Our Story
When I was little, every so often I would say to my Dad, "Dad, if you buy me a horse, I promise I'll take good care of it." Living on a 1 acre lot in a residential neighborhood, my dad would politely ask, "And where, young lady, are we going to keep it?" I responded so innocently, "In the garage, and it can eat the lawn."
I've wanted a horse ever since I could remember. Dad would manage to fit in a horseback ride every summer on one of our family camping trips in Minocqua, but that never quite satisfies the urge. Eventually I went to college, and after a couple of semesters I decided to go out to Colorado and work on a dude ranch. I needed more adventure instead of coming home and working a fast-food summer job at home. So, as my parents reluctantly waved goodbye in the driveway on the bright May day, off I went. This was the coolest thing I had ever done. I was employed as a housekeeper at Cherokee Park Ranch, and when I was done cleaning cabins at 3 in the afternoon, I would head down to the corral and learn as much as I could from the wranglers. I would ride every chance I got, and paid attention to every bit, bridle, feeding habit, etc from the 70+ horses at the ranch. After 2 summers at the ranch, I came home, finished college, and bought my first horse, Gunner.
Gunner was a handful from the start, because he immediately sensed my nervousness. Gunner is a very strong, stubborn, quick Quarter Horse that had a lot of training at team penning, so he decided that he was going to test me every single time I rode him. After several spills, 2 broken fingers, a horse-shoe shaped bruise on my thigh for over 4 months, and going for a runs and getting thrown, I learned the hard way that my horse wasn't just a push-button trail horse that I was used to. I took some lessons from a couple of good friends that knew horses, learned how to teach Gunner to respect me and other riders, and of course learned not to reward bad behavior. I'm happy to say that Gunner and I are now best friends.
Five years ago I met my husband Dave, and I think one of the first questions I asked was, "do you like horses?" He too loves horses (not as much as I do, that would be impossible!) but his goal was to move out in the country and have a couple horses (and live near a trout stream). Dave built a strong, sturdy paddock, pasture, and hitching post, and we were ready to have horses, but I was scared to death. What if I didn't feed them enough? What if they broke through the fence? Geez, how will I worm them myself? With all my fears in the back of my head, we moved Gunner from the boarding facility and bought him a buddy, Dundee. Because all of the research, asking questions, learning from fellow horse friends, and reading I did, everything went fine. I LOVED having them at my own place. It was my dream come true. Last year we built our dream barn, and every day I wake up, look outside, and see my three boys standing by the fence waiting to be fed.
"Gunner's Run Ranch" is named after Gunner of course, the horse that once made me doubt whether I was really cut out for horses, but now has taught me how much I truly, truly, love them.
A year and half ago we were blessed with Indy, my 18-month old son, and although he's too young to ride right now, he points at the horses and giggles. I can't wait to share them with him when he gets old enough.
So, I want to share my "little girl dream" with anyone that loves horses as much as me. I wasn't able to ride and learn about horses as much as I would have likeds to when I was younger, so that's why I want to share Gunner's Run Ranch with you. Come on out, whether you want to ride, groom, learn, or even enjoy the "smell" of horses (I hear that ALL THE TIME), we can help you fulfill your dream.
Our three boys, Gunner, Dundee, and Bug, are as gentle as can be, and love attention. Let me share my dream with you.
Giddy Up, Amy
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