Riding the Bartel's Stagecoach! - Pictures - Pictures - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 1/23/2012 12:38:37 AM

Well the last time I rode on the Bartel's coach, I forgot the camera. This time Paula wouldn't let me.

So, here's some shots of the Bartel's coach and four of their wonderful horses:

First the reproduction Mud Wagon itself:

Dennis says he won't have a horse unless it will lead off the back of a pickup:

It takes a bit of effort to get a team hitched up:

On the Bartel Ranch, questions are allowed... encouraged even:

Everyone even gets a chance to help, if you want to (That's Dennis on the box telling me to quit playing with the camera and get to work, tongue in cheek of course):

Sorting everyone out before starting out. Duke is looking back and telling Dennis to get it in gear (these horses love what they do)! Note the location of the lead-ropes:

All loaded up and ready to go (We're all in our places with bright shining faces... really, we were):

Coach dogs deployed and ready to move off (note that they leave the halters and lead ropes on):

Sometimes there was plenty of room by the fencing. The property is fenced and cross-fenced. This one is one of the latter:

Sometimes I wondered if the wheels would clear the posts, let alone the bars and tackle:

It's been a very dry winter so far on the Bartel ranch:

Hands-on was encouraged as much at taking-out as it was in putting-to. As you can see, there was no shortage of help:

You might have noticed that we took the horses out at a different location from where we put-to. It's much easier to put-to on top of the mesa rather than ask cold horses to pull a loaded coach up the steep road to the top. However, we unloaded the passengers, then Eric (Dennis' son), Ed, and I rode the coach down the access road from the Mesa. For most of the trip down, the rear wheels just slid, thereby making the coach's brakes useless. Hence those two wheelers (horses closest to the coach) held back the coach themselves. They did a really good job too, with no complaints at all! Like I said, it's patently obvious this group loves what they do!

It's funny though. When Dennis was driving, the whole crowd just kind of moseyed along.

However when Eric took up the reins, they were a whole different team!

LOL, it was all Eric could do to contain them! Sometimes I think these horses would make good CDE horses. I just don't think Dennis would want to fool around with the Dressage part though.

If you're around the Redding area during the 'Hols, head on down to North street in Anderson to the Bartel's Giant Burger. You just might catch the Stage there.

All the same it was a wonderful end to a Sunday afternoon!

danastark

Posted : 1/23/2012 2:21:07 AM

How neat! Those geldings look like my Cody's relatives by their bone and coloring! How fun ':)'

I love it when horses enjoy what they do.

Durangogramma

Posted : 1/23/2012 4:15:22 AM

Hmm. I didn't even know there was a Bartel's in Anderson. I always go to the one on Lake Blvd. in Redding. Great pictures! Looks like a lot of fun!

studeclunker

Posted : 1/23/2012 5:33:34 AM

Yup, yup, yup! The Bartel's Giant Burger in Anderson is their first store. Then they opened the one in Redding and much later the one in Corning. Seems they like being in sight of southbound exits.

Is Cody a Percheron/Quarterhorse cross? Dennis used to show black Percherons for years. He went to the crossbreds because of the stagecoaches and stayed with them because of the feed bills. Eric has one crossbred that is black with all the chrome and he's really beautiful! Looks a lot like a Gypsy Vanner with a bit less hair.

danastark

Posted : 1/23/2012 6:32:57 AM

Mostly, yes. I know his sire is a percheron/paint, mother looks like she could be QH or TB. He's a PMU so I didn't get any other info. Sticked him at 17.3+ today!! The coloring is very similar between the Bartel horses and him, don't you think?

studeclunker

Posted : 1/24/2012 5:21:13 AM

Wow 17-3??? That's one big boy! Yeah, he does look a lot like Dennis' horses.

danastark

Posted : 1/24/2012 2:31:04 PM

He's a PMU, got him when he was 11 mos. old at 14.3. They guesstimated he'd end up around 16 hands which is what I wanted but I got almost 2 extra hands!!! I got a winner though, so reliable, easy to handle and train ':)'

Will you ever be hitching your girls up to the Stagecoach as part of the team?

hunterseat

Posted : 1/25/2012 12:59:15 AM

Stude those are some great pictures!! Looks like so much fun. Is that Paula beside you? She's lovely!! [ ':)'

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