Ranch Girl Diaries

Howdy Folks

2012-02-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to post again! I have been busy with a new temporary substitute position at a local school which has kept me busy, between dealing with my sick pony and making jewelry!

Paint Girl is busy in Scottsdale for the big Arabian show, woo-hoot! I am sure she is working on her tan. Stinker.

Meanwhile, we got another round of fresh snow last night. It's kind of wet but awfully pretty this morning, when I went out to feed.

I really appreciate everyone's comments on Loretta and her tummy troubles. She is more the same. I notice symptoms more frequently, but they are less severe and dramatic. I got a quote on GastroGard~ $900. Yikes!

I also got some advice on using Aloe and Cabbage juice. Brown-Eyed Cowgirls also mentioned this so I am going to explore it further. I am open to all options yet I feel I need to get something going.

Part of me was just hoping that the heat cycle issue would resolve itself and I would notice the tummy troubles leaving, too. However, I am still seeing that she seems to be in discomfort around or after feeding, which really points to the ulcers being the cause of her pain. I did pick up some Ulcer-Rid (to help with ulcer pain, not rid them, ironcially) and some Mare Magic to hopefully temporarily relieve some pain but of course I am having problems with her eating them, even when mashed into a bit of grain (which I had taken her off of for the last couple of weeks. Before that, she'd eat anything I'd put in a mash!)

I have some really fun new cowgirl necklaces that I am making for an upcoming event! Whatever doesn't sell at the 3-day event will end up in my Etsy shop. I was inspired by this necklace which I bought from a gal named Dani, she has an Etsy shop she calls LeonaRose Designs. It is a soldered glass necklace with a bling heart in it. I loved the big chunky style and wore it on Valentine's Day.

I don't do soldered glass jewelry, but I found these glass and metal frames which are super cute when filled with cowgirl images!!

As you can tell, I am kinda obsessed with bows right now. Who says a cowgirl can't have a girly side?

Ihope all is well for y'all, enjoy your weekend!!

Ranch Girl

Loretta

2012-02-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

My poor mare had quite the day yesterday.

She got it from the front (camera scope up her nose and into her belly.)

She got it from the back (rectal exam including ultrasound of ovaries and uterus.)

And she got it from the middle (abdomen fluid sample taken from middle of underbelly.)

We spent over four hours at the vet. She was in the stock sedated most of the time, except for an hour she spent in a stall trying to absorb the water in her stomach so that they could scope her again. They tried flushing out the water but that didn't work.

The reason she had this appointment is because her symptoms, although better, have not gone away.

Here is what we found out: Loretta is stuck in a heat cycle. She showed a lot of edema and follicular activity on one of her ovaries. Sometimes mares can't ovulate due to the shortened hours in the winter, it's like she went into heat this fall and never got out!

The view this a.m. after I fed the horses....a peaceful snowy morning.

Although difficult to assess ulcers below a certain line in the stomach because of water in stomach, there were signs of a stage one ulcer (the yellowing corn looking scabs, some reddish skin.)

They were concerned that her secum (fermenting area between guts) was very full. They also thought it odd that her stomach was not moving the water out into the intestines.

My poor baby eating her breakfast this a.m.

My poor girl looks so thin and her stomach is very tucked up as she could not eat for 24 hours before this appointment. The last month and a half have been tough for her. Are her symptoms related to the stuck heat cycle, or the ulcer? Is one causing the other? The vets had several recommendations. GastroGuard treatment- which is very pricey but will get rid of the ulcer. Another suggestion, try taking her off all grains and starchy foods, limit stress.....see if the ulcer/s will heal on their own. Try Regumate hormones to help with the heat cycle.

At this point I am going to think about it and discuss options with other professionals that have helped me with this mare. I never thought Loretta to be a nervous type of horse but these vets said that in the time they spent with her they felt she really fits the ulcer profile (age, body type, personality......) she also had a pretty big move this past November (leaving the ranch and moving to our place with My Boy....) perhaps this was just enough to set off an ulcer.

When she is having an episode, we don't Banamine her any more. We just watch her and make sure her colic symptoms don't involve anything that could hurt herself. She usually works through it in about 24 hours (off and on symptoms. during that time.) They have seemed milder the last few times.

What is your experience with ulcers? Or mares that have become "stuck" in heat?

Another strange thing I noticed Loretta doing this past week while eating her hay....every few bites she'll take a crunchy bite of the ground (which is packed frozen slushy snow/ice.) Has anyone seen a horse do that? Is she craving a orchard grass snow cone?

So although I got answers, I am still asking questions. Thank you for your advice and thoughts and prayers for Loretta!

I will keep you posted. Have a great week!! Next time I will tell you the story of how we had to catch My Boy last week!

Ranch Girl

Snowed In!

2012-01-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

We've had over a foot of snow and extremely cold temps in the last week. Things started to warm up a bit today, but I heard we are in for more snow next week. Horsekeeping has been interesting!

The good news is Miss Loretta has been in "remission." It's been six days since her last colicky "episode." We had a rough few days a week ago. Even the Banamine wasn't making her feel much better. I honestly thought I was going to lose her. Thank goodness for vets. They are so great with my frantic calling (during the day or the on-call vet) asking for advice!

I don't feel comfortable that Loretta is out of the woods yet. She has gone this long in between episodes and they have resurfaced. I am just praying that this time she's good- for good!

I hope you are all hanging in there with whatever winter weather is being thrown your way. I am hoping to get some great photos of horses in the snow tomorrow and will post them next week!!

P.S. Lo is wearing a turn-out halter since her last episode. She is typically a VERY easy horse to catch. Being caught and given Banamine numerous times in the last four weeks (which now we have to twitch her to do, getting the twitch on is easy though) has made her become a little difficult to catch at times and I couldn't resist not being able to catch her when I needed to.

Ranch Girl

Tapeworms!

2012-01-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

Well, Loretta's teeth were not the issue.

She started up yesterday after breakfast with her colicky symptoms. I spent most of yesterday and all night on colic watch. Of course, by the time the vet got here this afternoon, she was feeling back to normal. Which is good, except I wanted him to watch her while in agitation mode. Luckily I did have a few videos I had taken on my Iphone.

I had a different vet come out today to take a look at her. I have loved all the vets I have used in my area. I appreciate their different perspectives and feel everyone, although trained with the same basics, has had different experiences with horses in their practice. I felt the more opinions I could get, the better. Since this is the 4th time since the week before Christmas that Loretta has colicked, it's serious. In fact when I asked the Dr. how often they see horses like this, he said, "Oh, about one a year....maybe one every other year or so." Yikes.

I can not explain what he told me, it was very medical. It has to do with tapeworm infestation. Actually, if you read this piece on tapeworm threat by Equimax it describes and shows photos of where these worms attach and how they can cause colic-producing issues. It was exactly what the vet was telling me today in vet lingo. At this point considering the chronic issue with colic and the evidence we have, it is his diagnosis, so to speak. She had a good wormer (Qwest Plus, given to me by the last vet that saw her) last Saturday after her teeth float appointment. However, it can take up to two or more weeks for the inflammation from any tapeworm damage to go down. The vet had the fibrinogen levels in her blood tested. A definition from Wikipedia: "It is used in veterinary medicine as an inflammatory marker: In horses, a level above the normal range of 1.0-4.0 g/L suggests some degree of systemic inflammatory response." Loretta's came back in the normal levels, which is good! For example, this would show that there was no chronic inflammation which could be from adhesions in the intestines.

I don't have a lot of history on Loretta other than what I have from the owner that had her before me (she only had her for 6 months.) I know she wormed her, and we wormed her in November. But before that, she could have gone a long time with little worming at a young age. The person who had her before the gal I bought her from supposedly got her from a "rescue situation." With younger horses, more frequent worming is important. It makes you realize how knowing your horse's history is so important, if it all possible. Sometimes though, we just don't.

At this point, we are just waiting it out. I have to give her Banamine when she has a colic episode and watch her. I just have to hope she starts to feel better in a few weeks. If these issues continue, the next step would be to take her to a clinic with ultrasound and scoping equipment to see if there is a larger issue, perhaps something else going on, or more severe damage from worms. I am keeping my fingers crossed the worming worked and this will resolve itself once the inflammation goes down.

I just keep my fingers crossed that her episodes are fewer and far between. I am to continue her on the same feed, adding bran mashes at night with Probiotics and Sand Clear. I had a great conversation with the on-call vet last night, about worrying about your horse. She is the same way I am about my animals. She said you can stay up all night watching for them to roll and it could happen in the hour you fall asleep. She said if they are going to twist a gut they will despite your best intentions of preventing it. I know I am doing the best I can to help my little mare through her ouchy tummy and just hope she is on the mend soon! I will keep you all posted as I know that I learn from all of your horse health experiences and hope you have learned something, too!!

Photo in this post was an out take from our photo shoot this past September. I can not believe how much darker bay Loretta is now with her winter coat!! She was almost gray in the summer, she was so roaned out! I did not realize this until I looked at these photos the other day.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Ranch Girl

Back to Normalacy

2012-01-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

It's been 4 days since Loretta had her teeth floated. And so far, she has been back to herself. No agitation or irritation symptoms. I am keeping my fingers crossed it wasn't colic or ulcers and that getting her mouth on the right track helped her out. Time will tell.....

Thank you Ranch Girl, for bringing me back my sweetheart!!

Awwww.... (would have been a cute photo had the hot wire tape not been in the middle of it!)

My roany pony happy to be back home and nibbling.......

My "girls" are ready to go out and help me feed!!

Lizzy loves to get the old muck boot belly rub!

In other news, we had another horse colic the other night. Ranch Boy's mother's most favorite horse! We went out to feed at dark and this one laid down next to the hay breathing heavily. Catching him (amongst 30 other horses) was not easy but we got him hauled in from pasture and called out the vet.

Luckily this handsome Andalusian gelding just had some gas and minor dehydration and is on the mend. He is enjoying his bran mashes!

Have a good rest of the week everyone!!

Ranch Girl

Have You Smelled Your Horse's Stomach?

2012-01-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, where do I begin.....

Friday afternoon was Loretta's vet appointment. We tried to load her on her own but she wasn't having any of it. It wasn't time to do a training session, we needed to get her in to her appointment.

So, we ended up loading an older gelding from the ranch first. Why didn't we use My Boy? He has always loaded like a champ but in the ranch's straightload, can be a bit iffy and I didn't want to deal with that nor have Loretta see that as an example!

So, good ole Buck jumped right in, and as I was loading hay into the front Loretta hopped right in, too! Whew!

At the vet clinic, we entered the barn and went into a stall and she started shaking (I've never taken her inside a barn.) She got her sedative and then we led her into the stocks.

First the doc did a rectal. He found no impaction, nothing abnormal. Only a little poo which he said was just slightly dry.

Next up was drawing a blood sample. They'd analyze it while we were there so this could rule out any other issues.

Next, headgear for the teeth inspection. That was interesting. (I'd watched My Boy get his teeth floated but never actually got to look inside his mouth.) Loretta had several sharp points on her teeth. Now when I've heard about "sharp points" I'd always imagined large sharp shark-sized teeth. These were tiny sharp points on her bigger teeth, like little puppy teeth! She had several lesions (like canker sores) along her gums and one in her tongue that was a hole and fairly recent. She only had one small wolf teeth grown in, which he said he would pull even though it's location didn't look bad it was just best to do it.

After her dental, Miss Loretta got some oil and water just to help hydrate her system. After they got the tube in her stomach the assistant said "Her stomach smells sweet." She asked me if I wanted to smell the tube. What was I thinking? At first sniff it was a bit sweet....but it still melled like stomach. I did pucker a gag.

