Long Family Ropes The Good Life
from the Monroe City Lake Gazette, July 29, 1997
Story/Photos by Linda Geist
continued from above

Mike Long is realizing his dream as the owner of ML Bar Horse Training.

Mike Long rides a mustang he is training.

After graduating from high school, he held several jobs to support his young family but always longed to head west.
   With true cowboy grit and determination, and the support of his wife, he enrolled in Lamar, Colorado's Community College for horse training.  To support his family, he rose at 4 a.m. to do chores at the Floating W Ranch, went to class, and returned to the ranch after class.  "They were willing to sacrifice a lot so I could realize a dream," he says.  Although he and his family made may sacrifices during that period, it is a decision he has never regretted.
   "I decided if I was going to do something, I might as well do something that I liked," he says.  And liking what you do for a living is a key to happy and successful living, he has discovered.
   Today, Long and his wife, the former Theresa Yates (daughter of George and Juanita Yates) and their five children are active in ML Bar Horse Training.  The telephone recorder answers, "You've reached the humble abode where one grouchy old school teacher and one cantankerous old cowboy live.  We'll call you back when we get done with the chores."

Bits hang in the barn - a testimony to a horse farm.

Luke Long checks a horseshoe on a newly shod horse.

   The Long's 47-acre spread west of Monroe City serves as home to approximately 50 head of horses which are being trained and cared for by the Longs.  One of the newest additions to the Long menagerie is a 14-year-old wild mustang, Molly, which belongs to Jeff and Laura Graupman.  They adopted her through the Bureau of Land Management's Wild Adoption program and brought her to the Longs.  After two weeks, she accepts a halter and can be ridden by Long.  The horse, accustomed to Long's low, soothing voice, presents unusual challenges to her trainer.  After 14 years of running wild in western canyons, "she's pretty set in her ways," Long says.  "She's got that wild, protective instinct."
   Another favorite is a horse which has ice blue eyes, as clear as marbles.  One of the Long children's pampered guests is a young foal which was attacked by dogs.

A mare and her foal come to the beckon call of their owners.

   The Longs keep about 10 horses and foals of their own and will be showing two mares and foals at the Missouri State Fair Horse Show this next weekend.  "We're all in it together," he says.  The entire family is involved in the horse operation, with everyone taking their turn at chores.  When the parents are gone, Long says no one needs to remind the children what needs to be done.  "Everyone knows what has to be done.  They just pick up and do," he says.
   Being involved with horses through the ranch, FFA and 4-H, has helped the Longs build a strong family.  Each of the children has ridden horses "since they were old enough to sit up in the saddle," he says.
   Married for 22 years, the Longs share their love of horses with their children, Matt, 19, who is employed at Diemakers; Luke, 17, who took early graduation so he could attend Oklahoma State for a horseshoeing school this fall; Marc, 15, a freshman who enjoys bull riding; Mandy, 11, a sixth grader at Holy Rosary School where her mother is a teacher; and Celie, 9, a fourth grader at Holy Rosary School.  "The horses give them something to do as a family, give them responsibility, and give them activities to do to keep them out of other activities ... Family is the most important thing," Long says.
   Everyday, he says prayers of thanks for a family and community that have been supportive, and the ability to love what he does, and do what he loves for a living in the fresh country air.
   "An old cowboy in Colorado told me one time, 'There's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.'  It really holds true," says this seasoned cowpoke.
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In Training There's No Horsing Around
from the Monroe City Lake Gazette, October 15, 2006
Photos by Heather Christine
continued from above

Marc shows their buckskin stud inside their indoor arena.

   Our specialty here at the ranch is starting young horses. We believe that if a horse has a solid foundation he will be a better horse for years to come. We use only quiet and gentle training methods and allow the horse to tell us when he is ready for the next step in his training. Our theory is that if you teach a horse to do something correctly and consistently, while keeping them relaxed, they will retain it better," Long said.
   Long received his A.A.S. degree and vocational certificate in horse training and management from Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado in 1984. He went on to receive his vocational teaching certificate from Colorado State University in 1986 and taught a semester at Lamar in the horse program.
   Long said they train all breeds of horses at the ranch and they also stand stallions for breeding purposes, boarding, broodmares, and tack for sale.
   Long is married to Therese Yates and they have five children, Matt, Luke, Marc, Many and Celie. Long said that while everyone in the family has helped in some part, two of his sons, Marc and Luke, have taken the biggest interest in the ranch and continue to help him. Marc and Luke began their interest at a young age when they were involved with 4-H.

