Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

The Girl Scout Cookies are here!!!

 I haven't bought anything but thin mints for years.  One of V's friends calls us special to get our order.

How long do you think 2 cases will last?  They just came yesterday and already 2 boxes are missing.  I think the girls took them to have as snacks in their lockers at school.

Cleaning

There is always something that needs to be cleaned and stuff on the farm is no exception. 

 Today I decided to tackle the cattle guard.

 This one is on a downhill slope so gravel, mud, leaves and pine needles all accumulate in it.

 A small hoe and shove and muscle do the trick.

But it does leave a little mess in the drive.

That'll do Bunny, That'll do.

Bunny wanted to share a you-tube link of the cutest video ever. (at least in his opinion)

Bunny under arrest at Universal Studios Hollywood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR47eWPHsdA&feature=share 
Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.  And what a catchy tune.

The Steer Whisperer

Tuesday was the 4th day of working with the steers.  It's going great. 

J is a number one steer whisperer.  According to him the trick is at the beginning to not let the steer get it's head turned away.  Also, like a horse, they learn from the release of pressure.  Apply enough pressure to get them to take a steep

then release.  He then approaches and rubs them.

The other help is having a small confined space to work in.  That way they can't get much of a running start.

Next, it's standing tied for an hour or two.  To make it not a punishment, we give them better hay than they have access to outside.

Then some grooming,

a little more leading, by V this time.

Always under the watchful eye of the steer whisperer.

Dog Food?

I've never fed the guard dogs anything but dry dog food.

 Today however, I thought I would try to get rid of some nasty gluten free tortillas I bought by accident.  Surely, it couldn't be any worse than some of the rotten dead stuff they find.

 First, they had to scoot them aside to get to their regular Pedigree.

 Then they checked for any additional bites they might have missed. (we just feed them on the ground wherever they are with the goats at the time.  It's usually a different spot every day.)

 Finally, a tentative taste.

 OK, maybe this is edible.

Looks like I'll be able to get rid of the whole package in a few days.

Halter Breaking

V is showing 2 steers this year.  We have had them up and on feed since November.  The show is not until May but they are getting pretty big so it is time to start halter breaking them.

 We rub on them in the chute then put the halter on.

 V thought maybe the smaller steer would be easier for her to handle.

 So J worked on the larger one first.  He really didn't put up too much of a fight.  At about a thousand pounds he was content to stand still.

 The smaller one on the other hand was a bit rowdy.

 V gave it a good try but he got his head down and jerked away.

 He still gave J quite a fit.  J sometimes has a hard time understanding that a 100 pound girl doesn't have as much strength and grit as he does.

After a little leading it was time to stand tied and get brushed.  They had their second lessons today and showed a lot of improvement.  J said he could probably have them broke to lead in a week.

Saddle Time

Doesn't Otoelene look good with a saddle?  I've had it on her a couple of times and she has done perfect. 

 Usually I lunge her first, then saddle, then lunge some more.

 Today I decided to just skip the first step and saddled her right after I finished brushing while she was still tied.

Once again, no problems.  She is so accepting of everything.  I lost her attention a couple of times when the wind was really howling but got it right back with her continuing to stay calm.  I even put my foot in the stirrups on both sides and put some weight in them.  I've been riding her bareback some with just a halter at the walk. So far so good.