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Texas Comments

Blue Horse Stables
Condition Positive Neutral Negative Condition Positive Neutral Negative

Host availability upon arrival 31 0 0 24 hour monitoring 31 0 0

Friendliness of host 31 0 0 Proximity to food and lodging 31 0 0

Cleanliness of facilities 31 0 0 Facilities as represented 31 0 0

Security of facilities 31 0 0 Overall satisfaction 31 0 0

Adequacy of stalls 31 0 0 Total Scores 279 0 0
Comments: (Due to the many positive comments we've received on this facility, for space purposes, we've had to remove some of their earlir comments, all positive.) (2/16/05) - "Excellent facilities. John & Janie were extremely friendly, down to the point of providing cookies upon our departure. We will stay there again, if given the opportunity.". . .(3/30/05) - "We needed to haul some of our Miniature Hereford cattle to a show in Austin, TX . . . top-quality home-away-from-home. Picture perfect quiet country hill-top setting, Very very well planned and maintained barns and pipe runs of various sizes to accommodate anyone's needs . . . nice full-hookups for those folks with LQ in their trailers. . . . Super security (locked gates, etc), and yes, Janie sure does bake up those good cookies!. . . The whole package deal there is about the best you can find, if you don't need all the extra fancy high-tech stuff. Just super nice Top Quality Basics.". . .(4/6/05) - "Great experience, and I would highly recommend John and Janie's place. It was very clean, safe, and I met some great people...Thanks, and I'll be back!". . .(4/9/05) - "The horse pens were safe & roomy, the water was fresh, the hosts were very congenial & sent home-made cookies with us, and I would recommend a stay there to anyone.". . .(8/22/06) - "John and Janie are excellent hosts, going out of their way to accommodate guests. The location is atop a knoll where the west Texas breeze mitigates even the most demanding summer sun. It doesn't matter if you're travelling east/west or north/south, if your lay-over demands a night anywhere near Abilene...the seasoned horseowner will select Blue Horse Stables. The accessibility afforded by circling the house, unloading stock and backing rigs directly into the camper hook-ups is excellent, even for large rigs and accommodates Blue Horse's efforts to keep the grounds immaculate. The drive from the road up the hill to the house is discriminately maintained and easily accessible from both interstate and US highways.". . .(11/15/06) - "I had to laugh at proximty of "human" food.... they baked cookies for Walt while they were waiting for him to get there. Doesn't get better than that and it was indicative of their entire attitude and dedication to your comfort. He got there fairly late, 11ish, and they were right out there ready to help him offload and load up again in the morning. Could not ask for more in a horse hotel. Great find and we will be back.". . .(12/12/06) - "Could not have been a better experience for me and Moonpye. The cookies were delicious. Thanks.". . .(1/24/07) - "John and Janie were awesome hosts. We would definitely recommend staying here for a goodnights rest. Janie also makes the BEST sugar cookies we've ever had. Thanks for the great nights sleep!". . .(2/8/07) - "John and Janie are wonderful! The ranch is easy to find, and no worries about our horses. We highly recommend them, and would not hesitate to leave horses there for any amount of time. Very helpful. Texas hospitality!!". . .(5/11/07) - "If you ever break down, make sure you break down in Abilene, TX. Our truck broke down and we called John and Jannie last minute. We had our truck and trailer towed to the Blue Horse Stables. They greeted us with cookies and a smile. We stayed six days while the truck got fixed. They had a 100 acres for us to ride, pond for fishing and they welcomed our dogs. A must stay for people passing through TX.". . .(9/26/07) - "I read all the past comments and agree with them wholeheartedly. We stayed 2 times - heading east in July 07 and back west in Sept. John & Janie are real downhome friendly people - like family. They treated "Dazi" (and us) so well we'll be back! Cookies are also the best! Thanks, John & Janie!". . .(12/3/07) - "These guys were great - very friendly and available! They gave us advice on local roads and it's true, those cookies are amazing!"

