Ranch life and stuff

Is anyone out there reading this? If I had readers I would do this more often.

I've been told I need to blog about my life??? Seems I don't live a normal life, so here goes. I live on a ranch in western Oregon. It's tiny by Wyoming standards, only 35 acres and another 15 leased. My husband Dave and I own Menagerie Ranch and I rescue animals. To date I have 10 dogs, 9 horses, 8 cats, 5 goats, 2 pigs and 2 llamas.

Six of the horses are boarded here. Their owners live in town and pay me to feed and pasture their horses. Two are lovely Morgans, both chestnut (dark chocolate brown) with white stockings and blazes. Two are gray Arabians (if the horse's skin is black they're called gray, but there hair is white--go figure??). The last two are both buckskins and the only geldings (boys that have been "altered") on the ranch. One is Bucky (see my previous posts for more about him). The other is Monte, a knockout Keiger mustang.

I'm often asked what is a Keiger mustang. In the remote southeastern section of Oregon is the Keiger valley. Many centuries ago the Spanish came to this country and when they left they didn't take their horses. That's how horses came to America. Some of them got into the Keiger Valley and got trapped. Those mustangs are marked with stripes on their legs and one from the mane to the tail. They are highly intellegent and spirited. Monte is golden with a black tail and his black mane has an overlay of bright gold hair. (Many pay good mony for frosted hair!) He's been DNA tested against old Spanish horse bones and he's a direct descendent!

We had a good hay crop this year, I have a barn full of hay, a total of 1,085 bales. I won't have to buy hay this winter! But right now I'm worried about two goats. These two, son and mama, came to me a few years back. The woman caring for them couldn't handle them. The female, Helga, has a huge bag and had it for two years before I got her. It's a mammery tumor and it's so big she can't put both back feet on the ground at the same time. My vet won't operate because of the huge blood supply to that bag. She's not in pain and always runs for her bucket of grain.

Deufus, her son, has weird front legs. They bend at the knee, but they're bent sideways! I'm giving him Bute, (asprin for large animals) just in case he feels pain. It seems these two goats are terribly inbred. The parents of Helga were brother and sister and Deufus's father was probably the brother of that pair. Anyway it's painful to watch them walk and they're doing it less and less. They made it through last winter but I think the next one will be really hard. I'll watch them and make that Terrible Decision if necessary.

Well that's all for now.

Exciting News

As you know, I volunteer with PBO--Pro-Bone-O (see my last post for a description of what we do). We have joined with another group, the Community Veterinary Clinic (CVC) on a new project. We are establishing a full-service vet clinic for low and no-income people. It will work on a sliding scale and will not turn anyone away because of inability to pay. We hope to open at least one day a week by the end of summer. It is our aim to be open 5-days a week for full service care. If anyone out there is reading this and would like to help please either mail a donation to Building Fund, Community Veterinary Clinic (CVC) and mail it to Pro-Bone-O, PO Box 1823, Eugene, OR 97440. Any amount will be greatly appreciated.

More on Bucky and new on Pro-Bone-O

Bucky has started nickering when it's his turn to run into his stall. Because the weather's so nice we've started turning all the horses back out into their pastures after they eat dinner. This morning Bucky did a little crow-hop when he left his pasture. Good to see him feeling good.

On March 18, Lane County and the United Way held the fourth annual Homeless Connect. It's a day when the big buildings at the fair grounds open their doors to all the homeless. Many agencies and organizations gather there to offer free access to a large number of services. There's clothing available, breakfast and lunch are served, the homeless can get their teeth, ears, eyes, blood pressure, etc. checked. They can talk to counselers, get a massuage, get legal help, look for housing, and pick up dog and cat food and supplies, which is where I spent the day. I work with Pro-Bone-O, a loca nonprofit that holds twice monthy free veterinary clinics for the pets of people who are homeless. We give out meds when needed, do flea treatments, vaccines, and hand out dog, cat, rabbit and ferret food. We see 50 to 60 pets per clinic and hand out hundreds of pounds of food---all donated.

Horse poop

Bucky is growing more comfortable on the ranch. Last night I opened his gate and he went into his stall all by himself.

When I arrive at the barn in the morning, all nine of the horses are anxiously waiting for breakfast. I'm greeted with nine heads over stall walls, watching the feed room for me and a green bucket. I go down the row, dumping a scoop of grain into each feeder. My friend Y goes ahead of me and makes sure the feeders are up front. Jessie, a tall mare, is famous for filling her feeder with poop. I keep an extra for such a need. Do you know the average amount of poop produced daily from one horse is fifty pounds?

Bucky the horse

Bucky went into his stall all by himself last night. Bucky is a faded, skinny quarter horse who needs to gain about 250 pounds. I plan to post his progress from skinny and scared to healthy and happy.

Bucky belongs to a group of women, all who share his expenses. He was boarded at a big barn where he was pastured with some 25 other horses. Because Bucky's front feet twist outward, for unknown reasons, he was probably kept on the outside of the herd and not allowed to eat until the other horses had their fill. My farrier told Bucky's women about my barn and he arrived on Feb. 21.