Newsletter Summer 2015

1
RIDE NIPOMO
EQUESTRIAN
TRAIL ALLIANCE
Ride Nipomo
Horse and Trail Newsletter
S E A S O N A L
S U M M E R
N E W S L E T T E R
2 0 1 5
Presidents Letter
ARTICLES
OF
INTEREST

Montana de
Oro on page
2

Little Bear
and Obie on
page 2

Fun and
Games with
RN on page 3

Horses and
Houses on
page 4,7

Meet Patty on
page 5

Red Rock Ride
A big WELCOME to all our new
members.
The board has been working
hard to get our membership up
to date. Starting in 2016, we will
have a new membership form for
everyone to fill out. Board Members and associates have been
working on this form to make it
more user friendly for all.
will also save our organization
money that could be used for
our trail projects. There will be
a place on the new membership
form to select electronic
newsletters.
Beginning January 1, 2016, our
membership period will be from
1-1-16 through 12-31-16. It will
have a release form that everyone will need to sign.
There is also a concern about
the amount of paper being used
for each newsletter. We are
asking our members to consider
receiving their newsletter
electronically in order to help
protect our environment. This
Shelia Patterson
On May 16th, sixteen members
showed up to clean Knollwood
One. With that many members,
it made the work go quickly. A
big thank you to all of those
involved.
If anyone sees anything on the
trails that needs to be addressed
by Ride Nipomo, please contact
any Board Member. We will
work to find a solution with the
help of our wonderful members.
Signage is going to be put up for
trail maintenance. If there is a
trail that you enjoy riding and
would like to help maintain,
please let us know and your
name will go on a sign. If there is
a group that would like to work
together to maintain a trail, we
will put up all of the names.
We continue to work on finding
enjoyable rides for our members.
Any suggestions are always
welcome.
See you on the trails.
Shelia
on page 6

Helmet Hair
on page 8

Membership
Form on page
10
Rides and Trail Work Days Ahead
Maps can be found on
ridenipomo.com under trails. We
need workers with weed eaters
& people to relieve those who
need a break. We will provide
water and snacks. Please email
me back if you can help. Want
trails, we need your help to
maintain them.
1.
2.
Willow Springs Ride 6/13out 166. For more information contact Gordy Foy
our Ride leader by email
tracywaiters@yahoo.com
Be sure to bring your lunch
& beverage
La Purisma Mission 7/19
Contact Gordy by email
tracywaiters@yahoo.com
Be sure to bring your lunch &
beverage.
To help coordinate RN rides,
please contact Gordy our
“wrangler” of the year
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Who are Little Bear and Obie?
Little Bear is a dwarf miniature
horse. He is the third smallest
horse in the United States. He
is 22 inches tall, about the
same size as my dog. Don’t let
his size fool you, he is all
horse. His barn mate, Obie is
a gorgeous Gypsy Vanner with
an impressive mustache. You
may have seen these “eye
catching” horses around,
perhaps at the beach, in
Nipomo or Tractor Supply ,
fundraisers, Fairs or other
functions locally including the
Elks Rodeo.
Barbara Verlengiere has
brought these special horses
to dozens of outdoor school
field trips located at Los Flores
Ranch Park. They are always
the highlight of the school
trips.
Many of these students have
never seen such amazing
animals, let alone be able to
touch and pet them. This
summer Little Bear and Obie
will be at some of the concerts in the park in Santa
Maria, come
by and say
HI !
Thank you
Barbara for
sharing these
amazing
animals!
By ST
Montana de Oro
Volunteers are
priceless. Without
them we could not
operate! Have you
volunteered lately?
Please help me get the word
out about the upcoming Coast
Mounted Assistance (CMA)
Fundraiser Poker Ride on Sunday 10/11 , with the option of
camping from 10/8-10/12.
We hope with this much advanced notice that all the local
equestrian groups will help
support CMA in raising funds
for maintenance at Montana de
Oro of horse camp and trails.
