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Oh man, I love the camaraderie. Coming up on today's Wild West. A great ride with a great bunch of guys. We'll take you on the Chuckwagon Trail Ride. Plus, providing food, medicine and TLC every day for 160 horses at the White Stallion Ranch. And, you'll see the healing power of horses helping American veterans. It's all next, on today's Wild West. The Wild West. It's still out there. And we'll show you how to find it. This is today's Wild West. It's getting western on the last stretch of the last day horseback with the Chuckwagon Trail Riders. But as the slickers come out and the rain comes down, it just adds to the adventure of a great week horseback in northern New Mexico. Ride Brent Cummings has been coming on for 20 years. Oh, I love it. A group of guys, we get to ride in beautiful country. You know, it doesn't get much better than this. The Chuckwagon Trail Riders first settled up in 1957. Today, 65 guys from all over the country gather every June for four days of horseback camaraderie. I come up as much to see guys from all over the country that I might see once or twice a year. And the gathering is pretty special. This 69th ride is happening at Wheaton Creek Ranch, 36,000 acres of unspoiled American west, about two hours north of Santa Fe. What about the shower trailer? We're camping, but there is a custom-made hot shower trailer for the morning, followed by a hot made-to-order breakfast. It's just like back in the 1800s, huh? Oh, exactly. This is exactly... Why did they say cowboying was tough? I don't know. Great way to start the day. Before we saddle up and hit the trail, a ride's a four to five hours through gorgeous country. It looks like it's professionally landscaped here, including the burnt wood. Some landscaper put it in there. All the rocks are perfectly placed. Many of the guys bring their own horses, but for those of us who don't, Jesse Bell and his crack crew are here from Arizona with a fine rental string, a business Jesse started when he was just 13. I wanted to raise a string of horses, and they had to go to work to feed themselves. So I started raising them, and they started making their money. They'll saddle 30 horses today, including five for the wranglers. You got to have more faith in your horses than anything to take care of everyone. And I guess the biggest challenge is getting them all mounted on the correct horse. But you generally see the person when they walk up what horse they'll fit. These horses are also movie stars. Jesse often rents out his string to film productions. That sounds like fun. And his teenage son partner is a stuntman. You ever get dinged up doing that? Only if you land in the rock piles, but you try to pick your landings. Now we have a pet buffalo that works on about every movie that needs a buffalo. Trail rider Wyatt Mortenson is also a movie stuntman. The 24-year-old son of Santa Fe silversmith and saddle maker Clinton Mortenson, Wyatt was 19 when he first got hired by Tommy Lee Jones. And his many credits include the Westerns' Yellowstone, Horizon, American Primeval, and many more. I've learned to some really good people. I've been surrounded by some of the best wranglers and stunt guys and horsemen out in the world today. And I get to learn, try to absorb every little thing I can from them. It's an interesting bunch of guys to ride with, like retired airline pilot Mike Kleckner. So you went from 600 miles an hour to 3 miles an hour? I went to a different kind of horse park. Today Mike and his wife run Horseshoe Canyon Rescue Ranch, rescuing neglected horses and other animals. So I went on that ride last week. I'm on this ride this week. And I got an extreme cowboy challenge next week. J.T. Purvis is on the ride for the first time, but the 80-year-old horseman has done all kinds of rides over the years. I'm always looking for new rides, experiments, anything challenging. My wife says I'm in my second childhood, so I'm always going to enjoy it. Many longtime chuckwagon riders are now inviting sons and grandsons to come along. This year, I think we have 18 new riders. So it's good to have some young people coming on. Yeah, it is. Beyond this Western tradition, it's so important to keep alive. And a growing number of younger men are in the saddle this year. Brian Hart works in the investment business in Chicago. I mean, the horses is obviously cool, but you get more time in camp and you just meet more cool people who do a lot of different walks of life. Like everyone who's drawn to this is just a really cool thing. Yeah. Well, my dear uncle Tag has been on this ride for several years and he just kept talking it up and telling us how great the country is out here and finally got us convinced. So boy, he was right. Joseph and his brother Charlie are also very talented musicians and with some percussion help from new rider Tim Smalls provided some great tunes around the campfire after dinner. There you go, enjoy. And what a dinner. Prime rib was one of the highlights of the menu, which we gathered to enjoy under a huge tent. Shelter that came in very handy when the sky let loose one afternoon with a massive thunderstorm. A storm that even produced ice cubes for the cocktails. The rain was actually very helpful on the trail, keeping the dust down. Welcome news for the medics bringing up the rear. We stay at the back because if something gets hurt, it's easier to go with the horses than against them. EMT's Leslie Smith and Fernando Medina have been taking care of the chuckwagon riders for more than 15 years. He's been 17 and I've been 16 years. Okay. So we've come to love it. A good bunch of people. Happily, they had no customers this week. Nope, no business is good business. And neither did veterinarian Dr. Dave Fly. Nice country, nice people. Who's been on the ride for 