Ginger
Posted on 24 January 2020 | Comments Off on Ginger
Say hi to Ginger. She’s our Scottish Highlander yard-art. She’s growing a set of horns for us! 😍
January 2020 – cold horse selfie!
Posted on 8 January 2020 | Comments Off on January 2020 – cold horse selfie!
This is Boomer and I down at the Appleatchee horse club in the valley. It was a cold, crisp day!
Boomer is one of my reining horses, and I don’t get to ride him as much as I’d like.
Say hi to Bevo
Posted on 19 December 2019 | Comments Off on Say hi to Bevo
Bevo is our Texas Longhorn. He’s yard-art, and will be around as long as he keeps growing those gorgeous horns! 🤠
Hunting with Lori
Posted on 20 October 2019 | Comments Off on Hunting with Lori
We’ve only had Lori a couple of years now, she is absolutely wonderful – extremely well trained, and definitely a part of the family. My oldest son rides her mostly, but she makes a great solo-hunting horse. She’ll spot the deer before you every time, and has no problem packing the deer and you back out.
I lost my buddy…
Posted on 5 October 2019 | Comments Off on I lost my buddy…
Wiley was 14 years old, in his prime, healthy and strong. He was my personal horse. He was a smart one, who tolerated and tested my lack of patience. Wiley taught me a lot.
Colic
On Tuesday the 17th, Wiley began to show signs of colic, so we called a local vet for an emergency visit, and his prognosis was good. At around 7PM that evening the vet gave him something for the pain and a something to help relax his gut. We’re on a mountain above the closest town, and it takes about an 60 to 90 minutes for a vet to arrive once you make the call.
At around 11PM that same evening, Wiley began to show increased signs of pain, so we called for the vet again. Wiley was collapsing from the intense pain, but was trying so hard to stay on his feet and walk with me until the vet could return. At 1AM early the next morning, the vet sedated him, tubed him with oil, and gave him a thorough examination, but believed at this point, he was going to be okay.
We stayed up all night with him, took him for several trailer rides to try and loosen up his gut, but by morning, he was very lethargic, and still showing signs of colic.
We took him to town to our regular vet for an examination, and he concluded that although it was colic, the prognosis was good, that he believed he would pass any blockage that was obstructing his gut.
When we returned to the ranch, Wiley was in rough shape, he was having trouble standing, he was quivering from pain, it was absolutely terrible to watch. We gave him additional pain medication and called the vet. We had two options, put him down or take him to Washington State Universities equine hospital in Pullman, WA.
University
We called the university, and told them that we were 5 hours out and on our way. It was a tough trailer ride for him, we stopped a half dozen times or more to check on him, but we had to keep moving if there was a chance to save him. We arrived at about 11PM on the 18th, and were greeted by more than a dozen students and doctors, who wasted no time taking away Wiley’s pain and working to diagnose his illness.
What a stoic horse Wiley was, he was in such intense pain, but his heart-rate, breathing and temperature were all recording as normal. It was making it difficult for all of our vets to identify the problem.
After hours of hard work by the incredibly talented and caring staff at the university, they could not pinpoint what the precise issue was, without further exploratory surgery. Wiley at this point had been struggling and in pain for nearly 36 hours, and I couldn’t subject him to unknown surgery and the complications of recovery, which he might not survive anyway.
Goodbye
At 3:22AM on Thursday the 19th of September, after 4 vets, and traveling hundreds of miles, I made the decision.
I’m sorry Wiley, I had to take away your pain.
After
Before Wiley passed, I donated him to the university, so that his death was not a waste, that they might be able to learn something from him, that he could help others. Although burying him on the ranch would have been nice to do, he was far more valuable to the university doctors and students.
His autopsy concluded that he had a displaced colon, and twisted intestine, likely caused by not drinking water the evening before when we had a little storm with a sudden temperature drop.
Washington State University sent us Wiley’s shoes, along with a very special card, filled with kind and loving words. Wiley was loved by our entire family, and he will be missed.
Took some horses out to the Palisades
Posted on 5 August 2019 | Comments Off on Took some horses out to the Palisades
Wiley and Lori, out in the Palisades. My oldest son and I did a bit of riding with our trainer, and checked on the progress of Dream. She’s coming along nicely.
This is our friend Tony, who is also our brilliant trainer. I can’t learn enough from him, what an amazing guy. He’s tuning up Lori, while I rest in the shade with Dream.
This is Wiley, my buddy
Posted on 15 June 2019 | Comments Off on This is Wiley, my buddy
Wiley is enjoying his summer pasture… (Moses Ranch brand looks pretty good!)
A little photo before work.
What an incredible place to live. Very fortunate.
Just prepped the garden, ready to plant
Posted on 28 May 2019 | Comments Off on Just prepped the garden, ready to plant
We are planning on a much larger garden this year than last, and an even larger garden next year!
First foal born on Moses Ranch
Posted on 23 April 2019 | Comments Off on First foal born on Moses Ranch
This is Lilly, the first foal born up here on the ranch. Hoping she’ll be one smart performance horse.
Winter Storm Maya on the ranch
Posted on 10 February 2019 | Comments Off on Winter Storm Maya on the ranch
Winter Storm Maya was brutal this week, 50mph winds, heavy blowing snow, -28 degree wind-chill and 14’ drifts.
The mountain was closed for several days, nobody in or out. Just parked the truck when we got back to the ranch and left it until the storm passed through. That’s Red and Yellow, our two Red Fox Labs.
I still had to feed cattle, so with a snow blower on the back of the tractor and a bale on the front, I cleared a path for a couple of hours to get food out to them.
Our driveway is under there somewhere.
The family had a great time as soon as the weather cleared up, made for a memorable winter. That is our youngest playing in the snow tunnels as I cleared our roads.
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