Her blood work came back good. One area showed that she might be slightly dehydrated.

We gave Loretta half an hour in a stall to come out of sedation before loading her and hauling her home. Getting her into the trailer wasn't too bad. The vet assistant lifted her leg up and Ranch Boy gave her a swat and she leaped in. She was NOT fond of backing out. That is something we will have to work on.

That night, she got another dose of Banamine and a senior feed mash. Saturday, she started getting a small amount of hay again, and mashes with free salts and some oil. She has been separated from My Boy and I think they miss each other! My Boy whinnies for her off and on during the day. She can hear him but they can't see each other.

Today, she continued to look okay. I am guessing today would have been the day her tooth pull would have been most sore, and I did not give her Banamine as I only have one dose and she wasn't showing any symptoms of pain. I brought her out for a nice walk and we found some yummy grass where the snow had melted. When I put her away she refused to go back into the corral. I don't blame her, I think she wanted to go home! But I need to monitor her for another day before returning her to the pasture with My Boy.

It will take a week or two for those sores to heal. At least now when she is chewing, she should not be experiencing the same level of pain in her mouth from those points digging into her cheeks and tongue!

So, we will see what happens from here. I think how she is tomorrow will be a good indicator. If her agitation starts up again, then we have to go back to the drawing board, perhaps change diet or have her scoped for ulcers. I truly believe the pain when chewing was a major contributor to her behavior, and even her gut issues as improperly chewed hay will not digest as well. I just want her to get better, she has lost a bit of weight over the past few weeks and she didn't have a lot to lose to begin with!

Before I go, I wanted to show you my new cap by Balconi! Ranch Boy got it for me for Christmas. He saw it in my Country People magazine and ordered it online. It was mild enough today to wear something over the ears but would have been too warm with a full-stocking cap. You can find it here if you want to check them out: Balconigear.com.

Have a good week everyone!!

{All photos in this post taken on my I-phone4 and edited with the free app Instagram. I LOVE it!!}

Ranch Girl

Here We Go Again

2012-01-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

Well, my sweet little roany pony is not getting better. So if we can get her loaded into a trailer tomorrow, she has an appointment to get her teeth checked/floated and some blood work.

Compiling all my evidence (I truly have become a pet detective) I have begun to think (and hope, as it seems the lesser of all evils and treatable) it is her teeth. She is at the age to have issues with adult tooth eruption, sharp baby caps, and wolf teeth. In the last few episodes, she is much better after being on Banamine, being pulled from pasture and hay, and fed strictly soft mashes. Any time she has to eat hay or graze and chew and there is no Banamine in her system, she will stamp front and hind feet, shake head, rub nose on legs, run around, stamp more, ears out to side.....and stand there and yawn and chomp her jaw. Never has she tried to roll or lie down during any of this. Her poop is always normal. But~ teeth issues can contribute to colicky issues, as well, as she may not chew her food not properly due to painful teeth, which some of you mentioned.

Thank you for all of your advice, I GREATLY appreciate your ideas and support! I even got an email from one of my Rockin Heart Jewelry customers mentioning a HYPP diagnosed horse at her barn that had been exhibiting colic symptoms. This opened a whole new train of thought and brainstorming. It is through this blog community that we learn so much more about these sometimes complex equines of ours!!

So, I will update you tomorrow night or on Saturday after what happens tomorrow.

Keep the roany pony in your thoughts and prayers!!

Ranch Girl

Any Pet Detectives Out There?

2012-01-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, I need your horsey advice! Loretta colicked again.

So, here is a quick synopsis of both episodes (one the week before Christmas, the other this past Thursday.)

Episode One:

I fed the horses late the night before she colicked, as we were out of town for the day- I usually feed my horses around 8-8:30 a.m. and again at dark (approx. 4:30 p.m.) I fed that night around 10:30 when we got home.
No changes in type of feed or amount, access to water.
She had a soft impaction, and her heart rate was 80.
Thoughts: perhaps being fed late created hunger and stress (gas?) or because it was late and cold, she ate but did not go over and drink as much water as she should have.

Episode Two:

I was out of town for two days, came back and fed as usual Thursday night.
Snow melt and huge rainstorm had created a huge lake surrounding the horse water trough. The thought crossed my mind- would they walk through that to get to their water?
Friday morning, I went out to feed and noticed immediately she was uncomfortable- stamping hind legs, walking or trotting off, similar behavior to last time but seemed worse.
I brought her out, gave her a dose of Banamine.
Walked her over to the corral at the ranch. She paced here (because she was separated from My Boy) and did poop once or twice.
Didn't notice any stamping once we got her to the ranch corral (Banamine kicking in?)
Vet came out around 11. Took her heart rate, said it was 48 (last time it was 80.) Heard a lot of gas sounds. Gave me two options~ 1) Give her a shot of something for gas, feed her mashes, monitor her. 2) Sedate her, rectal exam, oil and water her stomach. He said considering her heart rate he'd be comfortable with option one.
Vet took stool sample to do a fecal count, mentioned worms. Also mentioned the possibility of this being an ulcer.
I decided to try option one. Prepared a wet mash with senior feed (lower in sugar and I only had barley.)
Loretta ate up mash! Gave her another mash later in the day. NO hay.
Moved My Boy over with her at dark as a check-in with the vet said the stress of being separated might cause her to have more gas.
Fecal count came back good, no strongyle worms!
Morning: Loretta seemed fine. Gave her another mash and gave them a small amount of hay.
Brought Loretta out for a walk as the corral they are temporarily in is like a small round pen, and with the two of them there, they don't walk as much, just stand around together.

Loretta has been on mashes and small flake of hay since then, have not noticed any more discomfort. Poor thing has lost a bit of weight since dealing with the colic and reduced feedings.

Future Plan~ If she should colic again soon, then vet suggested that she have a scope for ulcers. He recommended removing her from the rolled barley and putting her back on a complete feed, which I am going to continue to make into a mash for her (they only get their grain and vitamins once a day at their night feeding.) I have been bringing her out and walking her every day, even if just for 15-20 minutes at a time.
Vet also recommended putting her on probiotics, which are to help with digestive system.

Questions~ Have any of you had horses be more colicky in the winter? She never showed signs of this in the summer. I don't think she seems like an anxious horse, but the vet said her age (4 1/2) could be an age for ulcers to happen. Any other advice you can offer would be helpful. I have to admit I can't look at her throughout the day (especially in the morning) without worrying I'll notice that she'll be in discomfort again! Loretta never tried to lie down or roll with her colic, I don't know if this behavior depends on the severity of pain or just depends on the horse and how they deal with pain.

Also, if any of you have had horses that colic often, do you tend to treat them yourself and watch for symptoms to worsen before calling vet?

I remember dealing with colicky ponies as a child, but have gotten lucky with My Boy and his iron gut (knock on wood!) he has not colicked.

Ranch Girl

2011 Reflections

2011-12-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

Wow~ what a year of change! Let me share the ways, in no particular order......

I made a pretty big relocation and career change~ but the reasons were more than fantastic!

One of my photographs made it into American Cowboy magazine~

I had more time in the saddle this past year than in the past years, both on My Boy, Loretta, and other ranch horses.

This lovely relative finally stopped riding other people's ponies and got her own golden beauty (pictured here with the borrowed AQHA gelding Jessie.)

I got to perform my first ear twitch~

Just kidding! I was just giving baby Howdy's ears a little rubbing a few hours after his birth!

I got to go on a nostalgic buggy ride pulled by a team of Percherons.

I started my own hobby jewelry business~ Rockin Heart Jewelry (and I love it!)

I got another horse, Miss Loretta!

I got to see all kinds of wildlife~

But most importantly, even though families sometimes change, I got to spend a lot of time with mine.....which is the most important thing I do!

Happy 80th Birthday to my pappy!

I hope your 2011 was wonderful, and here's to wishing you a lot of peace, love, sparkles, and dreams come true in 2012!!

Ranch Girl

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

To you and yours,
wishing you a day that is merry and bright!

Ranch Girl

The Naughty List

2011-12-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

Well I must have been on the naughty list for something because I've had to have the vet out twice in the past two days!

First, I noticed that My Boy's sheath was swollen. He wasn't having issues urinating but the last time it was swollen (not this bad) it needed to be cleaned. Turns out it is okay and the swelling is due to severe cold weather (it was hardly above 26 degrees here for nearly two weeks!) and a lack of physical activity which causes fluid build up (edema.) It's common in geldings in cold temps. She gave me a diuretic for him and said to just keep an eye on it.

A day later I looked out the kitchen window one morning before feeding and noticed Loretta looked "off." She was standing oddly and stamping uncomfortably and shaking her head. She wanted to eat when I fed but she looked so uncomfortable that I was guessing some colic symptoms so I began walking her. She pooped while walking. A call to the vet for advice said to give her a dose of Banamine, walk her, and isolate her to monitor water intake. There was another poop. She already seemed much better and her symptoms were gone. I kept her off food for the day and in a separate pen for the day. Later, she seemed back to herself so I turned her out with My Boy and let them have a small dinner.

In the morning she seemed "off" again. I called the vet to come out. She took her vitals and said her heart rate was high (80 when it should have been 35!) Her gut sounds were okay but not like she'd like to hear. She did the rectal exam and extracted a lot of poo, and could feel a small, soft impaction. Of course, Miss Loretta was sedated for this. A tube of oil and water to the stomach followed, along with Banamine and a good med for gas.

My sicky girl in "recovery."

I moved her to another pen that was larger so that she could move around. She is separated across several fields from My Boy now and of course he's been calling for her. She came out of sedation quickly and pooped four times and began pacing around. The walking is good for her! I kept her separated overnight and fed her only a small amount of hay. Today she pooped several more times (some of it looked oily) and seemed back to herself.

I moved her back to My Boy's pasture this afternoon. One small oddity. I turned her loose and after lovin' on MB she started nibbling the bits of hay he'd left from his breakfast. Within a few seconds she showed a few of the irritation signs that I'd seen the past few days~ rubbing her nose on her leg, shaking her head.....as if she was being bothered by bugs. I began to wonder if there wasn't something in the dirt that was causing an allergic reaction? Perhaps mold spores or some kind? The hay appears to be normal and is not any different from what I've been feeding.

Another call to the vet to discuss. She didn't feel like the symptoms she saw were anything but colic (she never saw the irritation or stamping behavior I saw in the pasture.) She suggested another dose of banamine for the night and said it can take a few days for the stomach and digestive system to get back to normal. I only gave her a mouthful of grain and another small flake of hay for dinner. Of course this meant MB only got a small flake too, but he is well padded for the winter and could stand to loose a few! So, we'll see how Miss Lo is in the morning. If she is exhibiting symptoms again I will move her to the other corral to see if the symptoms subside. Any ideas?? We've had bizarre weather~ extreme cold, and a few days of unseasonly warm weather and thaw. We have no snow on the ground, just frozen or unfrozen dirt depending on the day.

I haven't had a horse colic since I was a teen with ponies. I did learn one thing~ that a horse can still want to eat when they are colicing. Loretta did want to eat and the vet said that wouldn't be good because she'd be putting food behind the impaction.

It pays to be aware of what is "normal" routine behavior for your horse whether they are in a stall or in a pasture. I am lucky to be home right now and have them in my backyard so I am watching and observing them off and on all day.

Ranch Boy moving the shed via the tractor!

In other news, we nearly finished the run-in shed, which we built to be portable! This way we can move it to other property down the road, or even around the pasture should the footing inside became muddy. We need to finish some t-post and hot wire fencing so that the horses can actually access the shed, as we are enlarging their area to get closer to water and heat sources. We are behind on this winter project, pounding t-posts into frozen ground is NOT ideal! I love my Ranch Boy for doing this for me!

