Lucky Horse shoe #112

When we bought our current farm and acreage we had to have some foresight. Old buildings in terrible condition, an old farm house, and lots and lots of junk covered this property. As we started clean up, I started finding horse shoes...since this place had folks on it since the early 1900's, I found we not only had horse shoes all around, but LOTS of horse shoes...so, I started collecting and counting. The first few years here with the most productive. In the areas around the barns, produced the most horse shoes. And the funny thing was, they were all shoes that had been sucked off in the mud, lost by the wearer probably unknowingly. I found various types of shoes, a good amount of draft horse shoes, many, many mule shoes, and the rest just general horse shoes. Draft horses were used here years ago, to farm the ground, from a wheat crop to a hay crop which they brought to the barn on wooden sleds. Mules were later used by the owner here , as he was an outfitter. He took folks into the back country for hunting trips...and then of course, throw in alot of misc horses all needing shoes.

It has been several years since I had found any shoes. I was stuck on the total of 111. I saved most of them, and put them in our barn in various spots, used a few to make tack hangers with and saved the rest....but, yesterday as I headed down to feed in the evening...I heard that recognizable klink...a sound that one hears when they hit a part of a horse shoe...so, I looked down and saw an edge right at ground level. I took my hands and dug around it a bit, and my work revealed horse shoe #112! I wonder how many more years until I find the next one ;-)

Welcome Marbles

We are proud to introduce to you and give a big welcome to our ranch "CVC Marvelous Story" aka..."Marbles"....Marbles is a product of Laura Kinne's program, she has been breeding quality horses for a number of years. Marbles loaded quickly at Laura's, and settle in nicely for a long ride home. She seemed content and perfectly happy on our journey and has settled in nicely here at the ranch. Marbles' pedigree traces back to *Peter J, ABC -1 (f) literally the first curly horse registered in the ABC. On the bottom of her pedigree it is a fine blend of curly lines, and TB lines. Marbles is a smooth coat and is 3/4 curly 1/4 TB. She is a lovely mover, supple, elastic, with good suspension and extension. We are quite pleased to have her in our mare herd. She will be started under saddle, and there will be a fall breeding to our stallion. Welcome to the new girl !

A great Honor

As most of you know or suspect...I have a love of "horse photography"...presenting our horses in the most accurate and incredible light as possible. I also have a great love of competition...whether it be in my horses competing or myself competing my own photos.
Well...I have my very first "BEST OF SHOW" winning...for one of my pics ;-) I enter a few great contest each year, the CSI Equine photo contest is one of them. and......this year, I took top honors for amateur photographer, a BEST OF SHOW win! Not only did I get a really great prize, but I am stunned, honored and totally jazzed about the win. Photos are the history records of life. This photo was taken 2 years ago, when Kallie was just a baby foal, and has always been one of my very favorite photos ever! Thank you CSI for hosting this contest..and thank you to God for my talent and my herd.

Hattie's diary...happy birthday to me!

Yeah !!! Tomorrow I am two months old...a real mark in an orphaned foal's life, at least that is what they say.....;-) All my recent visitors have commented on how well I am growing, and some muttered something about being able to eat dinner off my back? I thought a flat back was a good thing? I spend my days with my 1/2 sister "C-C Heather" she knows I am really the boss, and acts accordingly. Mom takes us out for long strolls, some grass to eat, and good exercise...Heather and I like romping in the arena ALOT !! We get to play with the brother..."Dark Knight" some and sometimes Legacy our "auntie" watches over us. All in all, it is a very good life. I have cut my milk consumption down some, but Mom decided to keep giving me milk, to make sure I keep growing so nicely. Usually at 2 months, they cut your milk off, but I guess I am going to be waaaaaay spoiled and get some for another month. Mom says it is expensive..but she says I am worth all her effort and love. I guess soon there will be other weanling to greet, I have not offically met my other sisters, they stroll by my pen twice a day, once in the am for breakfast, and they again in the evening on their way back out to pasture with their Moms....life is certainly good around here ;-)

The ups and downs of AI

We offer *AI* as a service here on our farm, so that mare owners across the country can get some of the genetics of our wonderful, successful competition stallion....*Shadow's Hawk Spirit...aka..."HeartBreaker......

