WRANGLING ON THE RANGE #14
May 15th, Friday. We've had a not very good weather week
once more, a lot of rain and even some snow and hail. It seems
like Spring just cannot break through the Winter. Some dark heavy
looking clouds all over the sky as I drove out to the Ranch. The
Rockies were still covered with plenty of snow. We have not seen
it like this for many years.
I stopped at the "vets" office to pick up the first of two "shots"
that I give to Goldie at this time of the year. A young lady by the name of "Sally" works for the vet clinic, she lives near to the Ranch, we drive by her
place to get to the Ranch. Sally was in working today and we had
a little chat about Dan leaving the Ranch. She is a good friend of Dan so I asked how he was doing, and she said he was doing okay at his new place, which had some good trails and a nice barn. I told her that I had good respect for Dan, that he was a very fine horseman and ran a super Trail Riding business at the Ranch for the years that he ran it (which were about
7 years).
They gave me the shot for Goldie and an ice-pack to keep it
cold till I got to the Ranch. This shot is a "Encephalomyelitis-
West Nile Virus Vaccine and Tetanus Toxoid" - three in one.
I'm not really sure if it does any good one way or the
other. The horses at the Ranch are isolated from all other horses;
no outside horses are allowed on the Ranch to Trail
Ride. We have just about no mosquitos, and the Ranch horses (about
130 horses/ponies) do not get any shots of any kind, unless they get sick. The herds of horses on the Ranch are very healthy indeed. They all live outside, all year round, and being isolated from the general horse world,
they stay very healthy. Of course all the horse get de-wormed, twice a year
is all that is needed on this Ranch. And of course the riding horses
get their front feet shod from now till the fall. Goldie will get all her feet
shod when the farrier comes out next time.
Arriving at the Ranch, at noon, it was quite, four people
out riding, and no others coming. Bob and his girl-friend were there.
I did not see Tom today.
It was muddy once again from the rain and snow that had come
over the last week.
I brought Goldie in and gave her the special mash I mix up.
She was pleased to have it, it's a nice change from the grass.
Come the summer months when I live out at the Ranch for 6 days of
the week, she gets the mash every day.
I gave her the "shot" in the neck. She jumped over a little,
so I guess I did it not as good as at other times, when she
hardly knows I've done it. I'll try to do better with the second
shot I'll give her in June. I held the ice pack on (about a
minute) the area where I'd needled her and she was just fine.
I didn't feel like riding today, so I did some trick
training with Goldie in the barn. Moreen looked over and said,
"Making Goldie into a trick horse Keith?"
"Well it will probably take me forever, as I can not do it
each day with her," I replied. Moreen answered that indeed it
does take daily work, or much more time than I can put into it.
I picked up Goldie's front feet to clean them out and found
her hoofs had grown some since I last trimmed them, so it was
once more front feet trimming time for me and her. Not easy work
whatever age you are. But I got it done, and had them looking
real nice again.
Bob passed by and commented that the farrier had not been
out again as yet.
"Well you know, like Tom does, that when he comes he is to
do Goldie all around. Tom is going to tell me when he's coming
and I'll give you a check for his work on my horse."
"Yes, no problem Keith, sure thing," Bob replied.
The horses in the barn were un-saddled, and turned out, and
Goldie was happy to be with them heading for the range.
I was driving back to home when I remembered I had
forgotten to arrange for Rick the vet to "float" Goldie's teeth
this July. I stopped in once more at the vet's clinic.
"Your back again Keith," one lady said to me as I walked in.
"Yes, I meant to arrange a day and time for Rick to float
Goldie's teeth, it's been two years since he did it."
"Yes, no problem," she said, "when would you like it
done?"
"How about July 7th, that's easy for me to remember, if its
a day that works for Rick and I."
"That is a Tuesday Keith."
"Oh good. How about after the kids have gone home from the
summer camp; they leave on the school buses at 3 pm."
"Shall we say 3:30 pm then?".
"Yes, that would be just fine,"
I was given a card with the date and time. July 7th is 7
of 7. So it is easy for me to remember, the number 7 plays a big
part in God's world.
Teeth floating is more important than most people realize.
The horse eats in a circular movement in its mouth. Over time its
teeth can get sharp edges on them, thus causing many problems
including eating or not eating. Dan had one of his big wagon
horses loosing weight and going down hill. The problem was its
teeth needed to be floated, once that was done, it was on its way
back to health. If you are a horse person you need to know about
horse's teeth and modern "floating."
I stopped at the BIG "M" - MacDonald - for a vanilla milk-
shake. Should never have rolled down my drivers side window, as I
knew the wiring was breaking, but I did and could not get it back
up. The wiring had died, so I'm into the repair shop way before
the date I had planned. But till Tuesday morning (we have a
holiday week-end here in Canada) plastic where the window is will
have to keep the rain out, if we get any, which they say is
coming on Monday.
Will be back at the Ranch, God willing, on Sunday, and it's
supposed to be in the middle 70s F. for temperature. Now that
will be nice, you bet!
......................
To be continued
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