I am excited for Christmas! Some of my travel plans are now post-poned due to Loretta's colic but I felt I couldn't leave town now until I know she's 100% better, I would just worry the whole time I was away that she'd relapse. So some of my Christmas will have to be celebrated next week. I hope you are all ready for the holidays and have some fun activities planned! I'll be back by Christmas with an update on Loretta and a fun holiday card for you!

Ranch Girl

Under Construction

2011-12-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

We've been busy getting the tree decorated and the home cozy for Christmas!

Alas, since we are snow-free right now, we've been busy outside and have hardly had time to sit inside and enjoy it. We are working on some projects for my ponies. We are going to fence a new section of pasture that will allow us to get closer to electric and water sources. This will prevent me from having to do this every 3 days~

(As much as I like how my biceps are looking....)

Yes, I am draining the hoses after use so they don't freeze up (this apple tree method actually works when done properly!)

Second, we are building a run-in shed. Here is a sneak peak~

Also, I have just listed a few new items on my Etsy shop! This is only the beginning of the listings which will be filtering onto my site in the next week or so!!

Any of you that have an Etsy shop, you are probably aware of the work it takes to list an item. You want to try to photograph it as well as you can. Get the proper measurements, and write a good description. This makes all the difference for customers. I think I struggle mostly with the photographs. Photographing jewelry is actually hard! I have a friend who wants to practice her photography and offered to do a photo shoot. I need to take her up on it!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Ranch Girl

When You Live in the Country......

2011-12-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

........you can have mousey critters move into your car and make a nest out of the Kleenex box in the trunk~

Other times, you get to see really wonderful wildlife, like our favorite little buck whom we call "Little Spike" ~

......or his brother "Little Horns" (that isn't his official name, I just made that up for this post)

Then, you have fun hiking through the woods trying to find the perfect Christmas tree,

posing for photos for the Christmas card, and getting licked in the lips by your silly dog~

Yes, living in the country has its moments.

But mostly, it's PRICELESS.

Until tomorrow, when I get to Shop-Vac up the mouse turds.

Ranch Girl

And The Countdown Begins

2011-11-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

Howdy friends! Sorry I haven't posted.....I've been very busy making jewelry for my upcoming events. After next week things will slow down and I can attack Christmas shopping!

{Necklace in my Etsy shop.}

Thank you for the nice comments on the turkey photos! I have a funny story to tell you. The other morning as I was putting on my face, I swear I heard the crunch of footsteps on our back deck in the snow. It went away, then came back. Then the dog barked. I peeked out the window and saw two turkeys in our yard. Then I heard the footsteps again~ only I realized it was on our roof not the deck!!!! There was a turkey up there! And I thought Santa had showed up a little early.......

Lately I've seen many turkeys and deer in our yard. They are after those apples from the apple tree!

I haven't done much with my ponies this past week other than feed them. I love to pet them while they are eating. They are enjoying the lazy winter days of being horses. The pasture is holding up well through the mix of weather which has been a little bit of everything! It's icy in spots but they still have plenty of snowy places that aren't slippery and so far not much mud! I can't say so much for us humans. I took a fall in our driveway. The snow's daily thaw and refreeze has formed a nice pack of solid ice. Down I went! Luckily I managed to escape with nothing but a bruised palm, although the foot that My Boy stepped on last summer is aching again so I might have done something to that.

Miss Lizzy wanted to say good morning! She has a pink nose. But it started out black when she was a pup. Does anyone know why dog noses change colors?

Ms. Scooter does not like to be left out! You can not pet Lizzy without Scooter coming up and sticking her head under your arm and wiggling her way in. She's a bit jealous at times. I just love her amber eyes, sometimes it's eerie I think she is reading my mind!!

Here is fuzzy Howdy pony pants. I need to pick out his eye goobers! He has outgrown his foal halter. He is turning into such a little man. I do worry he isn't going to be very big. But I guess that is okay, there are plenty of uses for smaller horses on the ranch, they are perfect for kids. His momma is only about 14 hands.

Have a great week everyone!!

Ranch Girl

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

The snow has continued to show it's frosty white face around here!

My ponies don't seem to mind the snow too much, as long as they've got yummy hay to eat and keep them warm! They've been napping every day together after breakfast.

I love to go out and visit with Loretta. She is so sweet, she follows me around and she gives me kisses with her velvety black nose. It smells like grain and hay. I know they say muzzles are the germiest part of a horse but I can't resist such sweetness.

What about my kisses??

Yea, My Boy has never been the affectionate type.

I love him to death anyway, but it is sure nice to have a horse be sweet to you back! She even likes to give My Boy kisses. He is sweet to her, but once in a blue moon I catch him being a cranky pants to her.

Do you have more cookies for us??

The apple tree in our yard has refused to drop it's apples this winter!!

I picked a bucket to feed the ponies when I grain them. And I made applesauce the other day. Never again. The apples are tiny (would fit in your fist) and it took me ages to peel and cut each one~ it took about 18 apples for me to get enough applesauce to make about 1 and a half cups of applesauce! But it did get rave reviews from my taste-testers, so that made it worth it.

Well now it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without pictures of a turkey, right? We have a large flock of wild turkeys around here! While driving Ranch Boy to pick up the tractor from the field he'd done some discing on a couple weeks ago, we saw the flock roosting in a tree and luckily I had my camera ready to aim and point out the car window!!

I even caught one in flight. Look at those feathers~ amazing!! The turkey's we eat can't even fly, as far as I know.

Aren't they beautiful? On that note, I am wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday! I know I am very thankful for everyone and everything in my life!!

xoxo~ Ranch Girl~

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Winter

2011-11-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

I can't deny it anymore, winter is here! It rained all afternoon last Friday. Then around 5:00 pm it started freezing, and a few hours later it started snowing! We ended up with about an inch or so when all was done. The corral was white. I have to admit, I was a little excited about the snow!

Then, it melted and rained on top of the snow. Rained hard. This turned the corrals my horses were in, which were completely dry before the snow, into lakes of what I like to call "poop soup." They had a shelter with a tiny islands of dry land here and there. But worse off was mama and baby Howdy, their smaller corral was completely flooded. I needed to get my horses out of there and open the whole corral to them. So I made the decision to move them from the ranch back to our place. (These corrals are designed for summer use by horses, not permanent residences or winter usage. Mama and baby have to be separated from the herd until weaning/gelding which is why they are housed there. And my ponies were housed there out of convenience of the riding season since the barn and my tack were there.)

My Boy's spring pasture is about half an acre in size. There is no shelter yet, we will be working on that soon! He hadn't been there since July. What he'd chomped down to nearly dirt last summer had nicely grown in with short grass and weeds and held the snow melt and rain well. Ranch Boy and I walked Loretta and My Boy to their new (old) pasture. After walking Lo around the fence line of hot wire, we set them free. I thought they'd take off running......nope. Heads down to chomp on the little grass that was there.

Ponies with happy dry feet!

We are going to expand this pasture in the next week or so, as we have difficulty getting trough heaters out that far without running too many extension cords. The new section will come up further into our backyard. So while my horses are now in my "backyard", in a few weeks they will REALLY be in my backyard! Soon this wet transitional weather will be over and we'll have colder, more frozen and snowy ground most of the winter. I'm sure that "poop soup" will be back in the spring!

I am visiting some family this week!! See if this photo helps you guess who..... sorry about the blur.

Yes, this is Paint Girl's wild Mustang pony! Chance came running down to the fence when I took my dad's dog out for a potty walk. She was snorting and wild, thinking this strange dog might possibly be a coyote!! You see, around 10:30 the night before Paint Girl's dogs were wildly barking in the garage. Paint Girl heard coyotes yelping nearby and a horse running in it's pasture. Armed with a lantern and pellet gun, we strolled out into the dark night to check on the horses. They were fine, but Chance was trotting the fence line nervously (she was closest to the howlers.) The coyotes stopped once we ventured out there. It is an eerie sound, listening to those pesky canines do their thing!

Her other ponies were happily eating their breakfast this morning. Keep an eye on Paint Girl's blog next weekend or the early part of next week, she has a vet appointment for Fritzy on Friday as the mysterious hard lump has returned on the side of her neck (under the mane.) I am interested to hear what this is as I felt it myself and can't imagine what could be causing this condition. Keep your fingers crossed she will be okay!!

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Ranch Girl

He Was the Worst

2011-11-10T15:13:00.000-08:00

The other day we de-wormed Ranch Boy's 31 horses. Most of them had to be haltered, others allowed you to approach them in the corral and hold their muzzle and get 'er done.

Afterward, it was time to de-worm Loretta and Riley. We haltered Loretta. She was a little curious about the tube but didn't fight. Even though Ranch Boy and I did it together, I think I could probably worm her myself next time.

Then it was My Boy's turn. I told Ranch Boy how bad he was. Well, nobody believed me until they saw him. Out of the 32 horses, he was by far the WORST of the bunch! He kept rearing up a little, backing up, tossing his head~ basically being awful. Finally Ranch Boy got a good grip on his nose and My Boy froze. I got the tube in no problem. I hate having him strong-armed although this is the most successful way. The only other method that worked once was a piece of baling twine in his mouth like a bit, which distracted him and had him opening his mouth and making faces while I put the tube in.

After all the ranch horses were de-wormed, they were turned out into the big hay pasture for a week. My Boy and Loretta were very interested in watching them run into a field they hadn't seen horses in before!! Although my spotted handsome one had to turn and pose for the camera.

It hasn't rained in a week or more and things are nicely dried out, so I did some work cleaning the corral. Loretta follows me around and tries to be helpful. She is still such a baby this way, so curious. My Boy will sometimes approach the wheelbarrow then leave once he realizes there is nothing edible in it. As you can see him in the background, he's gazing longingly at the hay barn.

Loretta thinks if she keeps trying, the piles of poo will eventually turn into hay!

Well I don't blame her, since I deliver the hay in a cart with wheels. She follows me while I feed too, taking bites along the way. She has a fun personality!

See mom, you do eventually have goodies for me!!

Have you ever wondered what happens to an onion in the veggie basket when you don't eat it? Well, we're growing an indoor onion plant!

That was the healthiest veggie we've grown yet! Hee!

Hope you are all having a great week~ the weekend is around the corner!!

Ranch Girl

First Snow

2011-11-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

Yep, hard to believe! But this morning when I fed the horses I saw little spits of snowflakes. Just a few. But it was enough to get me excited about snow this winter! We've already had temps in the 20's and frozen troughs. Time to get out those heaters! Besides snowflakes this a.m. I also found LITTLE Mr. Howdy colt in with my horses!!! He and his mama's corral gate was half off and I have no idea how he got through or under it. Something happened but nobody was injured. My horses really cared less about him. Actually, once he's gelded and weaned come January-Feb. he will be moving in with them and learn some big boy manners.

I had to share the above photo, sorry it's not a great shot (from my cell phone.) Loretta always rests her head over My Boy's back. It's very cute! They get a long great, although he is "boss" she is also not afraid to make a move on his grain.

I had My Boy and Loretta's farrier appointments today. I got both all shoes pulled for the winter. You can't do shoes on outdoor horses around here with all the snow.

I got Lo out first for a longe. She was CRAZY! Rearing, hopping, and bucking on the longe line. In retrospect I should have just free longed her in the arena but it's a bit large and I didn't want to run. Not that I didn't get a workout anyway. She isn't the best at longing yet and pulls on me quite a bit. She also comes in too close on a small circle. It makes juggling the bulky leadline and my longe stick challenging! She worked herself up to a nice steam.

