The Rock Corral

Saturday April 24 2010

When you've put on endurance rides for years like Steph has in Owyhee since 2001, (multi-days since 2002, including the now-regular 3-day Owyhee Fandango in May, and 5-day Owyhee Canyonlands in September), it would be much easier to keep using the same trails every year. (Even then, we have enough to where you have a different trail each day.)

But that's not the way Steph operates. She'll spend days, weeks, summers, out exploring new areas and trails, on horseback and on ATV and on Google Earth. Go out and explore, come back and pore over Google Earth, go back out and explore. (I don't need to mention she loves riding both horses and ATVs.)


Besides enjoying putting on the rides themselves, she loves showing off this beautiful desert country - the amazing creeks and canyons and mountains, and the hidden surprises - old homesteads, mines, petroglyphs, rock dams.


And things like this rock corral we came across (re-discovered actually) today while scouting new trail for the 3-day ride in May.








I'll contact the land owner and see if he knows how old this corral is and what it was for - there wasn't evidence of a homestead in the immediate area. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to build this.

And things like some cougar-ish looking caves in the red rock cliffs near the rock corral. I'll have to come back on foot and check those out a little closer.

We found trails for a new loop that connected this old Rock Corral Trail with the new Forgotten Girth trail we'd found and followed back in August.


So if you come here for the Owyhee Fandango May 28-29-30 (25, 50 each day, and a 100 on the 3rd day!), you'll get to see some more new trail, and more great surprises, in this most awesome country.

Catharsis

Friday April 23 2010

I failed.

I gave up on Kazam.

See Failure to Communicate. (And remember he broke my rib - although I still stand by my assessment that was a legitimate scare for him, and had I been able to stay on - he didn't buck, just leapt in fright - he wouldn't have gone anywhere.)

His main problem was his anxiety on the way home from a ride. For those of you used to jigging horses, thinking "My horse does that," this was different from jigging. I've ridden jigging horses. With Kazam, there was an underlying anxiety/panic there that was more than just jigging. I tried a few things - heading him up the hardest hill (didn't work), taking him on handwalks, getting off when riding and walking him at random times (which helped a bit), leaving him tied up when we got home, working him harder at home so being out on the trail would be easier and pleasanter. Any of these might have worked if I'd kept it up and been consistent.

I could have tried more things - ride him out 50 miles one direction, haul him away from home to ride so he wouldn't have anywhere to get back to, as soon as he started getting anxious heading for home turn him around and continue going out out, etc... but I didn't.

I lost enthusiasm; I got depressed with the thought of having to work with a horse that kept showing little or no improvement; and if I had to miss a few days of riding, we always had to take a few backward steps to start things again. And if I was not in the right frame of mind to work a problem horse, I was not going to communicate well with him - I wouldn't be positive or be the alpha leader he needed.

I came to admit that, as much as loved Kazam and as much as I wanted to be able to 'fix' and ride him, I was not the person who could get him over his problem. Sometimes a person and a horse don't click, as much as you want it to happen. Sometimes horses just aren't suited for the work you have planned for them. And since my job is not really a Horse Trainer (I loosely label myself a Horse Conditioner who does some training), I gave up.

Steph gave him to the neighbors to work with and sell. We all figured Rick could get him over his problem - sometimes it just takes a different rider, sometimes it takes a man who's heavier and just has a different approach to riding; and Rick has handled plenty of horses with problems.

Rick took him out a few times and they did well; then one day out on the trail, out of the blue, no warning, Kazam bucked hard, threw Rick flying high, and he took off running towards home.

Rick walked back home, got right back on Kazam, and took him right back out. Things were going fine again out on the trail again and the exact same thing happened. No warning, hard buck, Rick flew, Kazam ran home. Rick walked a long way back home, and was going to get right back on Kazam and take him right back out, but Carol called up the neighbor cowboy and said, Come pick up a free horse if you want him. And Kazam was gone within the hour. He'll probably (hopefully) be put right to work on a ranch or the stockyards. That's what I hope, anyway. Work him hard. Wear his butt out. Make him too tired to buck and give him no place he wants to run home to.

