French Camps are on the go right now and a new overnight site is being used this year and enjoyed by all the adventurers. A beautiful view of Okanagan Lake to see from the tent is admired by all at camp. Two groups have enjoyed this and another to experience it next week. We also have a couple of groups that stay at the ranch, go on a trail ride and play the Llama games.

Sitting by the campfire, singing songs and eating campfires treats such as smores and more 

Kids Camps are coming up in a week and then our Teen Camps. This year we are wanting to try something new, "Family Camp". This is slated for the last week of August. Space is still available in all the camps. Call Cindy @250-309-6551 or 1-877-309-6551.

Hello Everyone,

Well this year the season has started late but we are busy now with camps and trail rides. We've also just added our first ever mud bog event at the ranch this past saturday. It was a hit and we are now planning for the Aug.13/14 th weekend and will be posting information where ever possible. Fun was had by all,the participants and the spectators.

As for the animals, they are doing well and seem to take the large crowd from the mud bog in stride. 400 or so attended the event. The animals received extra attention and everyone there appreciated the setting for the event.

Our BC French Immersion kids are taking their turns coming to the ranch, riding  horses and playing games with the llamas and alpacas. We are restructuring the layout of the ranch to accommodate the MUD Bogging events that will be taking place at the ranch.

Any questions about Camps or Trail Rides call Cindy at 250-309-6551 or toll free 1-877-309-6551.Email  advhorse@gmail.com for more information.

Looking forward to seeing you all this season.

Cindy

Announcement

New Event Saturday, July 9th, 2011

End of Trails MUD BOG

TRUCKS

Half time show/Come see Elvis Impersonator perform

Concession Booth

Fun for the whole family!!!! 10am to 4pm

Located at End of Trails Ranch, Westside Road, Vernon, B.C.

Call 250-938-5127 for more info

Cash only accepted

Well hello everyone,

Everything is all well at the ranch and we are getting geared up for the new season. Our new tack shed/ cookshack has progressed and now has the floor in place and now we are preparing to put up the log structure.

Also horses are being groomed to help them finish removing their winter hair and this is especially with some of the older horses as they seem to have a harder time to shed. Any helpers out there as we have a couple of Work Weekends Coming up (Check our may/June calendar) and are looking for those that enjoy the outdoors, horses and work?

As for our young boys(Colts) Dandy and Murphy, they are growing and learning the ranch rules. Both have had halter time with grooming and need more of that. Dandy has been weaned from his momma, Darby and spends his time with the big boys, Jim and Jerry, the Belgians. He's enjoying life. As for Murphy, he is still with his momma, Special, and will be for a month or two as he's a late bloomer. Special and Murphy have company in their pen. Gypsy has joined them as she is a bit of a stinker otherwise meaning she stirs up trouble elsewhere and she seems quite contented where she is now.

King, Buddy and Cimmarron are in the big pasture with Magic and the rest of the gang. Mocha has finally found her niche within that same group. It took Mocha 6 months to integrate into that group. We've had to take Commanche out of that same pen as she is getting ready to have her foal and looks like it can be anytime now but according to my calculations it really should be the end of this month. I guess we'll see. Also Keira is due around the same time but she isn't showing the dramatic signs of mommyhood that Commanche is.

Now Cherokee has been ridden again this year and will be schooled further through this spring.She has certainly came around since last year after Laura and I spent the time with her to teach her her ground manners and what is required of her as a working partner in our camps/trail riding operation.

We have already had some bookings for kids in our camps and if you have a preference for times please book early. Kids Camps are still $350.00 per kid and $450.00 per teen per camp.

A deposit of $50.00 per child is required when booking and should be made out to ADD-Ventures on Horseback and sent to 631 Nashwito Road, Vernon, B.C. V1H 2G7. The deposit is nonrefundable but maybe applied to another camp or trail ride at another date.

Space is limited at our camps. To book please call 1-877-309-6551 or email advhorse@gmail.com. Looking forward to seeing those that have been to our camps before and to those that are new. SEE YOU AT CAMP!

Hey (Hay) there folks we have an announcement to make! Our highland cow, Clover, had a girl calf (what ranchers would call a heifer) on February 28th and she's grey with a white face. A healthy, bouncy baby girl who arrives on the scene as a surprise by about 30 days. Ooops! maybe we counted wrong or something! Anyways we are happy she's healthy and woolly. Ready for any further cold weather

Can't wait for the snow to go! I think the animals are tired of it too! Na, they don't care as long as they get their food, it's all good.

Well, this has been along time getting back to you all. The winter at the ranch has been easy for the animals and they are all doing good. Lots of snow but now it's melting away. The young boys, Dandy and Murphy are growing up and even though they are half brothers they are very different.

Dandy is as his name indicates, just that "Dandy" and a beautiful, BIG, boy for 10 months old, calm, quiet and loves to run. Almost as tall as his Momma, Darby. Now Murphy is a speed demon, hot rod and loves to crow hop around, playful, short and stout of body. A bit of a mini version of his Grandpa, Buddy. A sport model of a horse with a bit of an attitude not mean just sassy and full of himself. Both boys are proud and comfortable with who they are and are showy when they perform in their own unique ways.

Dandy has a new owner already and will eventually be going to live with Laura and her Morgan horse Jazzie. Yay Laura and we know Dandy is going to a great home and he will get to reach his potential in Laura's hands.

