Some good, some bad...

Spent the day at the vet.clinic today. Had to haul our little yearling filly, Kick the Cat. I mentioned before she got hurt but nothing showed on the x-rays. 2,5 hour drive to the clinic, first time hauling. A little pawing at the start but she stood quiet and patient for the most part. The vets think they found something on one of the ligaments suporting the pastern during the ultrasound check. Trauma there as well as a general swelling and fluid in the joint. Nothing wrong with tendons though, but this thing could take up to a year or more with no guarantees of full recovery.

She was starting to look really good too...

On the good side, I worked Brady some again today and he just picked up where we left off the other day. Great in the cowwork, both herdwork and down the fence. Really starting to rate well for my roping too. Was a bit confusing for him when we started out awhile back, not knowing if he was supposed to work the one we were setting up to rope or let him break off. He´s got an excellent handle and is really easy to possition and move around. No problem with pulling and dragging neither, just lowers his butt and diggs in. Good things accomplished today!

Photo Galleries!

Finally got some galleries from the Fiesta up. Please visit: www.4corners.se and check under "Features" if youre interested!

Bridles

Finished the last part of the hackamore to bridle series the other day! Was pretty fortunate to meet up with Pat Pickney at the fiesta and use some of his vintage spades for the series, Thank´s Pat! Great to talk to Bruce Haener too, he builds some pretty decent bits!

Look at the similarities between the Mardueno (ca 1880) and the Haener mouthpiece!!
Mardueno spade

Haener spade

Cat

Well, hell....sorry folks, but thats how it feels!



Kick the Cat, our yearling Wild Thing DNA filly got hurt the other day. She was a bit swollen in a pastern a few day´s ago so we had her x-rayed when we had a vet out on some another horses. The plates came back clean so we thought she just sprained it or something. Yesterday she couldn´t walk. She crow hopped on three legs and we had to stall her up. Trying desperately to get hold of a vet to have her ultrasounded. Not easy given our location and I´m reluctant to haul an inexperienced horse with only 3 good legs. She was a little better this morning and if nothing ells we can take her to the track and the clinic there tonight or tomorrow.

I might be jumping the gun alittle but it didn´t look promising, typical to loose my bridle prospect and having to wait another year for something to start. That´s what I enjoy most in this business, working with the young ones. It´s 1 step forward an 4 steps back at times, but that one forward is soooo rewarding! To see it click for them when they pick up on something, and seeing them shape into working, willing partners with a job and a purpose is what it´s about for me.

I´m just hoping Cat comes out of this ok, she surely deserves a chance as she´s developed into a really graceful filly.

This mornings inventory...

All accounted for, I think...
Saw some dots on the horizon I think was the yearlings. Haven´t messed much with them this summer, but they all look really good. Cat is getting more developed behind wich was needed, Diva is just BIG, but put together really well. Molly is just Molly, has looked great from day one!

Yea, eat the tub why don´t you!

Elton with his girls

Polly











Theese guy´s are back.

Pretty cool looking, no?

I think the fillies are out there somewhere...

Elton

Rest while you can boy´s!

Jup, more Fiesta!

Weston & Sage Albrecht

Sterling Grosskopf

"The Brand"

Judges Pete & Marilyn Bowling of the Oasis Ranch.



Luis Ortega hackamore!







Riding fence

The Cut N Rope, 3 man teams each had to cut an animal and work a minute, then a number was called and the team had to head, heal & frontfoot the cow, lay her down and tie two feet. Style, roping and handling teqnique premiered over speed. Great Event!!

Weston Albrecht

Sam Redding pulling slack

Richard Caldwell setting feet

Dwight Hill Cut

Bruce Sandifer lettin`er fly

Justin Fields, whatta you know, a figure 8!

Jeremy Dunn laying one in there

Jeremy Dunn scanning the herd

Matt Goodson circled!

Cow work

Just got back in from working Brady on the bulls again. Man, he was great! I´m more than pleased with his performance. Calm and all business. Rated great, didn´t over work them and pretty much held his own the whole session. Took one out at a time and cut one, worked another down the fence and circled. Ended each run roping the critter. No reata anymore so I used a 4strand poly ranch rope with a rawhide San Joaquin hondo. Great rope! First time I got consecutive Scoop loops to find their mark! One of the bulls has gotten real clever and is stickin like glue to the fence. Without help to set the shot up I figured I´d give it a try with a scoop-loop. Nailed it the first time and the second before he´d had enough. Brady did great there to. He got me close to shorten up and took pulls and trashes really well. I worked the rope alittle better this time and the poly slipps a whole lot easier than the reata.

