Preacher leans in to bump Charlie Musselman's face while Musselman refills the horse's water bucket at Smoke Rise Ranch on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. Musselman said riding and working with horses again he's in a much better place mentally. "You can't quit something that's in your heart," he said.
Musselman works at Smoke Rise Ranch outside of Murray City, Ohio and has worked there since July. Prior to working at the ranch, Musselman was in a bad place mentally after going through a divorce and stopping work with horses. "After the divorce, I was just about out of shits to give," he said.
Charlie Musselman, known as C2, sits on the horse Notorious before the start of The Friendliest Train Robbery East of the Mississippi event on September 26, 2020. Musselman works at Smoke Rise Ranch outside of Murray City, Ohio and has worked there since July. Prior to working at the ranch, Musselman was in a bad place mentally after going through a divorce and stopping work with horses. "After the divorce, I was just about out of shits to give," he said.
Charlie Musselman leaves his trailer located on the grounds of Smoke Rise Ranch in the morning to start working on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. He says his favorite time of day on the ranch is when he's walking to the stables in the morning. "It's a great way to wake up," he said.
Charlie Musselman watches as Scott Irelan (left) and his daughter Izzy Irelan (right) catch up on their horses during a trail ride around Smoke Rise Ranch on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2020. Musselman says he enjoys being able to teach others how to ride and thinks he's fortunate that he's seen hundreds of horses while others have never seen a horse much less rode one. "If we can make one young person out here a better rider, we've done a good thing," he said.
Charlie Musselman drinks from the hose at Smoke Rise Ranch while taking a break after he finished feeding all of the horses inside the main stable on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. Musselman says while he loves the work there are few days that he doesn't wake up sore from the day before. "There's no retirement in this," he said. "You just do it till you can't anymore."
Charlie Musselman gets back into the ranch truck after turning off the water used to refill a trough at the end of the day at Smoke Rise Ranch on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. Musselman was born in Grand Ports, North Dakota and moved to Minnesota near the Canadian border when he was four. He says there are few places out west he doesn't enjoy. "The only think keeping me here are my kids," he said. “I mean who the hell ever heard of a cattle ranch in Ohio?”
Charlie Musselman leads horses back into the stable to be fed and tied up at the end of the day at Smoke Rise Ranch on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. Musselman's grandfather passed on his love of horses to Musselman before passing away when he was 15. "He's seen all my accomplishments from a front row seat," he said.
Charlie Musselman sits in the front office and fills out paperwork after finishing a trail ride at Smoke Rise Ranch on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2020. Musselman studied accounting at Hocking College and then transferred to Ohio University. He says his accounting knowledge is his retirement from working on a ranch. "I'm not your typical accountant," he said.
Charlie Musselman walks back from feeding horses in the stables at Smoke Rise Ranch on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. Musselman Through working at the ranch, Musselman has made himself a home and family within the work. "Smoke Rise gave me something to fight for," he said.
Charlie Musselman and his girlfriend Kristen Wiedmann drink and play pool at the American Legion 420 Hall in Murray City, Ohio, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2020. Musselman met Wiedmann when he started working on the ranch in July. They've been dating for a little over a month and both live at Smoke Rise Ranch.
Charlie Musselman and his girlfriend Kristen Wiedmann are licked and jumped on by Wiedmann's three dogs Coco, Giner and Paisley in Kristen's house at Smoke Rise Ranch on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. "We're really just one big dysfunctional family," Musselman said about the others who work at the ranch with him.