Here’s a video of TO as we call him. He’s got about 30 rides and this is the first time we’d been on him since the middle of October. I was filming and trying to hold the goof-ball Big at the same time so it’s sort of unsteady at times!
Life’s Tough Decisions
22 Jan posted by
Update: The sale is not until February 19th, which gives me some time to continue working to get these furry critters to a home where they’ll be used and shown and made into something wonderful. And I sold three today! Congrats to my girl, Ve.
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Sometimes really suck.
I am supposed to be spinning this decision (Not the spin cycle people. I already spun it this week, here), for the good. I’m supposed to be saying, someone will get a really great deal, but I am not there yet, hence the reason for this post.
Here on the ranch, we’re getting darn close to having about 120 head of horses. We might have that many. Let me estimate right quick…Hmmmm….40-45 geldings, 16 weanlings, 4 studs, and another 35-40 mares. Yeah, that’s a lot of horses. And it’s just myself and Zach to do all the work associated with that many horses (Kelsey will help this summer). It’s not so bad in the summer. We can ride 12-16 head per day on a good day. If all goes as planned. Horsemen know though, a schedule rarely works. You take whatever time you need to make them better today than they were yesterday or to at least get them where they were the day before!
On the ranch, we raise registered quarter horses, and we do it to sell them. But it got a little out of hand this year. Ok. So maybe a lot. About four years ago the ranch brought in a new stud, Tom. Zach, decided that he was going to ride every colt that Tom sired, because he wanted to know how they crossed on each mare. But he was then working in town, and then in Peidmont, SD and then this summer a tragedy struck his family- his sister died in a four-wheeler accident; and the horses/ranching/haying got caught in the middle of that- so not as much got done as would have otherwise. I arrived shortly after the family crisis- in time to bury his sister; in time to find we’d lost 4 of our best broodmares (including Gump’s mamma) and 5 colts to a hailstorm. Not two days later we find that another one of our favorite mares- a new purchase from a friend of ours in Oklahoma, had dislocated her entire shoulder and was going to be permanently disabled. Her poor colt, Georges, three days later, was orphaned as the mare, who was determined to live for that foal, colicked.
Needless to say, we’re both feeling a bit overwhelmed right now with so many horses to ride (there’s about 30 geldings to ride/start/finish/ranch on). Add to that what’s been an awful winter so far, an impending high school rodeo season for his daughter, and what is hopefully a big rodeo season for myself and Shuttle and Gump and you have two people that need at least a clone apiece. So we sat down tonight and made a list of 10 horses each, to keep. The rest, go. Broodmares, studs, Gump, Shuttle, Nora, Big, Hope (Zach’s gift horse) and Pommel (Kelsey’s horse) were exempt of course. That list leaves us around 20-25 horses to take to the sale barn.
Now, some of them will go straight to the kill pen (slaughter may be banned in the US but it’s not banned in Canada or Mexico and we don’t control what goes on there) so stop your whining around people. It happens, and you don’t want me or Zach or Jill on that soapbox. TRUST ME. Those going straight to the kill pen will be crippled, have crooked legs or what have you, and for all intents and purposes other than being someone’s pet, wouldn’t make it as a horse that you could ever ride and expect to stay sound. The rest, I’m convincing myself, will end up as someone’s 4-H project or in the hands of a capable being that is looking for an awesome, trainable, kind, gentle horse, and they don’t want to have to spend a lot. I have tried on 4 occasions to sell a majority of the horses that will be making this journey- most of them are grade for one reason or another, and I can’t get any takers. At this point, I’d take killer prices on them (and I wasn’t asking much over that to begin with) to see that they’re in the hands of someone that desires a trainable, kind, cute, loveable furry friend that doesn’t and will not have papers. Lots of bites on them; but no one has pulled the trigger.
With that I’ll leave you and hope that this situation looks better in the morning after a good night’s rest and a few more returned emails and calls.
The Meltdown
22 Jan posted by
The past four days have been really, really nice! So nice in fact, that I let my 2 year blogging anniversary go without so much as a second thought. It’s been above freezing since Sunday!!!
To make matters better the sun has been shining, it’s been windy, and the snow is melting! Melting away! Yesterday and today were exceptionally gorgeous! It was around 45 degrees as the ambient temperature today and yesterday; warmer than that in the sun. It gave me the chance to ride Shuttle down the road today and yesterday. Today, I was able to take Gump on a 4.5 mile jaunt. He and I have been doing some slow work and today I saw it pay off. As an aside, Jill, you’ll be glad to know that I rode him in a German Martingale and my wire O-ring yesterday and it was like riding a completely different horse. It was a beautiful thing. I digress. He’s an ex racehorse. And as such he likes to get a bit, shall we say, strung out and then he likes to pull on the bridle. Old habits die hard. He can be, and is now, soft in the face (compliments of my superstar, Zach!), but we have been working really hard on shortening up his stride and really getting him collected*. I think it came together today. He’s always been a bit harder to ease into his left lead. Today, notsomuch! He’s never had that collected rocking horse lope but today- Voila! there it was. he was really really fresh and loped about 2 miles of his four mile stint. We long trotted another 2 and walked 1/2 mile to cool down.