20 years. You can't beat a good day on a horse or mule. At lunch on the trail one day, Doc shared a bit of his expertise with horses. One of the things you can do, you're in the wire, in the brush. Always fascinating to learn more about these amazing animals, which we are so grateful to ride in this beautiful country, led by the trail boss. Once you set the rules, and everybody follows the rules, there's not much to do except get everybody back to camp safe. That's the whole goal. It's just fun to be here, but it takes a lot of planning and work throughout the year to make it all happen. Again, when you're in a community of good guys, everybody puts their hand up and says whatever it takes to get it going, that's what we do. And the group takes care of more than just its own. An evening auction held in the tent raises money for the Chuckwagon Trail Riders Foundation, which donates funds throughout the year to worthy causes. The mission of the foundation, basically, is to promote and preserve Western heritage. The Chuckwagon Trail Ride is invite only, but it is possible to get that invitation. We have a small committee, you know, when you reach out to us, that will reach back to you and kind of talk about what it is you're looking for and how, you know, the experiences you want and talk very honestly about the ride and how it goes and generally more than everybody's welcome. Oh man, I love the camaraderie. Four days in the saddle. I love being out in nature, looking up at the stars at night. Amazing country, great food. I love this ride. Tunes around the campfire, what's not to like? Again, such a great bunch of guys that you just can't wait until the next time to get together with. Sunscreen? Sunscreen, yes. Up next, you'll see what it takes to care for 160 horses every day at an Arizona dude ranch. They worked hard all week, making horseback dreams come true for vacationing guests at Arizona's White Stallion Ranch. But on Sunday morning here outside Tucson, just like many of us, the horses are sleeping in on their day off. But they never take a day off from eating or getting the medical care some of them need. They all work so hard and are such great horses that it's hard not to love them, you know? Gree Johannesson was up at 4 o'clock this morning taking care of the beloved horses that call this dude ranch home. He's a little bit older, has a harder time chewing. You see how the food is dropping out of his mouth? And it's no simple task. There's about 160-plus horses here on the ranch at any given time. And like people, they're all different. All have their own personalities. They have their likes and dislikes. Many with unique nutritional needs. That's the complete pellet that they get. So this is a complete feed, so it has vitamin, minerals. But it's also a little bit easy to choke on. So that's why I soak it for a lot of them. So you see, this is what it looks like when it's soaked. So now it's just really soft, so they don't really have to chew it. Like Thelma and Louise, a pair of draft horses missing some teeth who can no longer eat hay. Chomps on it and spits it out because she can't chew it. Why are you sticking your tongue out at him? He can't keep it in because he's got very bad teeth. Just like people, dental issues are not uncommon among horses. Really, really long in the tooth, and they're very flat. See here? There's also missing a couple incisors right there. But imperfect horses getting a bit older and slower are still very valuable members of the equine team at the White Stallion. Any given week, we have people who can ride probably better than we can, and we have people that are out for their first rides. So we like the older horses. They're the ones that'll walk through fire, and they have hearts of gold, and they've seen it, done it. I've got a six-year-old, and those are the horses I put my six-year-old on. Sunscreen? Sunscreen, yes. About 40% of the White Stallion's horses require some special feed and care, and it's Gree's job to make sure they get it. Some of these older horses, they don't have as many teeth as they were born with, and maybe some of them have a little this or that, and so we've got a herd manager. Her whole job, lifetime horse professional, is to look after these horses. Different horses have different nutritional needs. Whole oats. And as Gree shows me, there's a specialized feed for every situation. To get a little bit more energy in them, and then what we feed a lot of is the equine senior from Purina. It's very good for the older horses. Gree was 18 when she first started caring for horses at a racetrack in her native Norway. Even though it's different feeding dude horses compared to race horses, it's kind of still the same concept. You know, confirmation, their condition. Are they too thin? Are they too fat? Are they too slow? And she puts that lifetime of experience to work every day at the White Stallion. It's just practice and wanting to learn, very interested in it, reading about it, and then also here, you know, we have a lot of horses to try on. Gree also takes care of the daily medical needs of the herd. Just put a few drops like this. Like Flash, who had surgery a while back for an eye ulcer. They'll get dust particles in their eyes, and then they'll start rubbing on things, and then they literally just rub an ulcer on their eye. Horses always get themselves injured, so any wounds, cuts that's not big enough for the vet to stitch up, I'll take care of. This morning, Flash is getting both some eye drops and some antibiotics to complete his healing, treatment that is typical of the ranch. They work hard, but they also get treated very well and get whatever they need, whether it comes to feed or vet care, so they don't hold back. Sometimes that free or $1,000 horse is suddenly an $8,000 horse, but we have the luxury, if