CamoCreek Ranch - CCR Leather

Just a little of what is on the work bench…

Come visit me at Hinton Milling!!!!
Rabies Clinic today from 9-1
A great assortment of vendors here to shop at!!!

What farmers love

There is a big cattle farm near us with four board fences as far as you can see, lush green pastures, and sleek black cows complete with babies frolicking around.

As I was driving past, the farmer was out of his truck trying to go through the gate. About 10 of his cows were sticking their heads through the bars of the gate, licking his hand as he smiled and talked to them.

Had I not been driving a full horse trailer, I would’ve pulled over and asked if he needed some help to shoo the cows back so that he could get into the field. It's not easy to open the gate with cows pushing around and driving through before the cows get out.

He had a contented and happy look on his face as he visited with his girls. They obviously had great affection for him as they kept wanting to be petted and stroked as he talked to them.

We talk about the hardships of running the farm, but we don’t always talk about the joys of them. Something is simple as cows licking your hand or wanting to have their neck scratched when they see you.

There is a rhythm to the daily feedings, babies being born, and the joy of being around the animals.

Find the joy and connection with the land and its inhabitants.

“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Written for you by Hannah Campbell Zapletal 2026

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXN9725Y



If you’d like a Bible, let me know

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: MORE THAN A coach, part 16

People often see me as the riding instructor at WildeWood Farm.

But behind the curtain, I wear another very important hat:

Horse trainer.

Most of the horses that make up our lesson string did not arrive as finished lesson horses.

In fact, most came to us with very little training. Some had even been deemed “untrainable” by other trainers.

We have been blessed with the responsibility of some truly wonderful schoolmasters over the years, but they are the exception, not the rule.

Most of our horses have been projects.

We are not a formal rescue, but we take in many horses that need another chance.

Last year alone, I was offered 58 horses.

I took 18.

I wish I could have taken more.

But the hard reality is that I simply could not afford to.

The animals at WildeWood must be able to contribute to the farm and, in time, help support their own way. We are a working farm, not a rescue organization with a large fundraising budget.

That doesn’t make saying no any easier.

What makes WildeWood different is that I’ve been a horse trainer my entire life. For more than 20 years, I specifically trained young horses, started horses, and worked through hundreds of remedial cases for other people, including some of the most dangerous horses around.

I would finish teaching my paying customers for the day and then go work the difficult horses.

Those were the horses that needed someone willing to take the time, figure them out, and give them a chance.

After I had my children, however, I made a very deliberate decision to stop training horses for other people.

Being a mother of small children changed the equation.

The risk was simply too great.

I could no longer justify getting on someone else’s difficult or dangerous horse when I had little children at home who needed their mom.

So I stopped training outside horses.

That doesn’t mean I stopped being a horse trainer.

It simply meant that my training work became focused on the horses here.

And today, that experience is one of the things that makes our lesson program possible.

There aren’t many horses I cannot help if I’m given enough time.

So when I look at a horse, I don’t just see a potential lesson horse.

I see a training project.

I watch how he moves, how he thinks, how he reacts, how he learns, and what might be possible with the right handling and enough time.

Sometimes that means taking a horse that someone else has given up on and slowly teaching him that people can be trusted.

Sometimes it means developing a young horse from the ground up.

Sometimes it means taking a horse with baggage and giving him a job he can understand and enjoy.

And sometimes, despite everything we can do, a horse simply isn’t the right fit for our program, and I help them find a home that does.

That perspective allows us to give some horses an opportunity they might not have somewhere else.

But my job doesn’t stop when the horse becomes a lesson horse.

I don’t just teach the student.

I watch the horse.

I watch the partnership developing between them. I see where the horse is struggling, where the rider is struggling, and what needs to change to make the relationship better for both.

Because teaching someone to ride isn’t simply about teaching them where to put their hands and feet.

It’s about teaching them how to listen to another living creature.

And sometimes the horse needs just as much teaching as the student does.

Written for you by Hannah Campbell Zapletal

Come by and see what we do on the farm!!!! I will have a booth of leatherwork with proceeds going to The Mane Event Equine Therapy!!

If you have been looking for an excuse to come visit the farm, here’s a great one. 30th anniversary party tomorrow afternoon from 3 to 630 and a potluck dinner at five. 

Come by!! I’ll have a booth set up with leather work for sale!!

We have a few spots still available for our fall rabies clinic. Please respond to this post if you are interested… We will DM all approved vendors.

Good news is happening!!! My first vender spot has been secured!! I’m busy in the shop making items to sell for it.
Set the date, September 26fh, 9-1 at Hinton Milling for their Rabies Clinic.
THEN right after I’ll be headed to WildeWood Farm for their 30th Anniversary Party at the farm in Cu***ng starting at 3!!!!
Come to either or both!!!

Getting ready to have a vender spot at Hinton Milling on September 26th for their rabies clinic. Come by and see me!
9 am - 1pm

Daisy address book and some other stuff off of the bench