This nicer weather has also encouraged me to go out and catch my horses every morning. Shuttle hasn’t ever been really bad to catch. She loves me. Gump, on the other hand, has been known to be less than cooperative. They live in a 13 acre trap, and so it could be difficult to catch them, if they weren’t in a “being caught” state of mind. To encourage this type of behavior, when I catch them, I take them to the barn for grain and alfalfa hay (I’m not above bribery!). Shuttle was first to get caught this morning, and when I came back to get Gump he was all for meeting me to get into the gate. I didn’t even have to catch him. He bee-lined it for the barn door- politely of course.
The weather is supposed to turn colder again. I knew that it was too good to be true. But you know you’re adapting to the cold when at 45 you think it’s a heatwave and you’re down to just a long sleeved thermal t-shirt and a down vest! I’m sure I’ll be back to blogging regularity as soon as it’s cold again. Until then, I’m going to enjoy the sunshine and de-frosted earth!
Spinning Gravel
19 Jan posted by
Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
Where we live and laugh and love;
Where the grass grows tall and green.
Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
The river and wind flow through it,
The skies are clear; the air is clean.
Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
Summer smells of fresh cut hay;
Of sun and wind and beef.
Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
Where the cattle are fat, the horses abound;
Where family comes first.
Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
Where there’s a house on hill;
That welcomes the rancher and his family.
Nine miles down a gravel road…
Photos of the Furry Beasts!
11 Jan posted by
Today it was supposed to be warm. However I don’t know that it got over 15 degrees. All. Day. I was going to ride today, but the wind was bitter cold- the kind of cold that burns your fingers and your nose. To the point that in a couple minutes outside, uncovered you can’t feel them. At. All.
So instead of riding, I went and caught Gump, who I honestly haven’t seen since right after Thanksgiving. He has been turned out in just over 1000 acres along with 35 other geldings. But it’s been cold, so they’ve been getting fed hay in a smaller 15 acre trap that is adjacent to their pasture. I grabbed a 2 gallon bucket-full of cow cake, put some oats on top and trudged out there with a string in my pocket. Once inside the trap, he looked up at the sound of my voice, and came right over. This is a FAR cry from earlier this year, even before he was mine. Gump has had a rough life (he was born on the ranch, sold and then bought back about 4 years ago), and he has been, up until the past few times exceptionally hard to catch. To be able to walk out in a pasture that he could certainly get away from me in and have him come and be led back with only a string around his neck says something about my horsemanship and how far he’s come. I’m pretty sure he knows I love him!
He got hauled into the barn, and I fed him some alfalfa hay. Then I brushed him (sort of- see above photo), took his furry photo and put him in the same trap with Shuttle, Big and Nora, et al. He’ll be close now, so that if it does actually warm up enough to be tolerable outside, I can grab him and we can long trot through the country. He’s the best long-trotter!
I decided since I had the camera handy I’d snap photos of my two favorite weanlings and whatever other ponies decided to get in on the action. Around here, they’re all attention whores so there are photos of lots of other babies. But DX Gorgeous Georges (the orphan) and Ibaflitnbird, aka, Dolce are my favorites. Dolce because she is my first foal, and Georges because I fed him all summer and he’s just absolutely the most huggable, kissable, loveable foal on the entire planet. I’m not kidding, y’all!
Here’s the results of the photo shoot!
Hallelujuh!
30 Dec posted by
Here is something I bet none of you ever thought you’d hear me say- 25 degrees is warm! And as my perception about temperature changes, so does my ability to ride in it! Well that, and maybe my new chinks helped a bit too…and new wool thinsulate lined, mitten/glove thingys.
Anyway, yesterday it was gloriously sunny and clear- no wind- so it was nice. I went to the small calving trap, where Shuttle, Sonora, Big, Lucy, Hope, Lil Banjo, Speckles, and Pommel are spending their winter. Gump is about to get put in this lot too- since I need to be able to catch him (the nearly 2 sections he’s on right now doesn’t allow me to walk out and say, “Hey buddy!”), and I don’t want to have to run 38 geldings into the arena everyday. Have you been on a 4-wheeler when it’s 16 degrees outside? It’s cold. I don’t like it.
I captured a Shuttle with my new pink catch string that Zach got me, in Vegas, for Christmas. And into the barn we went. I had to push my way through Big though to get there. He’s such a dog. He’s like, “Hey! You’re here! You wanna play? Rub me? Say hi? Let me smell your hair. No. Wait. I want to nibble on your gloves!”