**Blue Horse Stables**
Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative
Host availability upon arrival	31	0	0	24 hour monitoring	31	0	0
Friendliness of host	31	0	0	Proximity to food and lodging	31	0	0
Cleanliness of facilities	31	0	0	Facilities as represented	31	0	0
Security of facilities	31	0	0	Overall satisfaction	31	0	0
Adequacy of stalls	31	0	0	Total Scores	279	0	0
Comments: (Due to the many positive comments we've received on this facility, for space purposes, we've had to remove some of their earlir comments, all positive.) (2/16/05) - "Excellent facilities. John & Janie were extremely friendly, down to the point of providing cookies upon our departure. We will stay there again, if given the opportunity.". . .(3/30/05) - "We needed to haul some of our Miniature Hereford cattle to a show in Austin, TX . . . top-quality home-away-from-home. Picture perfect quiet country hill-top setting, Very very well planned and maintained barns and pipe runs of various sizes to accommodate anyone's needs . . . nice full-hookups for those folks with LQ in their trailers. . . . Super security (locked gates, etc), and yes, Janie sure does bake up those good cookies!. . . The whole package deal there is about the best you can find, if you don't need all the extra fancy high-tech stuff. Just super nice Top Quality Basics.". . .(4/6/05) - "Great experience, and I would highly recommend John and Janie's place. It was very clean, safe, and I met some great people...Thanks, and I'll be back!". . .(4/9/05) - "The horse pens were safe & roomy, the water was fresh, the hosts were very congenial & sent home-made cookies with us, and I would recommend a stay there to anyone.". . .(8/22/06) - "John and Janie are excellent hosts, going out of their way to accommodate guests. The location is atop a knoll where the west Texas breeze mitigates even the most demanding summer sun. It doesn't matter if you're travelling east/west or north/south, if your lay-over demands a night anywhere near Abilene...the seasoned horseowner will select Blue Horse Stables. The accessibility afforded by circling the house, unloading stock and backing rigs directly into the camper hook-ups is excellent, even for large rigs and accommodates Blue Horse's efforts to keep the grounds immaculate. The drive from the road up the hill to the house is discriminately maintained and easily accessible from both interstate and US highways.". . .(11/15/06) - "I had to laugh at proximty of "human" food.... they baked cookies for Walt while they were waiting for him to get there. Doesn't get better than that and it was indicative of their entire attitude and dedication to your comfort. He got there fairly late, 11ish, and they were right out there ready to help him offload and load up again in the morning. Could not ask for more in a horse hotel. Great find and we will be back.". . .(12/12/06) - "Could not have been a better experience for me and Moonpye. The cookies were delicious. Thanks.". . .(1/24/07) - "John and Janie were awesome hosts. We would definitely recommend staying here for a goodnights rest. Janie also makes the BEST sugar cookies we've ever had. Thanks for the great nights sleep!". . .(2/8/07) - "John and Janie are wonderful! The ranch is easy to find, and no worries about our horses. We highly recommend them, and would not hesitate to leave horses there for any amount of time. Very helpful. Texas hospitality!!". . .(5/11/07) - "If you ever break down, make sure you break down in Abilene, TX. Our truck broke down and we called John and Jannie last minute. We had our truck and trailer towed to the Blue Horse Stables. They greeted us with cookies and a smile. We stayed six days while the truck got fixed. They had a 100 acres for us to ride, pond for fishing and they welcomed our dogs. A must stay for people passing through TX.". . .(9/26/07) - "I read all the past comments and agree with them wholeheartedly. We stayed 2 times - heading east in July 07 and back west in Sept. John & Janie are real downhome friendly people - like family. They treated "Dazi" (and us) so well we'll be back! Cookies are also the best! Thanks, John & Janie!". . .(12/3/07) - "These guys were great - very friendly and available! They gave us advice on local roads and it's true, those cookies are amazing!"

