Posts Tagged With: #ThankYouCampaign

Monday Lilo finally got to go to her new home. She was the last sold foal to leave. We got to meet a new shipper, who was really great to work with. He arrived on time. It was a relief to have the last sold foal gone before the weather got really bad. Lilo had been ready to leave for quite a while, so was used to being handled fairly regularly. Toni and dad got her loaded and Tracy said she was a real trooper when she got there. Tracy had to lead her about a mile in the snow.  Lilo has been really good to work with the entire time. She is a Jackpot so has a brain and beauty. Boys were still sick on Monday, Jaxsen started out at school but went home. Toni and Anna worked on the foals and did chores. Anna then went home and helped the men with the cattle chores. Anna has been primarily working on Gunnie, as that is her youth foal. Gunnie is very much a Double. Wants to go go go. So she gets lots of time being tied and learning patience. Gunnie will probably follow Anna through hell, but don’t stop because she doesn’t want to stop. Gunnie is out of a Jackpot daughter, Yo. These foals that are combinations of our studs are really fun. You can see aspects of their personalities that represent exactly what you had hoped to accomplish in the cross.

Tuesday was a rainy and dreary day. Boys were all still sick, Ben asked Anna if she was ok to go to school by herself, but I think she was happy to get to go by herself. LOL. There are some that think Jaxsen may not be as sick as the other two boys. He was really sick when you asked him, but didn’t seem to actually be sick…. Toni and Anna worked on the foals in the freezing rain. Yes, we are serious when we say we work on the foals in the rain, sleet, or shine.  There is nothing more fun than taking a piece of hail to the eye while being pulled across a pen on ice while you are “halter breaking,” the quotes are from the joke that you think you are halter breaking on the ice.  But really, working on the foals is important. Willie and King Three were actually really good. The weanling calves all hung out by the hay stack, hoping that someone would take pity on them give them some hay. No one did, they have lots of alfalfa to graze.

Wednesday was a nice day, I was home from work, boys were still sick. I took some videos of the Angus bulls and checked the cows. Anna got home with a half day, so we went down and checked the weanling calves and took pictures. Then I hauled some hay down to the bulls in circle 3 and hauled Gunner down too. At chores Toni and I took pictures of Willie and King 3. Kade and Jaxsen were feeling better at chore time, so we finally got to see them. By we I mean dad, mom and I.

Happy Thanksgiving. Everyone was finally feeling better and Terry and Erina got to come down. We all went to the Meachams and had a great time. We all did chores and worked on the foals after.  Willie and King Three got to be lead out into the driveway. We also got the confirmation that Kaine was honorable mention for 2022 Football All-League. We are all really proud of him. There aren’t many freshman that make that list.

Friday the Meachams headed to Clarkston. The rest of us got the cows in and started working cows. Thompsons from Elgin came by and got two bulls. I also took them on a tour of the stallions, they might be bringing a mare back to bred to King in the summer. We got 2/3 of the cows worked then stopped to do chores.

Saturday we finished working cows. Then Kaine and Ben branded the bulls and Anna and I went out and made a heavy list of the cows.

Sunday Meachams came home. Anna cleaned the saddle shed and made a calf box to get ready for calving. Toni and I let the two colts out and got the next round of halter breaking foals in,  3 of the  late fillies.  We are down to the end of halter breaking. We always struggle to get done before the weather turns bad.  We got all the big ones done, so really the stress is off. By the time we got to Willie that bugger was big, but he just wasn’t hard. Having Tulip really helps a ton. I mean you still have to get the foal handled enough that you can hold it while you clip to Tulip then get out of the way before you get cut in two. Sometimes Tulip boycotts so you are holding an unhalter broke foal with one hand and a resistant donkey with the other. And the 2 do not meet. Tulip usually ends up winning that battle because you have to drop one or the other. After choice words, normally one of the kids will come over and help get Tulip in position. Tulip is still lovable. Especially when she is done and she wants Equine Senior. Try to feed her the wrong reward feed. She is very vocal.

                The three fillies we got in are 2 out of King- Joss and Holly, and the last Tank filly. We keep changing her name. She has been Boots, U girl, now she is Gucci. Toni is keeping Holly and I am keeping Gucci. Those two are out of old mares, so we need to keep them. Joss is actually the best of the three so far. She is a thinker, with a big eye, big hip, really flat when she moves. Just a really nice filly.

The week of Thanksgiving is always fun. It is the beginning of lots of family time and we are getting ready to start calving. Two things we are very thankful for. Being thankful for what we have needs to be something we try to do everyday, not just the month of November. Easier said than done, but we are thankful. Thankful for the friends, family, clients, and team we have at KT Ranch that helps us get through the good days and the bad days. So if you are reading this, we are thankful for you.