February 24, 2015
Jenn Zeller
I was a HORSE crazy kid. Just ask my parents. At age 4 I started begging for a horse. I got a riding lesson here or there, and a week or two at summer camp with my aunt, who grew up on a ranch and took us riding the “dude string” horses, but that was […]
February 19, 2015
Jenn Zeller
I know that there are people reading this that have no experience in handling a rope, but I’m here to tell you it behooves you to get on board and learn to use one — even if you’ll never rope a live bovine. We rope the feet of all our horses. There are several reasons […]
February 15, 2015
Kay Schrock
It is calving season on the ranch, which means there is an on-duty horse. We keep a few horses in the corral so we can use them to work the heifers. The heifers get turned out in the morning, and then pushed back into the corral at night. This is easiest if done from the […]
February 7, 2015
Tayler Teichert
Strange combo eh? Yeah that’s what I thought too… Before I tell you this story I need to introduce you to my father. His name is Steve, he is a sorta crusty old, Western Wyoming cowboy. He claims he doesn’t care about being stylish, but I can promise you he will be the last guy in […]
February 5, 2015
Jenn Zeller
On my personal blog, I run a series (when I’ve time and I’m starting colts), called the Colt Cam Chronicles. This winter, like last, I am participating in a 12 Week Riding Challenge. It’s run on Facebook through Northwood Farms (in the Pacific Northwest), and the goal is to kind of encourage you get […]
February 1, 2015
Jenn Zeller
One of the things we’ve learned since we began handling horses the “way” we do at the ranch, is that how your horse operates with you on his back can be predicted fairly accurately and even dictated through thoughtful and observant ground work. Any time we get horses in to ride, whether they are older […]
January 16, 2015
Jenn Zeller
The last thing any horse really wants to do is fidget. No, seriously, think about it. If you’ve watched them in the pasture, when they’re not eating, they’re lazing, and if they’re young and full of energy, they’ll play for a bit and go back to eating or lazing. They’d rather be at peace than […]
December 13, 2014
Jenn Zeller
This isn’t a style of roping often practiced here on the plains of South Dakota. In fact since I’ve lived here, I only know of a few other outfits in the entire state that rope this way when they’re branding calves. We hold a special branding for purposes of keeping the art alive. It’s an […]
November 28, 2014
Jan Swan Wood
When a bridled horse is having problems with it’s mouth, it has many ways of showing it. Some examples would be slobbering, fighting their head, rearing, chomping at the bit, opening their mouth when reins are pulled, head shaking, bucking, and not moving out normally. Sometimes though, the reaction is so subtle that it takes […]
November 21, 2014
Kay Schrock
Winter horse work is very much part of the ranch life scene. Despite the daily use of tractors and trucks to feed, the horses get their work in, too. The horses here on the ranch develop warm, fuzzy winter coats as they live and work outside year round. One bright winter day, I walked out […]