Chester, the Curliest Barrel Racin' Pony in Texas

Hello All,

After the daily chores, ground work and trail rides are finished our Curlies do what most every cowgirl in Texan does on a Tuesday nite - we head out to the Rodeo...or barrel race and pole bend. And, believe me when I say, Chester man, our five year old curly stallion is the shortest and curliest horse there. Seems those Quarter-horses teamed up with some Thoroughbreds and they all stand about 16.4 hands high. But, when the clock starts the size doesn't matter.

One thing I discovered; in addition to needing velcro to keep my bum in my seat:). is the horses really must have good flexion to go around those barrels. I have been told by many folks lateral flexion is an important part of training your horse in any discipline; English and Western. And...I have been reading up of lateral flexion and agree with this quote from Clinton Anderson,

“Horses have hard bodies, not hard mouths! … The mouth is nothing more than a sending station. If every body part (poll, neck, shoulder, ribcage and hips) is unwilling to yield and soften, the mouth will feel hard and unwilling to soften to your pressure on the reins. When you have your horse’s body soft and supple, the mouth will feel very light, soft and willing to give to the pressure you apply with the reins. Basically, in a nutshell, the more we bend our horse laterally, the easier he will be to control.”
Clinton Anderson
Courtesy of Natural Horse Magazine

Chester and I are so excited about our upcoming run at S & S Arena tomorrow night.  We will both doing our stretching  and lateral flexion before the clock starts.....yeehaw

Dixie and Guinness

Hello everyone,

We have been very busy at Golden Curls Ranch with Trail Rides, Barn Raising and Barrel Racing classes but never too busy to enjoy a warm, inspiring moment with our wonderful critters.

Walking by I witness two species (Guinness a loving BAGEL, Beagle and Basset mix canine and Dixie Girl, a manx mixed Kitty) working out their difference....

  and finding a happy medium....guess there is hope for humans:)))

The rest of the story - Eggcited Updates at Golden Curls Ranch

Hello All,

On June 29, 2009 I posted a story about our wonderful new Chicken Coop that my sister, Diane and brother-in-law, WC built on their visit to Texas last June. Yeah, it's a family tradition to put guest and visitors to work. Actually we love it. Sorta like the old days when we'd have a barn raising, crop tobacco or picking cotton together. But, you always were well fed at the end of the day.

I wanted to finish the story about Groggy the rooster with a personally complex and HOMER, the chicken snake but first let me explain the photo on June 29, 2009. It is not really blurry because I was afraid of Groggy Foggy (the Blue-Red Laced Wyandotte Rooster)

it was my camera going out. But, I admit I take really fast steps around that fella. Funny rooster, now that he has a harem he has become the big COCK on the Block. I take a golf putter in with me when I gather eggs just to remind him that my legs are not to be touched by his huge spurs and long black toe nails and that if he tries he will become next Sunday's dinner.

Ok...back to the snake story,  my sweet, sister and I continue to wonder where Homer is hiding. Everyday I go in and look around for him while gathering eggs with one hand and holding my golf putter in the other and keeping an eye on Groggy. The chickens are really sweet hens; we have a Rhode Island Red "Island Girl",  a Jersey Gaint "Jersey Girl" and two Barred Plymouth Rocks, named Mae and Gurdy.  Watching these gals, I have concluded that they really know how to build up a man's self esteem. They let Groggy boast and flap his wings and go right on about their business; while occasionally looking at him and speaking sweet words in their soft, little clucking manner.

The next few weeks, we would find an egg or two and we got to thinkin' maybe they need better feed, classical music piped in or motivational conventions. Then, it hit me, yeah, right there in plain sight, HOMER, the chicken snake, was eating the eggs. OK, I don't like snakes but I respect them especially when they are almost six feet long. Still, realizing he was eating the eggs I decided he had to go. By the way, I read on my chicken for dummies website that these snakes are also known as Racer Snakes... and if that wasn't bad enough they like to park their big, long, black bodies under a hen in her nest waiting for the egg. Sure, now my egg gathering days were definitely numbered unless I used grilling thongs to grab the egg before HOMER could wrestle me for it.

