Magic Mushrooms ???

The pastures are filled with mushrooms. Are these 'magic' mushrooms? (They are in the sense that they appear suddenly.) What kind of mushrooms are these & are they poisonous? Are they harmful to cattle or horses? Is the livestock going on a spirit journey without my knowledge? Where is C when I need her?! I'd better start googling...

Ranch dog...

Quark the Wonder-rat loves to ride the 4-wheeler to check the livestock. If the cows or horses get too close, he barks at them ... as if that would intimidate them. Photo courtesy of Claudia of The Goose fame.

Boone's registration papers - or lack thereof...

This is my only non-registered horse, & I consider him quite handsome. His name is Boone, & he is a 'sooty' or 'smutty' buckskin yearling. Actually, he is eligible for registration as both his parents are registered Missouri Fox Trotters. But with horse prices so cheap, it doesn't pay to register. In his case, I would have to first join the MFT association, then I would have to pull mane or tail hair & submit for DNA analysis ($45-50 depending on the association) plus, since MFT has only recently converted to DNA, I would also have to run the DNA for his mama. She has her registration papers, but at the time she was registered DNA was not required. So, before registering any of her foals, she will first have to be DNA'd--so, there's $100 just in DNA fees alone, not to mention joining the assn. & registration fees. Small wonder nobody seems to be breeding horses any more.

Fall calves

First calf, born 9/14/09 to #730
Second calf, born 9/19/09 to #657, shown with Dad, #369, in the background.
And no, I do not have that many cows...those are just the numbers they came with at purchase.
I'm so thankful that I don't have any heifers trying to deliver calves that are too big. I never want to go through that again!

Growing, growing...

GM seems to be getting a little taller each day. Despite her independence, she still has to check in on Mom now & then.

Brothers

Dan (on left) & Jim are full brothers separated by one year of birth. Both are very well gaited, registered Spotted Saddle Horse geldings & both are ready to start under saddle work.

Castration

I always try to have the veterinarian castrate my foals according to the "sign" in The Old Farmer's Almanac . I have discussed this with several veterinarians, & the consensus seems to be that no one truly understands it, but there actually does seem to be something to it. For example, one vet told me that sometimes a horse will bleed excessively while at other times there seems to be almost no bleeding or swelling, etc. So, I figure why not err on the side of caution (&/or what do I have to lose by trying)? This month's favorable days are September 28, 29, & 30 so it won't be long. Unfortunately, Boone (yearling Mo. Fox Trotter) is cryptorchid - meaning his testicles have not 'dropped.' Therefore, castration for him will be a much more involved procedure...so he may be granted a reprieve for a few more months in the hopes that he will 'drop'. Since this is my first ever foal to have this problem, research seems to be in order...

Broodmares

Chinchilla, the small, bay Caspian mare, is in foal to Shovan, our Caspian stallion, for a 2010 foal. Betsy, a buckskin Missouri Fox Trotter, is currently open. With horse prices plummeting, we can't afford to breed all our broodmares this year.

Scary, but still hopeful...

I brought this hay home on 8/24 & 8/25. I was told it was baled on 8/16, that it was put up dry, but did get rained on AFTER it was baled; however, it had been curing for a week out in the field prior to my purchase. Upon arrival here, it was left in the open, unstacked & untarped with plenty of room between the bales for air to circulate. We did have to tarp it later as it looked like rain, but it was very loosely tarped & later mostly untarped. We finally put it in the barn on 9/04, so it had a total of 3 weeks from cutting to cure; however, when it was put in the barn, this is what the bottom looked like. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the mold is only on the very bottom so that I can just discard a couple of inches or so off the bottom & feed the rest. HOPE, HOPE, HOPE!!!

Mmmmmmm, good stuff!

When I'm in the field, the horses follow me; & if I leave the ATV unattended, they chew on it.

New day...

Smoky hinney greets the arrival of a new day.

Horse Sense

Horses are phenomenal about intuiting another horse's feelings. If one sees something, the entire herd immediately looks. If one gets spooked, the entire herd flees.

Here they come...

Three Spotted Saddle Horses & one Rocky Mtn. Horse come to meet me. Even though they are basically turned out to pasture & by & large ignored because they are too young to ride, they all still want 'rubbies & scratchies'.