Cattle Mooooove

Drove cattle for 5 hours today across a few thousand acres. I rode Charlie and he and I had a great day. We made a good team and covered a lot of ground looking for missing pairs and leading the drive. I love running across the open range on my own. It's so quiet and peaceful. Just you and your horse...

I padded the saddle some and kept checking to see if it was pinching. It seemed to work alright. I know its just a temporary fix, but at least its in the right direction.

A truck was backed into my car today on the ranch, so that's in the shop now to get the front redone and a new radiator. It was a total accident. Nobodies fault per se. It's covered and will get fixed. I guess its an occupational hazard of working around big trucks and trailers...when you drive the teeny tiny car that is always missing from view during mirror checks.

I feel bad I haven't been checking other blogs, but I don't have internet except what's on the smartphone. I have a neat little blogger app for posting, but can't see other blogs real well. I also have to take all my pictures with the phone. I'm really having fun choosing a short post each day about work.

Some Days Are Better Than Others

As a wangler we get a variety of riders. Including first time children who either have no fear, or are terrified by the thought of horses. I had a mix today and took this picture of two of them riding the dunes right before Charlie flipped me over his right shoulder while lunging through deep sand. Two of the boys thought it was awesome when I did a somersault and landed on my back in the sand. One of them froze in fear. Nice. Thank God it was deep sand or I'd be a cripple.

I know his bucking is a pain issue with a poorly fitted saddle. I'm sure as he lunged up the dune it slid and pinched him. He has crazy high withers and I cannot find a good fit thus far. But I'm working on it.

I spent the rest of the ride convincing this kid his horse wasn't going to do that and he could take control rather than have his grandfather lead him on a halter. It worked and he picked up the reins. Yeah me.

Sand Dunes

Easy day. Nice ride with guests along the sand dunes and worked on reining with Ringo at a trot. Wonderful!

Early Morning Rides

Today I got up at 5:15 to bring in horses. It was early, but boy is that a great time for a gallup across the fields.

The rain brought some much needed moisture. Sand Creek, adeptly named, had water creeping down it this afternoon!

Rain

Although it ruined our plans to move bulls from one pasture to another, it was enjoyed and much needed.

Haircut!

Yes, that is Mac. It was much needed. His coat was picking up every stick, pricker and thorn out there.

Fencing-part 2

It continues! Though I was on a beautiful part of the ranch all morning.

There are some journalists here from Europe and I get to provide some insight later while I work some young horses. I'm better on horseback right now anyway as my feet hurt. I've forgotten what wearing boots all day will do to your feet.

Fixing Fence

On a ranch fixing fence is a never ending job. On 50,000 acres you can get lost doing it...like today. I wasn't lost...i just couldn't find the stinkin' fence that needed to be checked since elk constantly knock them down. I did see the elk though! So I must have been close right?

There is an elk in this picture...right above Mac somewhere...as you can tell everything is a bit vast.

Medano Pass

Today we took a LONG ride up the pass that goes over the mountains from the sand dunes.

I rode Maggie out and i'm pretty sure she is exhausted as me!

On another note;five baby chicks were born today! I thought they were so cute peeking out from under their mommy!

Wrangling: day 1

As promised I will attempt to blog briefly each day on wrangling this summer. hopefully its a good summer without drama like my other job.

Today I took out Ringo on my own. We just walked but he did just fine. I have high hopes for that horse. Charlie and Maggie also went for a ride and did well while working young colts.

We have a bottle fed bison baby that was found in the ditch surrounded by coyotes. No mama in sight so we figure she's dead. Good thing someone came along when they did or he would have been dinner. He's so stinkin' cute!

Spring Art Project

I like to draw, take photography, paint, scrapbook - but other than snapping pictures all the time I never seem to have time to do much else.  Recently I joined a scrapbooking circle - so at least one evening a month I can sit down and try to organize past trips and such...

I always have these great ideas to for the house - but since we still rent I refuse to put any time or effort into it.  However, I do take some pride in the yard and what we personally own - and since my kid is always hogging whatever chair we are sitting in outside, I decided it was time to make him his own.  I bought this little chair for $5, and then we personalized it!  I thought it turned out great!  And, as you can see, Wyatt loves it!

Ringo

You've probably been wondering what's been going on with Ringo...

Last fall we had him ridden in the pens at the Zapata with another horse and rider; just moving up and down the alleyways.  Then I started working him again a few weeks ago...and he bucked me off.  I don't have the time to get on him every day or so until it's time to put the miles on this summer, so I asked my friend's husband, Tom,  if he would get on a him a few times a week. 

