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LONETREE
RANCH MISSION STATEMENT:
OUR HERITAGE IS, AND OUR LEGACY SHALL BE.
Summary
The Reinhold Family
of the Lonetree Ranch desires to please God and bring Him glory. In
Christ, the family will be priority, people will have precedence,
stewardship of the land must be practiced, the cattle must produce and
the horses must perform.
- The
Lonetree Ranch of Sturgis, South Dakota is a family operation that seeks to provide not only
a sustainable living, but also a livelihood that enhances the
character of each family member. At whatever stage of life, each
member of the family should realize their value, as well as
contribute to the growth of one another. The ranch should prove to
be a treasured setting for each person, and the activities should
strengthen their moral fiber for today and in days to come.
- We
realize that we are only here but for a time and that God has
allowed us to be the stewards of the resources that abound. We most
certainly should care for that which is “for a season”, but
never lose hold of fact that some responsibilities last a lifetime
and into eternity.
- We
understand that with possession comes responsibility and
opportunity. We endeavor to widen our circle of friends and thus
influence the sphere of influence of that which we hold dear. We do
not live on an island and to the extent that leadership is handed to
us, we must move forward in a competent matter.
- Our
heritage is and our legacy shall be. The Lonetree Ranch is a family
tradition extending across the generations. That in mind, we will
continue to chart a course that must be guided by God Almighty.
- People
are more important than land, cattle, horses and all the possessions
that money can buy. Our desire is to see our family flourish and our
children to grow and become good citizens within their community. We
desire to encourage and assist physically, emotionally and
spiritually those that cross our path daily.
- We
have been blessed with land and livestock. Our desires and goals for
them are as follows:
- The
land is located in western South Dakota and seems to have more dry
years than wet ones. We desire to utilize to the fullest and yet
not destroy. In times of extreme drought we look forward to the
days of healing and we are prepared to assist in any way humanly
possible.
i.
We are currently installing a water system that includes a deep
well and more than eight miles of pipeline.
ii.
Plans are in place to restore shelterbelts and also grass seeding
on farm ground.
- The
cattle herd is made up of Hereford Cattle. With the knowledge and
facts that supports their worth to the consumer as healthy, good
tasting and tender beef, we proceed with confidence that our product
is a good product. The Hereford breed has been tried and true to its
hardiness in all kinds of weather and climates. They do well on
grass and consume less feed during winter conditions than many other
cattle. We are convinced that you do not follow change for the sake
of change, but that we remain flexible to allow for improvement.
- We
have gone to an August/September calving program that has allowed
for less disease that is common in springtime and we do not have
to fight the inclement weather that comes with spring storms.
- We
continue to look for ways to be more efficient in these times of
stretched labor market. For any added costs to the new time
period, savings from adding extra labor will easily offset them.
- The
horse herd is made up of American Quarter Horses. We are a cow
outfit and the Quarter Horse originated with that in mind. We will
continue to breed for good doing horses with the stamina and
endurance capability that Ranch work calls for. Good bone and sound
structure are not just a desire they are a necessity. We pasture
foal in May and wean in the fall when the corrals have some moisture
in them.
- A
quiet nature and a kind disposition are essential in our horses.
Our children are around them all the time and if we are in the
horse business, we are in the people business. All five stallions
in our breeding program run together, outside of the breeding
season.
- As
mentioned above, endurance and stamina are a must. We believe that
if a horse can pass the rigorous tests of the ranch, they should
be capable of performing many disciplines. Return customers tell
us they like our horses because they can go all day, while other
riders have to switch to fresh horses. This is an essential
element of our program.
- Conformation,
Color and Eye Appeal. Winston Churchill said, “The outside of a
horse is good for the inside of a man.” They must have good bone
and good feet. They
must be built on a good foundation and be able to handle the ups
and downs of rangeland. And why ride an ugly horse?
- The
bloodlines of mare band are primarily foundation bred (i.e. Poco
Bueno, Joe Hancock). These horses are known for the cow blood in
them. We are not going duck hunting with a poodle. We have added a
grandson of Sugar Bars and two grandsons of Freckles Playboy to
add some athleticism and speed. We carefully breed to bring out
the best character in the babies.
- We
believe we must have a goal of more than good horses. We must have
satisfied customers and our first customer is our family. We want
their equine experience to be a profitable one. We thoroughly
enjoy selling horses to people that use their horses.
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Lonetree
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...
“Almost!”
What a terrible experience. God wants to give His people more
than His fingertips. When we are on a ledge with nowhere to go; He wants
to reach to us and firmly grip his Hand into ours.
When
we fall. Vince Lombardi, the great coach of the Green Bay Packers said,
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, It’s whether you get
up.” In the Book of Proverbs we read, “ The righteous falls down
seven times, but he gets up eight.”
There will be many times in our lives when we seemingly can’t
rise to the occasion. God is more than willing to lift us up again.
When it seems we are out of reach, He
asks us to let go of the things that are stretching us away from Him. It
is so easy to be entangled by the snares of the present age. We can’t
reach up and down and expect more than the fingertips of God. What can
be worth so much that we would ignore the wonder of God’s blessings?
Realize the agony of being pulled in opposite directions and then
realizing failure.
I read once a retake of the old saying,
“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” How
about, “When you get to end of your rope, let go and let God.” He
will be there to catch you firmly in the palm of His hand and he will
not let you slide off His fingertips, either.
From
"The Fingertips of God"
by Larry Reinhold.
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