When I took her back to the hitch rail she got excited to see My Boy--- the kind of excited that tells me she's in heat. Well no wonder! I longed my old spotted pokey pants then took Lo over to the farrier. She was nearly perfect! She only pulled her leg a little on one hind. I think if she'd had to stand and hold them for shoes, she wouldn't have been so good. But I was proud of her! I've been working hard on cleaning her hooves before and after every ride and workout.

I have been a busy bee making a fun line of vintage jewelry for the holidays! You can check out my Etsy site or Facebook page for more information (see the right sidebar of this blog.) Just wait until I show you the cool display items Ranch Boy is helping me make for my two upcoming bazaars!! I'm heading down to the shop now to help him out.

Have a great week!!

Ranch Girl

What's Got Their Mane's Ruffled?

2011-10-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to tell from the above photo but My Boy is blowing and snorting like a stallion. I LOVE that sound!

Yee haw! A funny action shot as they raced across the corral. Yes, that is a chunk of flying mud coming at my camera lens!

Yep, they are worked up watching baby Howdy run and play in the arena with his mama. Howdy is 3 1/2 months old now! He's kinda a pipsqueak. If you remember, we don't know who his daddy is. {I hope it wasn't a mini.......

We have been watching Howdy's legs slowly darken. They are almost black after starting out a creamy tan. It's official~ he's a bay!

My roany pony, so pretty with fall colors! Lately she has been FULL OF IT and acting like the 4-year old she is!

I hope you all have a spooky and safe Halloween!

xo/Ranch Girl

Big Adventure

2011-10-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Remember I mentioned the big trail adventure?

Well, Ranch Boy, his mother, and I took a long trail ride to a river. It is about an hour and fifteen minutes in, and out (at least 3 hours roundtrip if you stop for photos, lunch, etc.)

We got to the river via a series of logging roads and trails, passing through other people's property and gates and under power lines. Ranch Boy's mom's ride, an Andalusian gelding (ex-dressage champion) had never been to the river. The horses were spooky starting out but quickly tired as there was a lot of climbing and the winter hair always warms them quickly.

We tied up to a fallen tree at the riverside and started eating our chicken sandwiches. Ranch Mom's horse starts fussing and pawing and generally impatient. My little Loretta mare was just resting nicely. She was puckered out!

{escape artist: the white Andalusian on left....}

Suddenly we look over and Ranch's Mom's gelding has come untied. Instead of heading over to visit with the other two horses, he wanders across the river rock and starts up the trail for home.

I ran and untied Loretta and started leading her after him thinking he might turn and stay. No such luck. Ranch Mom runs up after him but he's gone.

So, Ranch Mom walks out the hour or so back home. We think we spot his hoofprints in the logging road dirt but honestly it's hard to tell if they are his as many other horse tracks are there, both old and new. By the way, we spotted a lot of other tracks. Coyote, deer, wil turkey, wolf (? gulp) and hunter boot tracks.

We had no idea if this horse would make it home. The path home is not a straight shot, the logging road goes for thousands of acres and to various other homes. We call a neighbor to stop by the ranch to see if he'd shown up yet. No such luck.

Twenty minutes later, as we are about 15 minutes from home, we get a call from the neighbor that the gelding had made it back! Two people in a truck had found him crossing the road (which we have to do to get to our trails) and tied him to the hitch rail. His lead rope was shred and pieces of rope were stuck in his shoes.

We figured he'd make it back and it proves what an amazing sense of direction horses have. Here is a horse that has only lived on the property for about 3 months, has only been up on the those trails about two handfuls of times, and had never been as far out as the river ride!

All is well that ended well, whew!

Today I got out for a ride with my friend. We just stayed close to home but it was a crisp sunny ride. Loretta was being snorty at every shadow and rock she could think to jump out. Silly pony! My Boy was great for my friend. We came around a bend and she said, "There are deer up there." I took a look and they were NOT deer. They were huge~ two BIG bull elk! I have never seen them that close from horseback and let me tell you, at first glance I thought, moose. Not knowing how Loretta would react I quickly dismounted. We let our horses see them and made a bunch of noise. The bulls looked at us curiously and did not rush off, they finally wandered up the hill. I realized that bull elk can probably charge if they feel provoked. These ones eventually wandered off but we turned around and made a loop back the direction we came from just so they didn't decide to cross our path. We passed several does on the way home, and they looked so little compared to those bulls! Their racks were gigantic.

{Good motto for fall trail riding!}

I love riding this time of year, minus the spookies! Hot summer weather sure makes for more mellow horses. But it is good to get them out and exposed to these things on the trail this time of year. You just never know what you might run into! Speaking of which, did you read this story? She was on David Letterman a few weeks ago telling the story of chasing down a bear on horseback to save a young boy on a trail ride. Amazing!

I hope you are all having safe riding adventures this fall!!

Don't forget to check out my Etsy shop (see sidebar) I am listing lots of new goodies every week!!

xo~ Ranch Girl

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year~ Fall!

2011-10-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of year!!

There is nothing like construction paper jack-o-lanterns to decorate the window of your house.......especially when they are made by a 5 year old!

{I love this gorgeous maple tree outside......despite the mess it makes out of the yard!}

I got this new bag for the fall at the Festival I was a vendor at. My friend Tiffany makes them, you can find them here at her Etsy site Whimsical Details.

I love this little vintage photo of birds that I found at a thrift shop for .99....I am fairly certain they are quail. I remember seeing quail as a child, but living in the city of course I never saw them. Now that I am living in the country again, I see little quail families crossing the roads everywhere!

I also got out on a great trail ride this week! A perfect fall day, sunny, loads of fall colors in the trees, and not windy. But it turned out to be quite an adventure! Or as Ranch Boy's mom often says, "Well- that was an adventure, not a disaster!"

I'll tell you about it in my next post!

Ranch Girl

Autumn Riding

2011-10-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Finally, a day of sunshine! I got out my ponies and my friend joined me for a ride. We've been trying to trail ride together at least one day a week. She doesn't have a horse, so she rides My Boy. He's been PERFECT for her! I'm so excited to have someone to ride him and that he has been so good. I think he's better for her than he is for me!

{I didn't get any photos of the horseback ride~ I was more worried about my little mare not running off the cliff in fear of deer! However, I have taken some autumn shots recently and thought they'd be pretty to share in this post}

It is interesting how the horses are SO different this time of year. Loretta was especially snorty and spooky while tacking up, so I took her to the arena and longed her sillies out before we left. Funny thing, she loped around in perfect slow circles, didn't throw in a buck or gallop at all! She usually does on the longe line. Maybe she didn't this time because this time she was saddled?

On the way up the steep hill to start our ride we spotted a young buck and doe. Loretta was nervous about them. They crossed our path and went up the hillside. I had My Boy go first, he is pretty calm with deer, I have encountered them a lot while on him. I am not so sure about Loretta, she seemed almost nervous enough to turn around on me. She also looks and shies sideways around every puddle we came upon. I finally had My Boy walk by them first and she followed him by them just fine. Sometimes it helps to have that calm, been-there-done that horse help the babies encounter the trail monsters!!

When we got to the top of the hill the deer had finished climbing ahead of us and were heading to our right, so we took a trail to the left. Then I turned around and saw that Lizzie, my little dog, had followed us up the hill. This is a no-no! She is too young and adventuresome and I don't want her wandering off after a deer or wild turkey and get lost, or worse case scenario, eaten by a coyote. Because I didn't want to have to worry about her, we did a short ride then headed back. Lizzie kept running off to chase chipmunks in the woods and I'd have to whistle and call for her to stay close. Luckily the horses are use to that little white dog being under their feet and they cared less she was with us.

The weather looks to be good next week and I hope to get more rides in! Both of my horses hooves were wet and their frogs are peeling something awful. Loretta's were worse, I need to keep an eye on them they were peeling back towards the bulb. The farrier will be out in a few weeks to pull shoes and trim for the winter.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend!! Next time, I will share some autumn goodness with you!!

xo, Ranch Girl

Being a Vendor

2011-10-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Boy, I have a lot to learn about being a vendor at a Festival, but I am very excited to say that I LOVED the experience!

Getting up at the crack of dawn....not so much.

Unloading and unpacking merchandise.....not so much.

Displaying merchandise ~LOVE~ this part of it!

I packed a lunch and snacks to eat but hardly ate (not good.)

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!

I am excited to do more of this off and on when it works with my schedule. Here are some photos that show my booth. I got so many nice compliments on how well my jewelry was displayed~ being the first time I have ever done this myself, I was glowing from the compliments!

Green nugget necklace I am wearing was made by me, the gold tassle one is a vintage find.

Found this cabinet in the barn at the ranch~ perfect chippy yellow color! Made a great jewelry and knick-knack display!

Pillow made from a burlap bag and a cool winged heart with bling (from a pair of kid's jeans found at the Goodwill!)

Ranch Boy and I found this old window pane in the barn. It already had screws on each side, I had the idea of fashioning an old leather rein as the hanging strap. I added nails across the top to hang necklaces on.

My table runners are drop cloths from Lowe's Home Improvement store. The red striped one I made into a drop-cloth style runner using fabric paint.

The little strawberry plates found a new home!

This old gardner's caddy was a find at a flea market last summer for $10, I knew it'd be perfect for displaying my leather cuffs.

Remember the potted herbs? I turned an old table leg and a rusted lampshade frame into a jewelry display by sticking it in the pot!

I have posted a few more items on my Etsy shop, and will be loading a lot more after this coming weekend!

We've had quite a bit of rain here so I have had little horse time. Luckily while I was vendoring last weekend, Loretta's previous owner was able to ride her both days so my little mare got some exercise.

I hope you are all welcoming a little autumn in your life this week!

xo~ Ranch Girl

To Grandmother's House I Went

2011-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

What I love about going to my Nana's house~

her homemade potato soup
playing cribbage with my grandpa
using Nana's laptop for a marathon browsing session~ her Internet is much faster then mine!
the candy jar (more specifically~ the Recess Peanut Butter Cups)
her fridge in the carport (more specifically~ the soda pop)
the Yorkies (more specifically~ Sassie and Sadie)
spending time with my family

I had a great time helping Tara set up for the Country Chicks harvest show. Here is a sneak peak of her booth (sorry for the sketchy photo quality in this post I forgot my camera and had to use my Blackberry!)

And lordy~ look at all the pumpkins I bought!

Just kidding.

But I did find some fun cowboy signs among the vendors!

I didn't come home with one because I just didn't need one. Want and need~ two things I have to work on.

The only thing I don't like about going to Nana's house is that I had to leave Ranch Boy and my ponies and my doggies for a few days.......I couldn't wait to get home and give them all hugs and kisses! I don't know how Paint Girl does it and leaves for horse shows for a month!

p.s. I am going to be a vendor at a harvest festival in the coming week and I am super busy working on projects. I can't wait to show you how it is all coming together, but here is Lizzy checking out one of my display pieces!

xo~ Ranch Girl

Happy Ending

2011-09-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that My Boy and Loretta are now buddies! My patience with letting them get to know each other slowly over the fence paid off.

After a few days of giving them "playdates" together for a few hours a day in the corral, I finally saw them mutually grooming each other. It was the sign I was looking for and I fed them together that night.

There were no problems, they even ate their own grain out of their own tubs and shared a pile of hay.

This is such a relief. I like that My Boy has interaction with another horse, he has been alone for so many years and I often felt bad for him, like he was a bit bored throughout the day. I compare it to having an older dog and then getting a younger puppy in the family- I think it keeps the older one more active and makes life more interesting for them.