The first day he bitted him up he didn't know Ringo had never worked off a bit before - and thought he was a piece of work for about 20 minutes, but after he 'reminded' him he said he did really, really well.  When I told him that he'd never worked off a bit, just held it in his mouth - he was all surprised and said he did way better then he had thought. 

Then he rode him again for about a half hour a few days later and he did real good in the pens and alleys.

Then we branded. And Tom decided to drive cattle with him. Not only was this the first time Ringo was to be out of an enclosed area, it was only Tom's third time riding him off a bit. Look how he did:

Moving out

Backing

After picking up dropped items

And after the initial 'out of corral' expereince...Tom chased down a stray calf at a trot through knee deep water.  I think he's going to make a good horse!

Feeding the Bison

My friend brought in 5 baby bison on the Zapata that were born really late in the season last year so they wouldn't die exposed to the elements - now they are like pets.  I don't recommend ever doing this unless you know how the animals has been raised - Bison aren't known for their friendliness.

These guys, however, follow you around like dogs looking for a handout. I can keep my kid occupied for hours as long as I have a few flakes of hay he can feed to them handful by handful.

Wyatt's First Branding

Spent last Saturday helping our friend's brand their calves. Wyatt was a little scared of the bawling calves, but as long as he had a good grip on my leg he felt secure.

 

Afterwards Wyatt and his buddy went for a horseback ride.

We had to move the cattle back out to pasture when everything was over - Wyatt thought the four-wheeler was a perfect place to take his afternoon nap.

"The Beach"

Or our beach at least....each spring the rivers run down from the mountains through the Great Sand Dunes. It's a like a giant sand box with water. We love it - so do the dogs.

He was posing for me here - notice the thumbs up...

Critters

Since spring has sprung it seems we spend a heck of a lot more time with the animals around here.  First off, I'd like to introduce Roxy:

No - she's not a reincarnation of Maverick - I don't think....but she sure acts and looks just like him.... Roxy found us and since it was like coming home, she's stayed on with the three other mutts.  She was found wandering in the school parking lot late one night during a basketball game.  We figured she jumped out of someones vehicle but nobody ever claimed her.  Since I have the kennel I offered to take her home for the night.  She's never left.  She was probably around 5 months old when we got her and was housebroke, knew basic commands and already knew to give Wyatt his space.  I think she's a pittbull/lab or hound mix.  Whatever she is, she's a hell of a good dog and won't let Wyatt out of her sight.

Speaking of Wyatt and animals...he sill loves his Buni kitty, and takes over any other animal that comes to visit, like my friend's dog Hank, or the landlords horse:



Bock Bock...Quack

I have a hen that goes broody every year.  I never let her set to hatch, but this year I gave her six eggs.  She took three out, which, when candled didn't show any growth, but she wouldn't let me candle the others.

This morning this is what I found:

There are two eggs still under her so I guess I'll see if any more hatch within the next day or so.

I have a duck that thinks she's going to hatch out a billion geese.  I took out a bunch of eggs to give her a reasonable number, and so far they have been progressing.  There's no way I'm keeping a bunch of goslings, but it was a fun 'science' experiment - hopefully she makes a success of it!

A Month Went by Fast

...and blogger looks different...
Coming back to reality after one of my random non-blogging hiatus.  I keep thinking I need to have a focus to this blog rather than just random postings about my life, but I haven't found that focus yet.  Perhaps as a Wrangler this summer I will try and do a daily picture and post about working on a working guest ranch....idea to ponder...

Life has been busy - that much is a given I suppose.  Two and half weeks left to the school year, a growing kid and trying to condition horses hasn't left me much time (and not having internet at home kinda sucks too).

That and dealing with teenagers everyday.  For whatever reason these kids think they can cheat their way through life.  I always tell them it's only a matter of time - but they will get it all back eventually - well, one of my classes' did.  Evidently they have 'borrowed' work from previous years, despite my changing projects from year to year, to try and get out of doing all the work required.  I've know this occurs but unless it's a written piece, it's awfully hard to catch.  Last week a student was heard bragging about how she already had the final paper for one of my classes - one I haven't even assigned, nor was I.  Guess what?  I decided to assign a paper afterall.  And guess what the topic was?  How the integrity of characters found in the literary studies this year have lead to their eventual downfall.  When I assigned it I told them good luck finding someone who has written this paper already!  I know it's not much - but it's one battle won against plagiarism in my classes.  We use turnitin.com also which really helps with the written thesis and such.

Anyway - I have a goal to make this blog more worthwhile. Here's some random pictures of the kid to enjoy until then: