Draft Horses Working In the Field

May 29, 2019June 14, 2019Lynn Scott Leave a comment

Grab the old folks and the kids. There is something happening in west central Alberta this weekend that they all will enjoy. Wild Rose Draft Horse Field & Pioneer Days on June 1 & 2 at Double Tree Village Museum. Gates open at 9 AM. It is 2 whole days of fun with something for everyone.

I’m going to start right off with my favorite part. It is the Draft Horses working in the field. Few people remember when that was “how it was done”. The turning point – when the amount of tractor power overtook the amount of horse power on American farms – was 1945. Jobs for draft horses were pretty scarce after that.

The draft horses at the Double Tree Museum give all those youngsters under 75 a chance to see horses working in the field. Actually putting in a crop. In a beautiful setting which includes a whole village filled with interesting things from the past.

You can tour a village reminiscent of the early villages in Alberta stocked with thousands of items. Join in the Jam Session and Cowboy Poetry Sat. at 5:00, vendors, Handicrafts, Pack Horse Demo, Hand work demos, Mini horses and much more…

There is a concession but if you are trying to have some fun with the family but on a severe budget, bring some fried chicken and potato salad, a nice big watermelon and lots of water and enjoy a whole day of fun for just a General Admission of $5.00 per person. There are places to sit and eat or rest. There are wagon rides to and from where the horses are working in the field.

Maybe you would like to purchase supper provided by the Spruce View Lions Club on Saturday evening during the jam session. Or breakfast which includes Cowboy Gospel singing as breakfast is served. You will be welcomed with true western hospitality.

6 miles west of Spruce View on Hwy 54 to RR41, turn north as the sign and follow the road into the village.

We also have an extraordinary setting for family and wedding pictures.

Interesting short article “Horses Finally Lose Their Jobs“.

Slow Feeder

October 17, 2018Lynn Scott Leave a comment

Eddie is too fat.

FatEddie

He has been living in the Jenny Craig pen all summer even though he has been my main riding horse. It is true this wasn’t a great summer for horseback riding. Some days were just too hot. Many days were too smoky. Then suddenly it was cold, snowing and windy. Eddie might not be quite so fat if I rode him more.

He used to get more exercise come fall and winter when he got to go out on winter pasture with the herd but he ended that luxury a couple of weeks ago when he decided he was now the boss of the herd and beat hell out of Dreamweaver. Continue reading “Slow Feeder” →

The Barn Cats

October 2, 2018Lynn Scott Leave a comment

We have a few cats here on the ranch.

Most of our cats originated from a female whose previous owner dropped at the ranch. Pregnant of course. She managed to get herself run over on the highway about the time the kittens got their beautiful green eyes open. One of the grandchildren found them crying in the Quonset. We raised them the rest of the way and got them on the ranch medicare plan. I have a special bond with them. They think I am their mother.

OrphanKittens

Then there is FuzzyWuzzy. I’m not quite sure where she comes from but she meows to me, runs beside me, eats 2 feet away from me but doesn’t like me to touch her. She is afraid of the other cats. She will only come to the barn and eat if I am there. She is afraid of anything that moves. She has the same green eyes. Continue reading “The Barn Cats” →

Exchanging Remotes for Reins..

August 20, 2018August 20, 2018Lynn Scott Leave a comment

Post by Melody Garner-Skiba
Rocking Heart Ranch

Every day each of us gets a little older. It does not matter what industry you work in or what job you do, days go by so quickly and none of us get any younger. This is especially important to remember if you want to ensure your way of life, your business, and your passion will continue long after you are gone. The horse industry is not immune to this circle and unless we get our kids to exchange remotes for a set of reins, we could find ourselves in a bit of a conundrum down the road.

RHR-ColtChallenge17-190

It is with this potential pitfall down the road, that our ranch started to work on a vision of getting Youth Back in the Saddle several years ago. Our mission is to encourage up and comers of all ages to get involved in the industry and contribute to ensuring this way of life that we all love will be around for future generations. One of the projects that our ranch is undertaking to meet this vision, is our 60-day Colt Starting Challenge. This challenge focuses on promoting up and coming trainers who are trying to ensure that people of all ages get back into the saddle and stay in the saddle! Continue reading “Exchanging Remotes for Reins..” →

Mules & Ponies

July 10, 2018July 10, 2018Lynn Scott Leave a comment

Some things just catch your fancy.

Like a Mule and Donkey Show.

English

or how about a Pony Show?

Alvesta Sedona, yearling Welsh Section B (Llanarth Tarquin x Alvesta Fairy Lustre) was 2017 overall Welsh Gelding Champion. Owned by Alvesta Farm; shown by Karen Podolski. Michelle Walerius Photography.

I was reading through the events section on Northernhorse when it struck me that these might be fun “things to do” for almost anyone. Continue reading “Mules & Ponies” →

Spring on the Ranch

May 30, 2018May 30, 2018Lynn Scott Leave a comment

Garden2

Procreation. Really it is all about procreation. All the excitement. Twice yesterday while working in the garden I literally had to duck because one of the male hummingbirds was graced with a female audience in the cherry tree and absolutely had to perform some of his best “look at me girls and how virile I am” swoops while his iridescent greenness flashes in the sun.

Needless to say, I don’t have any photos of this.

Nor do I have photos of the same hummingbird explaining to one of the male finches why he cannot possibly land on this cherry tree. I almost got sideswiped in that deal too.

Garden1

The wrens are dropping down from above to gather sticks for their nests. Sometimes it takes them quite a bit of time to get them into their house but they usually make it happen. Not so much the swallow that is trying to move into the Martin House. When she drops the stick, she just flies away – not to be seen again for hours.

Some days I would like to be like her. A free spirit or so she appears.

But I suck at “relaxing”. I am truly grateful to be able to do all the things I can do. I can think up even more things to do while doing things.

As I planted the 2nd bag of onions, I told myself I will give all my kids some beautiful home grown onions this fall. Then as I planted the 3rd bag of onions, I told myself I will give all my kids some nice little bundles of green onions.

Now I am trying to remember if any of them like onions or if I am about to become known as the “onion lady” instead of the “pepper lady” at the food bank this year.

BabyHorse2

The mares are at the breeding farms. I miss the babies a lot. It is raining. I don’t have to water gardens. Perhaps I’ll make a pot of coffee, sit on the deck, listen to the rain and spend a little time enjoying this bursting of life and procreation called spring.

BabyHorse