July 31 2018. It’s not really a training day as the boys, Buck and Renegade are on rest day number 4. However I’ve been calling this period of transition, training days so this is the last day. Tomorrow is the beginning of the Childhood Hunger Awareness Trek. Some people might call this an adventure, exciting, crazy, insane. I call it my mission and my life long dream. The mission it to bring awareness of Childhood Hunger and the damage it causes. The dream is mine I’ve had it since I was 11. We have to pull together as a community and travel the miles together and help the Children reach there full potential. No longer look away and say the government will help or its not my problem. It is our problem and we need to step up and help. Childhood Hunger… One Mile is not Enough.
Month: July 2018
Day 53 Wagon and waiting
The wagon is done, its packed and ready. I’m giving the boys, Renegade and Buck four days off to totally rest them. So the official start date will be the 1st of August. That is if everything is a go. I feel like the astronaut sitting in the rocket going to the moon waiting for someone to push the button and saying its a go.
Thank you to all who have supported me thru the training period. Kristofor Wood, Jamie Cagle, Elizabeth Southard, Debora and Terry Simning, Tom Wood, Seth Bowden, Robert Quinn, Tamatha Perkins, Patsy Killian. Again Thank you
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap
http://challenge-america-equine-trek.com
Day 47
Training has gone well. I’ve teamed the boys up and and pulled the new wagon home. I’m impressed with Renegade and Buck they have taken every new experience with a willing heart, if a bit sceptical on Renegade’s part. Good horses are a must on this type of trip. My boys might not be a matched set but the have good minds and hearts.
1 in 6 children in America faces hunger, all across the United States, in every community. It’s real. With your help, we can change it.
The truth? We have plenty of food in this country. We also have effective programs to feed kids. The problem is not enough families have access to them. We can fix that with after school meals, summer meals and education in food skills for the parents.
Please if you know of a child that goes hungry in your community don’t look away, don’t say its someone else’s problem. Help by talking to the parent, ask if you can help by giving the child or children a meal.
Day 37 of training
The wagon isn’t done yet. The gentleman building it is having to work on it in between his other jobs. As mine was a rush order normally he wouldn’t have even started on it till the other jobs were done. However that being said it should be done by Monday. Then I’ll start training the horses with it. The tentative plan is, I’ll work the horses 5 days then give them
2 days off, then five more days then 4 days off. Then I’ll leave on my trek. The 4 days is so they will be totally rested when I start. So the start date has been put back by two weeks.
Day 37 of training
The wagon isn’t done yet. The gentleman building it is having to work on it in between his other jobs. As mine was a rush order normally he wouldn’t have even started on it till the other jobs were done. However that being said it should be done by Monday. Then I’ll start training the horses with it. The tentative plan is, I’ll work the horses 5 days then give them.
2 days off, then five more days then 4 days off. Then I’ll leave on my trek. The 4 days is so they will be totally rested when I start. So the start date has been put back by two weeks.
Star-Buck is a amazing horse he has accepted everything I’ve done with him with a willingness that is awesome. He is 26 days behind Renegade in training but has caught up in the training.
Rest days
Every 4 or 5th day you have to rest the horses for 2 to 3 days depending on how hard the road was. Today and tomorrow are rest days for the boys. But not for me. I’m still waiting for my travelling wagon to be finished. So I’m sorting out what I should take with me. But it’s hard as till I’m actually on the road I’ll not really know what I’ll need. So I’ll be doing a couple of camping trips lasting two to three days. This will help me understand what I’ll need.
Day 26 of training
A tough decision made.
Jessie is doing well but I have decided that he is to high strung for the type of trip I am doing. As the leader of this Trek I have to decide if it’s in the horse’s best interest and health for him to be put under the type of stress that this Trek will provide. Unfortunately I believe this would be to much for Jessie. So I’m pulling him from the line up. I’ll be replacing him with Buck.
Here is some background on Buck. Buck was rescued as a four year old from a very bad situation. He was extremely under weight. The night of his rescue he collapsed and couldn’t get back up, he was to weak. The rescuers had to put him on an IV and turn him over to stop bedsores. After two days of around the clock care a web sling was found and he was hoisted to his feet. After three days of being in the sling he was able to stay up on his feet. However he was unable to get up when he laid down for another 4 days. During this time he had to be hoisted to his feet another 6 times. But after a week he was on the mend. I sponsored him at this time and decided to adopted him. Buck is now 9 years old and is completely healthy. And quite chunky he was only my second choice because he is only 14’3 hands tall. Which makes him a bit smaller then Renegade.
https://www.nokidhungry.org
Childhood Hunger American Trek 