Friday, August 07, 2009

Carson's Riding Stables

You can't read comments here and not notice there are horse lovers amongst us.
Joker, GH, and DJ all love the critters and, with TD and Cinders alongside (who met because of their mutual interest), will gather and share horsey experiences at every chance.

I think horses are beautiful, and there's nothing prettier than a slow-motion movie of a horse in full gallop... breathtaking.

Still, they are mighty dangerous. Anything that big, powerful, and spirited needs to be handled with discipline and respect. I have commented on several occasions how we often hear motorcycle riders derisively called "donors", while my experience flying injured patients is that horses can be every bit as hazardous to their rider's health. (Chris Reeve is a good example.) Interested in hearing a few gory stories? Ask when you see me next.

TD, DJ, Joker, and GH all owned their own animals and could saddle up when they had the time and inclination. For the rest of us, a place like Carson's was an alternative. My recollection is fuzzy, so help me if I screw up the details but as I recall Carson's was on the South side of Indy, not far from Beech Grove. For a few bucks you could drive the short drive and they'd saddle up a docile animal for you to go ride for an hour. I always did it a couple times a summer and felt it was a good value for the money... another fond memory.

Now, about next weekend...
I called the folks at "The Log Inn" and changed our reservation to 4 P.M..
I also told them our group may be as large as 14 or more. (Tracy and Carol, GREAT!) I trolled around the restaurant reviews and found this one, which seems representative of most:

"Great fried chicken! To-die-for mashed potatoes, slaw, etc. You can't miss this historic place. The service is always great, and quick. You may have to wait a bit for a table unless you get there early. This is our favorite family/special occasion place. "

... The hint at a possible wait to be seated was the most prevalent complaint, so we may have a little time to visit before being seated... Don't come famished.
Another thing I noticed...
They don't take credit cards. Bring cash.

I told the gal we were having a mini-reunion and asked if there was a place we could sit and visit before/after eating. She said no, so I joked and said "Fine... We'll just bring lawn chairs and camp outside your front door!" The nice lady chuckled and said "You COULD do that... there's plenty of room, just no furniture."
Remember what happened after "The Best Little Whorehouse...?"

Discuss!

The restaurant is 12 miles North of Evansville, 1 mile East of U.S. Highway 41 on "Old State Road", just North and East of the intersection I-64 and 41. Check Mapquest or Mapblast.
Maybe TC can give us more detail, but I'm sure Carmen the Garmin will get us there just fine.
I'm looking forward to hugging and visiting with friends, both those I know AND those I oughta know!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Details are pending on the funeral services for Vick Goad.

Top Cat said...

GB directions are correct everyone will find no problem. If we want I got the Party Barn available we can always go back there after we eat to visit play cards for as long as we want. We will have drinks and dessert. Its about 20 minutes from the Log Inn. Just let me know what everyone thinks.

TwoDogs said...

TC, very nice offer. Thank You! I'm sure dinner and conversation will be great - but, it will be nice to sit and relax a little after dinner w/more time for talk and camardeie. Sounds great to me..
Lead the way....

Sorry to hear about Vic Goad. Didn't know him as well as others, but sad to hear.

Did meet Cinders on horseback. When I have more time, I will talk more about our horses - Something I like to talk about. On the agenda today, though - Mom and work....

Cissy Apple said...

Can't wait for the Log Inn reunion and the dessert afterwards. I make killer cheesecake. The trick is to decide what variety. Is the Log Inn on Central or Eastern? Indiana is so screwed up. It was bad enough before, but now you have to look it up when time matters and you're going to an unfamiliar county.
I think bringing lawn chairs and actually using them would be a hoot--kind of like tailgating at a restaurant.

Greybeard said...

TC-
As usual, your generosity is too much, man. As Cissy has indicated, why not let each of us bring a dessert dish? Sara Jean can whup up some killer PB cookies!

