The South Dakota Cowgirl

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Spring Has Sprung

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Despite the torrential downpours we’ve had on Sunday and Monday and this morning (or some crazy combination of those days- I believe that it’s rained so much, I’ve lost track) everything is turning green. The trees are budding, the air is warmer and I even managed to get slightly sunburned yesterday! Spring makes me want to be outside, despite the mud, doing as much as I can- cleaning the barn, ridding my horses of their dull, furry, winter coats, or simply sitting outside enjoying a good book.

It’s even sprung at home on the ranch- it’s been raining and above freezing, (though there’s about 3 feet of snow to melt off, so it’s going to be muddy for a while) for the past week! Whoo hoo! It did snow last night, but was above freezing again today so it’s just mud, muddy, and muddier. Zach says he’s never seen it this muddy before. But the good news for them is, there’s clear, sunny skies in the forecast along with temperatures that should reach the 40s!

And because I’m in a springy mood, I thought I’d share my favorite part of spring: Babies.

I realize this is a random topic, and the picture below is also random, but I love calves and colts. They make me happier than I am on a daily basis. And it just wouldn’t be fair to hold all that happy(er)ness inside, would it?

The following is a series of pictures I snapped last year, the first time Kelsey (Zach’s daughter) got to meet one of her colts. For you horse-folks, we don’t imprint, the mares have their babies out in a pasture that’s nearly 2 sections big. But what we do have, that allows the following to take place, is a nearly 50 year old breeding program where disposition comes first. Breeding for friendly, gentle, quiet horses that desire to be around people, make starting these colts and training them to do whatever you’d like, a lot easier because these horses live to please you.

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This little colt turned a gorgeous dark brown palomino color and is very flashy. Kelsey cannot wait to play with him this summer!

Here’s hoping spring has sprung in your neck of the woods too!

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

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Comments

  2. cowpoke says

    i love that foal

    by the way i dont like the twitter part so ill comment here i deleted the twit thingy

    Reply

  6. cowpoke says

    imprinting is when the foal is born handling them in the first hour or 2

    i think thats what imprinting is

    Reply

  7. della says

    What a gorgous colt! I too would love to see current pictures! I own a Palomino and would love to have seen pictures of him when he was young. I would like to think that he looked something like this.

    Reply

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