The three bulls we´ve got here have been great for us. One is a little sour but great to rope as he moves slow but is pretty easy to manipulate and set up for a shot. The smallest one is cat-quick and really herd bound and alway´s challanges Brady but still respects him. Great to cut and box on. The third and largest is also decent to cut but great down the fence. Runs straight and true and also has enough respect to turn easy enough.

NSHA Futurity, Paso Robles

Today the NSHA Futurity kicks off in Paso Robles. Herdwork today followed by reinwork and fencework later this week. This is not called the pre-futurity for nothing as a bunch of the entrirs here will show up in the NRCHA Futurity in Reno in September.

You find the draws, patterns and can watch the action live here: http://www.nationalstockhorse.com/

Spent last night nursing a foal and fixing the bull pasture fence. They broke a couple of boards and one of the gates and were roaming free yeasterday.

Bosal core material!

Just got a heap of new core material for bosal projects this winter! :)
Reason being, I broke my reata roping the bulls today! :(

We were working our horses on the bulls, me on Brady and Annelie on her old champ Avenir. Annelie took one out of the "herd" and tracked and turned it a little. Avenir is no spring chicken and is somewhat stiff and turns abit like an oiltanker, but actually mirrored the cow pretty good. Showed some moves too when one of the bulls tackled the panel and rattled it pretty good. The old man jumped a couple of boatlenghts but stayed on his animal.

Brady was really good today. First in the cowwork and later roping. He was right on the mark when I cut a couple. Didn´t preassure him much but showed both style and some moves. Later I broke out the rope and had Annelie and Avenir set up some shots for me. Started with some sidearm shots and houliahans. Actually caught something too. Most of all I was pleased with a couple of backhands that found their mark. Then I got cocky and switched to my reata! After a couple of misses I swung and laid a beautiful houliahan on the horned bull. Brady rated good and was ok with me joggin after the bull to get short. Dallied a few times to have Brady feel the pull and force from a bull and he handled it really well. Unfortunately I was a bit slow there at the end feeding rope to let my dallies slip and the darn thing broke. Oh, well all things happen for a reason no? Guess I´m gonna be busy brading this winter...

Work, work, work

Our day´s since getting back from California have been pretty much like the movie Groundhog day. Same deal over and over again. Up early to kick the rooster awake, let the ponies out. Quick check of the pastured horses, bulls and other kritters on the place. Cup of coffe, shower and hopefully something to eat before rushing out the door and driving like a maniac to catch the 7.00 am ferry. To the office and spend all day "officeing". Drive like a maniac (if possible in the rush hour traffic) to catch the 6.00 pm ferry back home. Get the some horses caught and sadled. Work them a little. Rope some and maybe play with the bulls a little before heading for the kitchen and a late dinner and lots and lots of pics from Ca to work through.

Must mention that the new ranch rope I got from Scott Grosskopfs makes a lot of difference. If I´d used that at the Fiesta I might actually have caught something other than my horses foot... (atleast both of my horses feet instead of just the one...)

Ida takes every opportunity to rope and ride in the hackamore. She really tries and "daddy´s" real proud!

Need to doctor one of the bulls tonight. He´s got a cut on his back that needs some treatment. We´ll see if we can get him caught...

More Fiesta!

After working through the photos from the Vaquero Fiesta, I realize I shoulda left the lenscap on! Someone please remind me, you can actually let go of the cameras shutter every now andthen!Lol

I´m finally done with the photos from the Stockhorse classes, Sunday before last. In the Stockhorse you had a drywork portion wich had to include circles, stops, leadchanges, spins and backup. After that was the fence work with boxing, turns down the fence and cirkling of the cow both ways. Lastly you had to rope the cow and in the Two Rein and Bridle class, lay her down and tie off. Pretty cool deal with some outstanding horses and hands!

Scott Grosskopf in the Two Rein



Richard Caldwell, Hackamore

Richard Caldwell, Bridle

David Lackey, Bridle

Dwight Hill, Bridle



Jeremy Dunn, Hackamore

Justin Fields, Hackamore

Ida & Elton bit by the vaquero bug!

This is all Ida does since we got back from California. She promptly had me put 23 year old Elton in the hackamore, tied a kids rope to the saddle, and practicing on the dummy every chance she gets! Jeremy, Brandie, Richard & Nancy and all you wonderful people we met at the fiesta, it´s all your fault I no longer have my Bill Black bosal for myself!

Ida & Elton






Ida roping

Bruce Sandifer

Bruce was in a pretty serious accident at the Vaquero Fiesta last Sunday. He was showing in the Two Rein Stockhorse class and was going really strong when it happened. Here´s hoping for a speedy recovery and to let him know we´re thinking of him and his family.

Now this is a Horse!