Despite our best efforts at selling anything rideable on the place (with the exception of the Badger of course!) our horse numbers are not depleting as it seems they should. Thanks in large part to our keen sense of a great buy when we see one! Yes, we did sell Hank, Magic, Tex & one of the "wild" horses at the BLS October sale, Roman was snatched up at the NILE Ranch Horse Sale, Cutter, Buttermilk, and Quill will all be sharing a new home in Canada and I had to say goodbye to Billy & Decker after they spent the past 8 years with me, but we did acquire some new blood in to the program in the midst of all of that.
September brought us "Pitch" a 2 year old Ely filly Cliff was dead set on, she is the blackest of black and not a stitch of white on her save for the whites of her eyes, and a Doc O' Dynamite bay horse colt, I am a sucker for those little bays, who we have dubbed "Ruger". From Billy's new home I now have "Rooster", a 3 year old sorrel loaded with chrome and "Watson" a really nice moving 6 year old bald faced sorrel overo with a lot of size. Check out all their pedigrees:
September brought us "Pitch" a 2 year old Ely filly Cliff was dead set on, she is the blackest of black and not a stitch of white on her save for the whites of her eyes, and a Doc O' Dynamite bay horse colt, I am a sucker for those little bays, who we have dubbed "Ruger". From Billy's new home I now have "Rooster", a 3 year old sorrel loaded with chrome and "Watson" a really nice moving 6 year old bald faced sorrel overo with a lot of size. Check out all their pedigrees:
We also acquired " Tres' "from Ed & Roz, a great big 16+ hand 6 year old red dun gelding who we seem to be fighting over. I used him to help some neighbors ship and fell in love with him even though he was still very fresh and we discovered he does not yet ride double (either that or does not like two girls clambering up his sides!) not in the least bit his fault, but Cliff stole him away to help some other neighbors ship and he was perfect all day. Since Quill is going on to greener pastures he may just end up being my next go to horse.... ;) .... but he is for sale and would make anyone a a real nice using horse. He's been roped off, can travel those big circles or turn this big guy in to your next barrel horse. He's definitely a head turner. Take a look at his pedigree, you'll find he's bred to do just about anything you ask him to.
Up & coming in training I have "Cricket" - half horse, half pony and she is really coming along nice. I have just a handful of rides on her including two outside rides and nothing seems to phase this little wonder. The only incident so far was a small fit in the hay field because she did not want to leave the other horses, all the while Cliff laughing at me and my struggle with her, I'm sure I looked like one of those little kids you see at sale yards, legs a'workin as fast as they will go fighting with their ponies to go in the right direction, she got over it though! Broke her in to a lope and aside from the closeness to the ground could not even tell I was on a pony. She is such a smooth little ride and man, can she travel too! You'd never know half of her genetics lean more towards the stunted side, she has a gait like any normal sized horse and is pretty catty to boot! My plans to sell her in Feb. are becoming more and more hindered each time I get on her. I am aching to take her to the spring brandings, I'm certain she can show up any of those big leggy horses on dragging calves. We will see! Cliff assures me the novelty of a pony will wear off and that I will be too embarrassed to use her. I say nay, nay! Or rather, neigh, neigh.... :) She will be making her way down to our training barn for some winter workouts. Springtime will tell what this little mighty horse can do!
Then there's "Lasca", my little Dry Doc/Driftwood filly. She's gotten her turn under the saddle as well. Got her second and third real rides on and she did just beautiful. I have big plans for this filly, she is really starting to take off and grow. She is starting to move her feet and she has a real nice feel to her. She made a few little jumps but I am confident that if that is as hard as she ever bucks I can keep 'er covered! If not I will do my best to "not weaken" however she does not come across as one who's apt to swallow her head so I think I'm pretty safe. If I can ever get over selecting Badger as my top outside horse I believe she will be next in line, I don't think that will hurt his feelings any either, he seems very happy just being fat. Cliff's getting more and more horses and colts in at the barn to start and ride for clients, it's a wonder we can fit in time for anything else. With the outside horses in for training aside from our personal ponies and just added to that a big Percheron gelding, this should be fun! Count in the horses on the waiting list, the two mustang weanlings we just got in to work with, the pending clinics and we are looking at quite a busy winter!
Lots have happened in Cliff's and I first year partnership together, but we are keeping busy with the horses, cows, clinics and dogs.
The mustang weanlings
The Percheron gelding
Little Blue's first passenger!
Cliff working one of the 'wild' horses
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