Mud, Sun and Fun

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was 45 and sunny. Not hardly a breeze.

It began with a funeral. The life of a man who left a legacy rich in optimism was celebrated. He may not have left a lot of money and things behind, but he left behind a family with giving hearts; a family that will help you when you need it and do so selflessly.

After the funeral, Zach brought me home so I could ride since I plan to attend a barrel race in Aberdeen this Saturday. I needed to get out and long-trot my horses (at the least) down the road since I haven’t been on them in a week due to the weather.

As it turns out, Zach’s younger brother, (ok, so all of the brothers are younger than him) Wayne was moving the cows across the road into the saddle horse trap so that we can sort off the first year heifers and the old cows that need extra groceries. The heifers will begin calving shortly and the cows will start the end of Aril, first of May I think. I might not have been paying very close attention.

Gump, Jake (Zach’s Dog) and I decided we’d clean the pasture, so we trotted through the snow, into mud, over water soaked creeks to see how many cows were left in the pasture. There were about 30 stragglers remaining in the pasture. They weren’t particularly inclined to cooperate and it took probably 45 minutes to get them all headed, at once, in the right direction. We’d start those that were closest to the pasture across the road first, and get them going, and trot down to bring up the older cows and one that’s crippled. By the time we’d get the old cows and cripples caught up, the cows in the front were stopped and grazing. Once we got them good and bunched up and to the top of the hill where they could see the rest of the herd it was pretty smooth sailing.

Gump had been itching to move out an when you’re trailing slow old and crippled cows there isn’t a lot of that to be done. So when Wayne closed the gate on the last of the cows, we turned north and trotted a mile and a half up the road, and trotted another mile back. I think he got the energy he wanted to expend, out of his system.

Shuttle was really ready to go, though she is more controllable than is Gump. Seeing as how Gump was match-raced for years, he tends to revert back to the *I must go fast all the time mode*. It’s better than it used to be, and the more consistent I am with him the better it will become still. Shuttle on the other hand, hasn’t ever match raced, and while she is an athlete very much likes to run, she’s easier to bring back down to a slower pace. She really wanted to run, and since I have no fear of her running off with me, after a 7 minute walk to warm up and a minute of long trotting she was off. She loped about a mile and a half, up the road, and then a mile back and we trotted another half mile or so, and then walked back to the barn.

Today we’ll sort off our heifers and old cows, so I may or may not be horseback for that. I’ve not got the marching orders from the boss yet. In fact, the boss is down doing chores, and I’m still here drinking coffee. Pays to date the boss, I tell ya! It should be another glorious, spring-like day today with highs expected in the 50s.

I know I’m gonna have a good day and I wish the same for the rest of you!