[J-L]

I’m in southwestern Wyoming at 7000′. Growing much of anything is a challenge with this short growing season. -38 here this winter, have seen -52.

Donkey’s will be interesting. Hope you post some pictures.

[J-L]

That’s too bad Donn.

I sure like my quirky mules. They’re so fun to work with.

Sad fact of life that our work mates die, sometimes too soon.

[J-L]

In my mowing teams I prefer my outside horse to be able to help turn. Even hustle around the corner. He’s having to travel further after all.
Having a team that is handy and snappy on corners is a big deal in my smaller meadows.
Having the right horses or mules on the outside of the turns is amplified when more animals are strung abreast.
Donn puts it well relating how both lines are important in making good turns. Coming from a riding horse background, I like to start a turn with forward movement (however slight) and check it back then signal direction, until they’re broke solid. This helps keep their feet moving and crossing over without tangling them up.

[J-L]

Two below zero this morning, wouldn’t you know it…flock of geese flew over the feed ground!

[J-L]

While I look forward to spring, it is NOT my favorite season.

By now my horses and mules are worked down pretty hard, but ready for meadow dragging in May. Cows are in fair shape, but hay stacks are dwindling fast enough to make you worry. We try to have half our winters hay left on March 1 so you won’t run out.

Cows are getting heavy and calving barn full of heifers at night. Need cleaned. The night calver is a grumpy old bastard who deparately needs a full nights sleep.

I can’t remember how many times all those birds arrive in April, who are supposed to be a sign of spring, with a couple feet of snow and sub zero weather. Makes it seem worse because you THINK spring ought to be starting.

You check heifers two or three times a night, then saddle up before daylight to go through old cows for a check. Feed, check heifers again, maybe clean barn, eat, snooze (hopefully), check heifers, saddle up and gather heifers to the barn, ride around old cows at dark. Repeat.

Then we throw in the field work come May 1st. Getting meadows dragged. Maybe put in some oats. Ditching. Fencing where snow drifts wipe out fence every year (if said drifts are melted by then). Start getting water out, spreading manure and fertilizer. Still calving some cows along with this stuff, and keeping the young ones alive throught the wet snow storms and cold snaps, and accompanying sickness.

Branding, sorting, getting ready to go out on grass. Herding cattle to various pastures. Artificial insemination starts on one herd. Then a break of sorts. Hopefully it involves a pack trip early July, and beer.

I give fall a higher rating. Means hay is up, cattle self sufficient, pack trips into high country for elk hunting, no bugs.

All this negativity comes fro lack of sleep.

[J-L]

I worked a horse yesterday that taxes me this way. Good enough horse but I swear to God he has ADD. When he is paying attention he starts perfectly, but that is only 50% of the tiime. Has to be gawking off in the brush looking for moose, studying magpies flying past, looking at cows, etc.
With him I pick the lines up, if he ain’t listening I talk next, if that doesn’t get his attention I will just tip his head in, sometimes I’ll have to tickle him with the line. The mare he works with is a gem. Pick the lines up or talk to her and she just gets the slack out of the tugs and is ready.
I have to admit he does better on the mower with the motor. For some reason he pays attention better then. Wierdo.
It seems like my mules anticipate a little more than the horses. Could be my mind playing tricks on me.

[J-L]

I use a team by myself feeding quite a little. At times we’re stopping and starting with me off the wagon/sleigh pitching hay (or loading sod in spring) so voice is very important and I reinforce it quite often. When I’m on the implement I will use the lines also.
This is something that I always work on and you’d think it’s the most basic and simple part of driving, but starting your team well is a whole lot tougher to master than most people think. It’s made more complicated by the scads of different jobs we use them for. Have to ease into a load most of the time, hit it hard sometimes, off the wagon with voice only, working with a motor noise and line cues only…etc. Not a simple thing!

[J-L]

And hello to you.

I agree with you 100%. With a ranch this size I have been told horses are not a feasible mode of power. I have found this to be wrong.

My neighbors do put their hay in the stack faster, get their cattle fed faster, get other jobs done faster. True enough. I ask ‘what is your hurry?’. I still get it done. Most folks completely miss out on the gratification of doing these jobs without burning copious amounts of diesel and without the satisfaction of watching your animals learn and anticipate the next move in their work.
Most folks are missing out, period!
We (you and us on this board) are fortunate to have this understanding.

Are there a lot of Clydesdale horses around your area? How about working cattle? Tell us a little about yourself.

[J-L]

Nice Donn. I really like your mule colt.

It makes me realize I need to try and take pictures. We had a gorgeous day too. Deepest blue skies and fresh snow. Had three bald eagles in the cottonwoods overlooking the feedgrounds.
12 below zero this morning though.

Thanks for taking the time to share.

[J-L]

Governors ordering people to stay home is just funny to me. Can’t anyone look outside and see what’s going on?

A storm like that out here never even makes the news. For two years in a row we had 24″ plus of snow on April fools day with sub-zero temps along with. Another was 40″ from daylight to 1:00 on the first of May, nobody heard about any of these and the gov’t never had to tell anyone to stay home. What is happening to common sense?

In the end though, I hope everyone weathers the storm in good shape.

[J-L]

I like the concept Carl.

As you say, not as easy as it sounds. When you have cheap (and mostly crappy, IMO) Walmart food around the corner, it seems impossible to compete.

On the bright side, you see many more farmers markets popping up out this way. They sell lots of produce, especially sweet corn (which we can rarely grow). It goes fast.

[J-L]

Understood, Andy.

[J-L]

I think you can’t paint all the old timers that way. I am speaking of the older ranchers because that’s where I am at experience wise in my part of the country. I know of many who wanted nothing more than to keep doing it, and when taken from the land whether by financial need or old age/infirmity, they withered up fast.
Some folks never had the opportunity at furthering their education and may not have known any better practices existed, or what negative consequences certain things may cause.
You’re right about it being a sight to see one of these old cowboys making an organic sales pitch to some hippy types. My dad sure didn’t think much of them, think he’d swallow his tongue first.

I forgot to say, I am a truck ‘whore’. I like whatever I am driving at the moment. Toughest I’ve had is my F350 Stroke. Favorite to drive is my 3/4 ton Chevy. The Ford is a 6 speed manual, Chevy is an Allison automatic.

[J-L]

I know the stats are probably accurate, but I know quite a few small ranchers and farmers that are full time. Including myself. I am sure we are a drop in the bucket so to speak. Nearly everyone of us has a spouse working in town though, so am sure the off farm income is correct as well.

I recently drove across Nebraska and noticed a lot of abandoned farmsteads in the eastern end. The ground is still being farmed, but the houses are empty. I asked about this and was told most of the time the kids inherited the ground and rent it out because they reckon they can’t make a ‘good’ living on the small farm.
I think there is not a huge segment of the population willing to live on a more modest income and work hard at it.
I am seeing it here in the ranching community as well.

How can this change?

[J-L]

Wally B and I are on the same page.

When I am having to do some tight manuevering, the slack comes out of my lines.

As Wally says, the horses will pick up on the routine and little to no guidance will be needed for some jobs. This is the beauty of working animals in my book. Usually your mower team will only need to be held out on the corners as most will want to turn a tad early.
When feeding cattle by myself I have to have animals that can handle slack lines without getting nervous. Many horse that have been taught to drive ‘in the bit’ get extremely nervous when there is no contact. It is quite a chore to get them over this problem. Most all of my animals will get started with light contact and encouraged to work on slack lines. It is easier to get them up in the bit when you need them to be so (just a little in the bit works for me) than the reverse in my experience.

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