MEET THE HORSES

Trapper

Mayhem has deep roots in our horse string. He is a third-generation member of our beloved “May” horse family, a bloodline that has been part of the Skyline herd for generations. His grandmother, May, was one of our horses decades ago, followed by his mother, Maybelline, and the tradition has continued with every descendant carrying “May” somewhere in their name.

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Mayhem is an incredible gelding and a true mountain horse, sure-footed and dependable when navigating the rocky, rugged terrain around Skyline. With generations of Skyline history behind him, Mayhem is quite literally part of the family.

Do they get any prettier? Buckette is a home-raised buckskin mare with plenty of beauty to go around—and a personality just as sweet. Gentle, kind, and dependable, she has grown into a wonderful member of the Skyline herd.

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Her name has a fun story behind it, too. The year before Buck’Ette was born, Kaleb named her full brother Buck. So when a beautiful little buckskin filly arrived the following year, naturally, Kaleb decided she should be Buck’et!
 

Buckette is especially great for riders who have a little experience and are looking for a horse that feels safe and trustworthy while still being fun to ride. She’s steady when you need her to be but has enough personality to make a day in the saddle enjoyable. 

Affectionately known as “Moony,” Half Moon is Lukus’s personal horse and a pretty special one at that. Mooney is a beautiful gelding, and we’re fairly certain he knows it! Over the years, it has been so fun to watch the partnership between Lukus and Moony grow as they’ve spent countless days together in the mountains.
 

For years, Moony was primarily Lukus’s guide horse, but much to Lukus’s reluctance, he has officially graduated into our guest string. And it’s easy to see why everyone loves him. Moony is incredibly affectionate and is always looking for a little attention, a good snuggle, or something to eat. He’ll happily sample just about anything you offer him!
 

These days, guests get the chance to experience just how special Moony is for themselves, although on special occasions Lukus still gets to claim his beloved horse. Some horses simply become part of the family, and Mooney is certainly one of them.

Hands down, Sparky is the best horse in our herd. His brothers went on to make names for themselves in the show ring as reining horses, but we think Sparky found an even more important calling right here at Skyline. Gentle, bombproof, affectionate, and endlessly dependable, Sparky is everything you could ever ask for in a guest horse.

Sparky has a swollen hind hock, and because of it, many people had counted him out. In 2012, we decided to take a chance on him and brought him home for just $900.
 

It turned out to be one of the best chances we have ever taken. Sparky has never favored that leg a single day since we bought him, even after carrying riders hundreds upon hundreds of miles through some of the roughest mountain country around. Year after year, he has proven just how tough, willing, and trustworthy he truly is.
 

If we could duplicate any horse in our entire string, it would hands down be Sparky. What started as a $900 gamble became one of the best purchases we have ever made, and today, this sweet bay gelding is absolutely priceless to us.

“Fancy Clancy” is a beautiful Friesian-Percheron draft cross and Luke's personal horse. Big, handsome, and absolutely full of personality, Clancy has a playful, almost childlike nature that makes him impossible not to love. Around here, we like to tease Dad that Clancy is his “heart horse.” Although we’re pretty sure there’s more truth to that than he would like to admit!

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Clancy takes his job as Luke's favorite horse very seriously. Every morning, without fail, he is waiting for him at the barn door, ready for attention and whatever adventure the day might bring. The bond between the two of them is pretty special, and Clancy makes it very clear that Luke is his person.

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Clancy is now making the transition into our guest string. With his striking looks, playful personality, and larger-than-life presence, he’s quickly becoming a horse that guests remember long after their time at Skyline. Still, no matter how many people get the chance to ride him, we have a feeling Clancy will always consider his most important job to be waiting at the barn door for Luke.

Chuck Norris is a handsome palomino paint gelding and one of the newer additions to the Skyline herd. Originally purchased out of Missouri, Chuck may not have been born in the mountains, but you would never know it from watching him work!

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He has taken to mountain life like he was made for it, quickly becoming a wonderful addition to our string. With his fun personality, good looks, and natural ability on the trail, Chuck has fit right in at Skyline. He’s the kind of horse that’s simply enjoyable to be around—and even more fun to ride.

Rosie has a very, very special job around the ranch—she is three-year-old Callahan’s horse, and that little boy sure does love his little buckskin mare!
 

If you’ve visited Skyline in recent years, you may remember seeing Rosie meandering around the property, grazing near the lodge, or simply hanging out wherever she pleases. There’s actually a reason for that! Callahan likes to check on his horse multiple times a day, so we quickly discovered that the easiest way to keep Callahan out of the corral was to keep Rosie out of it, too. These days, she’s practically part of the ranch welcoming committee.
 

Rosie is patient, gentle, and very well loved—and Callahan takes his job as her owner pretty seriously. Thankfully, he’s also willing to share. When other little cowboys and cowgirls come to visit Skyline, Rosie is often the horse they get to love on and ride, too.
 