In the last 2 months in partnership with SLOPOST and Central Coast State Parks Association (CCSPA), CMA has spent
over $15,000 on new corrals
and manure bins plus over 500
hours of volunteer time. We
have also worked on many of
the trails that are used by
equestrians (CCCMB does a
great job on the shared trails
with bikes).
If you value riding your horse
on the trails in Montana de
Oro, and enjoy camping there
too, we ask that you help
spread the word so that we
can have a great turnout and
replenish our funds for on
going maintenance at MdO.
Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to
seeing many of you at the ride.
Kathy Longacre
kll50@sbcglobal.net
RN Board Members
President - Shelia Patterson
Jst4shel@aol.com
Vice-President – Rob Dodds
cdodds@sbcglobal.net
Treasurer – Chris Berichon
agcowgirl@verizon.net
Secretary – Deah Rudd
deahrudd@att.net
Club & Email Liason –
Cherie Dodds
rcdodds@sbcglobal.net
Other Board MembersHans Hansson, Lisa Chadwick,
Sue Cholakian,
Jim Harrison, Tom Hopkins,
Gordy Foy, Karen Luce
3
Thank you to
our
advertisers!
Please
support our
advertisers !
Fun and Games
Newsletter Fun and
Games!
Look at the newsletter for the
QUESTION and find a clue or
hidden answer in our
ridenipomo.com website or
newsletter.
The first email back to
rcdodds@sbcglobal.net
Let us know
2nd email will win a Ride Nipomo Shirt.
LAST QUESTION WINNER!
Board members and Committees are excluded.
Doreen Lopez Won last
newsletter question!
Question–
Thousands of Blue Gum
Eucalyptus trees were planted on
the Nipomo Mesa in 1908 by two
men who formed the Los Berros
Forest Company.
what you
would like to
read about
in the RN
What do adult male horses
have more of than female
horses?
1st wins a prize
Ride Nipomo Equestrian Trail Alliance
Mission Statement
The purpose of Ride Nipomo is twofold; First to promote
the establishment, conservation and maintenance of
equestrian trails in South County San Luis Obispo. Second,
to provide a community voice and advocacy for the
preservation of a horse friendly South County.
newsletter
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Horses and Houses by Julie Klein
Today is important because I'm writing my story for the first time to share with clients, friends and family. In the past I have been unable to get this story out on
"paper."
As a youngster growing up in Arroyo Grande in the 60's and 70's, my best friends’ mom was a single mother raising 5 kids making a living as a real estate agent. I'll
never forget how she duplicated the Victorian house now known as Pitkin-Conrow Estate on Valley Road back in the 70's to be a float in the Arroyo Grande Harvest
Festival parade. She had the entire house rebuilt on a smaller scale about the size of a playhouse that
had a working door to go inside and all the pink trim outside. It looked exactly like the original Victorian
which was called "The Davis House" at that time. The Davis House sold candy back in those days, and
we would walk down there to buy candy necklaces for 5 cents. If you're an Arroyo Grande native you
might remember this. Since then I have always loved old houses and always wanted to grow up to be a
real estate agent like Mrs. Gordon. I admired her so much and she made such an impression on me.
When I graduated AGHS in 1980 I told my mom I was going to Hancock to take the classes for real
estate to which she replied, "no one is going to buy real estate from an 18-year old." She then marched
me down to Santa Maria Beauty College and enrolled me. It's been 35 years now and my third salon
I've opened to date is called "The Beauty Studio" and is located on Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande.
After high school I got married and had 2 boys, and around the time of the 9/11 tragedy I was turning
40. I remember thinking how all those people who lost their lives lost the opportunity to complete their
"bucket list." The number one item on my list was to have a horse, something I had wanted since I was
old enough to walk. I had taken private lessons from a lady who lived on the Arroyo Grande mesa
named Virginia Sawyer, and she taught me just about everything she knew about horsemanship.
Among her requirements were learning to ride sidesaddle at the walk, trot and canter, and how to throw
yourself off your cantering horse into the dirt, tuck your shoulder in and somersault up to a standing
position. This exercise was to teach you how to exit a dangerous horse, and it saved my life 2 years
later when I exited a runaway horse coming down the Nipomo foothills at a dead run. I was riding with
my friend Ruth Doty and I popped up without a scratch, to the amazement of Mrs. Doty who was watching me through the kitchen window of their house!
