife. 

For seven years of Shirley's life she had been out of the main stream 

but way down deep inside her heart she still clung to her horse dream. 

Yearning to be in the saddle again, she decided it was now or never 

so they bought a user-friendly Foxtrotter to start their riding endeavor. 

Shirley is back in the saddle again and their life has a much brighter glow. 

In fact, she's preparing to ride her horse Dusty in an upcoming equine show. 

This family suffered anguish and heartache through some pretty rough years 

and their long road to happiness was paved with prayer, love and tears. 

What doesn't kill you will make you stronger, a lot of folks believe 

and this evidence is overwhelming in the trials of Shirley and Steve. 

The moral of this story is that life will always have ups and downs, 

but God above will see you through because True Love knows no bounds. 



Experience the cowboy way of life on the east coast!

Call our office to plan your next visit to the farm

540-829-9555

The next day after our not-so-enjoyable ride in the park, I tacked up Finn and rode around my dry lot. Although I knew we had a respect/relationship issue, it still wasn’t the first thing on my agenda to use my round pen. As usual, our ride in his familiar area, asking for familiar commands went just fine. He did everything I asked, with smooth transitions which he often executed by voice command only. As we completed our workout, I spied the round pen panel with the broken bottom lying outside the round pen. I decided it would be a good source of “pressure” to ask him to cross the panel. But I was smart enough not to attempt it from the saddle.

I dismounted and, pulling the reins over his head, I asked him to cross the panel with me leading him. This is the only way we had managed to cross the water at the park the day before. He went over it twice…. and when I asked one more time, he balked. And then the games began…

I traded his bridle for a halter and lunge rope, and started to try and lunge him over the obstacle. He would have none of it, and in relatively short order his solution was to try and drag me around the dry lot. He was extremely obstinate. And so I finagled him into the round pen and pulled the offensive panel inside the round pen as well. When I say “finagled” I mean it…. He wouldn’t go into the round pen (he’s a smart guy!) and I actually separated two panels and was able to get him in. TWO HOURS LATER he was convinced to walk nicely over the panel. But that was not before totally “giving me the hoof”. He would canter around me in a circle, heaving and sweating and wanting to stop on his own, but completely unwilling to respond to my voice command to “walk”. His ears would flicker, but he never slowed a beat. So I would respond to his “deafness” by making him go faster. Over and over we repeated this exercise. Finally, he had enough and he complied. He would walk, trot, canter, and whoa on command. He walked nicely over the panel. We were both exhausted.

The next day, I put his halter on, grabbed the lunge rope and whip, and headed for the round pen. He balked again at even going in. I managed to get him through the door of the round pen, and once again the games began. It started off much as it had the day before. I started off seeing how much compliance I would get on just regular lunging. Not much. He wouldn’t respond to voice commands. He would periodically throw a fit and rapidly reverse on his own, leaving the lunge rope looped over his neck in an awkward way. I’d cut him off and turn him again. Eventually he started to wear out, and finally he’d comply with my request to walk over the panel. But immediately after doing something I wanted him to do, he’d throw another tantrum and reverse on his own again. So off we’d go in another 10-15 minute cantering session before I’d give him the option of trying again. I’d get compliance going clockwise but not counterclockwise. On and on it went, for another two hours the second day, until he quit fighting and calmly did as I asked. I had been foolish and slipped on my boots without socks on this second day, and after 256,000 revolutions around the round pen, I had worn a nice sore on my ankles. Once again, we were both exhausted. Stay tuned for Day 3…

This is part three of the five part series Does Your Horse Respect You? You can read more on Nancy's blog here .



Previously owned by radio personality Don Imus and his family, the RFD-TV The Ranch sprawls across over 3,000 acres and is the perfect southwestern getaway. Amenities include trails for horseback riding and walking, sport shooting, bass fishing, outdoor games, and a crystal blue pool for cooling off after a long day in the New Mexico sun. There is also a large, family-style gathering area in the Hacienda (pictured below) as well as a game room and library.

The Ranch has rodeo arenas and beautifully maintained equine facilities for your own horses, but you can also choose to ride one of the ranch's own horses along the trails. Part of the National Historic Santa Fe Trail runs right through the property. Tom Seay traveled this very part of the trail during his Atlantic to Pacific Trail Ride!

Reservations should be made with

RFD-TV The Ranch directly.

To book accommodations, simply call or visit

575-421-3506

www.RFDTVtheranch.com

The Hacienda features a warm, spacious, family-style living room.

A large, open front porch greets visitors as they approach. The log home has gorgeous high ceilings with wood beams and natural wood floors. An open floor plan makes this cabin great for entertaining friends and family, and wood cabinets in the kitchen add to the home's rustic feel. There is a beautiful natural gas stove in the living room that conveys with the home.

The Master bedroom is downstairs and features carpet and lots of natural light. The en suite bathroom features a large vanity and sink, and a full size bathtub and shower. The home's washer and dryer are also conveniently located in the Master bathroom.  

Master bedroom

Master bathroom

Upstairs, there are two carpeted bedrooms with dormer storage, an open area overlooking the living spaces downstairs with wood floors between the bedrooms that could be made into a nice seating/office area, and a full bathroom with a large vanity, sink, and a full bathtub and shower.

Second bedroom, upstairs

Third bedroom, upstairs

The upstairs full bath

The loft could be an office or seating area

The back of the cabin has a large covered porch that faces the horse barn-- it's perfect for relaxing in the evenings after a long day of riding. There is a two stall barn (with turn out paddocks in the rear) and a storage area located behind the home. You can see your horses from the house. The trail head to 23 miles of private horse trails is just beside the barn. 

Tom Seay's Log Cabin

Jamestown, TN

Sale Price - $299,000

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

Please email any questions or inquiries directly to Tom Seay at [email protected]

Fly Shield Spray is designed to topically provide long lasting natural protection from biting insects. The botanical formula is ideal for use in horses and dogs to repel against biting insects while nourishing sensitive skin. It is gentle enough for daily use and NON-TOXIC.

 

Learn more about Equinutrix Fly Shield Spray by visiting their website .

Join us April 24-26, 2020

for a ride benefiting

Horses for Hope

in North Carolina

Horses for Hope is a nonprofit organization that provides services like therapeutic riding for individuals with disabilities as well as horsemanship lessons and a variety of riding lessons. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to Horses for Hope!

Call 919-270-4832 to join the ride or donate

August 29 Travel Tips with Horses | NEW!

September 3 Travel Tips with Horses | NEW!

September 5 Riding the Klondike Gold Rush Trail - AK

September 10 Riding the Klondike Gold Rush Trail - AK

September 12 Bogue Chitto State Park - LA

September 17 Bogue Chitto State Park - LA

Thank You to This Month's Sponsors