Pictures as Promised!!!

First Photo: A little customer of the feed store and "Tejano"! Tejano's mother is a registered Australian Shepherd named "Tobaccy" and his pop is "Bear" one of Kate 'n' Rusty's pups born in Texas right after the guys moved to Pecos. Estevan, a fellow worker at the feed store, took Bear to live on his ranchero north of Pecos. So, it is only fitting that this little pup be named Tejano. A twin pup to Tejano has found a home with the editor of our local newspaper. I can't wait to get pictures of him and see what they have name him!















I am not sure who got this little guy, I was gone to lunch when his new owner picked him up. If you haven't noticed this litter was brought to the feed store to find homes for these adorable babies. And the guy who remains faceless is Estevan.















Tony getting ready to give Belle her medicine. In this picture you can't see the wound on the other side of her right front leg. You can tell that she is not quite happy with the idea of getting a shot.





















Coal's ears have been notorious for "helicoptering" ONLY when I am trying to get a picture of him!















The last photo: The guys have not seen these pictures. Here is Cahlibur and Clancey eating side by side. You can see that Clancey is not going to be a very big horse. He might be as big as Maggie was, I will have to ask Travis about that.

MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.

Boys vs Girls...

I just love this picture! Cody is as big as his pop, Rusty, and while Jesse is as big as her mom, Kate, she is just as stout as Rusty. To the left of the truck, you can barely see Clancey's head grazing on leftover alfalfa. The boys paired up on the left as they step out onto the bumper of the Dodge and the girls wait like "ladies" for TnT to load up themselves!

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MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.

Multimedia message 6 from Tony...

Clancey and Coal in their new home!

Multimedia message 2 from Tony...

Cahlibur, Coal, Clancey and Belle exploring their new home!

Catching Up...Some...

It's been awhile since the last post and I have been remiss for no other reason than that I have not had enough time to stop and post. Well, that is not entirely true. I did put my back out a week and a half ago and that has slowed me down quite a bit. There have been many things come up that I would think to myself "that needs to be posted on the blog"! So, before I get too much farther behind I will attempt to post a little while I can’t sleep.

The horses are doing very well in their new home. The guys get up early to run out and feed before they head to work and then they spend a couple of hours with them each night.

Tony mentioned the other day that my horse, Oakley, was calmer. Nothing huge in retrospect, just little things like when Travis was sacking her out with a grain sack, she just stood there and let him shake it all around her head and ears. She was not as jumpy when Tony pretended to climb on her bareback, and she comes up to them when they crawl through the fence with her hay instead of running in the other direction. She was doing this for me in California, but not the guys. I was thinking that maybe she got used to the air that was blowing in around her head and body during the trip to Texas in the horse trailer. Just a thought!

Cahlibur is still a little bit foot sore from the trip back to Texas. Travis lets him out a little to soothe his nervous energy, but not enough to re-injure his feet. Coal is a little sore footed too, but Tony thinks that a couple of more days and he will be as good as new. I was assured that Coal's soreness was not visible to the naked eye, just felt when he was ridden. Belle was all prancey like a Tennessee Walker as she waited to be turned loose in the old arena. She flew past Oakley and Clancey like they were standing still. She is going to make a wonderful brood mare. Tony will be looking for a stocky Quarter Horse of about 16 hands to breed to Belle.

Mr. Clancey, as I call him, has grown up in just these few weeks. He is not acting as much like a young colt as he used to. I asked Travis if he was still lightening up and T was not sure. Hard to tell when he sees Clancey everyday. We will have to compare photos. The photos in this post are some cell phone pictures that the guys text messaged to me of the beautiful Pecos skies…the sunsets are from Travis and the cloudy skies are from Tony.

Kate, Rusty, Cody and Jessie are staying in the dog run that TnT made for them. However, one day last week Tony had to run home and find the escapees. He didn't have to look far. Rusty was lying in front of the hole under the house. When Tony called him, Rusty jumped up and Kate and the puppies came out from under the house right behind him. Again Rusty was protecting his family! A shed next to the dog run has been cleared out. TnT will be putting in a dogie door so that the dogs can get out of the weather better.

The last time Rusty was out ‘n out protecting his family was right after they all moved in. TnT had to return the Rental Truck and the Deputy Warden and his wife were watching the dogs. The have a dog and Rusty stayed between him and Kate and the puppies the whole time. Each time the dog would try to get closer to Kate or the puppies Rusty would growl real low!

Saturday the guys are supposed to go out to the Warden's to check out his mare. If I remember correctly the warden lives about 35 miles out of town. I can't wait to hear about her...

A Day With the Guys...

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This was a busy day working with the horses. I didn't get pictures of Tony giving Coal a bath or Travis cooling down Cahlibur's legs. I grabbed my camera while Coal was drying by the side of the trailer. Travis walked Clancey in and out of the trailer to see if he had forgotten his trailer training. Clancey just walked in and out without skipping a step. Then it was Clancey's turn for a bath. He didn't quite like the water when it got close to his head or under his tummy!