So as a 40-year old I started investigating horse ownership starting with where to keep one. I didn't
want to find the right horse and not have a place ready. I found a sign posted on Camino Caballo road
in Nipomo that said "pasture for rent" which turned out to be a diamond in the rough. I bought my first
horse, a big paint mare named Sage, and although she has passed on I still keep my horses in the same spot. The owner of the property, Mr. Sly, is 92 years old
now and still out feeding the horses in the morning for me!
I taught my husband to ride Sage when he was 42 and he was a natural. We bought a second horse and rode together always having a wonderful time. Since we
had just built a brand new house on Maple Street in Arroyo Grande shortly before 9/11, we decided to take that same set of house plans and duplicate the home on
a parcel in the country so we could have the horses with us. Along with horse ownership comes the dream of actually living with your horses too as I'm sure you can
imagine. We drove around and found a 2.5 acre parcel for sale in the Los Berros area with a flyer in the sign holder that read, "Ready now to build your dream
house." We didn't call the agent on the sign but we did call our own agent and made a full-price offer. We put our 3-year old home on the market and got a buyer.
That was 14 years ago.
Continued on page 7
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Meet Patty Hawes - Visionary & Horse Enthusiast by Cherie Dodds
When I first moved to Nipomo I met Patty Hawes who just lives a few blocks away. Her smile and beautiful blue eyes that sparkled
made quite the impression on me!
Patty moved here in 1989 from a small town named Boulevard Ca. from a population of 600 to a slightly larger town in Nipomo.
In 1990 Patty Hawes and Herb Kandel started up the United Citizens Action Network Nipomo or U Can group. They wanted to see
trails preserved for the future for non-motorized vehicles and for outdoor enthusiasts. They went down to the legendary Norco,
PV, and other affluent areas to see that trails were a possibility with growth. This “idea” wasn’t always met with optimism. Wherever developments were planned they wanted trails around them. Sound familiar? Patty and Herbs first success was where the
Nipomo Native Gardens is now. It was to be a planned housing tract. Somehow it turned into a lovely place to walk, and ride your
horse to the inviting Nipomo Park with its grand old oak trees and the animals that habitat there and U-Can had turned into Pathways and continued the push for trails. Trails they pushed for were to be on Osage, Camino Caballo to Trilogy, and Osage to the
west end of Eucalyptus, and of course trails in the now “Trilogy”. Somewhere in there, Pathways was also linked to the Mesa Riders. I understood that the Mesa Riders only lasted a short time, but in that time trails were continued to be fought for. Mary Caldwell was part of their group fight. Probably the biggest struggle was to keep Oso Flaco Lake open to equestrians. Once again the
horse people were pushed out. Patty and Georgia Kinninger became friends and Ride Nipomo was formed, and from there history
was made. And the trails you see around Trilogy were the outcome of many of the first Ride Nipomo members.
What you may not know if you don’t know
Patty well, is that she completed the Tevis
Cup Ride 3 times. Twice on her ArabTennessee Walker X -Temara who was 17
years young in 2000 & 2001, and once on
Eli who is an Arab. Tevis is a 100 mile ride
that must be finished in 24hrs or better.
Her favorite part was the thought of
following a trail pioneers had traveled 200
years ago. The ambiance and the one on
one with her horse made it exhilarating,
not to mention the 2000’ drops to the
bottom of the canyon. At one point in the
dark of night, Patty thought Eli should go
one way, but Eli refused. Luckily Eli was
right on, as had they gone Patty’s way, the
2000’ drop would have been deadly. Now,
Patty enjoys riding locally, or American Cyn,
or… and mostly playing fun games at home
with her horse Eli. He seems to love it also. If you haven’t met Patty Hawes yet, you haven’t met the heart and soul of Nipomo plus
an outstanding horse woman! ( adult male horses generally have 40 teeth, but females only 36 ) We love you Patty Hawes.