we think they've got the right heart and right mind, and we see an opportunity for them to take care of our guests, we do it, and we do it without really even any hesitation. We're happy. While the White Stallion can handle daily doctoring, the veterinarian is called in for major problems. Looked like he must have fallen out in the pasture somewhere. Like this guy that suffered a serious cut. Especially for colics, he'll always come in because that is something that we just have to have a vet deal with. But most of the aftercare, I will take care of. The 130 or so cattle kept on the ranch for team penning, calf roping, and other activities get the same kind of care. They've taken x-rays. Like this calf having trouble gaining weight. They've sent in some blood samples. The cattle get different hay than the horses from a stack kept outside exposed to the weather, hay that can get moldy. The cows can eat moldy hay, and it's kind of good for their gut while the horses can't eat mold. Most of the horses don't need special feed. About 60% live off the nutritious alfalfa at the big feed barn. Putting out 1,600 pounds of hay every day to feed these guys is a workout. Get your exercise doing this, huh? Heart rate, about 116. But even that routine task takes thought and planning, and knowing your horses. And the so-called early eaters get first dibs on dinner. So the first ones to go eat is the older guys. The guys that are eating brand new, they will always go out first. And then also the ones that we know will not fight for their food. They'll go out first while the rest of them have to wait. The big draft horses are kept separately in their own arena. Because they're big, if they get mad and kick, you know, bad, bad things can happen. But also they have a little bit of a different nutritional need. The drafts live on Bermuda grass, and lots of it. So they're not tempted to try to eat off the sandy ground. It's a lot to keep track of. Just experience, I guess, and just looking at them. Also getting feedback from the wranglers. Do they have too much energy, not enough energy? A lot of that goes into it. But it's a nice office and satisfying work. I think just being with the horses, just working with horses, has always been my passion. Just being here at this beautiful place. That's a passion shared by guests who love horses, who come here from all over the world with every kind of riding ability. And thanks to Gree, Russell, and the rest of the team, the right horse is always ready for that memorable ride on vacation here at the White Stallion Ranch. Just ahead, the healing horse power helping America's military veterans. Okay, we're good. Sit back. There's nothing for the inside of a man or a woman like the outside of a horse. Reach forward, lean forward. A very true saying that is the foundation of Base Camp for Veterans Incorporated, BCI for short. All right, body and rein in, reach forward, lean forward. A unique program harnessing the healing power of horses to help veterans and their families adjust to civilian life after often traumatic service in the military. Not an easy transition. They gain confidence in their lives and in themselves. When they come in and they don't know anything about a horse, and all of a sudden they're doing things on a horse they never thought they would do, then they can kind of look at themselves and their life and think, you know, there's probably a lot of other things in life that I didn't think I could do that I think maybe now I can. And then just don't look down at all. Here at the White Stallion Dude Ranch outside Tucson, BCI's week-long program works with just four veterans at a time and their families, blending horsemanship, equine therapy, Okay, we're good. and working with untrained wild mustangs. Yesterday afternoon was the first time the horse ever was willingly touched. Under the guidance of mustang trainer Randy Helm. A wild horse has to learn that the person in the middle of that round pen is not going to hurt them. So what they fear then starts radically changing. So a lot of parallels for like a veteran. Just calmly walk up. Helm has run prison mustang training programs for years. And just pet her. The experience has had a dramatic, positive impact on inmates. They have a past that will tend to define them, but if they're not careful it will define them for the rest of their lives rather than this happened to me and then I move on. We've had inmates that came into the program that have been in prison a number of times and go through the horse program and never come back to prison. Most, if not all, of BCI's veterans have never been around horses and connecting with the animals can be a profound, life-changing experience. One of the reasons horses are so trainable is they don't have a story. They have experiences, but they don't have this thing that keeps us trapped and that is our story. PTSD, that starts defining them. And they can become depressed, angry, just stuck. What is it that limits you? Of course addictions, my past. So work with a horse and realize I'm helping the horse get unstuck. It's not instant, it's one step at a time. And life is that way. So it's just amazing to me how much horses, especially wild horses, and that gentling process is transforming. What did you do with that? How did you get through it? Equine therapist Tamara Claus is a key part of the program, leading discussions and training sessions, like this team-building exercise to coax an unhaltered horse over an obstacle. So working with horses is one part, but I think possibly the even bigger benefit of being a part of the BCI program for the veterans is getting to be a part of the BCI family. The camaraderie and connections that they're building with each other really helps them to open up and feel safe and become who they've been all along. We all