This story is my catharsis - it took me a while to face my guilt and be able to write it... but it won't keep me from always feeling guilty. I didn't try my hardest with Kazam - and there you have it - I just didn't. I feel bad for Kazam; I feel sad for his brother Jose who enjoyed having him around. I feel bad. My biggest fear is a horse I love ending up in a bad home or in the kill pens (one of the main reasons I quit the racetrack), and this possibility - for yet another horse I've known and loved - will always be on my conscience.... along with all the others.

Steph and Carol both cut their losses... I guess I did mine too, seeing that eventually another broken rib or broken something else could have been in my future with Kazam.

I failed in 'fixing' Kazam, but I guess the moral of the story is, I'm not that bad a rider - it wasn't just me, it was him.

Doesn't make me feel all that much better about the outcome, though.

Owyhee Gold: Part I

Thursday April 22 2010

It's that time of year: gold babies on the creek, next door at Lost Juniper Ranch. Dad is the cremello stallion Stoney - LJ Owyhee Moonstone.

Two babies out, one yet to come. Meet LJ Owyhee Crystal and LJ Owyhee Flint.










LJ Owyhee Crystal: Look at those long legs!













Crystal playing with Nibs




LJ Owyhee Flint - look at those long legs!






Flint touched the hot wire and kept shaking and scratching his head to get rid of the sensation!

Owyhee Upheaval: Herdicus Miximus

Tuesday April 20 1020

Herd dynamics and interactions are fascinating.

Big upheaval here at the Rancho.

While staying here in Owyhee over the winter, I had two 'herds.' Finneas and Dudley (the Hoodlums) made up one herd (with Finneas being the Boss). The other herd consisted of Jose, Mac, Stormy, Kazam, Huckleberry and baby Smokey. They didn't really have a Boss, other than Jose being the Social Director. Jose/Kazam/Mac sort of had a triangle thing going on, but they all really got along. I turned both herds out together occasionally, but even then, the 2 herds often retained their separateness - the two Hoods would often go off and do their own thing.

Three weeks ago, Huckleberry and Kazam moved next door - they are for sale. They spent their first 2 days ignoring their new herd, and running the fence line next to our ranch and whinnying. Didn't eat or drink, just ran, ran, ran the fence. (Maybe they dropped a few pudgy pounds.)


At the same time, the three Arizona horses came home: Rhett, Sunny, and the new Batman. Batman first joined the scene on the trailer ride down to Arizona; those three bonded like glue for 4 months down south, and they were kept separated from the others for a few days when they arrived back home in Owyhee.

The last several years, Rhett had been the Big Boss of the entire Owyhee herd; he and Jose and Mac were the Three Musketeers. Rhett was a good Boss, obviously in charge, but never had to do more than pin his ears at someone and they moved away. He never kicked or bit anybody. Now, Jose couldn't quite understand why his buddy Rhett was back, but was separated from him by a fence, nor why he seemed to be a member of the Three Stooges now.

Meanwhile 2 more horses arrived about the same time. One of them was 4-year-old Tex (from Texas). We put Stormy in a pen with him for a few days so he'd have a companion while he got to know the other horses over the fence. Stormy was so happy to have one horse besides baby Smokey that he could boss around... though it wasn't long before Tex figured Stormy was bluffing, and he didn't take Stormy too seriously. Tex bonded right up with his new pal, and Stormy appeared to like his important new Big Brother status.

The other new arrival was Krusty - renowned Owyhee endurance horse. Krusty, 20 years old, is a huge stout black half Orlov Trotter ('and half mostly arabian, a little thoroughbred'), that Steph rode on over 3300 miles of endurance (including 9 of 10 100 milers, including Tevis as his first 100), including the 1999 Pan American Championship, the 2000 World Championship in France, and the 2001 Dubai World Cup (aka the 'World's Most Preferred Endurance Race'). He was the original natural, decisive, and kind herd Big Boss of any horse that passed through the Rancho. He just had to give anybody the Eye and they did what he wanted. When Krusty retired from endurance, Steph gave him to Nance and Bruce Worman. They'd been using him as a riding horse (he still does LD's) and as a teacher for Bruce's daughter Belle.

