A Cowboy Christmas

The chickens are chattering, gossiping amongst themselves, and Breezy Pants is ready for Christmas.

The 21-year-old sorrel thoroughbred pokes his long black muzzle out of his stall and lets out a loud snort, a yuletide whinny.

Or so it seems.

The stable is decorated with brightly colored Nativity scenes. In the room next door, there's a stack of letters to St. Nick, written in a child's telltale scrawl, held down by an old horseshoe.

A few paces away, Santa himself sits on an Amish carriage, greeting visitors with a wave.

The stockings are hung, and they're made of denim.

It's Christmas on the McKee Ranch, where the Old West is as palpable as the thick scent of horses and hay that hangs in the chilly afternoon air.

"This is what Vegas used to be," ranch owner Max McKee says with a hearty chuckle, his wind-swept features mostly hidden beneath the scruffy white beard of a Santa costume.

As he tours the 21/2-acre grounds, a wayward goat inspects new visitors, his teeth jutting from his mouth like toppled dominoes. Dozens of horses mill about a series of barns and aluminum enclosures, from fuzzy brown ponies to muscle-bound steeds that stand more than 7 feet tall and peer at strangers through shiny eyes that look like big brown marbles.

Tucked away behind an unassuming, tree-lined house down the street from the Silverton, the McKee Ranch is a bustling seasonal attraction where families can have their pictures taken with a Santa who knows how to lasso a steer.

The place boasts a rustic decor that John Wayne would have tipped his hat to, awash in antique saddles and farm implements, weathered Phillips 66 and Lone Star Beer signs, wooden picnic tables and rocking horses that look like they could have been swiped from the set of "Little House on the Prairie."

An impish burro named Dunckin keeps watch over one side of the yard, angling to get his ears scratched by passers-by.

Like most of his hoofed peers here, he's an outgoing fella who seems to enjoy the attention.

The animals are the attraction at the ranch: There are pony rides, horse riding lessons and plenty of creatures to pet.

"We encourage interaction," McKee says. "We tell our clients, if you do have a party, come on out and do your thing. The kids can't get that much any place else. It's quite an experience."

Having grown up on a farm in Illinois, McKee has been tending to livestock since he was a kid, helping the family raise cows and pigs. McKee and his wife, Christi, have been running the ranch since 1999, boarding and training horses, which go through 16,000 pounds of hay each month.

They operate their ranch almost like a park, hosting birthday parties and family reunions, leaving the gate open, so folks can drop by any time of the day. A grandfather of four, McKee runs the ranch in large part to expose kids to farm animals and a do-it-yourself, agrarian way of life.

"I had that opportunity when I was a child, and I remember it wholly, everything about it, and it was all good," he says. "This lifestyle is all good."

As a black hen clucks by in the background, McKee shuffles off to tend to some other matter on the ranch.

"The gate is always open," he says in parting. "Just be sure to close it behind you."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0476.