I got her brushed out, and saddled with our new saddle pad, and off we went. We trotted about 4 and a half miles, down the road, but she’d have preferred to trot through the snow instead, so I relented and let her trot through the drifts in the bar ditch. Some of the snow was knee deep. She was completely undeterred and was not the least bit cold. She was fresh, since I haven’t ridden her in what seems like weeks. In reality is was just about 2 weeks ago that I last rode, but after our ride, I knew why I’d been Miss Cranky Pants lately. I miss riding my horses. I don’t remember the last time I went two weeks without riding.
Today, though not as gloriously sunny, was still warmer than it has been. So I was able to take Big (who is for sale, in case anyone is interested) out for a two mile jog. He was very excited that I picked him. I hadn’t fully intended him to be my first ride of the day, but he somehow, ended up in the windbreak pen with four studs and 16 weanlings. Earlier this year we witnessed he and Nuke having a conversation over the fence; apparently, they’d come to an agreement. Nuke is known to draw blood, and Big, is just such a juvenile goof off, that he has no idea that anyone is ever serious.
After the jaunt on Big, I caught (shhhh) my all time favorite horse to ride (don’t tell Gump or Shuttle), and by far the (sssshhhhhhhhh) prettiest I’ve ever owned (don’t tell Shuttle- she’ll get her feelings hurt), Sonora. This is the first time I’ve been on her since I weaned her baby, Dolce. Riding her is like a knife, slicing through room temperature butter. It’s smooth. She’s so soft, she’s like riding velvet. Now that she doesn’t have a baby to worry about, I have my sane, beautiful, kind and wonderful mare back! I’ll have that until about July when it’s time to get off of her so she can have Chachi’s baby. Omg. I just die thinking about how beautiful it will be.
By the time I got done riding her it was about 3pm, and I was an icicle. It had been cloudy all day, and I was having trouble feeling my toes. I don’t know if I’ll ride tomorrow or not- it’s supposed to snow, and be otherwise unpleasant. Might be a good day to begin packing up this house- I’m moving, again. I’ll tell that story later!
For more information about these horses, please visit: www.ducheneaux.com or www.streakiniron.com
My First Blog Award!
27 Dec posted by
Thanks to Heidi I’ve been given the Honest Scrap Award! To utilize it, I must share 10 scraps of information about myself!
1. I am new to the world of optimistic thinking- the glass is half full sort.
2. I’ve always wanted to live on a ranch- and now I do.
3. I was born in Oklahoma.
4. I wish I were a native born Texan.
5. I didn’t grow up with horses. I got my first horse, Butch, the summer before my 12th birthday.
6. My junior year of high school, I sang the national anthem at the IFYR with the governor of Oklahoma standing right next to me.
7. My senior year of high school, I sang Michael W Smith’s “Friends”, in front of George Strait at the Texas High School Rodeo Finals, in Abilene.
8. I love to rope calves and tie goats. I haven’t done either since college but hopefully the summer of 2009 will allow me just that chance!
9. Dolce is my first foal.
10. I dream of making the NFR someday.
So, I now bestow this award on a few blogger friends of my own:
Let’s see what they have to say!
A Christmas Coincidence…
27 Dec posted by
Merry Christmas, once again! I don’t really think the holiday season is over until a couple days in to 2009, so don’t hate, ok folks?
Since Zach and I had to spend Christmas apart this year (long story), we just got the chance last night to do our Christmas together. It was wonderful!
Anyway, most of you know we bought saddle pads while we were in Vegas and they came while I was in Texas. Also while I was in Vegas, I was enamored with all the beautiful hair-on-hide chinks that were there, since I need some chinks to keep me warm when I ride and give shots and move cows and rope and what-not.
Well…long story short- Zach bought me some beautiful hair-on-hide tiger striped chinks (tiger-striped hides are my favorite!), right under my nose while I was WITH him one day. Sneaky man! The only thing I can figure is that he did the deal with Frank Lopez, while I had gone to the beer stand. I mean, you gotta have beer while you’re cruising Cowboy Christmas, right?
And since Tiger-striped hides are my favorite- what do you think one of the pads we ordered has for wear-leathers? Tiger striping. Anyone know where this is going?
Give up yet?
Let me show you:
All By Myself
26 Nov posted by
On Tuesday Big and I moved some heifers. All. By. Ourselves.
It marked the first time I’ve moved cows by myself. Big thought he might die of exhaustion after we long-trotted half way there- it’s only because he’s *big* and still not in the best shape. It’s hard to get over being a fat horse, you know?
I was saddling up to ride and was about to depart when Zach, who has been building fence this week said, “hey, if those heifers are by the road and it’s convenient, do you wanna take ‘em to the north pasture with the cows?” So I said I’d see what I could do.
I gathered 11 of the 40 something *first year heifers*, meaning these are heifers (female cows) that will be having a baby for the first time in April. Big did really good other than lugging on me some. He’s adorable and I love him. But don’t tell Gump, okay?