Steph was feeling homesick for her old boy, and she thought he'd make a great herd re-leader with the new mix-mash of horses here, when we turned everybody out together.

But that wasn't quite what happened.

First, we turned the Jose Herd and Krusty out together, figuring big ol' Krusty would move right on in and take charge immediately. Did not happen! Mac became the aggressor - Rushcreek Mac! He kept chasing poor big ol' Krusty away. Mac was the only one offended by the newcomer; the rest of the horses went about their business, eating hay or grazing, ignoring Krusty. Krusty was bewildered - he hung near the periphery of the Jose herd and followed them timidly around for lack of anything else to do.

Second, we turned two of the herds out together. The Jose Herd was across the creek grazing, when we turned out the Arizona Three Stooges Herd. Those three ran around near the house, enjoying the freedom to stretch their legs and run about. It attracted the Jose Herd's attention, and they came to investigate. First, enthusiastically, came Jose the Social Director.



The two herds ran around together,

came together, did some neck bowing and prancing and snorting... then moved on their separate ways, hanging somewhat together, but still in their separate herds.




Next: Stormy and Tex met the Arizona Three Stooges. Tex tried to be social (or aggressive) - but Sunny turned her butt once on him and threatened to kick, and that was that. Those two herds remained segregated, going about their business,


with Tex staying right close to his pal Stormy.




Next, Stormy and Tex met the Jose Herd (who Stormy normally hangs out with) - Mac was again the aggressor! Wouldn't let Tex anywhere near anybody except Stormy. Viciously chased him away from any food or any of his Jose herd. When Stormy horned in to eat hay at the feeder, Mac ignored him (all the horses kindly put up with and humor the old racehorse), but he kept Tex away. Tex had to hang back and wait for the herd to leave so he could eat hay, or for Stormy to leave so he could hang by his side.

We kept the two Hoodlums Dudley and Finneas locked up in their big paddock a while - they tend to kick first and ask questions later. They interacted with the other horses over the wood-rail fence.

The first day that the three herds - Jose Herd, Stormy Herd and Arizona Herd mingled, they wandered their way down the pasture and on across the creek, somewhat together while still keeping their separate entities.

But suddenly, here came Tex, galloping back to the house lickety split. We discovered he wouldn't cross the creek. Must not be any water in Texas! Tex wanted to be with Stormy, but because of that big monster scary horse-eating creek, he preferred hanging close to the house, and in that way he spent a lot of time close to FInneas and Dudley. Dudley and Finneas would act aggressively toward Tex across the fence... but Tex didn't take them too seriously either.

Meanwhile, I left for two weeks.

John turned all the horses out together - the 4 herds - during the day a few times, and they still all more or less kept to their same herds, with Krusty staying on the outskirts of one herd or another, and Tex hanging near Stormy - unless they crossed the creek (which now is a raging creek).

Now, since I've returned to Owyhee, the two Hoodlums and Krusty hang out at nights in the fat pen (Krusty is Low Man on the Totem Pole), and get turned out during the day. With the exception of the Hoods, the other horses have integrated somewhat into one herd - although they still retain their attraction to their original herds... unless they cross the raging creek, when Tex comes back to hang with the 'Hoods, or by himself near the house. Rhett is back to being the Big Boss, though as usual, he doesn't have to do anything but pin his ears at anybody. Mac still thinks he is the boss, but he won't try anything on Rhett. Jose is still the Social Director.

I'll keep tabs on the dynamics. It will be interesting to see if things change, and if Krusty regains his kingly status like he once held. I feel sorry for the old guy. He's been around the world and done more than all these horses put together, and nobody likes him or respects him. He's got a lot of rungs on the ladder to climb, but I'll be rooting for him!