**Happy Tracks Horse Motel**
Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative
Host availability upon arrival	14	0	0	24 hour monitoring	12	2	0
Friendliness of host	14	0	0	Proximity to food and lodging	13	1	0
Cleanliness of facilities	14	0	0	Facilities as represented	14	0	0
Security of facilities	11	3	0	Overall satisfaction	13	1	0
Adequacy of stalls	13	1	0	Total Scores	119	8	0
Comments: (4/1/04) - "I can always count on the best friendly customer service ever with Penny. They always remember who I am year to year. The grounds are well cared for as are the accommodations. I highly recommend Penny and her motel.". . .(12/11/04) - "We always try to make this stop going and coming. The stalls and barn are among the best of any facility. You can even plug in to their pole for hook-ups and stay on-site. Safe, easy access, great barn and stalls.". . .(3/30/05) - "We were hauling Miniature Herefords to a show in Austin, TX . . . Our animals really enjoyed the very clean and well-maintained stalls and pipe runs, . . . we stayed overnight in their on-property western-themed "Bunkhouse"...absolutely delightfully comfy, very clean and spacious accommodations! (could sleep up to 4 folks). The "Bunkhouse" was sure a nice change from the usual motel rooms one finds, and your four-legged friends will all enjoy their home-away-from-home too! Both Vic and Penny are quite delightful folks.". . .(4/6/05) - "Nice clean facilities! Thanks!". . .(7/5/05) - "After having a blowout with three horses on the trailer, I had to turn back to Amarillo to get a spare. Since it was late in the evening, I needed some place to keep my horses. This was the happiest experience of my day. My hosts were extremely friendly and helpful! Thanks a bunch!". . .(7/31/05) - "Well equipped facilities. The only drawback would be a small parking area once it begins to fill up.". . Editor's Note: The owners have enlarged their trailer parking space since these travelers stayed and more recent travelers say there is now ample room for parking and turnaround.. . . .(7/31/05) - "Easy to find. Stalls were knee deep in shavings and very clean. Bunk house was very nice. Would stay again.". . .(9/26/05) - "Very close freeway access. Bunk house was small but clean and adequate. Was great to stay right with the horses. Penny made special arrangements for our after hours arrival. Lights on, everything easy. Excellent trailer space.". . .(1/15/06) - "Have overnighted here many times. Great place, great people. Makes the trip a pleasure. I highly recommend Happy Tracks.". . .(11/9/06) - "Convienent on-off highway, great folks, not secured nor gated, but positive feedback overall.". . .(1/2/07) - "Very nice people, very nice stalls. Very convenient location. They were very nice to take us in on only a few hrs notice. Tara.". . .(2/10/07) - "Our family has been staying here for over 25 years and it is one of the best places to feel safe about our horses.". . .(3/25/08) - "Penny & Vic were very helpful. It was uncomplicated. My mule was happy with the stall/run.". . .(5/16/08) - "Penny is an absolutely wonderful person - she was very welcoming. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we could not stay, as I didn't realize there would be no other horses staying there while my horse was there... I just got over a colic scare after my horse was very stressed over being kept at 2 different facities that did not have any other horses in AZ during my 11-day trip, & I didn't want to take any chances by stressing her with a similar circumstances again. But I was very impressed with the barn facities - there was a large choice of stall facilities that were very well bedded & clean, & the bunkhouse appeared to be very cute. If there was another horse staying there that evening, or I was traveling with 2 or more horses, I would have stayed. Penny was very understanding about my situation & cancelled my reservations. I have marked "neutral" on 3 comments only due to the fact that I couldn't stay to experience those factors."

**Lone Star Bed & Bale**
Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative
Host availability upon arrival	52	0	0	24 hour monitoring	52	0	0
Friendliness of host	52	0	0	Proximity to food and lodging	47	5	0
Cleanliness of facilities	52	0	0	Facilities as represented	52	0	0
Security of facilities	52	0	0	Overall satisfaction	52	0	0
Adequacy of stalls	52	0	0	Total Scores	463	5	0
Comments: (Due to the many positive comments we've received on this facility, we've included only those received within the past 12 months): (6/6/06) - "We have stopped to overnight many times at the Lone Star and always treat ourselves to one of their lovely rooms. The facilities and hospitality are top notch and their fully stocked kitchen is a delight in the morning after a restful night. The horses are treated to the same caliber of facility. And every recommendation for resturants in the area that Paulette has given us has been the best! Many thanks to the Oliver's.". . .(7/6/06) - "Best accommodations you will ever find. Nice facilities, location and host. Will provide a gourmet meal on request, with continental breakfast provided. Best stop we have ever made!!!". . .(7/17/06) - "Really nice facility. Great safe place to stay and keep your horses.". . .(6/31/06) - "This was our first long trip hauling horses. When I first began planning our trip I had overlooked this place because no sleeping accommodations were mentioned on their website. Then I noticed all the great reviews on the bunkhouse & gave them a call. What a pleasant experience. The room was wonderful (so clean, & the bed was very comfortable). We decided to stopover again on the return trip. We even had an outstanding steak dinner there!". . .(9/7/06) - "Great place to stay. Let them cook you a steak. THE BEST steak around.". . .(9/20/06) - "Anyone going through the Amarillo Texas area and needs a place to bed down a horse, must stop here. These are some of the best facilities I have seen, clean, nice people, and secure. Thanks for letting us stay!!". . .(11/12/06) - "The Olivers were most gracious with their facilities both human and equine. We felt, and were, treated like royalty!". . .(12/9/06) - "Our reward for traveling across country on I-40 was our stay at the Lone Star Bed & Bale (owned by Paulette Oliver) in Amarillo, TX. First off, the stabling is 5-Star and has been every time I've been there. Phoenix was bedded in fresh shavings up to his cannon bones and you could tell he was happy... that upper lip smile said it all. The "bunkhouse" is also 5-star for humans as it rivals anything I've stayed in previously. The room was warmly decorated, clean, and extremely comfortable. The bonus was the kitchen full of goodies to munch on and coffee was made for just us prior to our morning departure. BEST PLACE IN THE COUNTRY!!!". . .(2/22/07) - "Clean, friendly, GREAT catered dinner the evening I arrived. Good human facilities and the AQHA Hall of Fame....what more could one ask for???". . .(4/29/03) - "Great Facility! Paulette and Don go out of their way to make sure everything is perfect. They have their rooms finished if you prefer to not camp in your trailer and they are fabulous! If you can't stay, at least stop in and take a look! We stayed on our way to Charmayne James Clinic and on our way back, and both times everything was ready for us. Thanks Paulette and Don!". . .(7/17/07) - "Super clean, super friendly, super safe!". . .(8/7/07) - "We were very impressed with the facility. Very clean, well appointed. Stalls were large and CLEAN!! The rooms for humans were better than any motel in the area.". . .(9/28/07) - "I Love coming here Paulette and her family are wonderful we can visit for hours and just relax after a long drive. Three years in a row to the Pinto World and next year will be 4. Thanks Paulette.". . .(1/3/08) - "Fantastic place to stay. Although they are only 4 hours from Albuquerque, I was caught in the storm that hit us on 21 Dec. and didn't arrive in Amarillo until 1am (left at 4pm). Paulette and her husband stayed up for us and ensured we were well taken care of. They also helped us load up and leave the next day in 50 MPH winds. Thank you very much.". . .(7/16/08) - "This was wonderful. I called without making prior arrangements and was treated as if I'd made a reservation. The place was so clean and the stalls were heavily bedded. My horse loved it. Friendly hosts, very clean, I highly recommend!"