I will say that My Boy is the more dominant one in the relationship, but I haven't noticed him being aggressive.

My Boy waiting to get saddled for a ride. I love how our dog likes to lay in the shade the horses make! By the way, My Boy looks downhill here because some of the horses have pawed at the hitching post making it slope downward.

Loretta has been so great on our trail rides. She walks out so well. My Boy actually is a bit pokey and doesn't do a great job keeping up with her (although he's always faster on the way home........) I am loving both of my horses so much right now and have not regretted one second bringing Loretta into the family!

Loretta was a little spooky walking by this flatbed truck. Until she discovered it was covered with hay scraps, which she was more than willing to clean up for us!

The days are getting shorter. I can't believe it's dark by 7:30, and it's been harder to get up in the morning. The ponies are getting their thicker winter coats. The leaves are starting to change and some are already falling.......and I can't wait to bundle up and get some good autumn rides in October!

Oh, and I'm so excited for pumpkin spice lattes!

Enjoy your last weekend of September, everyone!

Ranch Girl

It's Hunting Season!

2011-09-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Some people are hunting.....I'm job hunting. And starting to think about Christmas shopping. Guess what everyone I know is getting this year??

Notice who is in the background??

Speaking of which, I finally got my Etsy shop up and running! Check it out at:

Rockin Heart Jewelry and Vintage Finds

I listed a leather cuff just to practice how to do it and lo and behold, I got an email that it sold! I was so excited.

I will have more merchandise listed mid-October. I am hanging on to my items for now as I am hoping to be a vendor at a local harvest festival the first of October.

Back to the hunting......my friend and I went trail riding yesterday. It is so great to have two horses and be able to take friends riding! We were quite the fashionistas in our lovely orange vests (because it is hunting season and safety is important!) My friend rode My Boy. She hadn't ridden in a while and did great with him. She even loped him in the arena when we got back! I was proud of my boy for taking such good care of my friend. Not many people have ridden my horse, other than Paint Girl, in the past 4 years!

I rode Loretta. I have to tell you, I am very happy with how she is as a trail horse. This was our second trail ride this week. The last one we went out with 3 other horses and rode off trail to visit friends. It was about a 2.5 hour round trip and she did so good, I think better than all three of the other horses! She led a lot of the way but was okay when not leading. We only found one thing to work on- puddles. It had rained the day before and the reflective shiny puddles were making her spooky. Oh boy, next spring is going to be fun!

Lo and My Boy bonding before and after the trail ride.

As good as she is on the trail, I want to continue her foundation in the arena, as that is where all things start. We loped a little yesterday after the ride but just down the rail (which wasn't really "down the rail" as she went crooked towards the middle of the arena and towards the horses walking on the other side.) More work in the arena loping alone and just letting her lope out forward and not worrying right now about staying straight will be good.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Ranch Girl 

Chilly Temps and First Rides

2011-09-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

The other night I told Ranch Boy I wanted him to take some photos of Loretta and I.

Well, there was something in the air that happens this time of year. I was going to ride her, but there was a cold wind picking up and it was getting late (and close to feeding time) so I bagged that idea.

I got out Loretta. She was wired. My Boy galloped and bucked around the corral as I led her to the hitching area. Loretta was a little spooky and not listening to me and walking all over me. Thank goodness I had decided not to ride. The weather completely changed that night, super cold and overcast. I think horses are great barometers for telling you when a storm is coming!

I groomed her and took her into the arena to do some work on the 14 ft. line. Right off the bat she leaped up into the air and started loping in a small circle. Luckily I was able to hold her, my new Buck Brannaman rope halter is awesome and just has great control on her head. We worked on circles both directions, whoa, and facing up. Finally she got some of her sails down and I took her out to the big field for the photos.

We were losing daylight fast. I love the late afternoon sunlight before sunset for photography.

I have ridden Loretta two times since I've had her. She is doing so well. I am really thinking about things while I ride her (but trying not to overthink!)

This is what she is good at:

1. Whoa. She has a great stop. I am working on sitting down and asking with my seat before I even use my voice or reins. After we whoa, we usually back a few steps. She is back slowly but softly and is not raising her head when backing.

I think it is important that when you ask your horse to whoa, that you sit on them and wait a bit after they've stopped. Too many people say "whoa" then walk right off. I want a horse to relax, think, rest. Whoa means whoa, not pause. Try timing it. It feels like forever to even who and wait for 30 seconds. I usually stroke her neck or rub her hind at this point.

2. Move off leg. She is super sensitive to leg. Her previous ower rode with spurs. I have not been since she has been mine. I may start doing so at the walk and trot but won't at the lope because I don't trust that I am holding my legs still enough with spurs! I am working on "opening" the leg of the direction I want her to move. For example, if we are moving to the right, I want to apply my left leg and slight lift my right with a slight shift in my body, opening that direction for her to move.

3. Reining. She is learning to rein and "steers" fairly well. I am practicing a lesson from Ken McNabb on collection. I am trying to ride with loose reins whenever possible. I want her to stay soft in the mouth.

4. Groundwork. She is learning to back at slight pressure on the leadline. She will drop her head when I press on her poll/nose. From the ground, I am getting her to pivot away from me to the right by holding up my leadline and stick (this is practice for moving her shoulder.) Going to the left was a different story~ very sticky feet!

Goals: What I want to do with Loretta~

1. When on the line, she will whoa, but often won't turn all the way in towards me, or turns in and starts walking in to me.
2. Trotting straight lines. We are a little all over the arena at times. I am not worried about this now, I just want her to trot out comfortably, on a loose rein!
3. Speed. Right now she has multiple speeds. Fast trot, slow trot, surging, breaking into a walk. I am not expecting consistency. The most important thing to me is that she trots off when I ask. If we trot long enough she'll start to slow down.
4. Hooves. She lifts them well for cleaning (back ones are harder.) She has only had farrier work twice.
5. Spraying with hose. I sprayed her hooves the other day and she danced a little. Needs more practice.
6. She is getting much better with being sprayed with fly spray!
7. Loading. She has been trailered a handful of times but this will need work, she does not hop right in and usually needs some encouragement or another horse to go in first.

It is funny how you take for granted how good your ole 17 year-old been-there-done-that Appaloosa is! A youngster is in such a different place, especially a horse that came into her previous owner's hands with little exposure to things. I think this little mare is a quick learner. She has had a great foundation from her previous owner. I am not riding her for long periods of time in the arena. We are doing some groundwork, then about 20-25 minutes of riding. I do not want to sour her or bore her. I praise her when she does well (she soaks up a gentle voice and rubbing.) We end on a good note then we go for a nice walk after she's untacked and groomed, maybe graze on some grass.

Winter is around the corner and I do not have a covered arena to work her in so we will go backwards a bit until next spring. I am hoping to at least continue good groundwork this winter and saddle her so she doesn't forget the feel of a saddle on her back! I am not in a rush.

I am trying to slow down. Everything I do with her is slowwww. We groom slow and relaxed. I bridle and unbridle her as gently as i can. I think it is easy to create anxiety in young horses but being rushed and bumping teeth with the bit or jerking the bridle over their ears. It is good for me to slow down. I can get anxious or in a hurry. I have to make a conscious effort to think about what I am doing.

When I hop on My Boy, I know what I am getting. I have been riding him for 4 years. I know he isn't going to suddenly bolt or decide "I am done with this saddle and rider thing" and buck me off. With Loretta, she has only been ridden for about two months in her life! In the scheme of miles and time, she is very green. We will have to learn to trust each other! We will be doing a little growing together. It has been a long time since I have had a green horse and I am not a trainer. I have resources should I need help. I am excited about the journey we are embarking on!

Ranch Girl

Rockin Heart

2011-09-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

So, how did the name "Rockin Heart Jewelry" come to be?

Well, I debated over numerous names for weeks. The one I loved was "Flying Heart" but that was already taken on Etsy.

Here are a few of the heart shape rocks we've collected on the ranch or at the river. Always such a treasure to find one!

I had been finding heart shaped rocks in My Boy's pasture and corral. In fact, I had found at least one or two over the several years that he lived at Paint Girl's. Ideas hit me~ Heart Rocks.............Rockin Heart! It was perfect as I love the hearts and especially a heart with wings symbol (better suited to Flying Heart, but close enough......) plus I love the rock and roll vintage cowgirl gypsy junk thing........

It was cute, I had a little flea market at the ranch last weekend. Two 5th grade sisters that were here helped me set up my goods one morning. One of them found me a heart rock, and this fun shaped rock and did a little display for me!

I also found this great necklace at a market and had to buy it and is was symbolic of this journey for me. This jewelry hobby is a "dream" for me! I was so excited to see the heart with wings.

Can anyone tell what the base of the pendant is made from??? Hint: it is a "repurposed" item!

I have a few bazaars and horse shows I hope to set up a jewelry table at in the coming months. That is a huge step for me. I am a bit shy about setting up and having people look at my goods. It just feels a bit nerve wracking ~ will they like it? What if I don't sell anything? Have any of you taken on an adventure like this, do you have any helpful advice?

I just have to try!! If you're going to dream, dream big, right?

Oh, and I can't leave this post without sharing a picture of my new pretty girl after our ride last night. More to come soon!!

Ranch Girl

New Pony's Bad Day

2011-09-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

It's official~ I have a new pony! What have I got myself into?

However, Loretta's first day at the ranch did not start well.

A little background~ Loretta has been living at the ranch off and on while her previous owner worked there this summer. So she is accustomed to being at the ranch and has met My Boy over the fence previously when he is here too, which has been off and on all summer.

Her previous owner took her home last week. But when I decided I officially wanted her, she rode her over from her family's ranch yesterday morning, ponying another mare to ride home. After a few hours, we turned out Loretta with My Boy into the large corral (about the size of an arena.) My Boy was so excited and tried to make friends but Loretta gave him the cold shoulder and hung out next to the other mare's corral, unsure as to why she wasn't in with her.

After a few hours, previous owner decides to leave on the other mare. As she was riding out the driveway, Loretta ran up to the front gate to watch her go. My Boy followed her. The next thing I know he is double-barreling her over and over! Loretta is pushed into the corner of the gate by the water trough. I ran down to the corral waving my arms and yelling at him but as it is with these things, it all happened so fast. I think he kicked the gate combined with Loretta pushing on it, and the whole thing falls apart and Loretta escapes out of the corner. She runs up to the other mare and stands next to her as if to say, "Okay, I'm ready to go home now. And get me away from that gelding!"

I grabbed the gate so My Boy couldn't escape. We caught Loretta and checked her out, a few minor scrapes but no blood (I am sure she has bruises though.) We put her in a separate smaller corral. My Boy had a scrap on his fetlock. We put him back in the other corral. Ranch Boy proclaims, "He broke our 30-year old gate!" (I will have to get photos of the gate for you it is quite unique.)

I was so upset by what happened. I thought that integrating a horse into a herd would be much harder then just adding one new horse to another. I know horses kick and bicker as they get to know each other and establish dominance. As I just menioned a few posts ago, I see horses being mean to each other in the herd all the time on the ranch. I guess it's different seeing your own horses doing that to each other! It could have just been a bad timing of events, with Loretta's buddy leaving. For now, I have them in separate corrals. I am feeding them next to the fenceline separating them, and it's going fine.

In fact, My Boy has pretty much been hanging out alongside her corral since the whole thing happened, even more than he stands by Ruby and baby Howdy's corral.

