And Here Are the Horses of Grapevine Canyon Ranch
COMMENTS FROM THE CORRAL
(Or straight from
the horse's mouth)
The strangest thing has been happening lately here at the ranch. The staff and guests have noticed the horses talking - not in horse talk, but human talk!! So we set up a tape recorder, and it was so interesting, we decided to transcribe the tapes here. We will update this page whenever they decide to give us their take on ranch life.
Excerpt from the latest entry on
16 April 2008....
“Hello, humans, this is the horses of Grapevine calling you….. and this is Skipper, your leader – What? Who said that?”
“I said ‘Says Who’ – and this is Comanche and I have the trumpet and I have had about enough out of you, Skip! By rights I should be the head horse, because I belong to the head slave, and I should run the trumpet, I, Comanche! My slave takes very good care of me, and she always says I’m the best horse, so there! So I will run the trumpet today…..UGH!! Give it back!!”
Read more of this "Comments From the Corral" entry.
Firstly, let us say that they are generally pretty happy horses. They have a strict routine of work and play – they work five days or fifteen hours, whichever comes first, and then get a day off in the corrals. After five weeks, they get a week off to run free on the “vacation pasture”, about a 200 acre spread, where they can graze, play, fight, run, and jump around – and be - just horses. Our veterinarian tells us that this week of freedom is very good for them not only to get their heads in order, but also to stretch out their backs and work out any twinges or cramps they may have acquired in the days under the saddle – better than a chiropractor, he says.
They are mostly Quarter Horses, with an Arab or two thrown in, some horses with Thoroughbred blood, a few Appaloosas – but mostly they are that reliable, even tempered, hardy and cow conscious breed, the Quarter Horse, the cowboy's partner.
Their colors go from a rare Cremello (a creamy light yellow with blue eyes - now a registered color breed) to buckskins, sorrels, bays, loudly colored Appaloosas, Paints, grays – and all are honest, people loving, sensible and hardy. They can take you on trails you would never think a horse could negotiate, hardly breaking a sweat – carry you to rugged peaks with 50 mile views – deep, hidden canyons inhabited only by deer, javelinas, coatimundis and rabbits – or teach you how to work cows. T
hey really enjoy cattle work, and you can see how the love of it is bred deep into their blood. You can trail ride them, lope them if you are qualified, climb mountains, or trailer them to distant trail-heads. They are obedient, lively yet sensible, and above all, honest.
Some of them have been with us for many years and are now retired, roaming the cattle ranch pastures by day, returning to their stall at night to eat special Senior sweet feed, happy until the day they're ready for the pasture in the sky. We feel we owe those that have worked here so long and so honestly, a happy retirement, and a dignified departure when the time comes. In 2005 four horses went to their rest, aged 34 to 39 – good, long, useful and contented lives! We still mourn them, but are comforted by the knowledge that their days were happy, tranquil and rewarding. What more can one ask of any life!