She may be one of the smaller members of our herd, but as far as Callahan is concerned, Rosie is undoubtedly one of the most important horses on the ranch.

Sioux is Kameesha’s horse, and he has a pretty fun story about how he came to be. His mother, Pawnee, was Kameesha’s very first horse as a little girl. One spring, when the family headed out to winter pasture to gather the horses, Kameesha was delighted to discover that her mare had a surprise waiting beside her—a brand-new foal! To young Kameesha, this could only mean one thing: she now had two horses.

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There was just one little mystery: we had absolutely no idea who his father was! Inspired by the famous Johnny Cash song “A Boy Named Sue,” Kameesha decided Sioux was the perfect name for her surprise colt. (We chose to spell it Sioux as a nod to both him and his mother being named after Native American tribes.) Some might say the name gave him a bit of a complex, because Sioux has never been short on personality!

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Despite his somewhat “unfortunate” name, Sioux grew into a phenomenal mountain horse. Surefooted, spunky, and incredibly capable, he has carried Kameesha and countless guests through hundreds of miles and adventures over the years. Now in his older years, Sioux is well on his way toward official retirement, although someone apparently forgot to tell him. He still has plenty of spunk, stamina, and opinions to go around.

Crackerjack is the definition of a gentle giant. Despite his impressive size, he has one of the kindest, sweetest demeanors in the entire herd. Affectionate and loving, Crackerjack seems to adore just about everyone he meets.
 

His big personality comes with an equally big love for one particular treat: apples. Crackerjack absolutely LOVES them! If you get the opportunity to ride this gentle giant and happen to find an apple tucked away in your lunch, you may want to consider sharing.
 

One apple, a few scratches, and you just might have a friend for life. With his big heart, gentle nature, and lovable personality, Crackerjack is one of those horses who is pretty hard not to fall in love with.

Lady certainly lives up to her name. Small but mighty, she is a strong little mare with a dignified, proper personality. She carries herself with confidence!
 

Lukus purchased Lady for Lara in 2020, and she has been a wonderful addition to the Skyline herd ever since. Don’t let her smaller stature fool you—Lady is strong, capable, and more than ready to tackle a day in the mountains. She is also wonderfully smooth to ride, making long days in the saddle that much more enjoyable. 

Bess is the definition of a solid workhorse. Undeniably strong, dependable, and blessed with a deep-rooted willingness to work, she is the kind of mare you want underneath you when there’s a tough job to be done.

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Around the ranch, we affectionately call Bess our “Steady Eddie.” She isn’t one to make a fuss or shy away from hard work—she simply puts her head down and gets the job done. Whether it’s a long day, rugged country, or a job that requires a little extra grit, you can count on Bess to keep going.

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If there’s a tough job to do, Bess is your girl. Strong, steady, and hardworking to her core, she’s exactly the kind of horse every mountain outfit is lucky to have in its herd.

Pal is a golden horse in both color and nature. Dependable, willing, and kind, he’s the type of horse you can always count on to do his job—and do it well.

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There’s nothing flashy or complicated about Pal. He simply shows up, takes care of his rider, and gives you an honest day’s work every time. True to his name, Pal is a good friend to have on the trail and a wonderful member of the Skyline herd.

Jack

Clyde has a very strong personality. He likes to be in the front on all trail rides. He 'pretends' to be the leader of the herd! He is a sturdy hardworking horse and extremely sure-footed. 

Tinker is the first foal of our beloved mare Sage. She has a wild paint look but gentle and obedient nature. Tinker is Kameesha's favorite horse, she rides her almost every day! 

Chico has a never-stop attitude. He is sweet, kind, and always willing to work hard. He has the all-important job of taking kids on rides, a job he does with eagerness and kindness!

Appropriately named after her fiery personality, Red Hot is full of spice. To Colter, her owner, she is attentive and caring but everyone else better watch out for her big personality! 

Calamity Jane

Winchester is a beautiful blue roan with a heart of gold, He is a big baby that loves attention and apples. His fun disposition is just an added bonus to his surefooted and comfortable ride.

Dave

Kayla is a beautiful red roan mare who has managed to completely change Lukus’s mind about what makes a good horse. For years, Lukus has joked that he’s “just not a red roan mare kind of guy.” Then Kayla came along.

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Steady, capable, and always willing to put in a good day’s work, Kayla quickly became one of Lukus’s favorite horses to ride this past summer. She has proven herself time and time again in the mountains and has a dependable nature that makes her a pleasure to have in the herd.

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We’re not sure Lukus is ready to officially admit that his opinion on red roan mares has changed, but after watching how often he chose Kayla this summer, we think she may have won that argument for us.

Liberty

J-Lo is our 'rock climbing' mule from Tennessee. She won't miss a step and will go anywhere she is asked. Nowadays she is almost strictly a riding mule, offering clients heading into the alpine country the safest experience, walking with effortless precision and grace!