Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Mustang Camp Fieldtrip


Kino, my mom and dad and I left home at 4:30am Sunday morning to drive up to the Mustang Camp near Bloomfield, NM in Largo Canyon, where they gentle wild mustangs for adoption from the Forest Service. Chaundra stayed at GoatCamp in Eldorado to watch the herd until our return. 
She is a good sister.


Doonie needs a back up horse and Kino a mount, so we were looking for a gelding which would suit us both and all.


This guy was a stallion a month ago and before his capture from the wild in late March a band leader.
Some of his foals and a yearling son are in nearby pens. 
He is built well, has a refined appearance and is a smart horse. 
He will be gentled and ready for us to take over training in mid June. 
The folks at the camp will deliver him to us so it is a great deal.


We looked at a few others to be sure we had the one best suited for us. 
This guy Rangly on the left was another band leader and stallion of the same age, he also has some nice looks, but is a bit smaller, and more shy. 
We were just not as drawn to him. 
There was another young horse, a 2 year old, which we were tempted to get who is a puppy dog. Adopted as a foal and returned due to lack of time to train he has had a bit of handling and is quite sweet, and very easygoing. 
That horse will make someone a wonderful companion.
But, like when I first saw Doonie- that big bay struck me as the one I could not pass up. 
He has the most thought and consideration in his eyes, a nice wide forehead, lovely roman nose and seems to want to engage, rather than evade. 
I will be glad to have the horsepower. 
With Chopo still out of rotation due to a barbed wire injury the mares have had to fill in. 
Another chapter has begun in our continuing education in HorseManShip.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Dogs, Goats, and Horses


These pups appear hard at work don't they? 
They are sacked out yet alert-the best aspect of these dogs...
They have the ability to relax, and also to step into action when needed.


Doonie leads the herd to a graze spot. 
The goats thought they were done with the yard early on. 
It was a grassy yard with fewer weeds, but they ended up staying a few hours longer than we thought they would want to and I think ended up with a pretty tidy yard.


Neighbors got the dogs working. 
Once they realized the people were no threat, only admirers, they quieted and went back to their shade.



Chopo came along to work on the grass. This was his first day out on the trail again since he got cut in the barbed wire down by the train tracks a few weeks ago. All his joyful running on the way to work got him a bit sore after his time off, but he enjoyed himself and is looking much better. 


Chopo being a shark. 
He is feeling better. And with a little exercise he bites softer.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Maremmas on the Job


Bullwinkle's sister watches the herd munching weeds in a yard on Friday, her first day on the job.


She settled into her role with the peaceful model of Bullwinkle who is a very serious dog.
(he is the white patch under the tree behind his sister...)


The puppies doing road work yesterday. Buck is getting better at keeping goats from crossing the line...
Bullwinkle and his sister also kept guard along the street, though they did no herding along the road. When a goat crossed under Bull's watch he simply followed it to the other side and kept a closer eye on it. Sister mostly followed along watching everything. She met some kids who were out biking, got some pets and returned to the herd. Bull kept a watchful eye on them too, meanwhile Rocky investigated Dante, a young poodle which is an old friend. 
I was amazed at the amount of green down here by the windmill off of Casa del Oro. 
The goats had a great time filling up along the bike paths and along the road.


The goats eventually drifted east, back toward home and once the crew hit the trail they all marched home happy and content.
We cruised home as one big parade with Buck in the lead, and Dunny following. 
The white dogs led the goat mob behind Dunny.


Along the way a raven sat watching from his perch. 
He is often sitting on this dead pinon tree, quiet and unafraid as the goats stream past. 
He only took flight because I paused beside him, but he was still in no big hurry.



Pups run ahead with Buck. Three different tails bobbed along behind.


Zorro here reaches out for some dry aster blooms as he trucks home...


Rocky's pack

Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Horse is a Horse is Looking More Like a Horse


I spent another bit of time (off my dun horse) on my limestone horse while Kino worked on a memorial. I am beginning to get the hang of this three dimensional craft.




Starting to look more like a horse...


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Amanita Art for Market


SunStar Herbs has been a member of the Santa Fe Farmers Market since 1996.
We sell a variety of herbs and herbal tinctures every week of the summer and through the winter.


This corn was grown on our Organic farm, Smoke Signals popcorn and Red parch corn (YUM!)


I paint these wild Buffalo (also known as Coyote) gourds with acrylic paint and string them as ornaments. 




I also design these "Bag O' Nip" Cat Toys stuffed full of Organic Catnip.


We keep a diverse fowl flock from which we get our eggs. 
Their feathers provide me with another craft. 




These larger ones are good for moving around smoke while smudging (another product line which we sell at the Farmers Market). 


Smaller feather bundles can be stuck into a hat brim, as decoration on a self, or an ornament on a tree. 
Cats love them as a toy on a stick.



Sunday, May 15, 2011

Wild West Celebration


Horned Locusts made a showing at the Wild West Celebration yesterday at the La Tienda...
Thom Ross and company are pictured down by his staged Indian show...


Stagecoach rides circled around the buildings all day...




The kids enjoyed the kids and the pups made a great big social leap...


Horseshoe tournament overseen by the artistic representations...


I loved these pack horses, very calm and stately beauties...


Pups are ready for adoption. These two enjoyed much admiration...


Pony Rides via Horses for Heroes...


Thom again standing with his dog Charlie...


Homeward bound at the end of the day...


Pup watches the scene fly by...


So does Thelma...


Home again! Lets not all jump out at once...


Wednesday, May 11, 2011

'Chomp-ions' of the ecosystem: Goats eat up non-native plants

                                                                       
photo by Luis Sánchez Saturno


Julie Ann Grimm wrote this article for the Santa Fe New Mexican last June. 
It is a great article about the Goat Business... 
Well spoke, well written story told...

And I rather like the photo that headlined the issue.