You are currently browsing all posts tagged with 'horses'.

Ah, those Indian Cows!

  • August 16, 2010 20:15

You are likely quite sick of hearing about our green grass, but as a final comment on it, let me just say that we had the summer round up a whole month later than we should have had it because of the muddy corrals, and, because of the delay and the rains, the late calves we branded were probably 100 lbs heavier than we had expected. Not a bad problem to have, of course, except that the little bulls were far too developed to be castrated, and so will have to be sold, when the brands dry up, in October, as bulls instead of steers – so generating a lower price. There is always a drawback, it seems! But even as I sit here writing this, the ones we sent off this week are probably being loaded onto the buyers’ trucks in Willcox, and on Tuesday we will get the check and see just exactly what they brought. Continue reading

It’s the Rainy Season

  • August 3, 2010 19:10

I finally gave up on my fat, lazy horse, Scotty, and sent him over to Grapevine for wrangler RJ to ride. RJ is not only a good horse hand, but he is also tall and much heavier than I am, and I thought he would be the best to work all that fat off Scotty. I don’t think Scotty appreciates the fact that this is all for the good of his heart, though – he misbehaved with RJ on the trail, and the other morning, before setting out, he put on quite an exhibition of silliness, shying and huffing and puffing at the water tank in the arena. Finally I’d had enough – “Scotty-o!” I bellowed, “QUIT! Behave yourself!” It was quite funny – he rolled an eye in my direction and immediately quieted down, and turned into a normal, civilized horse about to go on a trail ride. Continue reading

Rekindle the Sensations of Freedom

  • July 13, 2010 14:52

The great annual happening, the monsoons, are always eagerly anticipated here in the high desert, and the other day Danny launched once again into the annual conversation we all like to have at this time of the year, the discussion of thunder in the distance and the glimpse of faraway lightning, way down in Mexico. This conversation spans the centuries – I bet that the ancient people, who lived here all those years ago, were even more obsessed with weather than we are now – imagine that not only was there no faucet to turn on, but there was no well to get the water from, and, if it didn’t rain and fill the lakes and little water holes, you were pretty well done. Continue reading

What’s In a Name?

  • June 22, 2010 17:18

I’ve been sitting here, thinking over the years that I have been at Grapevine, and my mind went back to our very first guests. They were a young couple from Switzerland, by name of Annie and Urs, and they were touring around the USA. They stopped in here for a few days, we had a great time with them, and they left. When they checked out, they paid with a… Continue reading

It’s For Your Own Good!

  • May 23, 2010 10:40

Those of you who have been reading the Comments from the Corral may have been wondering at the relatively long silence from that voluble quarter – the reason being that I have had a bout of horse health problems – but please notice!! Your favorite horses are back and talking, so check it out, under the “Stay Connected” tab on the home page.

So to the health problems – my beloved, grumpy, but lovable Tequila suddenly developed a lumpy, scaly, nasty patch on an unmentionable part of his anatomy. I took him to our local vet, who diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma and said that he couldn’t treat it, it would have to be the horse hospital. So off we went to our special, much respected veterinarian at the equine hospital in Tucson, who confirmed the diagnosis and said that before he could do anything, Tequila would have to get rid of the sand currently sloshing around in his large intestine. As there are about 100 ft. of this intestine, you can imagine that quite a lot of sand can be carried in there, with the nasty potential of a blockage, and a painful attack of colic – horrid thought. So this naturally panicked me – I took him home again (and, as it’s a two hour drive to the place, this was a four hour trip) and we set out on a regimen of getting Tequila to eat psyllium pellets. Continue reading

Golfing Bulls, Appaloosas & Garden Snakes

  • May 2, 2010 16:32

I know I talked about the round up last time, but I thought I would share a couple of photos taken by Kristin – these gals don’t look as if they want to be friends any time soon!!

Following round up, two of our bulls decided they’d had all the fun they could stand here at the ranch, and they headed north. Somehow the fence at the northern boundary had got loosened, and they hopped through it, and made for Cochise. Luckily someone saw them, read the brand, called us, and we got them back home. It brought home the reason why it is illegal, in Arizona, to turn out cattle without a brand – it sure makes for good friends and neighbors! Continue reading

The Piñata Tree

  • April 23, 2010 12:51

I guess when you live in a place where time stands still – and I hear it does that, for the guests – then, by a law of nature, it has to speed up for the rest of us, right?? Because for me, it sure flies – I can hardly believe that round up is over, the calves are with their moms on the Flats east of the headquarters, and… Continue reading

Masquerading Cheese

  • April 13, 2010 18:29

It seems that every year the dates of the annual round up come earlier and earlier – or is that a sign of age?? Actually, this year the date has come earlier, as we moved our spring gather forward. Consequently we will be branding calves a month sooner than usual, and then, later in the year, selling them a month sooner also, hoping to beat the rush to market by the rest of the ranching community. Continue reading

When Horses Grow Old

  • April 2, 2010 20:28

To my mind, one of the drawbacks of having a guest ranch is the inevitable aging of horses. I always think it’s so sad that animals should become old so much more quickly than we do – witness all the beloved dogs and cats that one has had over the years. Not fair that they live a mere fraction of a human life! Dogs, popular wisdom says, age seven years Continue reading

You Mean the Game is Over?

  • March 26, 2010 19:15
Ount in the Country

Out in the Country

About two years ago I became a member of a very informal women’s group, and we meet once a month for the best of reasons – to eat! Hence, we generally meet at some eatery or other, and we have tried many over the years. An East Indian restaurant… Continue reading