Author Lynn Scott

Competitors in 2017 Mongol Derby

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35 competitors from around the world tackle the 9th Mongol Derby: the world’s longest horse race www.mongolderby.com

“What better way to test yourself than through a tough endurance race that immerses you in a unique culture and takes you to Mongolia, the spiritual home of equestrianism.” Mongol Derby competitor 2017

This is the 9 th Mongol Derby, featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest and toughest horse race. The 2017 race features 12 men and 23 women from nine countries riding 1000km across Mongolia on semi-wild horses.

William Comiskey was one of the joint winners in 2016 – and he’s back to try and win single handedly this time. Trying to stop him are 34 fearsome competitors including an Olympian, a cattle herder, a dairy farmer, a potato farmer, an ostrich rider, a dog sledder, a psychologist, an artist, a banker, a private investigator. And even a desperate housewife. Plus of course, the usual vets and riders of every type of horse on the planet. Although of course, many of them are yet to ride the Mongolian horses… Continue reading “Competitors in 2017 Mongol Derby” →

The Boss Mare Calls

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Yesterday when I went out to work with Hawk, my 4 year old gelding, I noticed that he was really not happy living alone away from the herd. I had just locked him up the day before. He was nervous about being alone. I decided to bring Elvis the 3 year old in to be with him and perhaps work with Elvis a bit too before he leaves to be started. I could see the herd up by the trees on the north quarter.

As I headed out to the pasture, Hawk was calling and begging to come along. When I got a little farther Josie the old boss mare saw me and she started yelling and pointing out she would like to be out with HER herd too.

I took a short cut across the hummocks in the swamp – not too scary, they are still frozen and don’t wobble – and was just nicely on the other side when I heard the sound of running horses. I am quite used to seeing them come when I call but they were running like they were on a mission. Their hooves were thundering on the partially frozen ground. Continue reading “The Boss Mare Calls” →

Many Years of Classifieds

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The years slip by quickly. Too quickly. Mark sent me a reminder of that today.

Let me put a little perspective on this little flashback. It was the mid 90’s. We still had a couple of our 6 kids living at home. We had just been through the 20+ percent interest of the 1980’s with almost more debt than we could survive.

After we sold the dairy, we worked at haying half the hay fields around the area, ran a silage operation, had up to 140 head of cows calving, raised a fair number of horses, tended a big garden, and raised kids. We never seemed to have enough money but we certainly had enough to do. And on the subject of years slipping by quickly – some of those years went by way too fast. Could use a rerun. There were a lot of good times.

Then Dave hurt his back. The surgeon asked  him if he “had to keep farming”. Well, that was a dumb question. Of course Dave had to keep farming. That was what Dave did. But every time he drove the tractor or the cutter or the truck for too long, he was back laying on the floor. Continue reading “Many Years of Classifieds” →

Winter Pasture – Jan 2017

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A New Year and New Pasture Problems.

The first half of January 2017 we got a bit of new snow and cold with night temperatures in the minus twenties and thirties. The horses continued to do remarkably well out on the pasture. Dry and cold aren’t really much problem for horses.

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On the really cold days when the wind is blowing they are usually lined up along the windboards. The day this photo was taken it was cold and windy.  In the photo they look warm and comfortable. And when you go stand where they are, it is much much warmer and no wind. They soak up the sun’s rays. Their coats even feel warm on the sunny side. Continue reading “Winter Pasture – Jan 2017” →

Winter Pasture – A Cold and Dark December

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A cold and dark December. Certainly not the first but it’s been awhile.

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I could have lightened these photos but because the days are so short it seems we are always doing chores in the semi darkness so many of the photos were taken in the semi darkness. Even at midday the sun appears weak and far away and the shadows long.

The nights are cold and there just isn’t enough heat coming from that far away sun to warm the days. Some years colder than others. This December it got cold.

20170111nhblogwinterpasture14 Continue reading “Winter Pasture – A Cold and Dark December” →

Winter Pasture – December 2016

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I am a bit late in getting this post done, I’ll use Christmas as my excuse, LOL.

What being late with this post has allowed me to do though is see how the winter is progressing. As I anticipated this is a really good winter to document a horse herd as they range for their feed in a tough, west central Alberta winter. Lots of snow. Lots of cold. Like I remember as a kid.

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December 1st brought us a good dump of snow. The young horses almost enjoy the new snow. It is no hardship for them. Continue reading “Winter Pasture – December 2016” →