Soapweed
Well-known member
This afternoon, I needed to move the only old bulls we kept over for the winter. The nine bulls were three miles from home on a meadow, and I moved them three miles west to my dad's place where Saddletramp had earlier today filled bale rings with hay. Then it was a three mile ride back home. Basically the project was a triangle ride with three miles per side.
The whole job appeared to be made to order for my new green-broke spotted horse, Gander. By riding solo, he paid attention to me instead of to another horse and rider. The first three miles took the edge off him, and the bull drive wasn't anything one lone cowboy couldn't pull off, even though there were several gates to take them through. It was just challenging enough to give a young horse a purpose, without being too challenging and bogging down his young mind. Before I arrived at the destination, ol' Gander had already let me swing a rope off of him, and I accomplished opening a barbed wire gate and carrying it around while on his back. I took time to visit a bit with my dad, and he liked the new horse. Then it was a brisk trot awhile, lope awhile ride back home. Going by the barn to go secure the heavy cows for the night gave Gander a reason to keep going and not go right to the barn to get unsaddled. All in all, it was a perfect little excursion for the young horse.
One highlight of the ride was seeing the first curlew of the season. Maybe spring is here after all.
Looking at the southeast end of a northwest bound bull
Back behind the bulls
Still snow along the creek
Pastoral scene
Grass on the prairie
Still grass in the pastures
Riparian area in good shape
Waterhole in the pasture
Bulls along the creek
Bulls going through tall grass
Bulls at their new location
Gander has the potential to become a good horse
Gander gazing
Fairly new Ritchie waterer that I'm not too proud of
Chintzy deal
I like my new adopted mother; she just doesn't like me.
The whole job appeared to be made to order for my new green-broke spotted horse, Gander. By riding solo, he paid attention to me instead of to another horse and rider. The first three miles took the edge off him, and the bull drive wasn't anything one lone cowboy couldn't pull off, even though there were several gates to take them through. It was just challenging enough to give a young horse a purpose, without being too challenging and bogging down his young mind. Before I arrived at the destination, ol' Gander had already let me swing a rope off of him, and I accomplished opening a barbed wire gate and carrying it around while on his back. I took time to visit a bit with my dad, and he liked the new horse. Then it was a brisk trot awhile, lope awhile ride back home. Going by the barn to go secure the heavy cows for the night gave Gander a reason to keep going and not go right to the barn to get unsaddled. All in all, it was a perfect little excursion for the young horse.
One highlight of the ride was seeing the first curlew of the season. Maybe spring is here after all.
Looking at the southeast end of a northwest bound bull
Back behind the bulls
Still snow along the creek
Pastoral scene
Grass on the prairie
Still grass in the pastures
Riparian area in good shape
Waterhole in the pasture
Bulls along the creek
Bulls going through tall grass
Bulls at their new location
Gander has the potential to become a good horse
Gander gazing
Fairly new Ritchie waterer that I'm not too proud of
Chintzy deal
I like my new adopted mother; she just doesn't like me.
