Riding the range

We noticed a cow didn't come down to eat with the rest and that is not normal. Bruce wanted to get her up to the barn so he can keep an eye on her so I saddled Lady today to see if she is a 'cow horse.' It's been awhile since our last ride and she had a definite hump in her back when I put the saddle on, that is a sign to go easy, no breaking into a canter quite yet!

My plan was to get her up to our house, then load her out of the barn but first we had to drive her here. Lady and I found her laying in the cornfield. I'm sure her thought was "No good can come of this!"

 

We trailed her back to our barn, she kept trying to get away but Lady kept her in line.

 

 

Right inside the gate into the pasture, the cow turned north so I kicked Lady into a canter to cut her off and she exploded bucking, "Yee Haw!" It was the wild west in 2013! Luckily I had the camera tucked securely under my arm because the saddlebag with the camera case went flying.

 

I hauled Lady's head from between her front legs and quickly regained control of the situation.

 

I still got it!

 

She didn't go into our yard as planned, instead she headed down into the creek to drink, acting as though she hadn't had any water for a couple of days.

 

 

Bruce said he would like to get the heifers up in the yard also so they can have better feed, after all, they will all be mothers next year and need the nourishment. There were 4 heifers and both bulls in the south end of the pasture while the rest of the older cows and 2 heifers were at the north end.

 

 

Bruce was coming with the 4-wheeler to lend back up so I eased the cow out of the creek and down the pasture to the gate.

 

 

The heifers wanted to go north where the rest of the cows were but, seeing the cow going west, they fell in behind her. Thank heavens for herd mentality!

 

Lady and I trailed them up the lane.....

 

....and then turned them over to Bruce to pen them at the barn.

 

 

 

It was windy but a glorious day for a ride, so Lady and I took off around the big field to work off some of that pent up energy.

 

 

We caught up with the two bulls in the pasture, heading north to find the cows.

 

Hearing the bulls, the girls are headed south, not sure what will happen when they meet but Lady and I had ground to cover.

 

We see the neighbor, Max, combining corn.

 

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Looking from the Paullina blacktop east, the first grove is the home place, the far grove is our house.

 

 

By the time Lady and I got back home, she was well sweated and the buck was gone. I better not wait so long between rides, we both get out of condition.

 

I think it was Mark Twain who said, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person."

 

Or maybe it was Will Rogers.

 

Anyway, my insides feel real good tonight, except for my bottom, that is rather tender.