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Cow Country

Sir Henry and I love photography. Share your photography with us all.
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PJM
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Re: Cow Country

Post by PJM » Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:36 am

Your pictures and memories are absolutely addictive! Someday if you can find the time a pictorial book with comments and your experiences would be a best seller. You live an amazing life. As I can't stop looking at your posts, my wife is getting after me to do chores! I have so many questions:

1. Do you buy horses as yearlings and do your own training?
2. What methods do you use? (gentle or firm)
3. Do you use a farrier or do your own?
4. Your horses all appear to be mostly Quarter horse stock and beautifully fit. Do people ever use Canadian chunk lines as working horses? The chunks down here look very durable.
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RanchRoper
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Re: Cow Country

Post by RanchRoper » Sun Dec 13, 2020 2:35 pm

Hi, will try to answer a few of your questions. My wife and I have been blessed in our search for horses over the years. We have had some young ones and some that were already in the bridle. I have started and finished a couple here and there. The dun mare in this photo we bought as a 3 yr old and she had just been started. She had never done any ranch work until I started using her for it. Turned out to be an all-star. I don't believe in rough stuff with horses or stock. Slow and steady and treat them with respect. The first time I ever roped in the pasture on this mare was a 1600 lb mama cow with a footrot. She held that cow like she had been doing it all her life. I had spent a lot of time dragging logs and such and just letting her figure things out. She was a very smart horse who "got it". She had some thoroughbred in her but was registered QH. Lost her to colic in 2015. Sad day. Her name was Magic.


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The gelding in this pic, Badger, and seen throughout the forum is also a QH. Peppy San Badger breeding, and it shows in his handling of cattle. Badger and I have seen lots of miles since we got him in 2005. He's 22 in the spring. Still ride him just for pleasure but his days of going up and down the mountains are behind him. He still likes to move cattle though, and rope once in awhile at brandings.


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Then there is Dakota, a registered paint but we don't have his papers. He is 16 hands and was used as a rodeo pickup horse before we got him in 2012. Paints by nature I find tend to fret & worry more than QH's. Very easy to upset him and he needs a little extra time to figure stuff out so patience is the key word for him. But once he is confident with something he is extremely willing and game. I have roped some big stock on him. We ran 40 bulls at the big ranch I worked at a few years ago and he was my go-to for treating them in the big pastures. He's also very smooth at a long trot and a guy can cover lots of miles in a short time.



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I can shoe my own if I have to but my back isn't great, and the knees are not much better. I have a guy that comes in and does them most of the time. I am assuming you mean the Canadian Sport Horse line? I have no experience with them but have heard good things. I know a lot of the big ranches here and in the US have introduced thoroughbred blood into their programs over the years to increase the stamina and longer stride. Some of the big buckaroo outfits in the Great Basin country like that. Hope this helps.
ps....there's also Houston, our QH lawn ornament, he developed osteoarthritis in his back leg, and now in 1 front leg so he has not seen any action for a number of years but he's my buddy and we frequently have long chats about current events and such. He's usually got good advice. :) Too bad that happened to him, as he was a finished bridle horse in the vaquero traditions, spade bit and all. I won good money on him at a ranch roping one time.

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BigAl52
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Re: Cow Country

Post by BigAl52 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:50 pm

Nice write up RR. Very interesting. Loved the photos to but I always like the photos from up there.
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PJM
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Re: Cow Country

Post by PJM » Sun Dec 13, 2020 5:12 pm

Thanks for the answers. The chunks as they were called by the local owner look like heavy boned old style morgans and very quiet and confident. Do not have horses now but I do have a preference for quarter horses. My last horse was a "2 Eyed Jack" grandaughter who was well broke and ridden on a loose hackamore. As she aged we donated her to a therapeutic riding center for handicapped riders. She excelled and lived to be 32. Over the years we had a Morgan who ate half the barn, absolute pain except when on his back, changed leads on his own, and a beautiful mover. Enough memories for now.
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RanchRoper
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Re: Cow Country

Post by RanchRoper » Sun Dec 13, 2020 6:23 pm

Cool, I had a 2 Eyed Jack grandson back in the 80's. "Star" was a great horse, rode lots of miles on him too. Thanks for your interest.
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Re: Cow Country

Post by PJM » Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:26 pm

That is a coincidence as my "Rib Eye Suzy" was foaled in 1980. Small world!
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Re: Cow Country

Post by RanchRoper » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:20 pm

I think ours came off the Pitzer Ranch in Nebraska if memory serves.
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Re: Cow Country

Post by JEBar » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:29 pm

RR ....

really interesting write up .... showed it to my wife, she grew up on a South Dakota farm that had at least one horse for as far back as she can remember .... she thoroughly enjoyed reading it ... 8-)
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PJM
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Re: Cow Country

Post by PJM » Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:31 pm

These flashbacks are making my shoulder hurt. I have a plate and 2 screws in one shoulder thanks to a flaxen mane and tail qtr mare out of "Wimpy's Cowgirl". Her name was "Hard Penny". After 5 wrecks I gave up on her. At the walk she would go 15 feet and then blow-up. We had 2 vets look at her and advised to put her down. I could not do it. I sold her to a breeder who was advised of her issues and she kept her as a broodmare and non rider. Lost my shirt on her but she deserved a chance.
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Re: Cow Country

Post by RanchRoper » Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:38 pm

I’ve had my share of wrecks but looking back it was usually something I did or didn’t do.
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