**The Big Texan Horse Motel**
Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative
Host availability upon arrival	12	0	0	24 hour monitoring	11	0	1
Friendliness of host	12	0	0	Proximity to food and lodging	12	0	0
Cleanliness of facilities	12	0	0	Facilities as represented	11	1	0
Security of facilities	11	0	1	Overall satisfaction	10	2	0
Adequacy of stalls	11	1	0	Total Scores	103/TD>	4	2
Comments: (8/13/04) - "I was really impressed by everything there. I had stayed at the motel before, but this was the first with my mules. I would recommend it to anyone. First Rate!!!!". . .(10/1/04) - "I highly recommend The Big Texen Horse Motel to stay. Besides the excellant horse facilities, the motel is right there so you can check your horses anytime by just a walk, excellent truck and trailer parking on site, a great restaurant and morning buffet and last of all, gas stations very close by and convenient.". . .(1/14/05) - "More hotels / motels need to use this idea. We traveled from WA to TX and this was only the second place like this we found on the trip. It is so nice to have your horses close by and the best part is that it is all in one bill. The stalls were great, secure and the staff was very helpful. Highly recommended!. . .(2/4/05) - "After a long travel day, it was great to make one stop for both horse and family. Everything we needed was right there, water for the horse, food for the family.". . .(9/13/05) - "When we got to the Big Texan we were tired from traveling, not in too good of a mood, but these people changed that around in a hurry. We stayed in the motel and it was great getting to stay next to the horses and going to eat the best steak I ever ate. Mike took care of our horses like they were his own. The rest of the employes that work there are just wonderful. It was the best part of our trip. We will stay at the Big Texan every time we come thru Amarillo. We also love the way we slept in peace knowing that Mike was out there with our horses. Our stall had its own lock. Whatever or however you are doing to train your people do not ever change a thing. 'GREAT JOB,THANK YOU'". . .(11/17/05) - "The Big Texan let us put our horses it their runs while we ate for free. FOOD WAS GREAT!!! We went to Oklahoma to the World Show and stopped again on our way back.We stayed overnight and are verry happy with all services provided. "THANK YOU ALL AT THE BIG TEXAN" We will see you all next trip.". . .(1/24/06) - "Great place!! Super fantasic!! We will be back!!". . .(6/26/06) - "Very nice facility with access to great food.". . .(12/9/06) - "I love it. This is my second time there and they treat us right. Very easy to get to and right on the highway. . . .". .. (4/24/08) - "Good food at the Big Texan Steak Cafe. Safe, secure stalls for our horses. Turnout pens available.". . .(5/16/08) - "Horse facilities were very good - stalls were airy and clean; paddock & round pen were very clean & well tended to, as well. But I wasn't very comfortable with the security of barn facilities; the barn is located immediately next to a large overnight tractor trailer parking lot that has easy access to & from the freeway. The barn is surrounded by a high chain link fence, but is secured only by a light weight chain with a foot-locker lock and a flimsy gate. When I asked whether or not there was some type of 24 hour security I was told there was none. In regard to human facilities, room was clean & bed was comfortable, but bathroom facilities were very outdated & did not work well - the showerhead did not work well, with more water leaving the bathtub spikot then the showerhead; the tub did not drain well; & the toilet handle needed signifigant jiggling to stop the toilet from running. When the front desk clerk was informed of the problems with the room the next morning, she did not seem concerned, & we were not offered any discounts due to our inconvenience. Regarding the restaurant, the steak dinners are fabulous (awesome cuts & grilling), but stay away from the breakfast buffet (aweful). Overall it was a convenient stop for a horse person. I would use this facility again simply because of it's access to I-40, & that if offers me the ability to stay on the facility with my horse @ all times & check on her frequently, which is very important to me when traveling (ask for the Alamo building, with a room toward the end facing the stable so you can monitor the stable entrance from your room window) - but they definitely need to update facilities & provide better security for the horses (ie: monitoring cameras, better locks/gates, or night attendant).".. . .(6/13/08) - "Kept horses in the pens, which were small, but adequate. Stalls looked nice, but had hay and stuff left in them. Round pen was not available to use because a horse was left in there. Had to park with the truckers in our LQ trailer, which was noisy, and no hookups. The restaurant was great tho- best steak I've ever had!! All in all an OK overnite-- but not a destination."

