Two Hats Ranch Horse Lessons, Boarding and Training

10/18/2025

I thought I’d missed the sunrise—chores had me looking down when the sky decided to soften instead of blaze. No orange fire, just a hush of light that still found me. The nasturtiums are louder than ever, flaunting their final colors like they know the freeze is coming soon. Rain is on its way, and soon the paddocks will be empty, the horses tucked in for winter. Everything’s saying goodbye in its own way—softly, stubbornly, beautifully.”

10/13/2025

I consistently experience this issue when I put him on the grooming hitching post! Every time...like clockwork. 🤣

I received the nicest "Get Well" or "Thank You" bag from the 4-H group at Two Hats Ranch, filled with coffee, chocolate, and so many of my favorite things. This item has been our favorite—we've had so much fun with it!

The riders yesterday named it THR Patch Mia Pocket aka "Patches"! 🥰🤣

10/08/2025

Some horses never chase the big money. They don’t need the spotlight or the fancy titles. They just show up, day after day, and change lives.

We said goodbye to a good one this week. Quincy passed at age 27, leaving behind a legacy that’s hard to measure but easy to feel.

Quincy was one of those. He didn’t make headlines, but he made horsemen. He didn’t win the world, but he won hearts. He taught nervous kids to trust, gave tired riders their confidence back, and carried dreams on his back like they weighed nothing at all

I bought him and his dam from a local horse hoarder years ago—both covered in lice, he was over a year old, still unhandled, still nursing. I tried to send them back, but the seller wouldn’t take them. So, we got to work.

He was APHA, with a pedigree longer than my arm (Quincy Dan on both sides), and a name to match. After the shock of losing his dam, he decided I was the next best thing. Smart as a whip, he took to ground training like he’d been waiting for it. As a yearling, he walked into shows and walked out with grands—every time.
I didn’t need a paint stallion, but he was such a gentleman we dragged our feet on gelding. That delay worked out: a local gal starting a small breeding program took him on, and he sired a few nice babies. But Quincy’s real magic came after gelding—he turned into Mr. Super Duper Show Horse with barely any training. I think I had him in for 30 days before sending him home. He was one of those “born trained” types.

When the grandkids outgrew him, Quincy came back to Two Hats Ranch. He became a lesson horse, a confidence builder, a buckle-winner. I’d bet over 100 riders got their start on him. I’d bet over 100 awards bear his name.

Quincy didn’t need a trophy to be a champion. He just needed a chance. And he gave us all more than we ever gave him.
Rest easy, old friend. You were the kind of horse that makes the rest of us better.

10/08/2025

We all have *THAT* dog bed... 😂

10/05/2025

10/01/2025

Sept 30, 2025. The last day of 2025 season and here it is!
Source: WPRA

09/25/2025

At Two Hats Ranch, the chill rolls in,
A whisper of Fall on the horses’ skin.
Sunflowers nod, nasturtiums blaze,
In golden light of shortening days.

Coats grow thick, the herd stands proud,
Breath like mist, no need for loud.
And coffee—oh, that humble brew—
Tastes richer now, with skies turned blue.

So here’s to crisp and Fawcett Creek,
To blooms that linger, cheeks that peek,
To ranch life wrapped in autumn’s grace—
A slower pace, a warmer place.

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09/19/2025

2026 Barrel Futurity contender THR TEQUILA LIL TIME, also known as "Wickham," and owner Cheri Baker enjoyed a stunning photo shoot on the beach in Long Beach, WA. What a magnificent horse and an equally dashing rider—truly a pair that could gallop straight into a romance novel! 🥰

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09/15/2025

STREAK N WILD aka "Phoenix" is a 2021 gelding that we bought two years ago as a stallion prospect which didn't work out and he was gelded. A STREAK OF FLING o/o a DASH TA FAME/ON THE MONEY RED mare and was bred by Terry Cowen. I have slowly been bringing him along and held him to run futurities his 5yo year. He has been hauled this last year, and I've taken him to many clinics including a clinic the 13th and 14th of October put on with Lovendahls where this video was taken.
I decided with an impending surgery coming up that which at my age are getting harder to bounce back from that I don't think I can do this horse justice next year and am offering him to someone that will be able to continue with him and make him the champion he should be. Big boy...15.3+ and probably 1400lbs. PPEs welcome; really...bring them on! I have a few x-rays to compare them with. I'm looking for something with a three in front of it and then five and three zeros. I will just keep him, if nobody is interested, and have the coolest horse in the 3D anybody could have.

09/15/2025

Bert and Ernie enjoying the sunshine after the temps dipped in the 40's last night. 🥰

09/03/2025

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08/24/2025

🔥Horse trailer fires: what starts them, how to stop them, and what to carry🔥 Where to find the perfect extinguisher 🧯 and 🎥 camera

A horse trailer fire moves faster than you can unclip a lead rope. We’ve all seen the headlines: in North Carolina, troopers said a tossed cigarette from a passing car likely flew into a partially open stall and ignited hay, killing six horses on I-95. In Kentucky, four thoroughbreds died when a trailer became fully involved on the roadway. And in Oregon, a trailer fire jumped to roadside brush and kicked off a small wildland fire. These are rare—but when they happen, they’re catastrophic.   