Researching different ways to remove HOMER permanently, I was told by an older fella; who I figured knew a whole heaping bunch more than me, to put golf balls in the nest and the snake (not being very smart) would try to eat the gold ball instead the egg. Nope, it didn't work but on one my HOMER sighting a my wonderful, neighbor, who is retired from Dallas Fire Department and t'aint a whole lot of scare of much did wonder out load if my hens were laying golf balls and if so, stated, I'd be in the money!

Eggs continued to disappear with the shells left in the nest all crushed and regurgitated. My dear friends, Marion and Julie, who we volunteer together at Equest Therapeutic Riding Center in Wylie come out on Wednesdays to visit for a "ladies day" out, I'm sure, thought I was exaggerating the size of this fella, HOMER. But, I think I had Marion talked into putting him in a pillow case and taking him to other side of the county if only we could find him. Naturally, he is no where around when the ladies visit. 

So, I talked with more friends in town and a country girl who is quick to the point says...."go get ya some moth balls and throw 'em out. Snakes hate the smell". I can understand why....so do the humans, goats, horses and any other critter within 500 yards. But, not wanting to lose this fight I do as I'm told and the chicken coop smells like Grandma's attic for weeks. The hens walked around with their wings covering their sweet little faces and the Groggy just had this look of confusion.

BUT, I'm proud to say it worked. We are now getting two or three eggs a day. I figure with four hens someone needs a day off here and there and boy is it great fun to go in and gather the eggs just like I did when I was a little girl at Grandmama's place. 

But....I'm still carry that golf putter because the hens continue to build Groggy's self esteem higher everyday.

Angie and the girls

Fences make good neighbors and the best way to a man's (horses') heart is through his stomach.

Hello Friends,

A bad storm that come through our way a few weeks ago; it took down our "loafin' shed" (barn) and made a "slinky" out of our fencing. So we have been working hard to get everything back up and secured. Meantime, the horses have had run of the place - including my patio.
The other day, I heard a knock knock outside on the patio day. Sure enough, it was Lakota. The big boy had walked right in through the door but since it was on hinges he couldn't get back out. If this horse had thumbs we would be in big trouble!
Then, last Friday, Hank came roaring up in his sweet, little car that I am sure Lakota and I could outrun if we wanted. He hopped out very casually, smiled, opened the gate pulled his Carrera in and bam, Lakota was out the gate and going visitin' down the road. I immediately ran to the barn and grabbed some horse treats and ran after him. I was not dressed for the occassion and it seems to be the standard rule that when I am half dressed or in my pjs when Lakota gets out and I have to chase him down the road. Our poor neighbors think I have truly lost my mind.
After a few treats the sweet one is following me back into the fence and runs off to play with Curly J and Cinnamon River like a little boy. Hank looks at me and quickly says, it's all Lakota's fault....nope, it the fences fault, I say; defending my little one.
As grandmama use to say;....."fences make good neighbors" and ...."the best way to a man's (horses) heart is through his stomach".
She was a wise woman, my grandmama.


Hugs,
Angie and her big boy, Lakota

Milestones of Life

Hello All,

Yes, the milestones of life are catching up with me. I see all my friends posting photos of their little ones going back to school and how bittersweet it is. So here is my baby, Nicholas, who is approximately 5'7" going into his Junior year of high school. I talked with him a few minutes ago about his first day at school and it was something like this: what's you're first class of the day?....math....Ok do you like the teacher?...yeah....Ok, what's the last class of the day?...English. Great what's the teachers's name? Kerr......Ok, do you have everything you need, school supplies, etc for tomorrow? Yeah.

So my sweet little man who was once so bubbly has turned into a mono-conversationalist. Hank read somewhere that kids are like Venus Fly-Traps when they become teenagers. We, as parents just have be ready for them when they open up.

