CLOUD 9 WALKERS

"Alen's Painted Desert"

Unusual Golden Bronze 15.1H 4-Year-Old Buckskin Tobiano Spotted Tennessee Walking Horse Gelding

 (Born 6/14/08)

Bud rides this young stallion on a beautiful Texas autumn evening on 11/22/12.

I love this picture because it represents 8 good horses from Cloud 9 Walkers from this past week's camping trip! From the back, far left is Claudia on the beautiful roan Spotted Alen Again mare "Sheena", and sitting next to her on her silvery buckskin gelding "Briscoe is Karen; front left is Ronnie, who borrowed "Bella" from us, a jet black Rocky Mountain mare for sale; Liz is in the foreground with her smiling face, on "Deuce", a palomino Tennessee Walking Horse gelding for sale; Becky is on the chocolate Rocky Mountain gelding "Nitro" for sale; Cheri is on "Buddy", a black Tennessee Walking Horse gelding that she purchased from us a few years ago; me, on my sweet buckskin spotted stallion "Alen's Painted Desert", and then not picture is Becky, riding her gorgeous grey tobiano mare "Lace" that she purchased from us a couple of years ago.

From left: Ronnie riding "Bella", Becky riding "Deuce", and me, riding our stallion "Alen's Painted Desert" in Lake Rayburn.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Pink Floyd, Alen's Painted Desert, Zip and Pretty Boy Floyd in Hitchcock Woods in Aiken, Georgia on 10/16/12. 

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our fun on the Willis Knob trails in Georgia in October, 2012.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see more at Willis Knob and beautiful Chattooga River in Georgia during our camping trip in October, 2012. 

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our beach ride on 9/6/12. 

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride after the schooling show on 8/25/12. 

This young stallion's mane is getting really thick and long. This picture taken 5/26/12.

Lisa rides "Alen's Painted Desert" on our neighborhood trail ride day on 5/18/12.

I think I can hear the music from the movie "Lady and the Tramp", except these two are not eating spaghetti!

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our fun "Busy Neighborhood Desensitization" ride on 5/18/12 at High Meadows Ranch in Magnolia, Texas. 

Tiny little ears, masculine but beautiful head, nice jaw, sloping shoulder, nice rump, exquisite flash and color!

Performs solid four-beat head-shaking true Tennessee Walking gait, will rack along effortlessly with fun speed, and his canter is right out of the textbook for athletic, slow rocking chair canter. Gentle for probably anyone to ride, willing worker. His first foals will be born the spring of 2012, and of course, all will be spotted, since he is homozygous for tobiano gene.

Cindy rides Alen's Painted Desert on 12/14/11

Training to stand tied near other horses for hours during their training for upcoming camping trips.

"You talkin' to me? YOU TALKIN' TO ME??"

Two young stallions (Caper's War Eagle and Alen's Painted Desert) turned out to play on a beautiful Texas morning . . .

. . . yeah, this is what keeps 'em mentally sane and balanced! Social time is just as important as feed and shelter!

‎"Oh, ya missed me!" This is the equine version of George Foreman and Mohammed Ali!!

‎"I got you last . . . " "No, I got YOU last" . . . "Did not" . . . "Did, too!"

‎"Whew! That was fun! Let's go see if we can find some trouble to get into!"

We pause along the trail in the Angelina Forest on Thanksgiving Day, 11/24/11 to watch six beautiful does leap through the trees.

 Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see a our beautiful Thanksgiving Day ride on 11/24/11 through Angelina Forest, Texas.

Jane, visiting from New York, takes a ride!

  Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our ride on the Big Island Loop Trail at Big South Fork in Tennessee during our camping trip on 10/12/11.

 Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our ride on the Cotton Patch Trail of Big South Fork in Kentucky on 10/10/11.

 Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our ride on the Blue Heron Trail to Blue Heron Railroad on our camping trip at Big South Fork in Kentucky, week of 10/7/11.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Rooster and Elvis having their dental checkups and floating on 8/18/11.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see a our workout on 8/3/11

12-yr-old Liz works Alen's Painted Desert out on the morning of 8/3/11.

THIS is what we do.  We recently put together a "reunion/refresher" camp, which several previous customers brought their horses to, rode with us, we offered pointers and helped with any issues they might have questions about, and had a very, very LARGE time!  Gourmet meals at camp, fellowship dinners, singing and laughing around the campfire.  Click on the above embedded arrow to ride along with us.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride at Lake Sam Rayburn on 2/8/11.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride at a cattle ranch in Brenham, Texas on 1/29/11 (2nd & 3rd rides).

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride at a cattle ranch in Brenham, Texas, the weekend of 1/28/11.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our beautiful winter Texas trail ride in Pundt Park on 1/21/11.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Alen's Painted Desert on our trail ride on 1/19/11.

Huey riding Elvis leads the way on 12/22/10 while Roseanne on Braxton and Kirk on Soldier follow.

Riding the winter trails with Skeeter, the Border Collie following.

Winter color (picture taken 12/18/10).

Strange the way the light can affect these pictures -- the picture on the left was taken at noon with sun shining directly on him from the south, and the picture at right was taken at 9am, 3 hours before, with sun shining from the east.

Love that line down his rump, and his striped tail!  He's only 2-1/2 years old here.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see why our babies are so healthy and sane!

Aw, look at that baby working his heart out!  This is Alen's Painted Desert's first trail ride, during the week of 11/4/10 at Angelina Forest and Lake Sam Rayburn.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our 'reunion' camping trip (lots of customers, friends, and horses purchased from us) at the Angelina Forest during the week of 11/4/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see the rides Alen's Painted Desert took, leading, riding in the middle, and following (on our camping trip during the week of 11/4/10).

