The Highline: 216 Steers, 7,000 Acres, and 20 Riders

August 25, 2018 – Volume 13 – Issue 33

Hi Everyone,

Marybeth on Chewy and Tessa on Boyd

This week we were extremely busy with projects at the ranch and at Graze. From checking cattle to horsemanship and shoeing there was no shortage of work to be done. With our fantastic group of guests we had a blast getting it all done.

Anna and Scott have been taken on as Nathan’s shoeing apprentices, which means there has been a lot of shoeing and learning going on. Both graduated from trimming to shoeing and nailed on their first shoes this week. Under Nathan’s watchful eye they have been learning everything they can about each horse on the ranch. In fact, Nathan has been working on a book of all the unique aspects of each horse in order to capture the fine nuances of how to keep all 100+ head of ranch horses sound.

Anna’s first shoe on Wyatt Earp

Horsemanship this week was all about softness (both legs and hands), riding transitions, serpentines and perfect circles. If you have prepared your horse properly a nice round circle on a loose rein in proper flexion will be attainable. To do this, short serpentines and lots of transitions in and out of a soft feel are a part of the preparation. Shayne, Des and Roby have done thousands of these movements when educating the horses they ride and they and most importantly, their horses, reap the benefits from it. Often times riders will want to work on the “fun” things, or the things they are good at, when what the horse really needs might be something very different. These movements are a good example of this, and this is where focus comes in! If you work at improving your weaknesses, they will soon become your strengths.

Scott’s first shoe on Taz

In addition to being able to ride in Horsemanship this week, Janice also got her first ride out at Graze this season! She and Jenna rode with Steve, Marybeth and Caroline from the Davis parking lot out to the “wolf water tank”. The scenery is amazing and the company couldn’t have been better.

The State Section and McKillop allotment are both around 650 acres large so finding cattle on Davis is a much bigger challenge given that it is 7,000 acres. You can ride all day and not see a single steer. We were successful though finding several needing to be doctored and took them back to ranch where they were doctored and then weighed. We got to learn how eyes are doctored, how to run the squeeze chute, and how to run the scales. Back on Davis we saw lots of wolf and bear scat, which reminded us how important it is that we keep a close eye on the cattle.

Pat and Twizzle in the mine.

It is amazing what neat spots you can see while riding through Davis which, because of its size, is much more diverse than other grazing allotments. On Tuesday Sue, Jessie, Genna, Diana, and Pat rode up to the Talc mine. It’s a huge canyon that evokes images of old western movies. There are so many vantage points from which to view the surrounding mountains. On Thursday, Jenna, Jessie, Steve, Marybeth, and Caroline found a mountaintop pond, which they named as “Jessna Pond”. It seemed like the perfect place for cattle to gather to escape the heat of the day. When riding out to graze every day is different and new.

Dave testing fence

This week Phil, Pat’s Husband, rode along with Dave as he drove around Davis checking water tanks, filling mineral, and maintaining fences. One night he came home telling of the huge black bear they saw on the mountain, which may be largest bear we’ve seen all season! Phil also acted as resident photographer and caught some of the inner workings of the ranch as they happened.

This week marks my last Highline of the season. As I prepare to depart the ranch, I am reminded of how much of a home it has become. From walking into the corrals and seeing familiar equine faces to riding with some of the best horsemen and women in the country and working alongside my ranch family. McGinnis Meadows has been a big part of my growing up and each time I return I not only become a better person but am able to see another side to the person I am becoming. It has been an honor to ride with all of you and write for everyone reading from afar.

No matter where my life takes me – I’ll always know the way home.