How trailer fires actually start
• Discarded ci******es & roadside ignitions
Unextinguished cigarette butts can ignite hay or roadside fuels. Fire investigators list “smoking” as a recurring human cause of fires, and there’s a documented trailer case where a cigarette tossed from another vehicle sparked the load.  
• Heat around wheels, tires, and brakes
Hot brakes, seized/under-lubed bearings, dragging brakes, and underinflated or flat tires generate heat that can ignite grease and tires—some of the most common origins of truck/trailer fires. Routine checks of tires, bearings, floors and brakes are basic prevention.  
• Electrical faults
Trailers vibrate; wiring chafes; insulation wears; a short near shavings or hay is a ready ignition source. (Add “wiring inspection” to your pre-trip.) 
• Parking over dry grass
Catalytic converters and exhaust components can reach 800–1,200°F. Dry grass can ignite within seconds—so never pull off into vegetation, even “just for a minute.”  
• Roadside sparks
Dragging tow chains, wheel failures, or debris lodged by axles can shower sparks into light fuels along the shoulder. 

Prevention that works (quick checklist)
• Before you roll: check tire pressures (including spare), torque lugs, test brakes and lights, look for loose/chafed wiring, and verify floor integrity. 
• En-route: every fuel/coffee stop, do a “touch test” on hubs/drums—warm is normal, hot/smoking is a stop-now problem. 
• Pull-offs: only on pavement or gravel; never over grass. Keep safety chains off the ground. No smoking anywhere near the rig.  
• Loading: keep loose hay/shavings away from lights and wiring runs; secure totes so nothing rubs a harness or junction box. (General wiring/lighting checks: see Purdue Extension’s rig guide.) 

The right fire extinguishers for a horse trailer

Carry at least two different types, mounted where you can reach them from outside:
1. ABC dry-chemical extinguisher (5 lb) 💥 https://amzn.to/4lERnaP 💥
general purpose for solids, flammable liquids, and electrical (truck engine bay, fuel, wiring). NFPA 10 covers selection/placement of portable extinguishers; ABC is the versatile baseline most haulers carry. 
2. Water-mist extinguisher (e.g., Amerex Water Mist) — outstanding on Class A fires (hay, shavings, rubber, wood) and, uniquely, safe around energized Class C electrical because the agent is delivered as a non-conductive mist. That makes it ideal for putting cooling water on burning bedding without spraying a conductive stream near wiring. 

😎Tips:
• Mount one ABC in the truck cab and one on the exterior/tack side of the trailer; inspect monthly, service per NFPA 10. (Know the PASS method.) 
• Plain water cans are great on hay but not on energized electrical or fuel fires; that’s where ABC (or water-mist, if rated for C) belongs. 
• Want extra protection? Consider automatic clean-agent tube systems (Proteng/BlazeCut) in engine bays or electrical compartments; they rupture at heat and flood the space with a residue-free agent.  

👁️👁️Eyes inside the box: proven trailer-camera options 📸📸📸

Best Camera Option
https://amzn.to/3HucizD

Seeing your horses while you’re rolling is both peace of mind and early warning of trouble (scrambling, smoke, a down horse). Four solid paths:
• Hard-wired trailer systems (RanchCams): durable, permanent installs, rock-solid signal for interior + rear views. Great when you haul often and want zero fuss. 
• Wireless monitor kits (Haloview MC series): https://amzn.to/3HQkNVE purpose-built wireless camera/monitor sets with night vision; popular with RV and horse folks for easy installs and multi-camera support. 
• Quad-view wireless with DVR (Rear View Safety RVS-4CAM): https://amzn.to/3HPQfTZ up to four cameras at once (stall cam + rear cam), onboard recording, designed for trailers. 
• Phone-view trailer cams (Trailer Eyes TE-0117/“WiFi EyeCam”): https://amzn.to/4mw2ELU sends a live image from inside the trailer to your smartphone in the cab—no router in truck or trailer. Handy, affordable way to add an interior look. (Have a passenger monitor; drivers shouldn’t operate phones.) 

Bonus road-view: pair a trailer interior cam with a dash cam that supports Live View (e.g., Garmin) https://amzn.to/3JBSkDz for the road ahead—your passenger can monitor both. 

If smoke shows while you’re hauling
1. Signal, pull onto bare dirt/pavement clear of vegetation. Kill the engine. Call 911. 
2. If fire is small/exterior, hit it fast with the right extinguisher (ABC for fuel/electrical; water-mist for hay/shavings). Keep trailer doors closed until you’re ready to unload to avoid feeding oxygen.  
3. When you do unload, angle horses away from traffic and flame; use the rear ramp/door only if it’s cool enough to touch.

⸻

Quick kit list for every rig
• 5-lb ABC extinguisher (truck) + 5-lb ABC (trailer) + 2.5-gal water-mist can (tack/exterior).  
• Wheel chocks, leather gloves, headlamp, folding saw/knife, halters with lead ropes staged at each door.
• Camera system (interior + rear). Spare fuses, spare breakaway battery.
• Maintenance habit: touch hubs at every stop; schedule annual bearing service and brake inspection.  

Fire in a horse trailer is the worst-case scenario—but the fixes are simple: prep the rig, carry the right extinguishers, add eyes inside, and treat every pull-off like fire season. That’s how we stack the deck for the horses.

Best Fire Extinguishers - https://amzn.to/4lERnaP

Horse trailer supplies
https://www.amazon.com/shop/offgrid_onpoint/list/2LVURCCSC2Q27?ref_=aipsflist



Photo credit from Sports Illustrated article: https://www.si.com/fannation/rodeo/news/in-ashes-of-trailer-fire-two-young-women-search-for-healing-and-hope