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Red Rock
On Sunday, May 24th, at 4:00 a.m., a group of Central Coast equestrians met at Bank of America to begin our
13 hour journey to Tropic, Utah. Many other groups of equestrians either drove or flew to Vegas where they
were picked up and taken to Tropic.
Our group arrived in Tropic around 4:30 in the afternoon and were greeted by our wonderful hosts, Keela and
Pete Magnum Our cabins were assigned and we all got settled in, waiting for the remainder of the riders to
arrive.
The next morning we got into trucks to go to breakfast and were then driven to Zion National Park to meet the
rest of the group. Our horses were assigned by the wranglers and we rode for about four hours in the National
Park. When we finished our ride, we ate lunch and then went back to Tropic on a bus. Dinner and introductions followed and then we all went to our cabins.
The following morning, breakfast was followed by Bryce Canyon Nation Park ride which lasted for about six
hours . We dealt with very cold, windy conditions. We even encountered some rain. The scenery on the ride
was breathtaking. Eroded limestone " hoods" changed color from red to pink and even orange. Dinner and a
much needed rest was followed by sleep, after adult beverages were enjoyed by the participants.
Butch Cassidy provided the name for our next day's ride. We saw one of Butch's hideouts and rode on the trails that wound up on a red rock draw and up
to the flat lands then back down Casto Canyon. Halfway through our five hour ride, we ate lunch at the hideout and proceeded on to complete the day's
ride. The weather and scenery were beautiful that day.
Thursday morning we headed to Thunder Mountain and rode the trail along the ridges of Red Canyon (Bryce Canyon's little brother). This was a seven hour
ride. We viewed different rock formations through the Dixie National Forest to the head of Red Canyon.
Friday was the big day for the Red Rock Ride. We ate breakfast at 5:30 in the morning and then left on
the bus at 6:30 a.m. for a twenty minute bus ride to Paria Canyon where we rode for thirty miles. This
ride took us eight hours to complete. We saw the site of Indian petroglyphs and other historic relics
which made us feel like we were in the "Old West". Many of us discussed whether we could have survived under those conditions during that period of time.
The final day of the ride was at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Everyone was assigned a mule to
ride. Some of us chose to ride the trail along the long, narrow switchbacks to Supai Tunnel. Other
optioned to ride the North rim of the Canyon. We then headed back to Kanab, where we spent the night.
The trip was a success for all with no injuries and lots of new friendships formed. The Red Rock Ride is
highly recommended but, you will have to wait for a couple of years since it is already booked for 2016
and almost full for 2017. You can find the site online at Red Rock.com
A special thanks goes to Gloria and Barney Northcote for organizing the event for our local riders.
Thanks so much for making this a wonderful horse trip and the experience of a lifetime.
Shelia Patterson.
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Continued from page 4—
You see, this lot was not ready to build our dream house or anyone else's. It was part of a 12 acre parcel that had not been split with the county of San Luis
Obispo. And yet it had a "for sale" sign on it, and this was not a "by owner" sign either! It was listed with a local company in Arroyo Grande. The owners had
started the lot split but never finished it. Later when I talked to the engineer who was working the plans for the lot split he said it was "at least a year away from
completion, and that's if the owners do everything they're supposed to do, which they're not." I found this information out in less than 5 minutes. If I could ascertain
this information then certainly a real estate agent supposedly hired to protect my best interests could too. At one point I even went to SLO county planning and
paid a $336 fee to continue the lot split that the property owners had not paid. If it was late the whole split process would have to start over, so I paid it.
But it was too late. We had lost our house on Maple Street even though the closing was contingent on the replacement property! The house we built just down
the street from the kids' school. The house that had my salon built into it so I could work at home while the kids were little. The house with the scooped white
picket fence that my husband built from scratch, drawing and cutting out each board to precision instead of buying them pre-made. The house the kids remember.
The house my boys still talk about as "The House On Maple Street."
