This summer....

So this summer has been crazy busy and I haven't gotten anything posted in a long while, and I have been getting requests for updates, so here is some of our summer...

First off, to introduce the newest member of the herd...

This is Dolly

She is our newest draft horse. She is not yet broke to harness (as far as we know). I was supposed to have her going by the end of April, but I just haven't had the time... Soon we will get her going!! She is an absolute sweetheart and should be very easy to train.

And this is Cadence:

She was born April 11th. Part of the reason we have been so busy!

Lets see, we bought a few mowers and a sulky plow at Madras in April, and put the mowers to work a few weeks ago. We got about 4 ton of hay mowed and put up.

Jaxon and Hannah on the mower

We don't have a baler so the boys are putting the winrows on the trailer with pitchforks.

Packing the hay down in the barn, the boys loved it! (it was a bit dusty though)

To see more pics from haying go to:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=91779&id=1346850272&l=ccdab82968

Then we went to the Trinity Alps for my early b-day trip!

Mounting up, We did about 25 miles all with Cadence, she loved it!

We camped for 2 nights at Morris Meadows and rode up to Emerald lake from there.

Bassira checking on Cadence while resting at Emerald lake. She absolutly loves her and checks on her frequently. She will be Cadence's horse in a few years so it's a good thing. This was Bassira's first major outing, we used her as the pack horse and she was perfect! Took to it like a champ, she never offered to buck or anything (she has never had more than a saddle pad on her before this trip)! 

Then we went and spent a few nights at Lake Elenor, and rode up to Shimmy Lake from there. This is on the way to Shimmy. We wanted to go into Union meadows and check out the mines, but there was a ton more snow that usual this year and it wasn't all gone, so we played it safe and stuck to the easier trails that wouldn't be blocked by snow. We still ran into a few patches, and a ton of downed trees, but they we got around all of them, though not particularly easy in some areas. 

This is the second Rattler Jarrett killed on the trail. He was about 30" long. Both were shot off the back of Bailey with his 44 mag. He had never shot off her befrore but she did quite well.

Well, I think that's it for now, most of my pics are on another comp. I will try and get back to updating this more often!!

Upcoming events

So I have been completly neglecting this poor blog, we have had so much going on, I just haven't had the time. I will pick up again, we hope to do a 3 day wagon train weekend after this (weather depending), then a week long wagon train at the end of May. That will be the first part of a 3 week trip our club will be making from Red Bluff to Silver City, ID over the historic overland route. Plans are still tenative but we really really hope to go! So I will definately post pics from those if they happen, otherwise I will get something up here someday soon!! 

Bear Hunting, Draft Horses and Gathering Cows

Well, lots of pics to post since it has been forever since I've put anything up... We've been to busy and I've just been to tired!

Last Month we helped Jarrett's cousin gather his cows off South Fork Mountain. Honery cows plus some nasty country made for some good riding!


Actually cooperating and heading down the trail pretty well for a few minutes.

Driving them down through some big openings.

A small idea of how steep the country is. And this was a really nice easy hill with no brush on it.

Then we had a Draft Horse Club meeting in Corning, went for a drive around the neighborhood at the end.

Snow finally hit last weekend, we got about an inch at the house. This is looking out over Ruth Lake on the way to go bear hunting.

Bear tracks headed down the road. Snow makes finding them a bit easier!


About 200lbs.
A bear we had bayed up. The dogs got to get in and work on it pretty good, and we got in to take some good pictures after a while. We also got to see it cross the road in front of us up on top of the ridge a bit earlier.

Bruisie leaving in a hurry, he already had his tail chewed on once a few minutes before!

Stella didn't get away quick enough and got a hole in her nose. Next time she will hopefully play with the other end of the bear!

Alright, here are more pics!!

Wow, I don't post for two months and everyone gets hostile!! Here are some pics from a pack trip last month during bow season

Rodeo Pics!!

Wow, since I have now been given a deadline to get these up, I guess I better do it! You guys are addicted!!! Anyhow, here goes...
Taking a break...
CJ riding his sheep... He was all excited and couldn't stop talking about it until he crawled over the top rail, then he lost his nreve. But he still did it and is already talking about doing it again next year!!
Being goofy!
Hyram & Jarrett in leadline barrells. I was going to do it for Jarrett but sprained my ankle really bad the night before. Darn the luck!!
From our 10 mile drive the next weekend...

That's it for now, am in a hurry, but heading to the basin this weekend so should have more pics soon!!

Pictures coming soon

I have some pics from Rodeo, Jaxon and Hannah did awsome! It was crowded with lots of things going on and they took it all in stride and never balked at anything. I'll get the pics up in the next few days, I have just been horribly busy and haven't had time. Last weekend we took them on a drive with the red wagon, about 12 miles. They again were great and are apparently fine with low-bed semis, hauling big equipment, running their jakes (a strike team was headed in for some fires with 2 low-beds, a transport rig and a whole bunch of other traffic), they didn't even look twice at the whole mess. We got lots of pics from that trip too, so check back in a few days!

More of Hannah & Jaxon from the wedding

Here are the pics from the Wedding, I didn't take the video camera so only stills... (Click on any of the pictures for full size versions).

Letting the horses graze before going to work, made for a pretty picture!

Driving around a little before the wedding to get some of the fire out of them. They were a little ready to go when we got them in harness.

The wedding was on horseback so Jarrett pulled in the Groom's mother on the forecart to her seat. The horses behaved so well!!

Driving out of the ceremony after dropping her off.

Here is a picture of Jarrett giving the new bride and groom a ride on the forecart.

Our "little horse" Jaxon grazing Sunday morning next to a toyota tacoma. Brings a whole new thought to one horse power.

There won't be any picture from this weekend, we are in Sacramento for family stuff... But next weekend is the Ruth Rodeo. We are bringing Jaxon and Hannah out and both boys will be participating in the Jr. Rodeo, so we should have lots of pictures...