At this point Coal was dry, so Tony put him back in his pen just in time for a dirt bath! Clancey was drying, so Travis put Cahlibur back in his pen for his dirt bath. Travis acted like he was going to stay on Cahlibur's back until he started to get up. With Cahlibur diagnosed with RingBone, he did not want to hurt Cahlibur by adding extra weight on his back.

Since Coal and Cahlibur were grooming each other, Tony walked across the stables to get Daffinah to see how she would load in the trailer...now, that is another post on another day.

Warning: The song that is attached to this picture album is My Rifle, My Pony and Me. It is a home recording of my family, singing. Travis and Tony were 14 and 15 when we recorded this song. My father sings harmony while I play the keyboard.

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MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.

Clancey's First Saddle!!!

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Just as soon as Tony took Daffinah out of the round pen, the day of her evaluation, Travis led Clancey in so that he could put a saddle on him for the first time!

At first Clancey could care less that Travis put a saddle blanket on him...then the saddle...even when Travis cinched it up, Clancey didn't think a thing about the saddle! Except maybe it was something he could put in is mouth. It wasn't until about ten minutes later when Travis was leading Clancey around the pen, that Clancey reared in surprise that something was cinched around his belly!!! He bellowed at the same time and I am surprised I got a picture of him. I am getting used to just looking through the camera so that I have a better chance of capturing that "special moment" easier.

Travis allowed Clancey to buck out some and then led him around the pen some more. After Clancey bucked a couple more times he decided the saddle wasn't such a bad thing and shouldered his burden as if he had been born with one on his back!! Travis let Clancey carry the saddle back to the truck and was rewarded with a treat of Ash leaves! No rodeo tonight...all this took place in a matter of maybe 20 minutes!!!

My favorite picture in this bunch is the one of Clancey holding the stirrup straight out!!!
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Training Clancey...

In these pictures, Travis was taking Clancey to the turnout pen so that he could run and burn some of his energy. What started out as a walk ended up being a training session! Clancey is at the age that he thinks he is boss...thus the rearing. Each time that Clancey reared, Travis was able to wrap the rope around his front leg and hold it there until Clancey stopped resisting. The second that Clancey relaxed Travis let go of the rope. In the space of about 200 yards, this technique was enforced seven times. The sixth time Clancey reared Travis laid him down and sat on him! Never are the horses hurt in any way during training. All of TnT's training is done with a quiet but firm hand and with instant praise. It is amazing to see the guys work with each of the horses and I have to look twice to make sure who is doing the training, because their techniques are so close. TnT have been mistaken for twins all their lives and this closeness that they share is evident in their training. Needless to say, when Clancey was taken to the turnout pen the next time...he was a perfect angel and Travis had to make sure that it was "Clancey" he was leading...there and back!

Horse Personalities...

Cahlibur and Belle

After reading Jan's post: New study finds that dogs feel jealousy on her the Poodle (and dog) Blog, I got to thinking about the personalities of our horses! Her comment on this blog continued the thought:

"Beautiful description. This could turn me into a horse lover. They really do have their own distinct personalities, don't they?" comment by Jan on MnC post "Training Oakley".

My answering comment is the starting point for this post. I added pictures and a little more about each horse to punctuate their personalities:

"Yes they do! Cahlibur is our Gentle Ben, he quietly tells you when he is hungry (which is all the time!),

Coal is our shy guy, it takes him a little bit to come up to anyone but Tony, but when he does, he welcomes you wholeheartedly into the "herd" and he loves to play in water.

Belle is our escape artist, she checks the locks behind us all the time! She comes up behind me, to check over my shoulder, too!

Oakley is our scaredy cat and is a love bug. She loves to tuck her nose into my shoulder and under my chin!

Clancey is...well Clancey is almost two and he is our little clown, with his mouthing and lipping everything he can get his mouth on!" comment by Janey Loree on MnC post "Training Oakley".

TnT are up on the San Juan Ranch. They move Clancey into Coal and Cahlibur’s pens while they are at the ranch, which makes feeding that much easier. It looks like TnT will be going every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday until the end of the year (except for Holiday weeks). They worked all day yesterday on horseback up until after dark!

EDITOR'S NOTE... If you would like to start at the beginning of TnT's First Pack Trip into the Sierra Nevadas, click on the September link in the Archive area. This trip started out as a 14 day trip. However, since they had to wait till the very last (because of their work schedule) to get their wilderness permit, they were not able to go in on Saturday, September 2. Starting on Sunday brought it down to a 13 day trip. After having to leave Maggey at The Lake of the Lone Indian, their trip ended up being a 9 day trip. They came out on September 11. It is a good thing that they came out when they did. Coal ended up at the vets office two days after they got home. He was diagnosed with colic and had to stay five days with Doc Pipkin in Bakersfield. Tony called every day and went over to see him on Saturday. Cahlibur and Belle were okay. As soon as they reached home on DAY NINE, Travis called the Rock Creek Pack Station and hired them to go in to bring the gear out and check on Maggey. They said that if Maggey was okay they would bring her out. Because one of the other scheduled pack trains needed another couple of mules to carry more gear than was anticipated, there was a wait until the weekend to start. Then one of the packers hurt himself somehow. It ended up being two weeks before they were free to go in. A week after Trav's first called to the pack station, one of the other packers had brought back word that Maggey didn't make it. She had died real close to the spot where Travis had turned her loose. When Trav got the word that she hadn't made it, he called the Forest Rangers to report that she had passed away near a body of water. In the picture above she is standing on a little hill with her back feet...even though she was small, she was perfectly shaped! I still cry when I think about her too long, so I will close this post, remembering her through her colt, Clancey. Janey Loree

