Ranch Life Articles

Tips for Winter Riding

January 12, 2025
Anna Foulger

Winter riding can be a lot of fun or a major hassle. Here are some practical tips to make riding through the cold months more enjoyable and safe. Basics include some safety things to keep in mind for your horse and you. As well as some easy solutions for even the most frigid days. With […]


New Saddle Christening

January 10, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

My first custom saddle was a pretty exciting thing for me. Having ridden all sorts of saddles over theyears, I was finally getting one made to fit just me. I’d studied the options the maker was offering andhad, on paper, created the saddle to fit my needs perfectly. The saddlemaker was an artist at his […]


Wives of Ranches

January 8, 2025
Anna Foulger

Waking up early, I bring the baby to the living room, place him on his sheepskin and start on breakfast while the toddler sleeps in a few extra minutes. Eggs, bacon, coffee boiling, toast, as the pitter patter of toddler feet come racing down the hall, “mama, breakfast?” she asks as I serve up plates […]


Cody the Horse vs Hazel the Milk Cow

January 6, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Years ago, I had the most evil, witch of a milk cow I called Hazel, amongst other things. Her exploits were many, but one of the funniest things I saw happen was when she got educated by a horse. Cody was a stout gray mare who had a fanny on her a yard across, it […]


The Early October Blizzard

December 19, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

It was in October and my Dad and brothers, and a brother-in-law were on an elk hunt in the Dubois, Wyoming area about 350 miles away. I had hauled my horse Kelly from wherever I was living at the time and was taking care of the livestock and keeping Mom company for the duration of […]


The Cold Hard Facts of Winter Riding

December 14, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

It was probably about 20 years ago when I was day working regularly for a rancher in the area. We’ddone all the fall work, including trailing the cows home, preconditioning calves, preg checking, giving asecond round of shots to the calves, and then shipping the steer calves and light heifers. He had kept me pretty […]


ONE EYED HORSE

November 19, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

Many decades ago my oldest brother Steve bought a three year old gelding off of the race track. The colt was well bred, grown out huge, and athletic. Unfortunately, he had gotten an eye blinded while at the track due to some kids shooting BB guns in the barns, so wasn’t a good candidate as […]


Bromby the All-around Rodeo Horse

October 30, 2024
Ruth Nicolaus

A big strawberry roan in Oklahoma is about to reach retirement. Bromby, who is 17 hands and 1,500 lbs., is owned by pickup man James Hajek. Born in 2004 north of Edmonton, Alberta, he was on a truckload of colts that were supposed to be bucking horses. Purchased by Sammy Andrews, of Andrews Rodeo Co. […]


Trotting Lessons

October 28, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

This was back when I was on the ranch in northeastern New Mexico in the early 80s. The bunkhouse crew and I worked together pretty often when the new bunches of pasture cattle were being broke to cake. The steer calves were weaned when they arrived at the ranch but had no idea what to […]


A Kid on a Horse and Some Bulls

October 25, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

It was a cold, early winter day and fall works were just about wound up for the year. My husband and son had gone to help gather cattle to move to winter pasture. It was big, wide open country and it took a long time to gather the vast pastures. The guy they were day […]