clicked immediately and we can all be very comfortable and open with each other, which is amazing. Michael Robertson spent 24 years flying helicopters in the Army. It's causing us to look at things through a different light and just view things differently. Much of that time away from his wife. So every time we have that big separation, you know, we've got to figure out how to reunite. And it's, like I said, more difficult every time. In the meantime, he's experiencing some crazy things that I just deal with day to day. I say just deal with, but it's a lot. It's all hosted by the White Stallion Ranch, 3,000 beautiful acres of classic Old West Arizona. It's so fun, yeah. Whose owners are happy to help. Even though a small program, it doesn't matter if you affect one life, you affect a lot of others moving forward. The true family has supported us every single step of the way. A 501c3 nonprofit, BCI is the creation of partners Deborah Plum and Theo Windisch. The brilliant thing that Theo and Deborah created was an immersive program for not only just the veterans, but for the veterans' family. And I think we underestimated just how valuable this environment is for them to really immerse themselves in this Western world and in this culture and to feel like they're a part of it, even for a small period. You've come a long, long, long, long way, haven't you? In addition to working with untrained Mustangs, the BCI week includes learning to ride the well-trained horses of the White Stallion with instructor Carol Bachman. It's definitely a confidence builder because, at least with helicopters, I kind of understand how they work, and I still have no clue what that horse is going to do beneath me. Coming in day one, being apprehensive, to now, five days later, getting on a horse, riding a horse, and really understanding how that works. It's amazing. We're on hand for BCI's ninth program. Think a little bit more about pressing those heels each time. A program already making a dramatic difference in the lives of veterans. I think the BCI course is awesome. I have attended this as a fish out of water and have gained skills and experiences that have changed the way I see the world. We see the progress that they've made. This program gave them confidence to move forward in something different once they retired from the military. That final Sunday, Carol led the BCI group on a walkthrough of the big arena where the White Stallion horses were relaxing on their day off. Another amazing experience. Nope, no food, sorry. Pretty poundy. But as this session of BCI came to an end with a flag ceremony and heartfelt goodbyes, the benefits of the program are just beginning. Please don't be strangers. That's the most important thing I feel at the end of this to tell you is that we really want you to stay involved, stay in touch. Participants who can continue to meet at the White Stallion Ranch one day a month and keep in touch on their own. This is a family now. These are people that you can rely on. And that's really important. Strengthening the important connections they've made with each other by bonding with the horse. The White Stallion Ranch lies in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Best known for its iconic and abundant Saguaro cactus, a massive plant that begins as a tiny seed. Everybody wants to eat a Saguaro seed. All kinds of creatures out there eat Saguaro seeds. And they're pretty tasty. You can make cookies out of them. So that Saguaro is two years old? Yep. Diego Dunn has devoted much of his life to learning about this fascinating desert, teeming with all kinds of amazing plant life. That used to be a beautiful yellow flower. Okay. So then it gets pollinated and it closes up and produces a seed pod. You can wash them off, rinse them off, dry them, and then you can put them in cookies or just eat them. A former aerospace worker, Dunn shares his knowledge on the White Stallion's herbal walk. And they would use this to tie desert willow together, make like a big half dome. And there's something to learn with every step. Very strong. I could grab this and just move that whole plant. It's going to hold up in the wind. There are 600-year-old ironwood trees. And this was here before Father Kino was here. I counted some of the rings on some of the others. As a young man, I took the chainsaw. It was only that big. I took the chainsaw, I cut it, ruined the chainsaw. Creosote leaves that were used to preserve fruit shipments back in the day. In California, they ship them on a slow freight train to the East Coast. By the time I got there, they had mold on them. So what you do is they take these leaves and they pack them with the oranges and it prevents molding. Squish that little white dot. Dye made from prickly pear that turned your M&Ms red. See how it turns purple? That's called cochineal. That's real stuff right there. Plus all kinds of other candy and products made from prickly pear and the saguaro. I went to the agriculture department and I did the research. So yeah, saguaros, you can make a candy out of it. You can make a syrup out of it. You can eat the seeds. You can put the seeds in cookies. You can eat the flowers. Not the tastiest things, but you can eat them. Again, it's just a journey. You get up every day. It's like, whoa, what is that? What is that? You got to get out here. Come out to Arizona and learn how to just touch, taste and feel Arizona. It's an amazing place. That's it for now. We're back next time with more cool stuff from Today's Wild West. I'm Mark Bedore. We'll see you down the trail. For more information on the people and places featured in Today's Wild West, or to order show DVDs and books, visit TodaysWildWest.com. Funding for Today's Wild West provided by the Leggett Foundation, the Atherton Foundation, and the Chuck Wagon Trail Riders Foundation.