They are still hoping to take them back to Gibson Ranch and stay open for the community to enjoy

RIO LINDA, CA (MPG) - Trail Brothers must go by the end of September, so says the County. Only receiving notice two weeks ago. I went to Gibson Ranch and found out what a loss this will be if they don’t get a reprieve to keep the horse rides open. I met Paulette Wigfall and her companion Gregory Hughes who had come to take lessons for their very first time. Paulette could not stop giggling while telling me how much fun she just had!! 

“I had no idea how fun this could be. This was on my bucket list. We’re so glad we did it and cannot wait to do it again.” I told them they would have to find somewhere else and explained that they have been given a notice to leave at the end of the month. She just kept saying, “wait, what?” Proceeded to tell me how disappointing that was to hear. I offered to take their picture and send it to them as a memory of their first time on a horse, and did.  

I also met a couple getting instructions before they were to ride off on a fun trail ride. While there Saturday I met many families with kids who were there just walking around to see and pet the horses. There was always a horse or two in front of the horseback riding office. That way when they got a reservation they just saddled up those horses waiting out front.

I came back to have a chat with Zachary Leyden, the CEO of Trail Brothers. He is a veteran of the Army Rangers. His whole goal while giving horseback rides was to give “his brother and sister” veterans a place to come and help with their PTSD. ANY veteran of any military branch could ride for free. They were welcomed to brush, walk and pet the horses.  Zach was very proud of that ability to share and help his fellow veterans. That ran both ways. This last February, during the horrible storm, the horse boarding shed’s roof was blown off. Word got around and within a month a group of trucks pulled up with hammers, wood, drills and all things to replace that roof... FREE. “Just paying back the riding they’d received and still received”, they told Zach. Now all that is over. Zach is still trying to come to grips with the sudden notice. 

What happened to bring all this on you ask. Several weekends ago, a trail ride was going on when one of the horses spooked and jumped, the young girl fell off.  Yes, she was hurt, thank God she had her helmet on, a MUST when you ride. It states on the contract, EVERYONE must sign before riding, saying you are riding a horse, an animal. There are six dotted paragraphs that state what you need to be specifically aware of. As Zach told me, “we have to carry a very large insurance policy to even operate the horseback riding we offer.”

I am not here to say one way or the other, but there are many examples of private horse owners telling true tales of horse ownership and a horse’s unpredictability. They tell of broken arms, of being thrown off their ‘favorite horse’, and always having to remember you are on a prey animal. When they scare, they run, it is in their DNA.  Everyone wishes a speedy recovery to the young birthday girl. 

Everyone is still trying to understand, “why” the County was so fast to slap the Trail Brothers with an eviction notice. Zach told me his lawyer, Jonathan Saul and Associates are working hard to get a stay or hearing. “No one came out and talked to our veterinarian, just a call away, or our shoer, or to the veterans and their families that are really dreading this loss to the Elverta, Rio Linda, North Highlands and Antelope areas,” Zach told me. 

Lastly, I will be able to help the Trail Brothers out personally. I have an extra acre and offered it up to them should they need to have an emergency, temporary home. I was told they will be taking me up on the offer and bringing 10 horses they have to sell off, sooner than later. They would be over Monday to put up fences, water troughs and of course hay. It will only be for a short time. They are still hoping to take them back to Gibson Ranch and stay open for the community to enjoy. I will let you know how this turns out.