CARING FOR THE MARES AND CLANCEY... Since TnT have gone back up to the San Juan Ranch to do cattle work, I am feeding my mare Oakley, Tony's mare Belle, and Travis' stud colt Clancey. The girls have gotten in the habit of giving me a hug. Belle will meet me at her corral gate while I am unlocking it. There is a look in her eye that tells me she would love to get past me, to run through the stables. But she does not get out because I have gotten in the habit of keeping the handle of the sliding rod on the outside of the gate. If I leave it on the inside she will nuzzle it with her nose, slide the rod, give the gate a push, and away she goes! After a routine check on the gate rod, Belle follows me over to the gate between hers and Oakley's pen. As I unlock this gate, Belle nuzzles me and leans her head against me for some lovin'. I stroke her nose, rub her ears, and pat her neck to return the hug. Oakley is getting a little jealous so I move on in to her pen. Sometimes she will meet me at the gate, while other times she turns her back on me and walks over to her trough. Those times seem to be when I have spent to much time with Belle. I make sure that I spend some time with Oakley before starting to feed. She comes out of her sulk by nuzzling into my neck, staying there while I stroke her nose, pat her neck, and straighten her mane. Now she is not upset with me anymore and I can head to the feed room door. Oakley follows me over and stands outside while I grab her a flake of alfalfa hay. I can't give her any grain because she is what they call "an easy keeper". Only when TnT are training her will she get some grain. Belle and Clancey are still growing so they get their flake of hay and sweet feed morning and night. I made the mistake of giving Oakley a handful of grain, morning and night, while TnT were on their pack trip into the Sierra Nevadas. She gained too much weight! :( Clancey is still a stud, so he can get a little bit rambuctious at times. I don't go in his pen unless Travis is there. This morning his trough was pushed away from the edge of his corral. If I could keep Clancey busy, I would be able to reach through the bars, slide the trough to the edge and therefore keep his hay and grain off the ground. Here in Taft, we don't get enough rain to keep the dirt from turning to dust. I don't want him getting sanded on my watch! So, I placed his flake of hay on the ground to keep him busy long enough to reach through the gate bars, pull the trough to the edge, and dump his grain in. Then when he was eating on his grain, I grabbed the flake and threw it in his trough. Now I can reach in and scratch his neck and back while he enjoys his morning meal. The guys took their leather journals with them to the San Juan, so when they get back tomorrow, I will add DAY NINE of their pack trip to the blog. Janey Loree
The picture at the beginning of this article is of my 7 yr old Quarter Horse mare, Oakley. She was a birthday present from TnT. She already had an appointment for her hooves to be trimmed by our farrier, Danny Gilbert, who lives in Bakersfield.

Editor's Extras...
Well, TnT just headed north to the San Juan Ranch to finish some ranch work they started last week. Last week they helped the owner put out supplement for the cattle, tarped hay stacks, and repaired some fencing. They will be gathering cattle tomorrow, so they took Cahlibur and Coal with them this time. They also took their journals with them so I will have to wait for them to get back Friday, before I can post DAY SEVEN of their packing trip into the Sierra Nevada's.
When I was posting DAY SIX...I remembered that there was more to the dip in the lake... Tony ran into the water first and stopped at about waist deep gasping for air and waiting for his heart to start again! From behind he heard Trav yell, "That's not nice!" as he became rooted to the spot at about ankle deep. It took them a bit to get completely submerged!
Last night, I went over to the stables with the guys and got to watch the horses in the turn out pen. What a beautiful site! And funny, too! Each of the horses would take turns running and bucking, which would start the others to running and bucking. Then they would stop and groom each other. At one point, Cahlibur was processing a smell that he picked up at Oakley's feet. He stretched his neck out, nose in the air, with his upper lip lifted and moving from side to side. Oakley is my 7 year old Quarter Horse mare. TnT gave her to me for my birthday last year!
The picture above is of all five mustangs in the turnout pen that is just south of the pens where TnT keep their horses. The colt to Maggey's left is Clancey. He was born to Maggey exactly two months after TnT adopted the mares in February of 2005. He was born with a line down his back, like momma, but has darkened quite a bit. The ground does slope as much as it shows in this picture. The turnout pen is right next to the park and through the years the ground has sunk from all the watering. Years ago the park was a landfill and there used to be stables where the turnout pen is now!

Here is a picture of the horses on their first picket line...they are in front of two of the five stables the guys rent from the Franklin Field Horsemen's Association. From left to right: Coal, Belle, Maggey, & Cahlibur.