Friday's Fences #92

I've missed a few Friday's so here are some bonus ones for today.  

 J was moving the cattle the the field we had just cut thistles in last week.

 This is actually one of the better sections of fence on this farm.

J bought more hay this year so we had to extend the hay lot out a little further with a strand of electric wire.
Click HERE for more Friday's Fences.

Rough Territory

Our yearling cattle are set to go to the feedlot on Saturday.  They have been on the "back 40" so J wanted to get them up and a little close to the barn.   

 After having such a good, albeit unsuccessful, try at getting the rouge steer up, he decided to give Hank another try.  Usually J is on foot or the 4 wheeler while I ride so both of us on horse back was a new twist.

 Otoelene was a little cautious at the water crossing but went right on through.

 There are lots of ups and downs out here.

 But the view is nice.

Hank did his job and J said he was much fresher afterwards than if he had been of foot.  He says he is doing everything from horseback from now on.

Of course it helps to have Hank the Wonder Horse and Awesome Otoelene to ride.

Thistles and Cattle

No, this is not a back to back "What's Blooming."  This is what's not suppose to be blooming.  

 Thistles.  They are past the point of spraying so now it's time to chop them.

 V has been helping J some with the thistle chopping at our farm up the gravel road.  V says she can appreciate her relaxing time better after having chopped thistles.

 She got a break while J swooked the cattle into the new pasture.

 He studies the cattle any chance he gets.

This has been the wettest summer I can ever remember.  Usually we are in the middle of a drought by now with everything turning brown and dying.  

This year we have more grass than we know what to do with which is a nice change for once.  Most everyone around here is having trouble getting hay up because there aren't enough dry days in a row.  J keeps saying it's going to turn off dry soon and we'll be in a drought again.  The other day it only rained 3 tenths here but an inch down the road.  I joked, "It must be turning dry now."

What's Blooming?

Zinnias! 

I love the ombre  effect of this pink one. 

I didn't even plant any this year.  All volunteers.  These are nearly 5 feet tall now.
Bumble update;  had to take the right splint off, it was rubbing and creating a sore.  Changed the left splint yesterday, she seemed excited to have it off but then depressed again once I had to put it back on.  She is still loose outside, I'm such a bad owner.

Cow Ponies

No pictures of yesterday's awesome cow ponies.  But the story is, we were missing a steer from some rented land.  After many phone calls, J finally found the steer in a pasture with someone else's cattle half a mile down the road.  He called the owner who said he would be getting them up soon.  J said to give him a call when he did and we would be over to pick him up.  Well, no call, the cattle were gone and he had turned our steer back out onto 70 rough acres by himself.  J thought we might try getting him up with the horses, so we hauled Hank and Otoelene over to give it a try.  No success, but if I may say, Otoelene did awesome.  Walking around new territory looking for a steer through brush, trees and old fence rows, she stayed calm and sweet the whole time.  Sometimes Hank would be out of sight on the other side of a grown up fence row still with no problems.  When we finally got the steer in the open he took off back away from the pens.  Otoelene gave it a good try and cantered after him but her western pleasure lope just wasn't fast enough.  Ok, enough about Otoelene's awesomeness and on to Pep.  

 Today we were just moving some yearlings to a new pasture but V got them out on her own before I got there with Pep.

"What am I suppose to do now?"

We did get to help push them on through the next gate but I think Pep was wanting to do a little more.  Her feet are in the best shape that they've been in a long time.  It seems like the shoes are working out so far.  We are also keeping her in a smaller relatively rock free lot, anything to keep her sound for the State Show next month.

Just Kit Sunday 18

Kit helping me the other day making the obstacles for the cowboy challenge.

Poor Bumble (Don't Worry, she's ok)

A neighbor came to the house Thursday to say he had hit Bumble on the gravel road.  She had jumped down into the road of the bank right as he was coming around the curve and he didn't get stopped in time.  He said she took back off up the hill into the pine trees.  It was not his fault and he was very nice to have stopped and told us.  He even called later to check to see how she was doing.  Meanwhile, J called me at work to tell me and suggested that I bring a sedative home so we could get her to the house.  

 When I got home she was on the other side of the big hill in front of the house.  I went ahead and gave her the sedative because she couldn't walk up the hill on her own.  (this is the sedated version, she was very alert to start with)

 Bea sat up the hill keeping her eye on the proceedings.

 J, E and Kit waited patiently until the sedative had time to work.  Then we placed her on a sheet to use as a stretcher and carried her up and over the hill (she weighs 103 pounds)  to the car and then the clinic.   J said she was limping on her left front leg and I could feel a broken toe.  Both front paws were bruised so I took radiographs of both.  The 2 outside toe metacarpals ( bone between your wrist and fingers) were broken on the left and the 2 inside metacarpals were broken on the right.  One foot is not too bad because they can limp but both fronts is a problem especially on an outdoor guard dog that has never been inside before.

 I splinted both legs and left her at the clinic overnight.  J and I also combed and cut on her hair for 2 hours while she was asleep.   I brought her home yesterday.  We decided to try her in the dog pen in the barn that we use for the baby goats.  This is what we found this morning.  It may be hard to tell but there is no Bumble in there.

 The pen is 6 feet high and the door was locked with a snap.  The window is every bit of 8 feet (remember the goats falling into the pen).  The room in the barn that the pen is in even Emma can't get out of.

So tell me, How does a 103 pound dog with splints on both front legs get out out that one?  The next choice might be to lock her up the the livestock trailer.  She is suppose to wear those splints for 4 to 8 weeks.   Good luck with that one.