A Horse Vacation For Horse People
Alicia and Becca Raddant, ages 18 and 12, are visiting Drowsy Water with their aunt and uncle, Colleen and Randy Olick. The girls, who live and breathe horses at home, had one stipulation as they planned their trip: The dude ranch horses had to be ones that even advanced riders would enjoy.
“I want something that’s not just an old plug,” says Becca, who’s from Shawano, Wisconsin, near Green Bay. And the ranch delivers. “It’s like I never left home; I just got a grand-new horse,” Alicia says. “When we’re cantering, it’s like I’m alive! It’s not like, ‘I’ve been doing this for 20 years.'”
I agree with them. My assigned mount, a Quarter Horse names Bo C Five, is energetic enough to keep things interesting but still responsive and controllable.
The sisters, who show in 4-H and at their county fair, are also pleased by the range of activities. One day, they take a raft trip down the Colorado River. Other days, they live it up at scheduled evening activities. The fun includes a country barn dance, where guests learn everything from the electric slide to square dancing, and the Drowsy Water carnival, with diversions such as pin the tail on the horse and horse roulette, which features a wheel with horse names instead of numbers. There also was a jail (this is the Old West, remember?) that required a bail bond of five kisses. Lots of cute kids got arrested, and it didn’t take them long to collect their required number of smooches.