Joel Kretz Promised Land Ranch

Joel Kretz Promised Land Ranch Quarter Horse Ranch www.promised-land-ranch.com Raising Blue Valentine and Hancock horses in Northeast Washington
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So many things to see and appreciate.
01/06/2026

So many things to see and appreciate.

We were so fortunate! Found the three we hadn't seen forever, and a fourth came wandering in. Wyo Blue Foxy, Miss Blue C...
01/06/2026

We were so fortunate! Found the three we hadn't seen forever, and a fourth came wandering in. Wyo Blue Foxy, Miss Blue Concho, Wyo Lady Blue and Wyo Red Goosebery, all favorite mares with irreplaceable pedigrees. They'd found good grass up high and just never came down. Gave them a good bait of grain and now they'll be looking for us. Good to know where they are so we can check on them!

Wyo Blue Foxy!!!
01/06/2026

Wyo Blue Foxy!!!

It's big rough country with a lot of hidey holes, so easy to miss a horse. I gotta keep an eye on Lucka cuz if she think...
01/06/2026

It's big rough country with a lot of hidey holes, so easy to miss a horse. I gotta keep an eye on Lucka cuz if she thinks she might have seen a horse she's likely to just bail off the hillside, these hillsides can be treacherous this time of year... And we still gotta make it home in one piece. We'd spotted a couple mares below us, just east and above the old Blue Belle mine. Lucka wanted to hike off the cliff and meet me and the sideX below. I wanted us to both ride the sideX down, circle around for a look. Impasse. So we decided to argue. In the cold. Lucka; can you get us exactly where I want to go? Joel; I believe I can. Lucka; without rolling over? Joel; Likely... Lucka; I'd rather walk. Joel; off a rocky icy cliff? Lucka; Yes, it's safer than riding with you. (Cold wind picking up...) She finally saw I was close to tears, and agreed to my plan. Grudgingly. Around and about, we hit a little swale below the Ti***es, two blue mares up the hillside and then Wyo Blue Foxy came over the skyline, the exact three we'd been looking for. I felt faintly smug but never let it show.... I'm seldom right, and I never win these arguments...... So let the record show, good teamwork led to the discovery of the missing mares. Great afternoon and I love these discussions with this very frank woman......

We made it up high, higher than I've ever been this time of year on anything other than a horse or snowmobile, sideX jus...
01/06/2026

We made it up high, higher than I've ever been this time of year on anything other than a horse or snowmobile, sideX just eased on up. It's rough country with amazing views, but no fresh horse sign.

Been keeping an eye out for some mares we hadn't seen close up for awhile. This bunch is on the Golden Reward but we'd s...
01/06/2026

Been keeping an eye out for some mares we hadn't seen close up for awhile. This bunch is on the Golden Reward but we'd seen them close several times. The mares in question were behind this and much higher, up on a pair of roundish peaks known affectionately as the Ti***es... Perfect day so we decided to head up.

Bonaparte always looks good.... This, in my judgement, is the front side of Bonaparte. You can still see it from Tonaske...
01/06/2026

Bonaparte always looks good.... This, in my judgement, is the front side of Bonaparte. You can still see it from Tonasket but you're looking at the ass side.....

Opened the door on the truck and found this, a new seat cover featuring Twice Roaned! My ever thoughtful wife took the p...
01/06/2026

Opened the door on the truck and found this, a new seat cover featuring Twice Roaned! My ever thoughtful wife took the print of my favorite horse and had it made into a seat cover! Thank you darlin...

A lot of Legends have graced Bodie Mountain over the years, and here's one of the finest! Chuck McIntyre and I became gr...
01/05/2026

A lot of Legends have graced Bodie Mountain over the years, and here's one of the finest! Chuck McIntyre and I became great friends at Day Creek on the Skagit back in the mid eighties. When Sara and I (and Jed at 1 year old) hit Bodie Mountain in 1990 we did it with no resources on a wing and a prayer. There was nothing here except a lot of miles of bobwire, good grass and not much else. Lotta work to be done, way more than one man could do, and in the early years there was no bigger help than Chuck. Anytime we had a big job, cows to get in, branding, working horses or fixing fence, Chuck always seemed to show up. And he was usually the best hand at what needed doing. Joe Hughes and OJ Bagley revered him, I don't need to say no more... In addition to his cowboy skills, he had other talents, I doubt power or phone would have reached the top without Chucks help and uh, persuasions. But more importantly for me, he kept me trying. Every time I was in a corner and ready to say the hell with it, I'd get a call from Chuck, or he'd swing by and give me a second wind, and perspective from a wise man.

I didn't make any New Years resolutions, just a commitment to my self to do a better job of keeping in touch with the people who have meant a lot in my life.... Chuck was the first call. He's got some health challenges but we got a lot of stories and good memories and we had some good laughs tonight.... He did ask, "does Sara know yet where the wire gate is?"

This will be my 36th year on Bodie and I'm seeing things I've never seen before. Bare ground in January??? Green grass i...
01/03/2026

This will be my 36th year on Bodie and I'm seeing things I've never seen before. Bare ground in January??? Green grass in places? The big south slopes are bare, and even the north facing slopes don't have much. In normal years we'd have two feet of snow with more on the way. Making it easy for the mares out on range, but I'm getting worried about our upcoming grazing season. We've had a wet fall and early winter and moisture is going in the ground and will suffice for early spring, but I worry about a light snowpack. The snow serves as stored water and releases moisture late as it melts. Not unusual to have snow on the north slopes late in April, providing late moisture. Of course, there's still plenty of time for big snow and I'm hopeful, but I'm starting to get nervous. Grass is our lifeline...

01/03/2026

34 degrees and raining sideways... The ranch roads are a sheet of ice, steep ice btw, and I'm hearing the roads to town are treacherous. We were planning a trip to town today but I'm thinking it just might be a good day to just keep the home fires burning.... Town will always be there.

Address

1014 Toroda Creek Road
Wauconda, WA
98859

Telephone

+15093220507

Website

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