My Boy is such an easygoing horse. He NEVER, in the 4 years I've had him, attempted to kick a horse on the trail (even strange horses) or nip or pin his ears at horses through panels or corrals. In the past before I had him, he was pasture with mares, and this past spring, was with a gelding for a month. He was pasture next to Paint Girl's mares for those 4 years. At the ranch he has strange horses next to him a lot and he's friendly or at least cordial or indifferent, but never aggressive.

Seriously, I was thinking I JUST got this horse, her first day, and she gets kicked and goes through a gate? I got Loretta out last night and walked her around the arena. She seemed to be moving just fine. I worked on circling around me on the leadrope, turning and facing when I asked her to whoa. She did really well, I know she has some round pen work but I am not sure how much groundwork she's had on a line. She is a different horse than My Boy- (other than a slight stubborn streak) she is very loving and affectionate.

Everyone is telling me to put them together again and it will be fine, they'll work it out. I am hoping to try putting them together again in a few days. I will just watch them closely and perhaps not leave them together overnight for a while. We have a lot of visiting horses at the ranch right now so there are a lot of distractions and I don't feel like trying just yet. Also, this will also give Loretta a chance to settle in and get to know My Boy over the fence. Any additonal advice out there?

I will have Ranch Boy take some more photos of Loretta and I in the next day or so and get them posted for you!

Ranch Girl

It's September?

2011-09-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Where did summer go? Hard to believe kiddos are back in school!

Luckily we are still getting beautiful summer sunshine. But I'm a little itty-bitty bit excited for some fall crispness. I can smell it in the air!

I had a busy Labor Day weekend of riding. My Boy led and followed on two large trail rides (over 15 horses.) He was a really good boy! I have never had my horse going so well in the arena or on the trail. He much prefers the trail over the arena (both follow his pasture, of course!)

Little Howdy is nearing two months old and getting big! His baby coat is starting to shed and underneath is some bright red hair. We still think he is going to be a bay. He is wearing his big boy halter now and learning to lead.

He is doing very well. I am picking up his hooves and holding them. He almost always comes to the fence for scratches and pets. There are still things to work on before winter but so far Howdy shows a good mind on him. And oh boy, is he FAST! And I personally think he has a nice little flat-kneed lope. But maybe all foals do?

My Boy loves Howdy and his mama Ruby. In fact, I'm pretty sure he thinks he's Howdy daddy! When he visits the ranch he gets to live next door to them and he thinks that is pretty cool. He's a good babysitter.

I had the chance to go to the rodeo. I love watching a good rodeo! The highlight was watching Lindsay Sears do a barrel run on her mare Martha. I watched a few runs before her that but oh boy, when Lindsay came out and Martha turned those barrels....it seemed to be lightyears of skill and talent from the others!

I also watched a western shooting horse event. Have you ever watched mounted shooting? It looks like a lot of fun! I think the riders with the fastest times make it look a bit easy. Firing a gun at balloons while running top speed and steering your horse through a pattern of poles has to require a bit of practice and skill!

Ranch Boy is busy working on irrigating the fields. When the water started bubbling up, it was like music to his ears. Lizzie couldn't resist playing in the water on a hot muggy day!

Someone is getting a bath tonight!

Well I'm off...... hoping to stay busy making cowgirl jewelry and getting ready to set up a small flea market this weekend.

Ranch Girl

Take Time to Observe: Part Two

2011-08-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

Last spring I had the chance to observe a bit of a clinic by Kathleen Lindley. Two weeks ago I found this book, In The Company of Horses at a bookstore going out of sale and was so excited. It was by Kathleen Lindley! I hope to ride in, or at least just audit, one of her clinics next year.

Kathleen was Mark Rashid's assistant for a while and this book is a kind of journal of her experiences. It is a bit philosophical or pyschological in nature. I am really enjoying it. Here are a few quotes from the book that I found thought-provoking.

"We don't think our horse has anything of value to communicate, we misinterpret what he's saying, or we don't let him finish his thought and then speak for him. This desire the horse has to communicate with us is one of those things that we sometimes try to take away from him when we're working with him. I know when I was growing up with horses, I didn't really care why they did what they did (buck or throw his head, for instance); I just wanted them to stop it. These days, I wonder why a horse is spending all that energy on that kind of behavior, when he's a prey animal designed to conserve energy until it's needed in a flight situation."

{photo credit: Ranch Boy's 5 year old daughter}

"I wanted my horse to move, to do athletic things, but I used equipment to hinder his movement. I knew my horse was smart enough to figure out how to open a gate latch, but didn't think he was smart enough to pick up the correct lead. I saw him gallop and play energetically in the pasture, but thought him lazy in his work. I spent so much time thinking about what he wasn't doing for me that I couldn't see what he was doing for me."

"As much as we horseman talk of 'partnership' with our horses, I feel like we don't really want 'partnership' in the true sense. We don't want to work with an equal, we want our 'partner' to be subordinate. At least that's how it looks to me, from where I am. We call our horse a good 'partner' as long as he does what we ask and as long as he allows us to hold the upper hand in the relationship. A horse that won't allow that is called 'rank', 'stubborn', 'lazy', or disrespectful.' But I think the very same horse could be asking the rider to do better, to find a clearer way of explaining things, or improve his horsemanship in some way."

Something Buck Brannaman says in his clinics, and in his movie, is that "our horses are a mirror to our soul." Funny how My Boy didn't want to be caught and in general is a bit stubborn. Sounds like someone else I know....

{photo credit: Ranch Boy's 5 year old daughter}

In thinking about how much our horses, and their behavior when we are handling and riding them, are a reflection of ourselves can be summed up in these thoughts from Kathleen's book:

"Because horses are they way they are, if we're serious about our horsemanship, I think that we end up living our horsemanship. Mark calls this idea 'horsemanship through life.' As an example of this concept, if we find we're not very patient with our horse, we're probably not very patient in the rest of our lives. If we are perhaps really good at sensing a horse's needs, we're probably pretty good at sensing the needs of people around us. Horses have a funny way of exposing the areas in our lives that need work, and I don't think that they buy it when we live our lives one way and act another when we're around them. I think they can see that coming a mile off, and they don't like it. When I began working for Mark, I sometimes heard him say, 'How we practice is how we'll go.' I think in part he meant that we can't, say, live our lives in turmoil and then expect to be calm and thoughtful around our horses. We can't expect to bring to our horses the skills and qualities of character that we don't practice in everyday life. If that's true, maybe the time and place to practice our horsemanship is not just in the two hours we're with the horses, it's also in the twenty-two hours of the day that we're not."

I hope you have enjoyed these reflections and thoughts on horsemanship and observing horse behavior. If you are into this kind of thing (and not everyone is, I realize) try reading Kathleen's book or one of Mark Rashid's. I think the more perspectives we learn about when it comes to understanding and partnering with our equine friends, the better horseman we'll become in the end.

I think at times we all feel frustrated, like we'll never be the great rider, trainer, horseman that we aspire to be. I don't think that I'll ever be great, but I know I can be better and build on the foundation I have. I can learn to read my horse better, to communicate my cues to him better, to develop a sense of feel and understanding when it comes to applying pressure and release. And most of all, to take time to observe him, understand how he ticks, so that we can find some common ground and have a partnership to enjoy for years to come.

Have a great weekend everyone. It's Rodeo time around these parts and I can't wait!!

Ranch Girl

Take the Time To Observe: Part One

2011-08-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

Not everyone has this luxury, but if you find yourself in a situation to do so, I highly recommend this:

Observe horses in a herd situation.

Trust me when I say a horse's worst nightmare can be someone in their own herd. Throw 30 horses together in a pasture or corral you will observe them treat each other in ways that will want you to call the Humane Society. On the horses.

It is the most thought-provoking and insightful experience regarding horse behavior. Just sit and watch them. Who hangs out with who? Who is territorial? Who is cranky and kicks and reaches out to bite everyone? Who strays from everyone and finds a quiet corner on their own? Who seems to be loved by everyone? Who is buddying up or "cheating" on their former favorite buddy? Horses are quite selective in who they chose to have in their space and interact with. Which I find fascinating~ we choose them. Yet in their own species, they choose who to get along win their herd. Interesting.

More interesting is how they establish dominance. I never understood which horses became "boss" over others. It is not always the biggest horse, let me tell you. This little pony ruled the roost and chased a lot of the bigger ones around (neither of these horses are at the ranch anymore.)

One of the most amazing things I have witnessed in the herd is how one of the geldings has taken on a partnership and protectiveness of the Appy gelding with a blind eye. These two arrived at the ranch within days of each other and buddied up before being turned out with the rest of the herd. But what I found most profound is how for months the gelding would stay near and guide the Appy around the pasture or pens, and also fend off anyone who came near him with a vicious lunge and squealing.

In movie Buck, there was a story about a 3 year old orphan stud colt that was quite dangerous and vicious. (If you have not seen BUCK yet, I highly recommend it!) This horse's dam died during birth and the colt was oxygen-deprived and raised by hand (and in it's owner's home) then allowed to run with a herd of other stud colts. I won't give anything from the movie away but I will say that not having a dam to teach him respectful manners, nor a human to do so, created quite a monster.

To be continued......

Ranch Girl

Fence Fixer and an Update

2011-08-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

This is how my Ranch Boy fixes corral fences, Jimmy Buffet style.

By the way, he is using a rock to pound in the nail.

So here is the latest. My horse is getting a week's vacation. On Sunday morning I fed him his hay, then started filling a wheelbarrow of poop from his pasture. As I was about finished I approached him as he was eating. I went to brush a pile of bird poo off his back and something about the feeling of my work gloves (or who knows what it was) spooked him and as he jumped away from me he caught my foot.

I think he stepped off my foot and pushed away. Immediately I felt burning sharp pain, dumped the wheelbarrow, went inside and took off my boot and sock to find a purple bruise on the top of my foot. Luckily no toes involved. Since then, I have been icing and taking Ibuprofen. Unfortunately I can only wear Uggs, flip-flops, or ballet flats. Nothing that presses on the top of my swollen and bruised foot! I am missing some fun rides this week.

Do you ever do something with horses and immediately regret it? I didn't need to approach my horse in the pasture as he was eating. I was wearing rubber boots, which I sometimes do when "mucking" as they are closer to the door than my cowboy boots. The cowboy boots probably would have provided better protection! Ah well, live and learn. Hopefully nothing is broken and I'll be on the mend and back in the saddle next week.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on me acquiring a new horse! I thought for sure some of you would be little mama's and discourage me from getting in over my head. I do have an interview on Friday so I am keep my fingers crossed that I on my way to employment (luckily I am still getting one more paycheck from my former school.) I would like to purchase the mare soon so I have a few months of good weather to do some work with her before winter kicks in.

Ranch Girl

The Roany Pony

2011-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

So who is the horse I was riding in the last post?

Loretta (on right) a bay roan grade mare (unregistered AQHA.)

She only has about a month of riding on her but is doing very well, gaining experience on trails and in the arena.

She has a great, calm, mind and a sweet loving personality. Her owner calls her a future kid's horse.

No that is not me standing on Loretta, I am not brave enough to do that!

I kinda fell in love with her from the get go, her bay face and white star and sweet expression.

And she is to be for sale.

And yes, I'm thinking about buying her.

But I am still unsure. Two horses are a lot more work and expense than one. And quite frankly, I need to get a job before I get another horse.

And because she is young, she still has a lot to learn. From the 5 times I've ridden her, I feel like we could work well together and I have resources to help me with her training should I need it.

My Boy will always be my boy and he is going nowhere. But at 17, with the arthritis in his hocks, I can't do some of the things I'd love to do with a younger horse. And it would be nice to have a spare that I could ride when friends or family visit.