We have, Commanche and Cherokee expecting babies this year. Commanche around June and Cherokee August. Commanche will be having an Ace baby and Cherokee a Vanner baby. We'll see if Cherokee has another Palomino paint like Ace and we can't wait to see Commanche with Ace's first born.Just a little tidbit of information for all of you out there that have mares expecting and you know their due date, have Arnica on hand to help out when they are foaling. It's a homeopathic remedy that helps the mare to have an easier time when she is getting ready to foal as well as after the foal is born it helps with healing tissue, bruising and so on.

Buddy and Ace share a pen with our Llama, Ceasar and all three get along well together. Buddy and Ace spend alot of time play fighting and racing around while Ceasar stays out of their way and watches the performance.

Buddy, we brought from Alberta as a stud, but has been gelded since. Ace and Vanner are Buddy's sons and are our studs at the present time. These guys are sport horses through and through  and are Arabian/Paint X , They like to jump and did so within a month of being born as well as being playful like their dad.They also like to run, race and chase and are exceptionally athletic. What I can appreciate about these boys is that they are people friendly just like their dad, Buddy.

We have all types of breeds of horses for our trail rides and kids camps, from the Belgians, Jim and Jerry to our mini's, Sweetie and Storm. There's Joe, the Leopard Appaloosa, Gypsy, the Black/white pinto, Kiera, her daughter, we think could be part belgian, King, the Thoroughbred/Cleveland bayX, Cimmarron, Willow, Cajun and Special the quarter horses, Special's son, Murphy, a Quarterhorse/Arab/PaintX, Cayenne, the Arab/Quarter X, Magic, the purebred Arab and fiesty as can be, even for a middle aged guy, Commanche and Cherokee quarter horseX mares, Darby a purebred Morgan mare & her son Dandy, Morgan/Arab/PaintX,, Brandy, a Thoroughbred/Paint X mare, Mocha, a Paint mare , Chester, a warmbloodX, Gypsy's son Vanner, an Arab/Thoroughbred/PaintX and of course Buddy, the Arab/PaintX .

We can't forget to mention our mini donkey, Diego who with Storm, our mini stud, entertain many at O'keefe Ranch through the summer with their playfulness and games.We are looking forward to another season at thje ranch as well as being a part of Family Days and The Cowboy Festival at O'Keefe Ranch again. Checkout our Calendar as well as theirs for the dates. Postings for our camps and O'Keefe Ranch dates will be set in the near future.

First off, October was a busy time with our work weekend, Oct. 22nd and the Halloween Fun Day on sat. the 30th (just past).

I want to thank Carly and Neeve for coming to the ranch on the work weekend and helping out with cleanup and the deworming of the horses. We make that easy by making a mixture of beetpulp, grain, molasses, sometimes a little oil, cayenne pepper and the dewormer,all mixed up in a feed pan, enough dewormer measured out for each individual horse. Our horses like their grain, molasses, beetpulp treat; so when we go to do the deworming, the adding of the dewormer doesn't deter them from eating it, even the little ones.

After, we worked on repairing the old tack shed roof as another crazy wind storm hit the ranch, pulling part of the roof back. There I was perched on top of the roof as Neeve and Carly took turns handing me the materials necessary to anchor the roof back down. Russ is still working on the new tack shed and the cement blocks are almost all in place, the beams have been made and now this all has to be levelled and squared up to place the floor joists onto the beams. The beams are made of three 2X10's nailed and bolted together. There are 3 beams for under the 20X30 building that will be built on top. We look forward to moving stuff into the building.

We rewarded ourselves by going on a 3 hour ride. I rode Mocha, a 6 year old paint mare, Neeve rode Magic, the 15 year old black bay Arab who thinks he's a 6 year old and Carly rode Cajun,the 13 year old chocolate palomino quarter horse, who also seems to think he's a 6 year old.However, Mocha started out like she had never been ridden before, so I chose to just walk with her for the first part of our ride and that was a good thing. We had just left the yard past Vanner's pen, when Joe, the leopard Appaloosa came out of the bushes and sent Mocha into a tizzy, circles, up, down and around, as I am swinging off the end of her lead rope. I'm still holding on and behind me the girls on their horses having a few issues of their own. All horses wanting to head back to the safety of their own pens and the yard. After we settled everyone down the ride after was still a little lively at times but we all had a great ride. Mocha in the lead and the other two behind.

As for the Halloween event, I'll be putting an update later this week, as I have some photos of our Llama games teams and a report to go along with them as well as a bit on our day and trail ride, etc.

Hi everyone. Boy, the month of September went by fast. The baby boys are growing, meaning Dandy and Murphy. We had a work weekend and cleaned up some old fencing, started a new fencing project and have also started our new tack shed. Exciting, that new tack shed!!! Yep!Yep!:D

I want to thank all the volunteers, Carly, Leila, Andrea, Teagan, Hannah, Neeve and Darren. We had a huge bonfire to burn some old fencing, salvaged some rails, gathered up posts and laid them out at the new site. We all enjoyed the weiner roast as well as the trail ride after our work was done. The weather was fantastic with the sun shining down on us making us all feel that this was a perfect ending to a great day!

Now we are looking into October and the fencing needs to be completed and tack shed put up. Russ has been diligently working at getting the tack shed site ready as well as organizing the materials for the building.

We will be looking at another work weekend on October 22-24th. Anyone interested please call 1-877-309-6551. Also,there will be Halloween at the Ranch, Saturday, October 30th, 12noon to 5:30pm. Check out our calendar for details.:P