"Alen's Painted Desert" -- Meet our sure-footed, four-beat gaited, rocking chair cantering, easy, gentle Spotted Alen Again bred buckskin tobiano gelding. Gentle as a puppydog and most anyone can ride him and feel safe. Head-shaking Tennessee Walk, slow carousel canter, side passes, forehand turns, pivots, water obstacles, can pony colts off of him, hauled across the nation on camping trips -- click on his picture to see more info and video, as well as foals born by him. This horse is ready for competitive trail competition, hauling across the nation for trail riding, working cattle, or anything you might want to do with him. $15,000

Pictures taken as a yearling:

Paternal Grandsire

Alen's Caper, sire of "Caper's War Eagle"

ALEN'S CAPER HAS PRODUCED MANY WORLD GRAND CHAMPIONS WITH SSHBEA AND NSSHA, such as:

 2008 WGC Caper's Shakes & Shadows( Open shod);

 2008 WGC Caper's Easy Rider( 3yr old trail pleasure).

Alen's Caper has ranked 49th in the all time sire list with TWHBEA in 2006

Delight Bumin Around, paternal great, great grandsire

1973 World Grand Champion  Tennessee Walking Horse

Spotted Alen Again, maternal grandsire

Report from University of California at Davis:

Red-Factor Result:
E/E - No red factor detected. Horse cannot have red foals regardless of the color of mate. Basic color is black, bay or brown in the absence of other modifying genes.

Agouti Result:
A/a - Black pigment distributed in points pattern. Basic color is bay or brown in the absence of other modifying genes.

Tobiano Result:
TO/TO - Two copies of altered sequence. Horse is homozygous for Tobiano. All offspring will inherit Tobiano.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

First three days, he learned to go, go at three different speeds, and turn to the inside to show respect.  They are worked on a "tree of knowledge" (cedar pole in the middle of the round pen), with a concept of driving with one rein.

Next few days, he learned to drive with the long reins, learning to get up, whoa, turn, flex and back.  He learned to tolerate the girth with the bitting rig and to pace himself at speeds that he is commanded to perform.  He was taught to stay focused on his trainer.

Next few weeks, he learned to accept the saddle and be driven with the driving lines through the stirrups, as well as accept someone mounting him from both sides of the saddle, with lots of 'accidental' brushes across his rump as we mount and dismount.

The fourth week is all about settling down, walking relaxed on command, running walk relaxed on command, relaxed canter and smooth, obedient transitions.  The goal is to get him to stay in the requested gait until he is given a cue to change gait.  When he is asked to reverse, he is trained to reverse always at a walk.

The fifth week, a "dummy" rider is introduced -- the first night, a rider is asked to be dead weight in the saddle, with the trainer giving instructions from the center of the ring.  This dummy rider is asked not to touch the reins, not to move, not to talk, not to be involved other than just simple weight in the saddle.  The second night, the rider is asked to give cues in a very subtle way AFTER the trainer gives the cue.  The third night, the rider is asked to relax, is allowed to hold conversation while riding, and gives cues at the same time that the trainer is giving them from the center ring.  Circles and go's are introduced, stopping and backing two steps is asked.  This is all using only a halter and lead rope for reins.

The fourth day, the rider gives the cues and the trainer is simply there to reinforce the cues if needed.  By the fifth day, the trainer is pretty much just there to observe, and then for the next week, the trainer takes over and rides with just the halter working on turning in a circle with nose to the inside with no pressure, ride squares, continue backing training, yield front, yield hindquarters.  Before CJ ever left the round pen, he understood all these commands, and by asking to yield both front and hind, he easily learned to side pass on cue.

After a couple of weeks of intensive handling, the bit is introduced (with tasty molasses!), and now double reins are introduced (one to a leather noseband and one to the snaffle).  Another week or two in the round pen on the bit, after the horse is taught that he is being allowed to stop (instead of commanded), he knows the one-rein stop, and understands transitions, he is taken to the trails to be ridden alone -- no other horses with him.

HIGH SCHOOL:

This teaches him to think for himself, as opposed to just learning to react.  He learns that he can trust his rider, that he can be courageous in the face of his perceived danger, that he can cross creeks, step over logs, encounter deer, squirrel, rabbits, motors, bicycles, etc.  He learns to pace himself and not use up all his energy at the beginning of the day, and he learns to hydrate along the trail.  He learns to gait perfectly without the distraction of the stress of other horses, feeling like he needs to be where they are.  When his gait is fast enough to keep up with his peers, he is then taken on group rides and taught to ride at the back, in the middle, and at the front, all on a loose rein.  He is taught that he should not panic when he is ridden a lot further back from the group, leaving the group and then rejoining.  He is being trained to canter on both leads along the way, but that if asked, he should not increase his gait even though the other horses are getting ahead on the trail.

Next comes Highway 101, where he learns to tolerate busy traffic, dogs, 4-wheelers, garbage cans, whatever scary obstacles he can be exposed to.

All along the way, the goal is to get him to round his back, break at the poll and tuck his nose, drive his hindquarters forward and have a perfect four-beat gait with loose reins, light touch and all while BAREFOOT (unless we decide to put keg shoes on him)!

COLLEGE:

Now, this pleasure prospect is hauled to camping trips across the nation, on a never-ending education!  Elvis has already made several trips to the Angelina Forest and many more ahead.  So far, this sweetheart buckskin spotted Tennessee Walking Horse gelding is right on schedule for a diploma . . . stay tuned!

Cloud 9 Walkers
P. O. Box 878
Hardin, Texas 77561-0878
(55 minutes east of Houston)
281-726-4545

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