Angie and her handsome one, Nicky

Blossom and Golden Red - "Our Girls" are looking Good

On Friday, April 17th, 2009, we picked up our new Curly Mustang mare and her filly, Copper's D Golden Red and Golden Red's Nevada's Blossom from the BLM Paul's Valley, Oklahoma's location. Our good friends, Dr. Mitch Wilkinson and wife, Cheryl, picked up their handsome black, Curly Mustang, stud colt with a striking white star and together we drove our new friends back to the Lone Star State through wind, rain and bustling traffic.

The first few weeks were touch and go for all of us as the Mustangs had picked up shipping fever and Round worms in the holding pens. All of the horses responded well to the medications and feeding time was the highlight of our days. We spent a lot of time with the girls just getting to know them. Mitch shared with us his experiences growing up with and taming horses so we felt privileged the try the natural ways of communicating with our beautiful Curly Mustangs. For example, sitting quietly with them while reading a book, sleeping in their corrals with them under the stars, letting our girls get to know our smells, sharing apples an other treats and most importantly taking our time to develop and build the foundation of our relationship, trust.

It was great advice. The girls are doing really well and we ride Nevada Blossom on trails several days a week. She is a beautiful sorrel, smooth coated Curly. Now that it's summer, the sunlight shining on her coat glistens and is sparkles like copper. She has been training for less than 90 days and already is riding with a western saddle and bridle. She did really well on her first barefoot trim a few weeks ago. Bathing and grooming is one of her favorite activities. She has a wonderful, curious, personality and comes up to greet you with a soft nuzzle.

Copper D's Golden Red is a gorgeous Red Dun with a lovely dorsal stripe. She has zebra stripe markings on her legs and is a very Curly Mustang with a beautiful curly mane and ears. We had a small set back when our Golden Red delivered a premature foal, Tomahawk. We did not know she was pregnant and the previous months events affected her ability to stay healthy through the pregnancy. Golden Red is slowly getting back into great health. She, too, did wonderful with her first barefoot trim and enjoys her baths. She is very comfortable in a saddle. We are taking riding slow with her so that we do not compromise her recovery but working in the round pen shows she is regaining her strength quickly.

We encourage others to open their hearts and their homes to our nation's Mustangs. These horses have an equine intelligence that can only be found when survival is a top priority for living. They have wonderful strong hooves, well built bodies and personalities that once you gain their trust you will have a partner for life.

Hello All,

My darlin' sister, Diane and her wonderful hubby WC visited us at the Ranch a few weeks. We had a great time! My sister has the most energy of anyone I know and when she saw the rooster and the hens camping out in my patio she immediately decided we needed to put them in their own pad. (Don't think it had anything to do with the crazy rooster crowing at 4;42 am every morning. ) So she talked her hubby into helping me build a chicken coop.

First, we had to clear a spot of old T Posts that have been thrown in a pile since removing them and building new wooden railed fences. That was when my sister saw a copperhead up close and ...well, he was quickly added to the hawk's diet on the other side of the fence. Funny how family members share traits like my sweet sister and I. We both hop up and down like a new wave dance and scream to the top of lungs when we see a snake.

To Be continued....

Lucy and Ethel

Well, under the category of "you're never gonna believe what I found in my front yard".....last Tuesday morn the the wise men (Llamas) were staring down at the something in the front yard by the fence near the road. As I walked up closer; I thought, oh, it's just Guinness playing with the boys...then I realized it was two of the sweetest little pups I have ever seen. The girls were huddled together and obviously placed inside the fence so they would not be hit by the trucks - well in our neck of the woods the 4x4 Dualies.

So, dear Andrew and I decide they are Rhodesian Ridgebacks...Ethel the brown one for sure has the coloring of a Ridgeback and the black one - Lucy has the high ridge along her back and the personality to boot. They have been accepted by master Guinness and Miss Dixie Darlin' (OK yes we kept one of the sweet kittens that were left at Equest during Memorial Day) thinks they are great fun. She rolls and plays with them...they even eat at the same bowl of food with her. Guess eating kitten chow is no big deal when you gotta a lot of growing to...

Andrew told me the other night he might want to raise one. He better hurry 'cause these girls are gonna have great fun together at Golden Curls Ranch.

Lucy and Ethel