Skyboy's Baby
Pictures
Bob Winkler & Angel Wings

Louree Carter, Sharon
Guzman, Bob Winkler & Mike Jenkins, and Elaine Littlefield (not shown)
Superstition Mountains
Trail Ride
Peralta Trailhead to Coffee Flats
Trail
Superstition Mountains, Garden Valley Loop
Bluff
Springs Loop Hike
Day Trip to
Algodones Mexico
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Moral Horse Guardianship
You don't need to be around horses all your life or even for a
long time to appreciate the basics of guardianship for an animal. This is not
rocket science as some old timer's would have you believe. There are many that
just stick a horse in a stall or pasture, throw it a flake of hay or two and
leave it at that.
When we humans remove horses from their natural environment, from
the wild herds where they roamed free and are not confined to the small pastures
and stalls where we place them, we take on a great responsibility as their
guardians.
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In the wild, horses roam to find feed; as their
guardians we provide their feed.
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In the wild, the herd seeks higher ground in storms so as not
to stand in muck; as guardians we must provide that “higher ground” in the
form of shelter from wind and rain or snow as we’ve removed our horse’s
freedom to move.
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In the wild, horses don't live in close proximity to their
own manure and therefore subject themselves to various debilitating worms
and bots; so we as their guardians must de-worm our horses.
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In the wild horses are not subject to the diseases humans
have brought to them such as tetanus and West Nile Virus; therefore we must
guard them against these diseases through modern veterinary care and
inoculation.
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In the wild horses don’t have barbed wire fences and other
human contraptions to get hurt on. To be sure we have done our best as our
horse’s guardians requires the that the horses in our care be inspected by
us as often as possible and daily is best.
They didn’t ask to be removed from the wild, we are their
guardians.
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Pat
Burr, Kate Sullivan, Nancy (Pat’s sister), and Bob Winkler
by Robert Winkler
Saturday, September 14, 1996
Although dead tired from all the time in transit from home to the Grand Canyon
we arrive at the El Tovar for our pre-backpack dinner at 9:00 p.m. By the time
we finish we are almost asleep in our chairs and therefor skip desert and head
back to the hotel.
MORE
70 Miles Total
Pat Burr, Nancy Bradford,
Katherine Marotta & Bob Winkler
by Robert Winkler &
Pat Burr in Italic
Prolog
It seems the monsoon season has been
extended due to the presence of the El Niño effect in the southern Pacific
ocean. We will endure rain on our first day and increased levels of humidity in
the days to come. At least everything is a lot greener.
Monday, September 15, 1997
At 7:30 am we catch the Lodge shuttle
for the 1.5 mile drive to the North Kiabob trailhead. We exit the van into the
pouring rain. After a short picture taking session we start down the trail into
Roaring Springs Canyon carrying our 40 to 50 pound packs. In a short distance we
encounter two mule trains loaded with tourists heading down a few miles and then
back out. After 45 minutes or so the rain starts to taper a bit so it’s off with
the ponchos and rain coats.
MORE
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