Ranch Life Articles

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 […]


Riding as a New Ranch Mama

October 23, 2024
Anna Foulger

A cool September breeze blows through the barn as I finish feeding my three year old gelding, Bud. Four weeks ago, my second child was born, but I am craving being back at riding.  My body is worn out and tired as I think of the last four weeks, knowing when I can ride, I […]


Horseback Fox Hunt

October 14, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

The black Thoroughbred gelding that I bought back when I was in high school has been written about here before. That horse was a hand full and crazy to boot. I called him Pilot.The booger could sure cover the country easy, I’ll give him that. When he loped he was like he was on a […]


The Good Horse Trade

September 30, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

I’ve always had a liking for Thoroughbred and Thoroughbred type horses. Horses that could travel easy over a big distance were better for my purposes and Thoroughbreds fit that purpose. When I was a senior in high school I had bought a gelding at the winter sale at the stock show. I called him Pilot. […]


Race Horse to Ranch Horse: Part 7: She Was No Trail Riding Horse

September 27, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

In everything I’ve written about Lily over the years, its been easy to share everything good about her, because truly, she was a stellar individual. However, like everything, she had a flaw. It only cropped up in a particular circumstance, but when it did, it took all the fun out of the whole experience.        […]


The Extremes of Horse Personality

September 23, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

She was a yearling the first time we saw her at the breeder’s place. A big, rangy Thoroughbred filly, who if she grew into her head, would be a big horse. Far from pretty, she was correct and balanced and we ended up buying her. Her siblings had gone to the racetrack and done well, […]


Outlaw Horse and a Sharpshooter

September 10, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

Uncle Henry was my paternal grandmother’s oldest brother. He was a tall, broad shouldered, slim manwho was a hard working farmer. I was privileged to know him when I was a child and he was a fine man.He had raised a family in the dust bowl years in eastern Colorado. With hungry mouths to feed, […]


A Horse Called Rush

August 24, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

My oldest grandson and I were going down the highway recently when he asked me where it was thatI had seen Rush many years ago. I pointed the very spot out as we passed it. Then he wanted the story.I had raised Rush out of my favorite mare of all time, Lily. She had been […]


A Tall Horse and a Tricycle

August 22, 2024
Jan Swan Wood

We had just moved to our place a month or so before, and with last of the cattle shipping from oursummer herd contract, I hadn’t had much time to get the house unpacked. So, I was working on that onthis particular day.Son Colin was a long three year old. He had a tricycle that he […]


The Horses That Shape Us

August 14, 2024
Anna Foulger

There are horses we ride for a short time, there are horses we ride till they pass, there are horses we sit on once and never see again and then there are the horses that shape us. Shape us as human beings, as riders, horse trainers, men and women; they shape who we are and […]