New ranch welcomes public to lease horses 

Chuck Damler is getting back to nature at his Natural Valley Ranch off of County Road 350 North.

With the exception of the occasional hum of a lone aircraft passing far overhead, the place is quiet and peaceful. The wind rustles the trees, a lone cow wanders its pen, and horses prance and play in the fields.

Damler is new to the business of owning a horse ranch, but says he has a clear picture of what he wants.

“This is beautiful land out here and we want people to be able to come and enjoy it,” he said, “right here in the middle of Hendricks County.”

Damler’s ranch is hidden behind rows of trees and brush, with more than 50 acres of trails winding in and out and around White Lick Creek and through the wild flowers.

Three years ago, around Thanksgiving, Damler said he was driving past a three-acre plot of land and noticed it was for sale. He and his wife, Marie, had been looking for a place they could settle with their six children and raise some horses and the place seemed to be perfect.

“What we really wanted was just to have a place where the kids could ride horses,” Damler said. “We saw this and decided to give it a try.”

Since that first purchase, the Damlers have added five other parcels of land and cleared enough under-brush to create about 50 to 60 acres of trails. This past year they had the property rezoned for an agricultural business and started the ranch.

An old steel bridge once used for foot traffic across the creek still offers a glimmer of hope for future use. But for now, it offers picturesque scenery.

“We plan to get the bridge repaired, maybe be able to take the horses across, but for now we just let them wade right through the water,” Damler said.

Walking through the trails, purple wildflowers twinkle on either side and muddy footprints show tell-tale signs of deer.

“I have seen as many as 25 deer, in a group, just standing in the woods eating,” Damler said.

His voice startles a group of turtles (called a ‘shell’) and they quickly make for the water. More than a dozen of the little creatures splash their way into the creek and disappear beneath the surface.

Eventually, Damler intends to offer an indoor arena for riding during inclement weather, and possibly expand services at the ranch. But for now, he is focusing on the trail riding.

Damler said his ranch is testing a new lease program, where riders can buy trail time on a monthly basis. For $100 a month, riders can use a horse for three days out of every week and for $200 a month, they have use of a horse seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Right now riders can join the Trail Club or rent one of the Damlers’ seven horses by the hour. For beginning riders, on-site instructor Danielle Bryan offers lessons in Western Pleasure or contesting events, such as barrel and flag racing for more experienced riders.

Whenever possible, Damler has tried to mimic the natural environment for his horses, choosing not to shoe them and making certain they get enough “private time.”

“A lot of people don’t realize it, but horses need time to unwind, too,” he said. “It’s not a natural state for a horse to have a saddle on its back.”

The horse pen is adjacent to the woods and hidden by the trees, with dusty places to roll and muddy places to splash. Damler said all of this helps them create a place that the riders and horses can enjoy together.

“What we are doing requires more of a partnership between us and the horse,” he said. “The horse wants to trust us and we want to trust the horse. As riders, we need to trust the horse.”

Originally appearing in the Hendricks County Flyer, June 5, 2006