Kitty
Well-Known Member
Every great story starts with a beginning and a happy ending so here we go. I want to thank all of you for your concerns with us traveling in the nasty weather. I appreciated the phone calls and checking in.
We started this adventure when we saw the ad for IAMHA taking applications for the gelding program. Both kids applied and Jessica was lucky enough to be picked for this wonderful opportunity. With that came the next process of getting the colt a ride home from Texas and not only Texas but SOUTHERN Texas. The trip is a mere 1500 miles one way. UGGHHH. We contacted haulers and the price was around $900.00. Unfortunately alot has happened with us this year and that kind of money was not just laying around but Jessie was very excited about this and if you know me you know I will do anything for my kids.
OH!
So we began the process that I have never done before. Hauling horses for others to help defray the costs. We posted and had several responses. Happy to help others for a reasonable cost (esp after what I was given for estimates) and get Jessie her gelding we lined up several horses for the way down and the way back. Unfortunately I didn't notice that OOPS one of the horses wasn't on the way and detoured us several hours. My mistake but not a problem.
So we started out on Friday. LATE. Unfortunately the new trailer we got, the dividers didn't come in as scheduled and then didn't fit. So Rick (my wonderful husband) had to do what he does best. Fix it. Luckily Lee was nice enough to postpone his leaving time to meet us and it worked out OK. So we leave with one stallion to go to Kansas and pick up 2 more mares in downstate Wisconsin. Cute girls from the Chance rescue going to Texas. Leaving there backtrack up to the Twin Cities and pick up another mare going to Texas. The weather is good!!! Traveling well and make decent time with all the delays. End of day one.
Day 2. Weather not so great. OK not nice at all. The ice storm across the plains is starting to act up. Meet up with Susan in Kansas and exchange horses. Get ourselves a cute filly in exchange for McDreamy. Poor little girl didn't know what hit her. But she traveled very well for everything that happened and is super sweet (Jessie latched right on to her). We watched the temperature slowly climb all day until Dallas and then was 60 degrees. Not in Wisconsin -22 degrees two days ago weather. LONG day. Drop off 3 horses in Dallas to happy new owners and keep going to Little America and temperature 75 now and thinking of moving!!! All I can say is GOD BLESS YOU MIKE for being so patient and agreeing to meet us so late- 1230 am. We appreciate it you going the extra distance for us. Not alot of people would do that. And we Thank the Greaves for getting ahold of him. My contact number was wrong and it could have been awful. So the end of day 2 was at 1am in the morning.
Day 3 started early at 0700 in the day and still 75 degrees. Sleep what is that. The dream of a hot tub was GONE. We meet up with Jane from Alamo Miniatures at 1000am and what a neat lady! And her place was so cool and historic. Even Rick was impressed and he doesn't impress easily. We spend some time looking around and I was thinking to myself, huh wonder how I could stuff acouple of the horses in the trailer without Rick seeing but unfortunately it didn't happen. Jane, being the wonderful person that she is, sent us home with a wonderful colt by Call me Sir. Jessie has no idea how lucky she is. This colt will do it all when he is older as he is a 06 model. But he is beautiful, correct and awesome movement. While I was looking, Rick was putting together the cart we sold and hauled there all wrapped up in blanket in the living space. No area was wasted on this trip!!! So late afternoon we hit the road with a nice clean trailer and 3 horses and dreams of when I can come back and pick out a filly.We stop at northern Texas for the night. COOLING down.
Day 4 starts at 0500. Had to load a horse at 0600. Unfortunately after 2 hours the horse was still not loading. Thinking- wish it was a mini, we could just pull her in. But full sized horses are not that easy. We had to leave with her still there. So on we go. And the ice begans. This was a very scary day. The ice was a inch thick on everything and raining. Tulsa was without power and we had NO gas. We found a gas station with lines around the block and waited. Diesel. Finally get to the pump and go in to prepay and YEP the power goes out. Can you believe it. Rick is familiar with Tulsa so we drive around and a hour later found a small area with power and get gas. The funny part is the person that was beside us at the last gas station is there also. So Rick talks to him and he gives us good advise for traveling. 2 hours later we leave Tulsa and start praying. 32 degrees and raining hard the roads are scary but we have to keep going. There are no hotels and no place to eat. The whole area was like a nightmare. Trees snapped to the ground with inch ice. Power lines down everywhere, including on the roads we were on and the telephone poles that held the powerlines were also snapped for miles. No power from Tulsa to almost Kansas City and power companies everywhere. I can't imagine that they will have power for weeks. Rick is exhausted from white knuckling the steering wheel and we stop in Kansas City at 1000 pm.
Day 5. 0600 comes too early. Fortunately the horses are taking this well and happy for the stops and good food and water. We start off- ice on everything. I gotta tell you this is the worst day of all of them. Iowa was terrible. I have no idea where the snow plows were but they weren't on the Highways. We rarely saw any and the roads were terrible and I can't count the number of times we broke traction. And a few semis were traveling way to fast and scaring the heck out of me.
I have NEVER been so happy to see snow in my life. And I think Rick felt the same way. So with NICE roads we dropped off the last little appy in Minnesota and headed home. We got home at 9:30 pm and put the horses in the stalls with plenty of food and water and headed to the house, after Jessie hugged and kissed on them. 2 kids happy to see us along with a bunch of yapping dogs.