The buyer of our house had a house to sell first too, and they did just that using the same agency we had. The brokerage was able to orchestrate the sale of
their home and purchase of ours, using a different escrow company from that of the lot which we were buying. What this meant was the escrow officer for our land
purchase had no idea we were selling our house! Later she told me, "Julie if I had known you were selling your house I would have stopped you. I knew that lot
split had problems. But I didn't know because your agent opened escrow at another title company to facilitate the successful close of the house they were selling
to get yours..." Funny how our agent was in touch with this escrow officer in regards to our purchase of the lot, but failed to inform her she was selling our current
house and had found a buyer for it, who was selling theirs to get it! Funny how a For Sale sign could even be on the country property in the first place.
Immediately after the sale of Maple Street the moving company for the buyers used our white picket fence Maple Street house in their TV commercial, so while
we watched the morning news from our "rental" house we had to see that each day. I've tried to write this story for years now and every time I try I just can't get it
all out. I start to get anxiety over it and quit sleeping again.
As my family and I, a fourth generation native of this area, ended up without a house we were forced to go out and rent one at today's rental prices. This was
something we knew nothing about since we had bought our first house on Sandalwood Drive in Arroyo Grande when we were still going together in 1985. Our
new rent was higher than our house payment had been, for a 1950's home that had never been updated. Thinking we would still get the lot when the split was
final we hung on renting for another 9 months. During this time (the early 2000's) the housing prices here in San Luis Obispo County skyrocketed. Afraid we
would be priced out of our own hometown, we ended up buying a 20-year old track house for more money than what we had just sold our custom house for. Now
our property taxes were double, around $7,000 a year. Our mortgage payment was higher too. My husband and I did not sleep for 2 years wondering how all this
could happen to us. Both agents had assured us many times that this lot split was going through on time, even though the engineer knew it was not. And our
agent had been in touch with the engineer many times to check the status of the split.
We hired a real estate attorney and spent about $9,000 with him before he got prostate cancer and died. His partner was from Los Angeles and refused our
case. He told us it would take about $250,000 to get to court and fight the insurance company that represents the brokerages. We had put all our money down on
our current house, and with our normal everyday jobs did not have this kind of money. So that was that.
At the 3-year mark, the lot split became final. We were still in escrow on it. We knew we could no longer buy it nor want to, as we would have to sell our house
again to get the equity to move forward. The sellers of the lot sent us a letter through escrow demanding we follow through which I found astounding. We finally
canceled that escrow. Ironically, we did put our house on the market right at this very same time after living there just 3 years. We got divorced.
After 22 years of marriage it was over. The boys were 13 and 16. It was 2007. The upswing was over and housing prices were plummeting. We sold on the way
down. It bottomed out further but we still lost money. Altogether between selling our home on Maple Street, attorney's fees, and selling again we lost about
$150,000, not in equity but in cash. All because 2 agents didn't do their job, and because we ended up getting divorced.
I went out and bought a single-wide mobile home in a family park in Oceano. My space rent is very affordable and I have no mortgage, although I did pay
$95,000 for a 1987 fixer-upper that I don't own the land on. Property taxes run around $200 a year. I've been here 8 years now and I still drive out to Camino
Caballo in Nipomo to take care of my horses. My ex-husband sold his saddle and quit riding altogether. During this time my sister Jeannie had twins and at age
47 I became their full-time nanny, 9 hours a day 4 days a week, until they were two years old! I took care of my salon clients at night. The twins recently just
turned 6.
My boys are grown now and have moved out. But I'll always remember them as little boys telling me they wanted the house on Maple Street back and saying,
"Why can't we just go over there and tell the new people it was all a mistake and get our house back?" That statement always sent me to a private spot to cry.
As a 50-year old divorcee I took my real estate classes online. I took the CA state test with a time allowance of 3 hours and 15 minutes and finished in 1 hour
and 15 minutes with a giant smile. I knew I had aced it. I still have the
hair salon, but it supports itself without me having to be there which is
great! Now that I have finally realized my dream selling real estate it
has been quite the eye-opener.
The hardest part is the look I get from people when I tell them I'm a
realtor. Many people give me a skeptical look and make derogatory
remarks about my profession. Or they say things like, "Oh, you and
everybody else."
