April 5, 2021
Jan Swan Wood
Back in the years of having a band of broodmares, we actually had few foaling difficulties. One spring though, a big mare that I had raised and ridden for several years just refused to have her foal. The foal’s feet and muzzle would be out and as soon as the pressure of the chest coming […]
April 2, 2021
Jan Swan Wood
My hip had gotten progressively worse over the years from a horse wreck when I was young and limber. I still made a living on a horse, but it wasn’t getting easier. Getting on was a struggle as my right leg couldn’t bend “out” anymore, thus making it challenging to get it over the cantle […]
March 28, 2021
Jan Swan Wood
The summer before had been a severe drought and dams were empty. Some spring rain, though not enough for runoff, had made the grass come on, so there was good grazing, but not a drop for livestock or anything else to drink. My folks had decided to rest their summer pasture when they found they […]
February 22, 2021
Jan Swan Wood
It was time to give spring vaccinations and wormer to the horses, so I had saddled Lily up to go trot the main bunch of about 20 head in from the north pasture. I had them in the windbreak corral and was letting a few head at a time into a smaller pen to work […]
February 12, 2021
Jan Swan Wood
My Dad’s “horse of a lifetime” was a good homebred buckskin gelding named Reno. He was fast, cowy, a cat on his feet, and smarter than he sometimes needed to be. He was sired by the ranch stud Mack, who was a close up Peter McCue bred horse, and out of a good Thoroughbred mare. […]
January 21, 2021
Jan Swan Wood
The cold winter days continued, as did the education of the ex-racehorse I had named Lily. Calving started March 1, and I rode her through calving and she seemed to really enjoy pairing out the heifers and their new calves. As high powered as she was, she would gear down and idle along behind a […]
January 14, 2021
Tiffany Schwenke
Make plans now to attend the 30th Annual Reyes/Russell Angus Bull Sale being held February 22, 2021 at their ranch near Wheatland, WY. After attending last year’s sale, I wrote up this little piece because I found the sale to be impressive in many ways, from the bulls themselves, the people who raise them, and […]
January 10, 2021
Jan Swan Wood
Back in the days of running a small broodmare band and standing two stallions, I was always interested in older mares with the old time pedigrees and characteristics to add to the band. Even with the extra work and maintenance old mares took, they were nearly always worth the extra effort. I had been taught […]
January 8, 2021
Tiffany Schwenke
Faith, Family, Cattle is what you will find at the Avery / Graham Ranch near Moorcroft, WY. I recently asked Delcy Graham to tell us a little about her family’s ranch. “Cowboying has been in our blood for generations, so it only comes naturally that this is what we are still doing to this day. […]
December 26, 2020
Jan Swan Wood
It’s been a while since I reported life from this windy ridge. The cold December wind is whistling around the house and making the eaves rattle. It makes me glad to have a job indoors to do today. Fall works are done on the ranch where my cows run on shares. When those cows were […]