Ranching

I forgot I hadn't said anything about my AMAZING experience at the Brown Ranch last week!  Honestly.  It was so much fun.  I can't wait to go back.  I went with a friend from college and her husband to her in-law's ranch in Colorado.  I was promised I could ride horses everyday....a dream come true!  So Thanksgiving morning I went for a run to scope out the landscape and see what this ranch stuff was all about.  There was lots of open land with cattle and horses.  And lots of oil and gas pumps - typical Colorado. 

The front yard

Josh's brother just bought some new bucks so we went to check them out.  They were good looking bucks.  At least that's what Josh kept saying.  One was huge - over 150 lbs.  And I was looking cool sitting up on the fence watching them clip the sheep's ears and got lucky enough to get splattered a bit.  Sick.  It did not deter me from the livestock though.  I got my first ride on a horse by myself - I was the only one on a horse. I rode around the yard a bit and got approval to go riding the next day. (Just a note - dinner was so good and everyone was so nice.)

That night, the guys were discussing the plans for Friday - and it sounded like they needed some more help.  They were going to be a man short.  So I volunteered.  I didn't really know what I was volunteering for, but it had something to do with herding sheep and I wanted a real ranching experience. =)  He kept telling me I didn't have to go, I assured him I really wanted to.  And turns out I'm a natural sheep herder.  I'm my mother's daughter - pure farmgirl is what I am!  The sheep were so fun.  It was funny to watch the people drive through the herd - we moved them about 4 miles on the road and crossed a couple highways.  One lady was on her cell phone and I noticed she stopped moving a little ways though.  As I got closer I heard her calling out the window  - move sheepie sheepie.  I don't think they were listening. 

Here are the sheep happy in their new pasture...we moved 1,200 that day. 

Baa Baa...who can find the black sheep?

That afternoon we saddled up and rode down to move some horses and mules from one field to another.  Nancy and I were to direct the sheep down the road when they came out of the pasture.  As they headed toward us we were trying to block them, but they road right by!  They were not as obedient as the sheep.

 

Nancy saddling Blackie Chan

Nancy and Josh riding together

We got a second chance and did much better.  You have to ride up right in the horse's face to get him to turn the other way. Be aggressive.  And to finish the night off, we popped in a good ol' John Wayne movie!  Moving horses

At lunch on Saturday another brother announced he was going to do some branding and asked if anyone wanted to help.  I think he was talking to his dad and other brothers.  But I piped up =)  And I got to brand a cow!!  And watched some other things I won't mention here....And if that wasn't enough, for our afternoon horse ride, we went to round up some stray calves. 

Cattle drive!  Haw! 

Me on Bay B

To top it off, I got to play with the twins.  Oh they are darling.  The sweetest babies, and I can say that even after two 6 hour car rides with them!

Thanks Nancy and Josh!  I can't wait to come back for lambing season!