New Stallion Photos

The colts are weaned, the pasture "shuffle" I do each winter and spring is just about finished, the winter hay is stacked. It is starting to get cold, with a hint of winter in the air.

Finally I have gotten the new stallions photos taken and they really turned out nice. I actually forgot how pretty Goose is. It is hard for me to admit, but I still have not brought him home. I just couldn't bring myself to put Goose in Maverick's old stall, but it has been a year now and the time has come to bring Goose home for the winter. I need to ride him which I will love, and rope on him, which he will love. Goose is a real hard working horse. He just loves a job, mostly roping and chasing cows but that was just how Maverick was when I first started riding him, too. Then he transformed into an all-around performance horse. Goose will be the same way. I have already gotten quite a few breeding inquiries and looking at his photos, it's no wonder. I just forgot how nice he was.

Then there is my mini-Mack, as in "mini-Mack Truck". Mack is going to be a great horse. He is such a clown but he is still so young, just a 3 yr old. I will have to go slow with him. He is still growing and a slow maturing horse. When I had his teeth floated, the dentist repeatedly asked me his age. Finally he said, "This horse had the mouth of a 2 yr old, maybe 2 1/2 yr", and at the time, Mack was over 3 yrs. Same with his sexual maturity, so I have plenty of time to wait. I think riding out to check stock tanks and pushing a few cows this winter will be good for him. He will be a good size, too. At 3 yrs old, he is over 15.1h. I think he will be a nice one. I just might have something to show in the confirmation portion of the VRH shows that can win!

The one stallion "prospect" you haven't seen yet is Baby Huey. He is a big one. As a long yearling, he is almost as big as a 3 yr old. Sweet, big, blue roan with a nice head, he looks like a futurity colt. I'll be taking some of my own photos of Huey soon. I got him and Goose about the same time. Huey fractured his coffin bone when he was playing around and kicked a steel post. He is totally healed up, thanks to TOTAL HEALTH. These are the same products I used to heal up Rio so fast.

Just a quick update on Rio, too. He is doing just fine. There is still a scab about the size of a quarter on his knee that I am putting ointment on to keep it soft but, wow, he is sound and finally putting more weight on. I plan on starting to ride him by spring. He deserves the winter off!

The next big show for Hank is the WRCA World Ranch Horse Show in Amarillo in November!

Hank's First Show

I just returned from the RMQHA Silver Jubilee which is the big end of the year Versatility Ranch Horse Show in Golden, CO. It was the first show I have been to all year. It was also Hank's first VRH show. There was no pressure on Hank to win. I decided that it was time to see exactly where Hank was at with his training, and to see how he would handle a show environment. We just went to enjoy ourselves and visit with all my friends that I haven't seen in over a year.

Hank really surprised me and I was so proud of him. The first class was the ranch cutting where you have to cut out a specific numbered cow, drive it up the fence, passed a marker and pen it within 2.5 minutes. No problem for the Hankster. He pinned his ears, made a few good passes controlling his cow and we went up the fence. The cow missed the marker but we never lost position or control.

Next class was the Working Cow class. We just started doing flying lead changes the week before the show but Hank learns very fast and remembers what I ask of him. I have always said that Hank was a fun horse to train because he learns, and remembers, so fast. Show him once or twice and he's got it down. In the Working cow class, you do a short reining pattern, then call for your cow, box it at the end of the arena, take it down the fence, then rope it. The reining went very well. Rollbacks and stops were nice. Spins could have been faster but were correct. I called for the cow and we never lost control. I went to take the cow down the fence and that was the first time Hank had ever run a cow down the fence. When you ask Hank for speed, you better be ready because he can really accelerate. We stopped the cow, turned it and it was time to rope it. I have been wanting to get better with my reata so I was using it in the show, which may not have been such a great idea in hind sight. I took it off my saddle and was building my loop as we tracked the cow around. I had a twist that I couldn't get out of my loop! It was twisted and the only thing to do was to throw a bad loop out there, and re-build a good loop. The bottom line is Hank was good, but I didn't rope the cow.

The next class was a Trail Class. Hank never blinked at anything. He was great and did everything I asked of him. After the Trail Class was the Ranch Riding Class. Just your basic walk, trot , canter kind of riding. For as big as Hank is, he is a very comfortable horse to ride. The judge even commented that he moved so nicely for being so big. We did well in that class.

Last was the Conformation Class, and I hate this class most of all. I know my horses a nice looking and correct, but the judges seem to go for the classic halter types. I raise big boned Ranch horses, not short, tiny footed, fine boned horses. Any way, I never score well in halter. But that sure didn't stop the compliments that Hank got all day long!

All in all, it was a very nice weekend and I really enjoyed showing off Hank. Maybe Hank even had fun, too! I will give him a few days off, then ride him mid-week. If he feels right, we might try another show next weekend. All building up to the WRCA Ranch Horse Show in Amarillo, in November.