Mornings On Horseback Review

[Mariu Carlton]

Morningson Horseback is about the world of the young Theodore Roosevelt. It is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and nearly fatal attacks of asthma, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household (and rarefied social world) in which he was raised.

His father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, "Greatheart," a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. His mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, Teddy Roosevelt's first love. And while such disparate figures as Abraham Lincoln, Mrs. John Jacob Astor, and Senator Roscoe Conkling play a part, it is this diverse and intensely human assemblage of Roosevelts, all brought to vivid life, which gives the book its remarkable power.

The book spans seventeen years from 1869 when little "Teedie" is ten, to 1886 when, as a hardened "real life cowboy," he returns from the West to pick up the pieces of a shattered life and begin anew, a grown man, whole in body and spirit. The story does for Teddy Roosevelt what Sunrise at Campobello did for FDR reveals the inner man through his battle against dreadful odds.

Like David McCullough's The Great Bridge, also set in New York, this is at once an enthralling story, with all the elements of a great novel, and a penetrating character study. It is brilliant social history and a work of important scholarship, which does away with several old myths and breaks entirely new ground. For the first time, for example, Roosevelt's asthma is examined closely, drawing on information gleaned from private Roosevelt family papers and in light of present-day knowledge of the disease and its psychosomatic aspects.

At heart it is a book about life intensely lived...about family love and family loyalty...about courtship and childbirth and death, fathers and sons...about winter on the Nile in the grand manner and Harvard College...about gutter politics in washrooms and the tumultuous Republican Convention of 1884...about grizzly bears, grief and courage, and "blessed" mornings on horseback at Oyster Bay or beneath the limitless skies of the Badlands. "Black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough," Roosevelt once wrote. It is the key to his life and to much that is so memorable in this magnificent book.

Summary

Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as "a masterpiece" (John A. Gable, Newsday), it is the winner of the Los Angeles Times 1981 Book Prize for Biography and the National Book Award for Biography.

Written by David McCullough, the author of Truman, this is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and almost fatal asthma attacks, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household in which he was raised.

The father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. The mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and a celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, TR's first love. All are brought to life to make "a beautifully told story, filled with fresh detail", wrote the New York Times Book Review.

A book to be read on many levels, it is at once an enthralling story, a brilliant social history and a work of important scholarship which does away with several old myths and breaks entirely new ground. It is a book about life intensely lived, about family love and loyalty, about grief and courage, about "blessed" mornings on horseback beneath the wide blue skies of the Badlands. (From the publisher.)

This travel review is a bit different than most of my others, and that is because it will be comprised of a compilation of two different visits to Rocking Horse Ranch. Located in Highland, NY, this all-inclusive resort has now been a Spring weekend getaway two years in a row for us. Both times we traveled with a very large group of people from the farm where Lily rides. The main attraction for all of us to Rocking Horse Ranch is the fact that they offer trail rides on horseback for all guests ages 7 and older.

The location: RHR is located in the Catskills in New York and is approx a 2.5-3 hour drive from our house in the Philadelphia suburbs. The ranch is not far from the Walkway Over the Hudson River. Sprawling across 500 acres, the mountainous woods are filled with many trails for hiking and trail riding.

The rooms: RHR offers several different room types in the main building (where we stayed) and the Oklahoma Building (right next to main building). Both years we had a bunk bed room. We found the rooms to be incredibly spacious. We had a bathroom with an extra sink right outside of it. There was a foyer-type area just inside the door that featured a long clothing rack and a deep shelf on top. This was very convenient for hanging clothes and storing food/snacks and riding gear.

The food: We found the food at Rocking Horse Ranch to be very tasty! Remember all meals (starting with DINNER on the day you check in and ending with LUNCH the day you check out) are INCLUDED in your stay. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style. There was a nice variety of food and there is a waitstaff to fill egg orders and pour coffee in the morning at breakfast.

The indoor activities: Since we were at RHR in early May, the outdoor pool had not yet opened for the season. Last year our stay had picture perfect weather and warm temps. The same exact weekend this year was chillier and RAINED (sometimes poured) during the majority of our stay.

Another indoor (but you have to walk outside to get there) option is the Fun Barn. The Fun Barn was yet another place that occupied our kiddos for aWHILE. There was a huge bounce house, NERF-like air guns inside a large climbing structure, badminton, ping pong tables and more.

The outdoor activities: Now keep in mind, we were visiting in early Spring. Activities change seasonally at the ranch so some of the things we enjoyed may or may not be available during your stay. For example, the mountain tubing had just opened a week or so before our stay and the zipline had just ended.

Every ride time (there are several every day) also offers a standby line. If you want to ride more than once a day, head to the standby line. We had great luck getting on as a standby rider the few times we tried.

It was so much fun to ride horses together as a family!! Last year was the first time I had ever ridden a horse with Lily and this year was the first time that Bob, Lily and I were ever on horses together.

The 6,700-acres of Stewart State Forest are unique in the northeast and increasingly rare in the Hudson Valley. A mix of wetlands, fields and forest, the site includes 18 miles of gravel roads and more than 22 miles of major trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, dog training and trials, skiing, snowmobiling, bird watching and fishing.

Directions to the new boardwalk: From Ridge Road parking lot: Head south on Maple Ave., after about 1.4 miles, there will be a sign on the right for the Great Swamp walkway. Turn right and continue a half mile to the boardwalk. Horseback riders will find a place to tie up their horses before the entrance to the boardwalk.

You can also reach the west side of the boardwalk via the Schofield Lane Trail, head south on the trail, there will be a spur trail heading off to the left. Total distance is less than three miles. There is a hitching post on the west side of the boardwalk as well.

Note: Those who need to drive to the parking lot at the east end of the boardwalk will need a permit through the Motorized Access Program for People with Disabilities (MAPPWD). The permit is free. When your permit application is approved, you will receive the combination to the locked gate on Maple Rd.

Stewart State Forest features seven larger ponds and many smaller ones for fishing. The deepest are 6-acre Whalenburgh Pond, 3-acre Wilkens Pond, and 2-acre Rowes Pond. The smaller ponds offer warm water fishing for bass, sunfish, shiner, bullhead and perch, with a larger selection at Tenny's, including eel, carp, crappie and pickerel. New York State fishing regulations apply. Electric or non-motorized vessels only.

Stewart State Forest is one of the most popular hunting destinations in the state. Each year, thousands of sportsmen and women flock to Stewart to take advantage of its diverse habitats and abundant game populations. White-tailed deer and ringnecked pheasants are the most commonly pursued game species at Stewart. However, the area also provides high-quality turkey, waterfowl, rabbit, squirrel, and furbearer hunting.

Please be aware from September 9-17th, Stewart State Forest will be open for the Antlerless Firearms Deer Season. Please review our deer hunting season webpage for the latest information on season dates.

During this time hunters are limited to parking at one of the exterior parking areas, the interior road system remains closed to motor vehicle access. Hunters are reminded that shooting from or across any of the interior motor vehicle roads on Stewart State Forest is prohibited. Rifles are not allowed on Stewart. Only licensed trappers may possess a 22 caliber handgun, otherwise the possession of handguns is prohibited on Stewart State Forest. Dog training and trial events are scheduled during this time. All hunters are strongly encouraged to review posted map locations for scheduled dog events at one of the following parking area kiosks: Ridge Road, Weed Road, North and South Barron roads.

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