SO this is the end to our story. Would I do it again. HUH. Would have to think about it. And make it in the summer
Now we need to get a pic of the new boy to show him off.
thanks for reading
Kitty
We started this adventure when we saw the ad for IAMHA taking applications for the gelding program. Both kids applied and Jessica was lucky enough to be picked for this wonderful opportunity. With that came the next process of getting the colt a ride home from Texas and not only Texas but SOUTHERN Texas. The trip is a mere 1500 miles one way. UGGHHH. We contacted haulers and the price was around $900.00. Unfortunately alot has happened with us this year and that kind of money was not just laying around but Jessie was very excited about this and if you know me you know I will do anything for my kids.
OH!So we began the process that I have never done before. Hauling horses for others to help defray the costs. We posted and had several responses. Happy to help others for a reasonable cost (esp after what I was given for estimates) and get Jessie her gelding we lined up several horses for the way down and the way back. Unfortunately I didn't notice that OOPS one of the horses wasn't on the way and detoured us several hours. My mistake but not a problem.
So we started out on Friday. LATE. Unfortunately the new trailer we got, the dividers didn't come in as scheduled and then didn't fit. So Rick (my wonderful husband) had to do what he does best. Fix it. Luckily Lee was nice enough to postpone his leaving time to meet us and it worked out OK. So we leave with one stallion to go to Kansas and pick up 2 more mares in downstate Wisconsin. Cute girls from the Chance rescue going to Texas. Leaving there backtrack up to the Twin Cities and pick up another mare going to Texas. The weather is good!!! Traveling well and make decent time with all the delays. End of day one.
Day 2. Weather not so great. OK not nice at all. The ice storm across the plains is starting to act up. Meet up with Susan in Kansas and exchange horses. Get ourselves a cute filly in exchange for McDreamy. Poor little girl didn't know what hit her. But she traveled very well for everything that happened and is super sweet (Jessie latched right on to her). We watched the temperature slowly climb all day until Dallas and then was 60 degrees. Not in Wisconsin -22 degrees two days ago weather. LONG day. Drop off 3 horses in Dallas to happy new owners and keep going to Little America and temperature 75 now and thinking of moving!!! All I can say is GOD BLESS YOU MIKE for being so patient and agreeing to meet us so late- 1230 am. We appreciate it you going the extra distance for us. Not alot of people would do that. And we Thank the Greaves for getting ahold of him. My contact number was wrong and it could have been awful. So the end of day 2 was at 1am in the morning.
Day 3 started early at 0700 in the day and still 75 degrees. Sleep what is that. The dream of a hot tub was GONE. We meet up with Jane from Alamo Miniatures at 1000am and what a neat lady! And her place was so cool and historic. Even Rick was impressed and he doesn't impress easily. We spend some time looking around and I was thinking to myself, huh wonder how I could stuff acouple of the horses in the trailer without Rick seeing but unfortunately it didn't happen. Jane, being the wonderful person that she is, sent us home with a wonderful colt by Call me Sir. Jessie has no idea how lucky she is. This colt will do it all when he is older as he is a 06 model. But he is beautiful, correct and awesome movement. While I was looking, Rick was putting together the cart we sold and hauled there all wrapped up in blanket in the living space. No area was wasted on this trip!!! So late afternoon we hit the road with a nice clean trailer and 3 horses and dreams of when I can come back and pick out a filly.We stop at northern Texas for the night. COOLING down.
Day 4 starts at 0500. Had to load a horse at 0600. Unfortunately after 2 hours the horse was still not loading. Thinking- wish it was a mini, we could just pull her in. But full sized horses are not that easy. We had to leave with her still there. So on we go. And the ice begans. This was a very scary day. The ice was a inch thick on everything and raining. Tulsa was without power and we had NO gas. We found a gas station with lines around the block and waited. Diesel. Finally get to the pump and go in to prepay and YEP the power goes out. Can you believe it. Rick is familiar with Tulsa so we drive around and a hour later found a small area with power and get gas. The funny part is the person that was beside us at the last gas station is there also. So Rick talks to him and he gives us good advise for traveling. 2 hours later we leave Tulsa and start praying. 32 degrees and raining hard the roads are scary but we have to keep going. There are no hotels and no place to eat. The whole area was like a nightmare. Trees snapped to the ground with inch ice. Power lines down everywhere, including on the roads we were on and the telephone poles that held the powerlines were also snapped for miles. No power from Tulsa to almost Kansas City and power companies everywhere. I can't imagine that they will have power for weeks. Rick is exhausted from white knuckling the steering wheel and we stop in Kansas City at 1000 pm.
Day 5. 0600 comes too early. Fortunately the horses are taking this well and happy for the stops and good food and water. We start off- ice on everything. I gotta tell you this is the worst day of all of them. Iowa was terrible. I have no idea where the snow plows were but they weren't on the Highways. We rarely saw any and the roads were terrible and I can't count the number of times we broke traction. And a few semis were traveling way to fast and scaring the heck out of me.
SO this is the end to our story. Would I do it again. HUH. Would have to think about it. And make it in the summer
thanks for reading
Kitty
