Riding

[hardtailjohn]

Fall is a busy time around here. We've brought the cattle off the summer range (a little over 15,000 acres of grazing) and are counting and making sure we have everyone before the snow hits.  Of course, we're shy 2 first calf heifers.  So we've been  spending our spare time in the last few weeks looking for them.  We get some pretty good views of the area, so I thought I'd share a few of them with you all......

This first shot is on the mountain above our ranch. You get a pretty good view from up here of our buildings and part of our hay meadows.


 

Friday, we vaccinated the steers we're selling this year, in preparation for shipping. When we were done, Kate and I moved them back out to the meadows to be on the best grass for the remaining time here...better food = more gain on the steers! 8)


 

One good dog is worth 2 riders...and Griz is a pretty good dog!!  I think he made a hundred miles moving those cattle the 1/2 mile to the pasture.... he was one tired old dog that night!


 

Today was a beautiful day, about 65 degrees, so we made some miles, still looking for the 2 heifers.  Spent about 4 hours in the saddle today. One of the prettiest places around here is this canyon that Dad called the West Chute. Those Larch trees are about 2'-3' in diameter and at least 100' tall.... and if you look, there's a whole bunch that have been hit by lightening... the whole canyon is like that! Not the most comforting place to be riding if it's storming!


 

[Magicman]

It is interesting to see places that we saw when we were there.  That is a nice view of the valley from up high.   

[sandhills]

Beautiful country for sure, thanks for the ride John.  Funny you mentioned Griz, we had a 1/2 blue healer named Griz, one of the best livestock dogs a guy could want, sure do miss him.  How many cattle do you run on that many acres?

[terry f]

   Our Larch are just starting to turn, the only color change we have. Nothing like a three foot tree that's still two foot plus after 80 feet, and not a branch in between.

[LeeB]

Somebody please tell me what a first calf heifer is. Would it be the first calf a young cow has dropped that happens to be a heifer, or is it heifer carrying her first calf?

[beenthere]

or is it heifer carrying her first calf?

Likely this.

[LeeB]

OK now. I don't know why I never remember what I tell everyone else. Google is your friend. So, a female calf is a heifer. That I already new. A female calf that has had one calf herself is a first calf heifer. I did not know that they were still called a heifer until they have their second calf. I thought after they calved the first time, they then were called a cow. Learing new stuff all the time. Must get up to speed on all this stuff. Wouldn't want to look like a green horn on my 7 head cattle ranch.  :D

[Roxie]

Beautiful pictures!  Looking at the second picture, I can almost smell the leather. 

Lee, it's a hazard of the trade that they throw those terms around, like you're supposed to absorb it through osmosis.   :D  For a good time, look up the meaning of fresh, open, and springing heifer. 

[LeeB]

Got it, fresh=done, open= ready to get done to, springing=wants to be done with it.  :D :D :D

[sandhills]

DanG you're a fast learner Lee!  :D :D  That was a good one! 

[slider]

John you had better enjoy that 65 degree while you can.

[Magicman]

John has an absolutely beautiful spread. 


 
Here I take the reins of the Clydesdales and make a loop through one of his pastures.

He probably took the first picture above from the mountains seen in the background.

[thecfarm]

Yes,he does have a beautiful place.

[hardtailjohn]

Thanks for the compliments!
Magicman did a great job with Lilly and Daisey....in fact they behaved better for him than they did for me! :P
Lee...we do call them heifers until they have that first calf weaned. Sorry about that.
Sandhills, we run about 100 head.  We're going to try to get our numbers up a bit in the near future.
We kept all the heifer calves last year (23 of 'em) and will add them to the herd but will also cull a few old cows this Fall. We also kept our heifers again. SO this Spring and next Spring will be busy, as we keep a pretty close eye on the first calver's....sometimes they need a little "help" getting that kid out!

[sandhills]

Magicman, you have no idea how green with envy I am  ;).  Beautiful animals and country!  I know that team could teach me a lot, and I'd love to learn, one more thing on the bucket list.

[Magicman]

I finally decided to upload the video that Kate made of Pat and me with the horses.  I have never done a YouTube before and had no idea that it would take that long.  Maybe it will be done by tomorrow.  ???

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Maybe it will be done by tomorrow.  ???

I can wait.   

[Magicman]

Let's see if this works.  The first video is of Pat and I walking the Clydesdales to the wagon while John watches.  We were both leery of those big feet.
http://youtu.be/Yl04wUmygA8


The second is of me with the reins driving the team around John's pasture.
http://youtu.be/7gpzngjmTC8

Thank you John and Kate for being the wonderful host that you were.  You made lifelong memories for us.

[sandhills]

Great job on the videos and driving the team!  It's funny how you really have to twist those teamsters arm's to get them to harness up their teams isn't it? 

[Magicman]

Actually, I believe that the horses were the most excited.  They wanted to go.  You hafta constantly hold back or they would be gone.   

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

That looks like a lot of fun Magic! 

[WmFritz]

Great video's....
Now that you and Miss Pat are all trained up, I think you need to go back this winter and hitch 'em up to a sled of logs.

[Magicman]

We did take a good look at John's sleigh.  Nice !!!    

[hardtailjohn]

We love visitors!  C'mon out!  Magic, we'd love to take  you on a sleigh ride!!!  It is fun, Poston... it's good 'therapy' for whatever ails a person!
Ok...here's a few more...forgot to pull them off my dumbphone.  haha

This is our home, looking to the South...


 

We do have some "colors" in the Fall...and not just from the Larch... this is on one of our hay meadows...


 

And this is on top of one of the nearby mountains.... the Larch are starting to change finally....


 

Finally, here's my wife, Kate, with Jethro. Jethro is just a year old...gonna be a good sized boy! :D


 

[sandhills]

John I think you better tell Kate she's gonna have to grow up if she's gonna keep up with Jethro!    In all seriousness though, you have one beautiful place there!

[Roxie]

Jethro is gorgeous!   smiley_heart

[terry f]

   Sandhills, Granny had no problem taking care of Jethro, and she was half his size.

[Southside]

Got it, fresh=done, open= ready to get done to, springing=wants to be done with it.  :D :D :D

Ok Lee, so what is a freemartin?

[LeeB]

Got it, fresh=done, open= ready to get done to, springing=wants to be done with it.  :D :D :D

Ok Lee, so what is a freemartin?

wants
to but really can't

[beenthere]

No ovaries that will function.

[LeeB]

confused about doing it

[whitepine2]

[/quote]

Ok Lee, so what is a freemartin?
[/quote]
This is why you never buy a female born with a twin bull calf. Female
will in most cases be sterile which is called a freemartin.

Here's one for ya what is a ridgelin not sure of spelling.

[LeeB]

He's waiting for the drop.

[whitepine2]

He's waiting for the drop.

You got it!

[Southside]

Dogie

[LeeB]

been dropped off

[Southside]

Well Sir, nobody can accuse you of being "All hat and no cattle".  8)

[sandhills]

I call it a steer, just need a knife  ;D.

[LeeB]

Well Sir, nobody can accuse you of being "All hat and no cattle".  8)

Google can make anybody smart. I never heard of most of this stuff until now.  ;D