The tack shop offers a variety of items for sale including bridles, bits, headstalls, reins, saddles, pads, blankets, girths, breast plates, hats, wormers, leather care products and replacement parts.  Long says if they don't have what you're looking for, they can order it for delivery in a few days.

   Marc is currently a student involved with the ROTC at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Luke is currently the manager at C&R in Monroe City. Long said Marc comes home nearly every weekend to help him at the ranch and he also takes care of the tack shop. Luke went to school for horse shoeing and continues to shoe at the ranch, but has quit shoeing commercially.
   Long said the ranch has grown quite a bit over the last 10 years. They have about 10 broodmares today compared to two or three when they first started. They also have added a 45 X 65 indoor riding arena and a 125 X 250 outdoor riding arena. Long said they have also raised quarter horses and currently have about 20 of their own.
   They work with people from all over Northeast Missouri and have customers from California, MO, St. Joseph, and some from Illinois.
   Long used to work at the ranch fulltime, but started working days at the Monroe City R-1 school district last year, so he now only rides for about four or five hours a day while school is in session and rides about eight or nine hours a day during the summer. They stay busy every weekend working on the ranch and training.
   He said the demand for training is still high and they stay busy all year long. The demand for breeding has decreased slightly though due to the declining horse market over the past year or two.
   Long recently held a customer appreciation weekend and open house and said that it was very successful. He said they had horses on display including their stud horse and they gave away gift certificates and had a drawing for a foal.
   Long said he is happy to be doing something he enjoys and plans to continue the business as long as he is ale to.
   His son Marc said that he likes working with the horses and that he hopes to always be around horses and working with them no matter where he goes. Marc said he will probably move back to Monroe City someday and plans to continue helping at the ranch.
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Beloved Horses Helped Monroe City Man During Trying Times
from the Quincy Herald-Whig, November 15, 2006
continued from above

Walking through a pasture at his ranch, Mike Long is followed by a band of young horses and brood mares eager to sample a tasty treat of grain Long is carrying in his hand.

   "It gave me a peace of mind to know I could still do something," he said.
   Long lost his leg after having it pinned to a cattle pen with the bucket of a tractor. His doctor had told him he'd be able to do everything he'd done before the accident.
   "But there was this little doubt in my mind," Long said. "Being able to get up on her and having the confidence to do what I'd done before…it helped on the road to recovery."
   Long and his sons train horses at the family's neat-as-a-pin ML Bar Ranch, just west of Monroe City. The family has been involved in horse training full time since 1996.
   Long began learning the trade at Lamar Community College in Colorado in 1984. He also earned a vocational teaching certificate from Colorado State University in 1986. While in Colorado, Long worked as horse manager for the Floating W Ranch at Lamar.
   In 1989, Long and his wife, Therese, moved the family back to their hometown of Monroe City. Long worked at a nearby cattle operation, and the family worked horses on the side until 1996.

Horse trainer Mike Long feeds grain to Scooter, a horse that holds a special place in the Long family's hearts.  The 20-year-old horse has been with the family since it was six months old.

   "Our little niche in the industry is we start colts that have never been ridden," Long said.
   And their reputation grew to the point where they now have a waiting list for their services.
   The Longs provide young horses their first 90 days of training, getting them used to various equipment and to having a person on their backs. The Longs train horses for everything from trail-riding to showing to cattle work.
   Using only quiet, gentle training, Long believes teaching a horse to do something consistently correct, while keeping them relaxed, helps them better retain the training. He spends at least an hour a day with every horse in training.
   While the five Long children are all grown, two sons, Luke and Marcus, still help quite a bit around the ranch. The Longs also raise quarter horses, and have breeding stallions and mares on site. And they offer boarding services as well as a tack shop and horses for sale.
   Long says he got into the horse business as an alternative to working in a sagging agricultural economy, and because he's always had a fascination for the animals and the cowboy lifestyle.
   "I grew up in the age of the western. Those were my heroes," he said.
   And the ranch provided Long with something most men don't have the chance to experience: time with his children.
   "We spent a lot of time riding and talking," he said. "It's been a positive influence for our family."
   These days, Long works as a reading instructor for the Monroe City school district, so he gets to the horses only after school's out. Bt he still spends five or six hours training every day and wouldn't trade the life for anything else.
   "For me, being around horses, it's challenging, but it's also very rewarding to work with an animal, to see it progress and grow into something useful," he said.
   The rote and ritual of the work is also a great stress reliever, Long said. "It's very peaceful."
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