Sweetwater Day 1

Today was getting down to business with Sweetwater.

I managed to touch her with my loooog pole.

I was able to move her massive mane out of the way to see her tattoo.   Guess I will have to actually look it up as to what it means. 

I can sort of approach her from both sides.  I was able to rub up around the halter. 

Looks like she is doing some shedding.  As long as I kept the pole along her top line she was kind of ok with it but got pretty touchy and jumpy anywhere else.   There was no touching on the chest, girth or flank areas and very limited on the legs. 

 For the evening session I added a long rope to the pole.  This took longer to get near her with than the pole did.

 After multiple laps around the lot she finally let me rub it around on her more.

I'm thinking tomorrow I might try getting the rope all the way around her neck.  I still can't touch her and if I am very careful 2 feet is about as close as I can get.  There is another trainer in the county that got a captive born horse and he is already starting to lead it and pick up her feet.  From all of the YouTube videos I've watched I think mine may be on the wilder side.  I know she is standing still in all these pictures but there is quite a bit of running around to get her to this stage.  Maybe if I can get a lead rope on the halter things will start going better.  Worst case is I will have to try to rope her and I'm really hoping to not have to try that.

She's Here! She's Here!

Today we drove 3 hours to Knoxville to pick up a horse.

 Not just any horse, she's a wild mustang.

 I have until August 26th to get her ready for competition.

 Along with the Extreme Mustang Makeover, others were picking up internet adoptions too.

 I chose to have a halter put on before they loaded her on the trailer.

 This was my first look as she darted out of the chute and onto the stock trailer.  My first thought was, "Wow, she is a big stout horse."  I was sort of hoping for a small scrawny one.

 Once on the trailer we could see she had a kind eye, solid feet and a massive mane.

The other horses got pretty excited when they realized another horse was on the trailer. 

 They lined up hoping to get a look.

 Isn't she pretty?

 She looks a bit long backed but it may be an illusion due to her sucked up stomach.

 At least she didn't turn her nose up at the water.

 If I ever get to touch her I'll have 6 years of dread locks to comb out.

So, she is a 6 year old mare captured in Sweetwater Wyoming in 2011.  She has been in captivity in Canon City, Colorado since.  She's had a big trip coming to the east coast.  So far I'm getting her to move around the lot, stop, face me, change directions, speed up and slow down but I have't been able to touch her with a 10 foot pole, literally.  I've got a long pole to try to work with her and she has touched her nose to it twice.  That is as close as I got today.  Thinking of calling her Sweetwater.

Wild Fail

Don't worry, it's wild bee fail not wild horse. 

 J got a call last night about a swarm of bees down by the creek.  So this morning we got up early so I could help him before work.  He was told they were on a little bush.  When we got there the bush is more like a tree and they were hanging between 3 different branches.  We had only taken some hand pruners but really needed a saw.

 Anyway, we gave it a try.  I had an extra super, frames, bottom board and top.  J set it under the swarm and gave the branches a big shake.

 Unfortunately, a large clump missed the box and landed on the ground.  It doesn't really matter where most of the bees go as long as the queen is in the box.  We just aren't good at finding the queen yet, so we had no idea where she was.

 You can see a bunch of bees on the ground here.

When the bees stick their rear ends up and fan, they are signaling with pheromones to the other bees where to come.  I thought this was a good sign until I saw bees back on the branch and on the ground doing the same thing. 

We ended up leaving the box, (I had baited it with some honey too) hoping the bees would all go in.  But when J went back later in the day they were gone.  He found the swarm on the hitch of a trailer parked in the field next to our property and gave up trying anymore.  Well, you don't know until you try and we are getting more experience.

Cattle and Goats

We are still working on some spring chores, trying to get everything worked and rotated onto good grass.

 Yesterday we were at our farm we call BJ's .  These are our fall calving cows.

 All that we needed to do was sort out the calve, vaccinate, implant and deworm them.  Then there were 3 replacement heifers J had questions about if they were bred so I had to check those.

 Quick and easy, 2 hours for 51 head, sorted worked and turned out with just me and J.

 Then it was back to the house to work the goats.

 We are trying to do everything that requires the barn before we get the mustang on Friday.

 Goats aren't too difficult if they want to go where you are sending them.

But the little ones can flow out of the barn like water through any crack.  We finally got them all rounded up, banded the boys and dewormed the nannies.

Now I need to finish reinforcing the barn lot.  The anticipation is killing me.  I just hope she is not too wild. 

Children, Goats, and Horses

Sunday was a pretty eventful day.  We got a surprise visit from E Saturday night.  She is taking a P/F class and she needed to make 2 quilt blocks and had no fabric, tools or instructions.  So Sunday morning was spent with sewing lessons. 

Before she left, she wanted to visit with the baby goats.  Well, who wouldn't want to see such cuteness.

Then J and I loaded up Otoelene and Brother for the first trail ride on the season.  Brother was a little "looky" at the start but settled down and did fine.

He did balk at this tree across the trail and Otoelene had to lead the way through.

Brother decided it was no big deal after that.

 J made a few adjustments before heading back down the mountain.

 We did spot this handsome fellow.  He had quite the wing span as he took off down the trail.

Then it was 2 miles up the gravel road for the home stretch.  8.5 miles in the leisurely pace of 2 3/4 hours.  When we are condition for the endurance ride we do it in 1 1/4 hours.

Then when we got home, this message was greeting me on my ipad.  Looks like we will be getting a son-in-law.   They went hiking and he proposed at their lunch stop.  I wonder if V even remembers the rest of the hike.

Just Kit Sunday #104

 "There's a piece of hay in my eye."

"Can you see it?"

"That's better."

Glorious Rain

We had so much rain in December when we didn't need it and none in April when we've desperately needed it.  Until today that is.  Finally, 1/2 inch of rain!  I'm sure it will dry up fast when the temperatures reach 80 next week, but at least there is hope.  

 I'm not sure this one enjoyed the rain much.  He was just born yesterday.  But he did find an umbrella to lay under.  It is very interesting to see how some of the nannies protect the little ones.

 Doesn't this one just make you want to take a nap.

 He found a good pillow.

There's not anything much cuter than baby goats.

Kid Count: 63

Good Fences #109

Our bee hive is in the corner of our yard.  We have been waiting for a day with the temperature above 60 and for the wind to die down before taking the top off so we could add a super.

Wrangler was very interested in the proceedings.  

 Looks like the hive is full of bees. 

J pulled one frame up to check on the hive.  It looked ok but he didn't want to muck around any more.   

 So he put the super on while Wrangler continued to watch from a safe distance.

 For more Good Fences click HERE.