Every year we have inquiries about the complex business of AI, and ask how they can best be successful, as it is a costly venture. We have several tried and true rules about what we want in a possible date for HeartBreaker, but the most important one of these rules, is DETERMINATION....
it takes alot of determination on the part of the mare owner, one to find a suitable equine reproductive vet ( believe you me, they are not all suitable ) to get the appropriate "prep" work done for the mare ( culture, proper weight, good health, etc ) and patience too. Not all mares will settle on the first round. Live cover stats for mare is at 70% success rate, and AI rates are a bit lower than that. Maiden mares are sometimes stressed by all the vet work that must be done, and until they are used to it, and in a better frame of mind, they may not settle.
This year we had another factor in the mix ( this is where determination comes into play ) We received word that Fed Ex had damaged the shipment, and the vet requested another shipment of semen. It was doable from here, so we went ahead. Timing should have been just right, BUT...Fed Ex was again the culprit....The Shipment was on a plane that was delayed for repairs in TN, the shipment never made it to its destination, but instead landed there a day late...in repro work, a day late is most often a disaster, as it proved to be in this case....So, our mare owner was out yet another cycle, and had to file an insurance claim against FedEx to cover expenses.
Thankfully, on the next cycle, the mare settled and is happily into her pregnancy now.
For those considering AI, just remember, a good dose of determination can go a very long ways.

Makin Noodles

Makin Noodles...I always am interested in things that happen where folks live...here we live on the edge of the "Great Palouse" ...this is an area of farming, and though folks frequently ask, we do not grow potatoes here ;-) Our farmland in the area is not flat...as you can see from this photo, the combines have levelers on them, so they can work the side hills.......The area is covered in wheat, barely, lentils and garbanzo beans. There are some areas of Canola too, which, in bloom is a spectacular yellow color.


We have a wheat field directly out the back door of our house. The farmers call it the "Peanut field" seems it is shaped liked a peanut. It took the guys a little less than an hour to harvest the field of 35 acres. This soft white wheat that they grow here, is headed for the orient. Almost all the grain grown in this area is headed to Japan, China, Hong Kong, and the rest of Asia for use in making those lovely soft noodles used in their cuisine. So, the wheat is off the field now, and will take a slow journey to its final destination. The wheat will most likely be loaded on a barge, and barged down the Columbia river. Lewiston is the US's most inland port, a mere 400+ miles from the Pacific Ocean.....Through a series of locks the barges make the long trip to the Columbia river bar at Astoria, OR, and then they head out to sea.

We are always a little relived to have the ripe/heavy wheat removed. The removal of this will cut our fire danger down a whole lot. An unharvested wheat field has a whole lot of fuel in it, and we are glad to see it lessen a bit. And...to think that our little kernels of wheat will someday be someone in China's lunch or dinner.....yep, makin noodles ;- )

Bringing home a **winner**

All my horses are at home now....for a bit at least, as we hopefully will be taking HeartBreaker up to Trainer Mike for a late summer/fall training and showing season. We gathered up the foals that were out away from the ranch,Hattie had been staying with a babysitter, while I took a few days off, and I also brought Legacy home from Trainer Mike after our show last Saturday. Trainer Mike rode her in an Intro A test, and then we switched to the next step up and rode her in a Training Level 1 test..... That second ride of the day produced BLUE for Legacy and Mike, winning the TL 1 test class....Trainer Mike had been working on Legacy's canter, they handled it just fine for a young horse. The judge also had time to add a few pointers and Mike had the option of riding the test again. He opted for schooling the canter instead, and with the judge encouraging him to let her open up, they rode the canter much better....Trainer Mike tends to be a bit conservative, we both realize that our young horses have years and years to develope, we don't not want to push too hard..... but the judge really encouraged him to let her go more forward , accept contact, as she totally trusts him, and it was lovely. I brought Legacy home after the show, and put her to babysitting youngsters. We also confirmed yesterday that she is in foal to HeartBreaker for a spring 2010 foal. That is exciting news, both the parents of this foal are dressage winners! Proving their potential out in the public, in open shows against all sorts of other breeds.....We are very excited about this young filly's talent, our very first homebred to hit the show ring, and a huge future in the world of dressage. Legacy also has a whole lot of growing left to do, at 15.2HH as a 3 year old, we are excited about what she can do for our program. The judge also commented on her gaits, her MIND and her potential, when she grows into her gangly body as she matures.....This is one very awesome curly filly.