Day 3 -

Well I am back at my desk, it is 8:30 and the coffee is brewing in our break room. I managed to get up at 6:10 and get to the stables by 6:30, coffee in hand. I dont know why I am proud of myself for being able to do this. Yet, strangely I am. I am getting up early, which for me is a feat in itself.. I am sick and I am PMS'ing and I still managed to break my old habit of crunching up into a ball and sleeping till 8:30. It is quite possible I would have even called in sick today, cramps and ucky feeling.. but no.. I thought to myself if I was on a working ranch would I have gotten away with that.. I dont think so.. I think I would have taken some aspirin, with a Coors and headed to work. It is really all about perspective.

The horses were happy to see me, I think as far as horses go. Rita had already fed for me, but Marshall happily left his food pile to come to his gate to greet me. I haltered him up and took him out to the big arena.. Where of course he promptly rolled in the wet sand. Emma, also left her hay pile and then tentatively walked up to her gate. Building trust in a horse is worth its weight in gold, if you can wait for it... You have to wait for it..

Of course you can make a horse do anything, with enough rope, whips and tie downs, draw reins, crops, spurs, twisted wire snaffles, mechanical hackmores, side reins, pull reins, chin straps tight enough to snap themselves.. yeah you can make a horse do anything... but to have them willingly do something, softly, smoothly, effortlessly with no weight... wow...

So anyways that's not where Emma is at.. no she still weighs a ton, but! she did on her own, come up to me to get haltered.. Of course I had to wait on it, but it is happening. Ever day she gets better, every day she may take another step, or move with more life... but you see what I am building, you see where I am going... Its the first step... She is coming to me..

Well anyway :P

Got them both turned out and they ran around like crazy, mucked out and then got them back into stalls and tied out for curry and pick. ( checking out hooves and a good brushing over. )
Good horses.

You know I think I left here the other day with the thought that I have only had horses these last 6 years. I have to admit that is true, I have only ever owned my own horses these last 6 years. Yet I did have horses in my life before that.

I grew up 1/2 time in Santa Cruz and 1/2 time in San Jose. Back in the day before the million $ homes the south side of San Jose was mostly ranches, lots of cattle and tons of orchards. Oh almonds, apricots, plums, apples, it was heaven. During this time I spent my summers at my grandmothers ranch. She had 10 acres in the foothills that was surrounded by other ranches. She had a few horses and all her neighbors had 1 or more horses. I used to ride her horses, and then ride her neighbor's. We had friends that owned cattle that had grazing rights on the old Garcia land grant and once every year ( I think around memorial day ) we would for a week spend it gathering the cattle from the hills, checking the calves, treating pink eye, branding and other things, then we would take the cut outs to sale in Oakdale... Oh there is no better place to be in the Summer, in the sweltering heat, then in a sale barn, full of old cowboys, and cows, and flys and wait for the herd to sell... Oh what a life...

I remember we would wake up about 4:30 ( all of "hands" would sleep on the living room floor ), the older ones would get a coffee and a coors, and we would head out to the pasture.. They were big pastures and the first horse you could get your hands on was your horse for the day.... You know, that was fun. You always had your favorite and you would always search for them.

Then you saddled them up, and loaded them in the trailer and drove out to the ranch gate to go look for the cows...

by the way, did I mention I hate cows...

Range cows are not the cute like the black and white cows you see on the side of the milk trucks. You know the one, with the bow on her head and the little skirt... No, Range cows and filthy, usually they have snot in the nose, and they smell.. my god they smell.. Once that stink gets on you, its like the bog of eternal stench, you can never get it off...

So now, your on a horse all day, rounding up all the cattle, by oh, 2-3 you have herded enough to the pens . ( the older hands go out further and bring the cattle in ), and now you load them into chutes so you can vet them...

What fun...

Big, stinky icky cow, stuffed into a chute.. usually hollering because you have split her from her calf.. ( or its the calf hollering.. either way there is plenty of hollering... ), you then, give them their shots, dr them where they need it, ear tag em and off they go... This go ons usually until 6pm.

Then you load up the horses and drive back to the ranch. Where now, the Mamma's have prepared a lovely dinner... the food.. OH my the food...So you stuff yourself, and drink yourself into a stupor, you forget the stench that surrounds you, and fall to sleep... Every bone in your body aching..

Only to wake up the next morning at 4:30 am and do it all over again..

But notice, we did not train horses.. I dont remember any of these horses being soft...
They all had full port bits, they all were ranch broke..

Until tomorrow.
LW