MMG Ranch (3)

It has been snowing for the last 2 days, on and off. This prevents the weather from getting too cold, and at least we have no rain, even though it is staring to get quite muddy.
Our main activity has been centered around the following themes :
- practice roping on the horses and on the ground
- feed the cows and horses which are not yet in the pastures, with Jerry (and his taxi Rambo ;) and Paul
- prepare the cattle which will be sold at the end of the week
- spend the evening with Junior and Jason, who are part of the fence team
- Brianna and Wes got a few horses back from their winter pasture, and start them in the indoor arena, and then outdoor (working with the cattle and riding in the mountain), in order to have them ready to be ridden by the guests in May.

This "starting" thing consists in getting the horses used again to anything they will have to deal with, after 6 months without being ridden. This morning, it took us a few hours indoor, making sure they got less nervous (because they get pretty wild after a few months spent wandering in the forest) and could still answer correctly to any instruction they had learned in the past. This gave me the opportunity to work with Taz (the nice pony on the left). And this afternoon, a few hours without any snow allowed us to go for a ride in the mountain. That was awesome, after a few days spent inside.

The coyotes are hanging around, in order to get the placenta each time that a calf is born. They are not afraid at all, and stay pretty close when we go feeding each morning. Fortunately, they are not dangerous for the cattle.

The summary of the last days, but in pictures this time :

Below, a short cattle drive, with Wyatt on the right :

And Taz, during his first ride in 6 months:

"I should've been a Cowboy
I should'be learned to rope and ride
Wearing my six-shooter riding my pony on a cattle drive
Stealing the young girl's hearts
Just like Gene and Roy
Singing those campfire songs
I should've been a Cowboy"