I became a realtor because I wanted to add integrity to the business
and not be caught unaware again. No matter what people say at least
I know that I am working things the right way and to the best of my
ability. The agent that represented us during that time has since
retired. The listing agent of the lot with the flyer saying "Ready now to
build your dream house" is incarcerated. Both my ex-husband and I
are still single after 8 years.
So if you see me out riding my current horse, a little bay Arab mare
named "Gypsie," it's because I finally got a few free minutes to spare
so wave hi to me! Real estate has been busy and successful for me
these past few months, so there is the silver lining.
And that my friend is my story, "Of Horses and Houses"!
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Why I don't mind Helmet Hair!
By Lisa Chadwick
I took a hard fall off my quiet, calm & 'lazy' paint horse Tahoe recently, and have a
few thoughts to share.....I am writing this because my wish for you is that this never happens
– but if it does I hope with all my might that you will be wearing a good helmet, fitted and
worn correctly, that is less than 5 years old.
Not that I didn't think it could happen to me, but Tahoe seemed like the last horse
(not to) take off with me. I knew anything can happen with a horse, but I know it at a deeper
level now (including a concussion, cuts & bruises). Tahoe did not spook, he was just feeling
incredibly full of energy as he had been eating more calories than were being exercised off.
There were no warning signs that he was in a 'mood' or full of himself. As Tahoe broke from a
canter into a gallop, he made a turn that caused me to lose my seat &
my stirrups. Bad combination! I tried like heck to stay aboard but, decided at some point that it was a lost cause.
I am thankful for the horse magazines that write endlessly
about the dangers of riding without a helmet. They taught me to
always, always, always wear my helmet. Those articles also told me to
get a new helmet every 5 years, even if my current one still looked fine
on the outside. Even as I hit the ground, moving like a human torpedo,
I was so grateful to be wearing a helmet less than a year old.
My accident could have been far worse – even deadly – and I
truly believe that my helmet is a major reason for that I am here
writing this article a few days after my very hard fall.
I am recovering well & hope to see you on the trail soon – and
I will have a brand new helmet on my head!
ALERT!
New EHV-1 Case
A 7 year old barrel racing Quarter Horse gelding, originating from San Luis Obispo County, displaying mild hind limb ataxia was confirmed positive for the non-neuropathogenic
strain of Equine Herpesvirus-1. This strain of virus is responsible for the more common rhinopneumonitis cases. A small percentage of the non-neuropathogenic infected horses
can display neurologic signs compatible with equine herpes myeloencephalopathy which is a reportable disease in California. The quarantined gelding is under veterinary care
in Santa Barbara County and is recovering. An investigation has been initiated and owners with potentially exposed horses will be contacted. Owners of exposed horses are
asked to monitor their horses for clinical signs and take temperatures twice daily. CDFA will continue to monitor the situation.
Here are The Equine Center's suggestions for your consideration:
1.
Have a Rhino-Flu booster vaccine administered if your horse has not been vaccinated within the last 90 days.
2. Alternate intranasal (local immunity) and intramuscular (systemic immunity) vaccines during the year. In horses that travel during the year, we recommend to vaccinate
them every 3 months, alternating the intranasal and systemic vaccines in order to provide the ideal (local and systemic) immunization against the virus infection.
3.
In the event your horse has a FEI passport, all Rhino-Flu vaccines administered should be traceable and up to date in the specific vaccine’s section.
9
Open Thursday—Sunday to Hiking,
Mountain biking and Horse back riding.
805 938-7618
Thank you Mary Ann for pictures from the Willow
Spring Trail Ride on 6-13-2015
Chips from Trilogy
Mary Ann McPherson and Mike MacDowell getting chips and having fun!
Marney and Roger Briggs Driving off with a smile and chips.
A-1-Tree Service did the chipping and loading, a big thanks to them! Dan Garson of Trilogy made this
all possible. Many of Ride Nipomo's members opted to get the 40 yard dumpster of chips. Thanks to
all who came, this is just one of the great opportunities Ride Nipomo offers its members. Thank you
Karen Luce and Lisa Chadwick for manning the brigades.
10
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P.O. Box 1738
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Nipomo, CA 93444
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Nipomo, CA 93444
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