**Happy Horse Hotel**
Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Condition	Positive	Neutral	Negative
Host availability upon arrival	5	0	0	24 hour monitoring	5	0	0
Friendliness of host	5	0	0	Proximity to food and lodging	5	0	0
Cleanliness of facilities	5	0	0	Facilities as represented	5	0	0
Security of facilities	4	1	0	Overall satisfaction	5	0	0
Adequacy of stalls	5	0	0	Total Scores	44	1	0
Comments: (10/25/02) - "HHH is a real find! The host & hostess are most accommodating and super friendly, going way out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. The easy access to McKinney Roughs equestrian park makes HHH a treasured stop on our travels. We'll be coming back many times!". . .(10/28/02) - "Hollis and Beaux are the perfect hosts at Happy Horse Hotel! They work hard to make your stay perfect. The proximity to the fabulous McKinney Roughs horse park is also a plus. But first, Happy Horse Hotel...the horse pens are nice and secure with water faucets adjacent and sand bedding (good for making horses "happy" after a good ride at the horse park!) There are good hookups for those with living quarters. Trees for shade, and Hollis's horses in a pasture nearby made my horse happy. The bungalow makes camping luxurious - I have stayed there during a hot spell as well as a cool spell, and was cool/cozy both times. The outdoor shower bower(totally private and lovely) was welcome and made me feel like a wood elf. The "privy" was the most elegant privy I have ever seen, complete with candles, propane heat, reading materials, and a wooden toilet seat! Inside the bungalow is a very comfortable king size bed, ac/heat, refrigerator, art, and a wonderful reading chair and light that I used (with a glass of wine) after my long ride, shower, and dinner. The McKinney Roughs horse park has some of the most beautiful trails I have yet to see in Texas - riding along the Colorado River through the shade trees and then down into the river to cool off provided some of the most peaceful riding I have ever done. This park offers hills, wooded trails, and Hill Country views, and is quickly getting popular with Central Texas riders. This makes the Happy Horse Hotel a perfect place to stay since you can get discount park coupons from Hollis, and then use the one mile ride down the nice road a good warm up/cool down for a super day on the trail (or trailer up to the park!) Thank you Hollis and Beaux for having the vision and motivation to create a true "happy horse hotel!" (11/3/02) - "This was a great experience...very country..The owners were extremely friendly..We were going to ride but weather did not permit. Next time we will and there will be a next time! We were treated just like we were "next door neighbors.". . .(12/10/04) - "Great little country place close to Austin with excellent trail boss, fenced riding area, and guest cottage and set up with groups in mind. Friendly, knowledgeable and fun place.". . .(4/24/08) - "Fun place to visit. Nearby McKinney Roughs Park for horse riding (only dry days) is great!"