Cissy-
I think Evansville is on Central time... correct me if I'm wrong folks, but I don't remember the time changing when we came to TC and Sharon's last time.

I too am sorry to hear of Vic Goad's passing. I dated his daughter for a while and he and I didn't see eye-to-eye. I didn't behave well and he was right to often be angry with me.
Rest in peace Mr. Goad.

Anonymous said...

Evansville is on SLOW time.

Hawkeye said...

Thanks TC, getting togather at your place after sounds great.
Central Time. No credit cards.
Bring dessert. We're ready.
See you the 15th

Top Cat said...

If you guys want to bring dessert thats fine. We are on Central time 1 hour behind Indy. Is 4:00 reservation Central for the Indy folks? See you all soon I will have the barn ready.

Hawkeye said...

Two more coming. I talked to John T. today, he & Barb will be at the Log Inn & TC'S place.

TwoDogs said...

Owning and riding horses can be hazardous to your health and pocketbook, for sure. GB can attest to the health end of that. Any one that has ever owned a horse can attest to the pocketbook end. However, ownership and the ‘art’ of riding can also be rewarding and pleasurable - even beyond the pain. We do not own any at this time -but Cinders and our daughter are still active in other parts of the horse ‘business‘. Have several stories to tell, mostly about myself - Thankfully most w/good endings. I did meet my better half on horseback. She was not on my horse, but riding with a friend. 3 guys, 3 girls, 3 horses - At Carey's Rodeo, Summer /Fall of 1964 - we think…That day was fun. We did not start dating until almost 2 years later. She was still very young in 1964.

Horses have always meant hard work and good times for me and I have fond memories of them and of my ’horsey friends’ - all the way back to Jr. High. At times, owning and riding /showing meant deflated egos, disappointments and lots of frustration - but, with any organized function of this kind -‘exhibiting, gamimg, showing, eventing’ - you will have that. Most times, though - just being happy wih my times, the sucessful completion of the cc course,no jumping faults and a good dressage score was enough to overcome most things. Anyone that has ever owned a horse will tell you that they are a lot of hard work. It is 'good’ work, though. Even today, it seems that where ever we find a horse - we naturally gravitate toward it. We called them - Buck, Loco, Derby, Patches, Smurf, Misty, Pete, Bert, Bandit, Curt and even owned a crazy but beautiful horse named Ebony - for a short period of time... Large ponies - small enough to grab a handful of mane and hop on - riding and galloping with just a halter and rope. Horses - big enough where you had to stand on the bumper of a car just to reach a lowered stirrup. Bucked off, brushed off, crashed through jumps on horseback - even once demolished a cross country jump on my own. Bert stayed on one side of the jump and I ended up on the other side - through the jump, not over it. Helmet and body armor saved the day. Another horse - Bandit - was young and independent when we first purchased him. He did not like any one trying to put a bit in his mouth - More than once, literally went round and round with him. Sometimes hanging on with just a handful of ear. He was a big Appendix and when in a confined space - a horse that size can be a little scary. Finally broke him of that bad habit and he turned into a superb jumper. Once, watched as a vet neutered a horse. Almost surreal to me. Buck was our first large pony - came to us ‘whole’, could be very excitable at times, especially when a certain someone we all know and love would ride her mare down the road in front of our farmhouse. Dad finally decided to have Buck ‘cut’. Vet came out, prepped the patient and did ‘it’; operating room was his stall and the patient stood the whole time, the items removed fell into a bucket. I felt so sorry for that pony at the time. After a day or two, he made his debut back into the pasture. Head down and a little dejected, but it was not long before he was almost his old self. ALMOST! Acting like his old self at times, he continued that way for years. After waiting and wondering (for days) when Loco was going to foal - one morning, went to the barn, opened the door and out ’walked’ this foal. He managed to wobble over to the big water trough and fell in - head first. Last horse that we owned, we sent out of state (Ky) with our daughter when she went off to college. Kept that horse for a few more post college years, and then finally sold it. Never really got very far away from the ‘business’ though.

