Early Morning Ride

Nothing like an early morning ride before the hustle and bustle of the day and triple digit temperatures.  It's been too hot later in the day to do anything! 





Today's lesson:  prepping your horse for the ride, saddling, riding the roads, unsaddling and putting up horse and tack.

All went well and we had a most enjoyable ride.

Back home just as the cropduster hit the fields.  Awww...

Happy Trails...

Berte

Church PlayDay

We had to get the "horse dentist" out to take care of Red's teeth.  When we bought him a couple weeks ago, Red's job was ranching and I doubt he ever had his teeth done.  Probably why he's a little on the thin side...he's been dropping all his feed because he can't chomp down on his food. 

He's in La-La Land here. 

Here's little Kenley on Red waiting for her events.  She's just a talkin' to Red...

First time for either Jacob or Red to go through the pole pattern!  Wow, they did great!!  Great horse and great listening on Jacob's part!

    He was sooooo proud!!!   He's working toward a buckle and prizes for the playday series.   We think it's awesome that he listening and doing so well!
Happy Trails...
Berte

Around the Chicken House

Look what Jacob made for me!  Originally intended for cedar stays but I kinda like the rustic pecan limbs. 

The turkeys love it!

Jacob has been working hard. He rehung the hinges on the trap door to the chicken house so I can close it from the outside.  And Lucille is always right under foot making sure everything is done just right.  I'm hoping this is a "Lucille"...I'll show more pics of her later.

 These silly chicks sleeping on their sides.  The one little Buff Orpington will sleep on her back with her legs stuck straight out.  Still hoping to catch a picture of that! It's hilarious!

This is Lincoln.  He has already displayed his feathers. 

Two of the three 6 mos Black Australorp pullets.  I couldn't stand it.  I had to have something to start giving me some fresh eggs.

Now I'm hoping this is a hen.  When I brought in the new pullets, "she" semi-fluffed her feathers out.  She is much smaller than the tom and not displaying the same physical features as him.  Does anyone out there in blogland that has turkey hens ever have one that displays it's feathers?  I read online that some hens do this.

Happy Trails...

Berte

R & R on a farm?

 Awww....they've got it a little rough, don't you think? 

     With our oldest grandson here at the farm, we're trying to teach him how to be safe while here.  Too many animals and too many ways for someone to get hurt.  Well, it happened.... I've been trying to teach him not to throw his arms up when coming at the horses and he did just that with a halter and rope while I was standing on the other side of my mare at her shoulder.  All I remember is her shoving me out of the alley-way of the barn so she could get away from him.  When I came to, it took me a while to gather my thoughts that nothing was broken.  Back to the house I went.   Huge knot on the left side of my head and the entire left side of my body bruised from falling on my left side.  The right is also bruised.  Must have been the horse hitting me.  I thank God that I was not hurt more...it could have been a lot worse.  After three days of a powerful headache and aches and pains, I'm making it just fine.  Have to keep moving to keep from getting stiff.   ugh....
Hopefully, there will be lots of lessons learned hanging out with Grandma.
Happy Trails...
Berte

Happy Father's Day

How much better can a Father's Day be to welcome in a new granddaughter this week? 

I hope that all you Dads and Grandfathers out there have a wonderful day!

I pray God bless you and keep you so you can guide your families in His way.

Happy Trails...

Berte

Doing the Horse Shuffle

Remember me posting that my daughter brought her little mare in on my birthday so the kids could ride with me?  Well, she was (and still is) for sale but ended up cutting her pastern (right below her back ankle) which is the worst place for a horse to get cut...so she's still here getting treated and on the mend.  Vet says it's gonna take 6 months.  Joy, joy...

 2+1=3

And remember that at the same day on my birthday when she left this mare, she took Buddy's roping horse, Cinch?   3-1=2

Add back this guy that I went to Houston to pick up for my daughter.   2+1=3

Add this red gelding we bought for the grandkids.  We've been looking for something the kids could ride for playdays at church.  This guy is one of the sweetest ranch horses I've been around.     3+1=4

Daughter returns hubby's horse...  4+1=5

Exit the grey gelding...he's my daughter's so "adios"...  5-1=4

Whew! Are ya confused yet?  I am!  This has been a merry-go-round.... 

Happy Trails...

Berte


Donkey and Mule Show (Lots of pics)

This is my vet's husband showing one of their donkeys...this is Queen Anne.

This is just a big mule that I fell in love with his coloring...notice the zebra striping on his legs.

This is my vet friend's husband waiting to show their paint mule, Booger.

And these are two of her jenny donkeys, Ellie Mae and Sangria.  Don't ya just love the names?

This is Booger going out for the trail course.  This is what I want to do!  I told Buddy I'm setting me up a trail course out in the arena area.  So much for his roping pen...ha! it's going to be an obstacle course!!

Booger side passing over the rail..

This little cowgirl was showing her mini donkey at the other end of the arena on the trail course.  I don't know who's cuter...the mini donkey or the little girl!

These four mini donkeys were just cute...four little butts walking in front of me just screamed out "take our picture!"

A couple more mini donkeys...

You can't really tell the size of this little girl but if you look at the mini's in the above picture, you maybe can tell just how tiny this little 8 mos old girl is... her little hooves were about the size of a milk jug cap. 
  Gotta tell ya...I'm hooked.  We had a pair of mules years ago and, oh, how I miss them.  Mules have the most forgiving eyes. 
Happy Trails...
Berte

Calling All Turkey Experts

My turkey poults will be 8 weeks old this Sunday.  I think I have a tom and a hen but not sure.  The smaller one, which I think is a hen, just peeps and the larger one has gobbled when we're out yelling for some reason or another.  The larger one's neck is starting to bud out those ugly turkey caruncles which are already turning blue and red.

This is the one I think is a tom.

And in the bottom two pictures, is the one I think is a hen.
So...I'm asking all you turkey experts out there to tell me what other clues can give me a hint to the sex of these guys.  I pretty much know the first one is a tom but not sure about the second one...it's much smaller, only peeps and it's neck is not changing at the same rate as the tom.  I guess if  "it" starts changing like the other one, I'll know I have two toms.....lovely...
Happy Trails...
Berte

A Morning at the County Fair

I promised my 14 yr old grandson I'd take him to the county fair.  We got there just in time for the rabbit judging.  He was a little confused that the rabbits all looked alike.  But the real reason we went was to see a particular woman that always brings her incubator with hatching eggs.  Of course she came through with a wonderful display of hatching ostriches, chicks and geese.

There was one little ostrich that hatched out a few minutes before we got there. This woman was so sweet...there were about six kids standing around watching but she opened the incubator and asked my grandson if he wanted to hold this little darlin'. He was soooo excited. I even touched his skin which was baby soft. Very unusual.

There heads had the most beautiful feathers.

 She has a rescue permit with the Texas Parks and Wildlife so she brought these two beautiful fawns.  The one in the back is a week old and the other is a month old.  They both just stayed in the crate.  She told us that when they get big enough to jump fences, she releases them back in the wild.

                     Aren't these guys adorable?  I think God put them here just to be cute!Happy Trails...
Berte