What do you all think? Does one person really need two horses?

Ranch Girl

Horse Thief!

2011-08-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

If you ever get a chance to ride with my sister Paint Girl, watch out! She's a horse thief!

Look at that innocent look. She thinks she's pretty clever about it.

And what is with this using your Blackberry and riding thing? Paint Girl if you're not careful, My Boy is gonna snatch a bite of grass on you!

Wait a minute. If Paint Girl thieved My Boy......

Then who am I on?????

More on that next time.......

p.s. Thank you to those of you that found my Rockin Heart Jewelry page on Facebook. If you are interested in a custom leather cuff, please send me an email at rockinheartjewelry@gmail.com.

Ranch Girl

Rockin' Heart Jewelry- Debut!

2011-08-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Howdy friends, I hope you are having a great weekend! Mine started off with minor surgery. I had my two upper wisdom teeth pulled. I'd been putting this off for years! They put me to sleep for the procedure, the first time I've been under anesthesia. I loved it- I remember getting the I.V. in my arm, then waking up with gauze in my mouth wondering "have you started yet?"

My recovery has been remarkably easy so far. I wanted to share with you my newest venture! I have not set up an online shop yet but hope to in the coming weeks. My talented cousin Tara designed my logo for me (I just changed the crown to a horseshoe on the heart.)

I will share the story in a future post of how the name came to be. Anyone who has come up with a name for a blog, hobby, or business knows how tough it can be. For one, it's important and should summarize who you are and what you are doing. And it seems so permanent (ideally you do not want to start a business then change your name!)

leather cuffs made from "upcycled" belts

I wasn't sure the leather and bead necklaces would sell as well as the solid beaded ones, but I sold two the first time I opened "shop" at the ranch! This blue cross looked so darling on the gal that bought it!

These are just a few photos of some of my first jewelry creations. I will be adding more as time goes by. If you ever see something you interested in purchasing, please let me know by a comment on the post or via email: ranchgirldiaries@gmail.com.

In other news, I have been busy getting in some riding and attended my mom's annual family reunion. I always love these get togethers and I am looking forward to the Pony Cousin Stampede next week!

Ranch Girl

Bun In The Oven

2011-08-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Yep, Skyler and Okie better believe it- their cowgirl has is ~~in foal~~ having a baby. Therefore, no riding with the Pony Cousins this summer! I admit I'm a bit bummed, as I was hoping to try some fancy cowhorse riding with my dear cousin in her neck of the woods this summer.

Regardless, congratulations dear cousin I am SO excited for you, and even more excited that you are having a ~~colt~~ boy!

XO, Ranch Girl

The Sunday I Almost Sold My Horse

2011-07-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

In the last post I mentioned going to war with my horse.

Let's just say in retrospect it was more like a 5 minute bicker over who forgot to put the milk back in the fridge.

The real war happened a few days later, last Sunday afternoon. That was a 4 hour battle.

That is how long it took to get a halter on my horse in his pasture.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the history, my 17 year old gelding has had issues with being caught that has stemmed several previous owners that I know of. My former farrier even said he used to have to corner him in a stall and catch him to shoe him for one of his owners. I have battled the issue off and on for 4 years but finally gave up and just kept a turnout halter on him. I'd take out a bucket of treats, he'd eat them, I'd clip on the leadrop and that was that. He was none the wiser.

However, since My Boy is now in my backyard, I decided to start working on this issue. Two weeks ago the turnout halter had slipped over one ear. When I went to adjust it in the pasture, he pulled back out of the halter and broke free. It took me about 20 minutes to get it back on him, hardly a problem.

Skip ahead a week and I decided to just take off the turnout halter completely. The next time I went to catch him, it took about 45 minutes of driving him around the pasture before he gave in but I got him caught.

Rewind to last Sunday. Middle of the day, hottest day of the summer. I have no idea what I was thinking other than, "Gee, it's pretty warm, I bet My Boy won't want to run around much before he gives up. If it took 45 minutes last week, it'll probably only take about 20 minutes today!" Ha. Ha. Ha.

After 3 hours, yes, 3 hours of driving him around (me drinking two bottles of water and a Dr. Pepper) I was done. I could not go further without risk of getting heat exhaustion. I had My Boy driving around me, at times he'd face up and I thought he was ready to relent. Or he'd let me stroke his neck or even get his nose in the halter, then he'd turn and run off. At times he'd trot in a 20 ft. circle around me like he was on the longe line. I'd say whoa and he'd just walk on. I kept his feet moving, offering him relief peridocially to be caught. Truth be told his pasture isn't huge but it was big enough that keeping his feet moving at all times was just too hard on a hot summer summer day.

Exasperated, I called Paint Girl. She said to keep trying until dark! I totally agreed that I could not let him win this battle! But I said I told her that I just didn't have the energy in this heat to go any further. I decided plan B would be to not feed him dinner and try again later. If he refused, then he'd go hungry overnight. Maybe a hungry horse would be a little more willing to come out of his pasture to eat. Luckily Ranch Boy stepped in to try, fresh feet. After twenty minutes, our horsey neighbors who were watching the fiasco came over to help. More fresh feet and good horse experience. Finally, within half an hour My Boy gave up at his gate and let Ranch Boy and his mom get the halter on. He was dripping sweat head to tail. I had warmed him up, and they had worn him down.

Seriously, you'd think the horse thought I was shipping him off to slaughter the way he was fighting to be caught.

I walked him out, cooled him out, hosed him down, then moved him to a smaller corral on the ranch.

By the way, after I took care of my horse that night, I made pasta and sauce for dinner then couldn't eat a bit of it as I was pretty dehydrated and got a migraine from the whole stinkin' horse chasing afternoon. I ended up getting sick that night.

My Boy has been in the smaller corral since last Sunday. In this space I have been catching and haltering him with no problem. He walked away from me twice the first day, but quickly realized there was just no place to go. I think My Boy would do better being kept in a small corral, the catching wouldn't be an issue. However, I don't want him to be in a small corral, I like him to be in a small pasture where he can wander all day, nibbling on grass and keeping his arthritic hocks moving. He doesn't do well standing in one place all day, he can stock up in his hind fetlocks.

MB, pre-catching fiasco. In this photo, taken just before dusk, I was trying to capture the beautiful nearly-full moon as My Boy ate his dinner. Unfortunately, the moon was not showing up in any of the photos!

So after a few days of conversation with others, I've come to the conclusion that at his age, My Boy may never get over his catching issue. Past history has shown this behavior to recycle itself. Oh sure, I could try round-penning him (but I don't have a round-pen.) I already do a lot of groundwork with him and he's very respectful on the ground. People say, "Try putting the leadrope around his neck before haltering him." A leadrope does not hold my 1100 lb. horse when he decides he wants to pull back and away from my 104 lb. self. Trust me, I've tried it.

I think he's well-worth keeping despite this extremely frustrating habit (let me tell you last Sunday I was about ready to list him on Dreamhorse.com!) I can keep a turn-out halter on him and got back to the treat method. It may seem like a cop-out but sometimes you just have to pick your battles.

Two days after the catching fiasco I had the best arena ride I've had in years on My Boy. We loped both directions, slow and on a loose rein, I kept my butt down and was more relaxed. We even did a simple lead change (he can do flying lead changes I just haven't done them with him in years.) It felt good and gave me a lot of confidence especially at the lope!

Funny story to close this post on- I had to find a new farrier for My Boy when I moved him. I opted to use the same farrier Ranch Boy uses. When the farrier got out of the truck he took one look at My Boy and said dead-pan: "I charge more for Appys." Hee hee. Let's just say I was proud that My Boy was PERFECT for that shoeing! The farrier also said his hooves should be in much better shape after about 6 months in the drier climate he is in. Right now he is at about 5 weeks from his last appointment and already in dire need of a reset. I usually go 7-9 weeks. His hooves are in such bad shape I am hoping they hold up through the summer.

I still get many compliments on My Boy! Many people who see him always comment on how cute and handsome he is.

But I already know that, despite how much of a stinker he can be to catch.

Ranch Girl

Ranch Life

2011-07-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

It is great living in the country again but I'd forgotten certain aspects of country life.

Like the insects.

I love the sound of the insects in the grasses and woods (cicadas and crickets.) They hum day and night.

But there are the pesky insects, too. Like the one that just bit me on the arm while typing this post in the office! I have no idea where he came from. Sad to say, he didn't survive.

However, the most shocking insect I've seen was this moth.

It was nearly the size of my hand!

Please ignore my wrinkly, unpedicured hand.

It appeared to be dying, it looked like it had crashed into the side of the metal shop.

Then again, I don't know much about moth behavior during the day. I typically see them fluttering about in the lights at night. At least normal sized moths. I have never seen one the size of a bird fluttering about!

I will give you a My Boy update in my next post. I didn't get a ride in on him today as I had to help around the ranch. But oh goodness did MB and I got to battle on Friday! Those of you that know my horse can probably guess what it was about...... ?

And I am SO excited, I started making my western jewelry and leather bracelets! They are turning out pretty groovy and I hope to have my online store up and running by mid-August!

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

Ranch Girl

Fear of My Own Horse?

2011-07-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

In the photo above I am riding my aunt's mare for the first time. I have seen this mare be great on the trails, but have seen her go fast in the arena which made me just slightly apprehensive. But once on her back and heading down the trail, I was fine.

I left a comment on HorseCentric's blog recently about trail riding and fear. I had a scary incident on My Boy last August on a trail ride. It was an awful ride, actually. To this day I am still shocked I didn't dismount and lead him the 2 hours home rather than stay on his very unsafe back. I attribute the bad ride to faulty equipment because I have not had those issues on a trail ride since. Regardless, every time I go out I am a little on edge.... will that behavior resurface?

I was telling Ranch Boy the other day that I actually feel safer riding ranch horses, or riding horses I don't know. Why is this? I will try to explain it. My Boy is my horse. Any behavior problems or changes are mine, to find the cause of and deal with. If My Boy starts tossing me on the trails, I have to sort out why, get on his back again, or find a trainer to help me. It is a huge responsibility, and it is mine. Let me clarify that I am not afraid to ride my horse and I don't sit up there an anxious mess!

When I am riding other people's horses, I am putting faith in that they are saying the horse is safe and won't hurt me. And if I have a great ride, then great. If I were to have an awful ride and get tossed or scared? Well, I never have to ride that horse again, right? I can say thank you very much for the ride, but I didn't like that horse and I'll pass on that one next time.

Ranch Boy and I on a trail ride in California. You will notice on this blog that RB and I are wearing helmets 99.5% of the time we ride. It is his story to tell by RB sustained a serious head injury from a fall from a horse when he was a teenager so a helmet is a necessity. For me, it's just a personal choice to save my brain. By the way, check out the mane on RB's horse! Woo-ee! It was a windy day!

I'm not saying every little thing a horse might do out of the norm scares me. For example, I will ride a horse again if once in a while he spooks at a deer on the trails. I'm talking about a horse that exhibits dangerous behavior such as bucking, bolting, rearing, or just being completely unresponsive and generally out of control.

I'm riding a large variety of horses these days and I am learning a lot about myself and horses in general. Fear is a funny thing, isn't it? Some people seem to crave that adrenaline, that edge of fear. They want to ride all the challenging horses, the crazy ones. I recently read in a journal I kept as a teenager that my pony was being prancy and jiggy on the trails and that "I loved it." Nowadays, I don't love that behavior.

It's just not my thing. I've always played it a bit safe. I like my bones, I've yet to break one. I'm okay not being a huge risk-taker when it comes to horses. I still have fun. I enjoy my moments in the saddle. I challenge myself and constantly learn, such as when I took saddleseat lessons two years ago on high-stepping Saddlebreds in a very flat saddle. And even playing it safe, there are no guarantees that something won't happen with any horse I ride. I am not unrealistic.