Boring to most, I know - but, not to me. I hope my horsey friend will tell some of their stories. They all have stories to tell

Greybeard said...

Carson Daly talking about horses on his show tonight, (Tuesday):
"You can own a horse 20 years. For twenty years you ride that animal down the same path, across the same stream, through the same gate. Then suddenly, after twenty years of boring repetition, one day this horse decides- for whatever reason, he's frightened to go through that gate!"
(Got a good laugh.)

I've heard enough horse stories to know that's true. The old one about saving a horse's life by leading them from a burning barn, only to watch them run back into the conflagration when you turn them loose is also true, isn't it TD (or Joker, or GH, or DJ)?
Big, powerful, and beautiful, but what's going on in that brain is still a mystery.

Anonymous said...

Horses are beautiful. I have a few stories of my own! The next to the last time I rode a horse was quite a shocker. We had two quarter horses. Clarence and Sara were on Duchess. Beth and I were on Katie. I had ridden Katie for about 10 years. I had ridden her on roads meeting cars, trucks, combines, tractors. I had even ridden her right passed snakes and she never flinched.

At this time Beth was five years old. Clarence had saddled the horses in the back yard close to the barn like he always did. I got on Katie and he put Beth up behind me. He then put Sara in the saddle on Duchess and he got on behind Sara. Clarence, Sara and Duchess took off in the lead. For whatever reason, Katie decided she wasn't going! She through Beth and me both off! I landed with my elbow just below Beth's right eye. She had a big red mark on her cheek. I had a big red mark on my "cheek" from landing on a big rock. That was enough to scare me from riding any more except for the day Clarence lead Duchess from the house to the barn with me riding her. He knew better than to let go of her. Duchess had been a barrel racer and could turn on a dime. She could go from 0 to 60 with the slightest bit of incouragement. Ah! Those were the good old days.

Ferdy

the golden horse said...

Anyone who knows me, knows I have about a million funny horse tales. I could write a book on them.
Rode with my good buddy TD many times after school. It seems he and his older brother had a contest as to who could get home from school first and thus win the horse for that day and get to ride with the "gang." I think TD won the most.
He and I and P on Blackjack and sometimes a cousin or two would take off for hours. Everyone knew us and it was the best time of my life.
I started off with Dusty, a little Silver Crescent Pony, bareback most days and gradually worked up to my big ole yeller horse, Admiral. Everyone knew Admiral, a palomino quarter horse. That horse had more brains than any three humans. I got him kind of late in his life, but he never let me down. Trail rides, gaming and just plain ole running the neighborhood.
I won a million ribbons with that horse and the family thought they were going to lose me, when he passed. Never want to go through that again in my life. He used to stand at the end of our driveway waiting for the school bus and would whinny like crazy when he saw me.
I do recall early one Saturday morning when the Fire Dept. used to drive around the Valley advertising that night's Fish Fry on the over loud megaphone attached to a car? Well, it seems they started extra early that day and my poor little pony had not got up early and hadn't finished her breakfast, when they came down the main road and when they got even with our drive way, they blasted out their message. Well, poor ole Dusty jumped straight up on all four feet and flat footed it over the fence. The very fence that had held her, up until that morning. Off she went down the road as fast as her little 44" body would run. Over the river and through the dale and so on. The guys from the FD felt so bad that they started chasing her, which only made her run faster. Good God what was that noise and why is it still following me???
I remember running through yards and under windows until I finally got her settled down. You should have seen the people looking out their bedroom windows that morning.
Never heard that annoucement again in front of our house though, but I always went to the Fish Fry.

Carol said...

Tracy's gonna pick some blackberries so I'll bring a cobbler.

Anonymous said...

My manager got some one to work for me tomorrow. So, I'll be at the Log Inn!

Ferdy

TwoDogs said...

Fantastic!