I am going to try to find a mobile instructor to give me some lessons this summer, and I'm saving up to participate in a clinic. I think I will benefit from some professional advice on my own horse, and someone to really push me and help me grow in my confidence.

What kind of rider are you and how does fear play into your experience with horses?

Ranch Girl

Little Helpers

2011-07-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

There is never a shortage of little helpers around the ranch.

Mending fence. Notice the dogs are trying to help, too.

Feeding My Boy his grain (this is Ranch Boy's daughter's favorite job.)

Picking rocks.

There is nothing like growing up around a ranch!

Ranch Girl

New Breed of Hunter Jumper

2011-07-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

That pretty Pinto in the last post, what had him so intrigued??

Well, Ranch Boy's mom told us the other night to bring out the camera and capture some of the mightly elk bulls that were grazing in the horse pasture.

One by one they wandered through the pasture, jumped the fence, crossed the driveway, jumped another fence, then wandered towards the hills.

They were pretty amazing, I have seen elk but have never seen any with racks like this! Cars were stopping on the road to gawk (drool?)

Have you ever been hunting? I just don't think I could take down one of these majestic beasts for sport. When it comes to "game", I think I'll draw the line at fishing.

We're lucky enough to see quite a few elk on our trail rides. Along with deer, hawks, owls, wild turkeys, and occasionally a coyote.

Adios, elk bums!

Ranch Girl

A Pinto for Paint Girl

2011-07-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Paint Girl has always had a fondness for bay Pintos, so I snapped these photos for my hard-working show groom sister who is finally on a little hiatus from work! This was a horse that was at the ranch a week ago. I have no idea what breed of horse he was.

Any ideas?

He was watching something pretty interesting out in the big field.

I will share photos of what he was looking at in my next post.........

What is your favorite coloring of a Pinto or Paint?

Ranch Girl

Howdy~ Welcome to the World!

2011-07-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Normally scheduled programming has been interrupted around the ranch this morning~

What has all the geldings so intrigued??

Yep, the foal has arrived!!

Everyone is doing well. Mom still needs to pass the afterbirth. Foal had his first poops, nursing, little bucks, lope, and is now napping in the straw.

Ranch Boy getting ready to help his mom with foal's enema, first shot, etc.....

Getting to know "Howdy" (they are so easy when they are this little...)

It's a colt, bay, born around 7:30 a.m. I will filter through the contest entries later to see if anyone guessed correctly! More details and photos to follow, the veterinarian is on his way.

UPDATE~ We have a contest winner!! Kritter Keeper at Farm Tails. I love her blog, go check it out if you haven't already!! Ranch Boy and I will begin working on the barnwood frame in the next few weeks and get it out to you!!!!

Ranch Girl

New Cowpokes in Town

2011-07-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

Do these cowpokes look at all familiar?

Is there anything this couple doesn't look good in?

Pictures of the royal couple during their visit to Calgary for the Stampede, via Google images.

Woo-hoo!

I hope you are all having a woo-hoo weekend!

Ranch Girl

Someone's Gotta Do It

2011-07-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a pretty efficient, capable Ranch Girl. For example, I can clean my horse's trough.

It was time to get My Boy his own trough (he'd been borrowing one from the ranch.)

YOU- yes you My Boy, are getting a new trough!

My RB cleaned out the metal one and set up the new one while I snapped pictures.

After this task, we brough out out My Boy. I asked RB to hold him for a second while I took more pictures.

It's a tough job on the ranch, taking pictures.

Someone's gotta do it.

Thank you RB, for all you do for me!

Ranch Girl

You've Got A Friend In Me

2011-07-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

Who knew something as simple as the surprise of a tiny bouquet of wildflowers and my very own "Woody" doll could make my day?

Happy 4th of July to you all. I hope your holiday is safe, memorable, and sparkly!

Ranch Girl

p.s. I have always loved the Toy Story movies and have always wanted a Woody doll. Yes, I'm 40. Is this normal?

A Perfect Evening

2011-07-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

1. Saddle up two of the ranch horses and head out for a trail ride.

2. Ride through pine-forested woods to the neighbhor's house. Try not to get lost.

3. Arrive safely at the neighbhor's house, tie up horses to the trees.

4. Join party in progress, have elk steaks and wine and salad and cookies.

5. Chat with friends new and old.

6. Check out private resevoir on the property where friends are fishing for trout. Cast a few lines and get a nibble or two.

7. Sun is fading, time to hit the trail. Climb aboard hungry horses who are happy to get home.

8. Remind self for next time that a glass of wine helps one not worry so much about getting lost.

9. Head back through the woods and over the hill. Find a much shorter path home as the sun is setting.

Home safe and sound!

10. Turn horses out to pasture for their dinner.

Ranch Girl

P.S. Thank you to "Babe" for this ride. Babe is a bay Morgan, and my new favorite little mare at the ranch to take out on a trail ride. She has the smoothest ground-covering walk out well and I feel like we could ride for days!

P.P.S. Thank you to my Ranch Boy for not getting us lost on this ride, one of my biggest fears about trail riding.

Just a reminder about my Mystery Foal Contest! Go HERE to enter if you haven't already. The contest will be running until Ruby foals, which is unknown but will be in the next few weeks!

Making Hay While the Sun Shines

2011-06-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year that I love.....driving around seeing fields swathed and baled with hay! There is nothing like the smell of a hay field and knowing there is hay out there to stock up on and feed our horses through the winter!

I have some questions for you. Do you feed hay? If so, what kind of hay do you feed your horse/s- and why? I often wonder this as I have come across so many different opinions on what kind of hay to feed horses. Do you feed what is local, what is affordable, what your vet recommends? Do you feed what your horse's performance or health needs might dictate? Do different horses on your property get different kinds of hay?

I'll start- My Boy has been on a mixed grass hay for around 3 years. This has varied from a more "local" grass hay (which really varies from grower to grower and can often be weedy) to a higher protein grass hay from another part of the state that specializes in hay farms. When I first leased My Boy, he was on alfalfa but was very gasey. He can still be gasey but taking him off the richer hay has helped. A vet told me that he also needed to be on a grass hay as his level of work wasn't high enough for alfalfa. Interestingly, I noticed my horse has fewer "hyper" moments on grass hay than when he was on alfalfa.

I have paid anywhere from $4-10 a bale for the local grass hay. Hard to believe now, but a few years ago I paid up to $23 a bale for Eastern grass hay! This was in the winter months when local suppliers were out of the local grass.

Here's to a season of good hay!

Ranch Girl

p.s. Just a reminder about my Mystery Foal Contest! Go HERE to enter if you haven't already. The contest will be running until Ruby foals, which is unknown but will be in the next month.

It's My Fault

2011-06-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'll take the blame. Full responsibility.

If it wasn't for me, Ranch Boy would not have these chinks.

I'm the one that found them, I'm the one that made him try them on.

The shame. I'm so, so sorry RB, that you had to get such an awful, hideous piece of cowboy equipment that cowgirls just despise seeing their cowboys in.

I will try not to be such a negative influence on you in the future.

Yours Truly, XO~

Ranch Girl

Just a reminder about my Mystery Foal Contest! Go HERE to enter if you haven't already. The contest will be running until Ruby foals, which is unknown but will be in the next month.

The Cow Whisperer

2011-06-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this story with you.

Last month I took a small group of preschool girls to a farm. One of the first things they wanted to do was to go look at the animals.There was a cow in a field, chewing her cud and taking a late morning nap. The girls cooed at her through the fence, but she was quite content and paid them no mind.

We started walking to the barn and as we got to the cow's pasture gate, she got up and met us down there, probably thinking we were going to feed her. The girls reached through the fence to pet the cow.

One little girl in particular really enjoyed petting the cow's face. She kept talking to the cow. The cow became more friendly and soon had her head pushed through the gate to get more scratches. She made this almost purr-like moo deep in her throat. The little girl kept saying, "The cow is my friend. She likes me."

I have very limited experience with cattle but have never seen a cow behave like this. Most cows in a field stare at you through fly-covered faces, then spook off if you as much as point a camera lens at them. Of course, this was a farm where children frequent.

We left the cow and continued our morning elsewhere on the farm. However, before leaving we went back to say goodbye to the cow.

The children were at the gate, petting the cow, and she mooed softly again. We let them pet her for a few minutes, then it was time to go. The cow began to moo louder. The little girl began to say, "It's okay, I'll come back and see you again." As we walked away, the cow began bellowing after us so loudly, I think the whole farm heard her. I began to worry someone might think we were harming that cow. She sounded almost pained.

It was so touching, the connection of a child and an animal. I did tear up a bit, it was a rather profound moment. I had never seen this child with animals before, nor seen a cow this responsive to anyone. Maybe it was coincidence and this cow is like this after anyone pets her. I'll never know.

But I don't think I can eat a hamburger ever again.

Ranch Girl

p.s.

Just a reminder about my Mystery Foal Contest! Go HERE to enter if you haven't already. The contest will be running until Ruby foals, which is unknown but will be in the next month.

Spotted!

2011-06-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Why am I so excited?

Well, how could an Appaloosa-lovin' Ranch Girl not be after she noticed a new set of spots in the field when she pulled up to the ranch last Saturday?

I immediately had to check him out up close. The sorrel leopard color is my new favorite, a color I'd love to have on my next Appaloosa.

Of course, this spotted beauty was nearly too busy devouring his pasture dinner to give me the time of day, so I picked a handful of the green stuff to guarantee a pet.

This gelding, named Tigger, is blind in his left eye. He has moon blindness. This has always been a bit of a fear for me, being an Appy owner.

I love how this little gelding has loud color and a handsome face and expression! He seems like a character and I'm curious to get to know him more and observe how a horse with reduced eye sight manages life. Already he has found a buddy that seems to help him on his "blind" side (the bay in the photos.)

Just a reminder about my Mystery Foal Contest! Go HERE to enter if you haven't already. The contest will be running until Ruby foals, which is unknown but will be in the next month. Thank you to all of my old friends who have stopped by to say hello, and welcome to new friends, too. I am happy to get to know you!

Ranch Girl

A Welcome Back Contest!!!

2011-06-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am honoring my return to blogging with a fun contest for you!

There is a new horse on the ranch, a little sorrel Quarter Horse/Morgan mare named "Ruby."

After a month on the ranch, Ruby started getting fatter.....and fatter.....and fatter. Hmmm...... a vet check confirmed that yes, this mare is indeed very much in foal, unbeknowest to her owners. She was purchased from someone who was selling her for a friend.....you know the story. The fact that she was in foal was an "oops."

Miss Ruby will be foaling any time in the next month.

So here is the contest. Having NO IDEA who the sire is, this will truly be a mystery foal!

All you have to do to enter is guess the following:

1) What gender will the foal be?

2) What color will the foal be?

If you get just one of the two right, you will be entered once. If you get two right, you will be entered twice. A winner will be drawn from all qualifying entries.

What is the prize? Well.....my Ranch Boy makes the most amazing barnwood picture frames out of vintage barnwood taken from an old homestead. So yep, the lucky winner gets a handmade frame similar to the one below!

You've got to enter quick, there is not time to waste- Ruby could foal any day!

Oh- just for kicks, if you do a post telling others about this contest on your blog, please stop in and leave another comment letting me know you did, and I'll toss your name in for an extra entry!!

Thanks everyone, have fun! I can't wait to start filling you in on all the fun going-ons in my life!

Ranch Girl