By Steph
What’s happening at the ranch right now, you ask? Not much. Or a lot. It depends on who you ask. This past weekend, it felt like not much. My girls were itching to ride, so we lured our horses in from the winter pasture with treats, and saddled up to meander around the ranch and check out the progress of the snow melt. It’s happened pretty fast this year, as we’ve had a warm spring. The meadows are almost fully exposed, the dormant grass is considering it’s return, and the mud isn’t too thick anymore. There is still plenty of snow up on the mountain tops, which makes for a beautiful stark white contrast to the brown meadows and bare trees. Down by the creeks, the willow sap is starting to flow, so they are changing colors next to the rushing waters.
After our ride, we visited the “maternity ward” to see the pregnant mares and our new foal. He is so darling, and his momma, June, is settling in perfectly. June is new to us, and she came from a horse sale that Ben, KP, Sam, Mandy, and Matthew attended a few weeks ago. They picked up some great riding horses and came back with this stunning, but very pregnant mare. We didn’t know her due date at the time, but let’s just say it’s a good thing they came straight back to the ranch as she foaled within days of her arrival. Apparently she has claimed the title of Alpha mare, so she will be the one ruling the roost over the other broodmares. Her little guy is a doll, and so friendly. We’re still waiting to pick a name for him as so many of our Facebook followers submitted fabulous ideas. But, with the off-season, everyone is coming and going and we haven’t been able to get together and pick the winner.
It was pretty quiet around the ranch on Saturday, and the only person we saw was Troy. He was busy feeding the horses, dragging the pasture, and power washing the Indoor arena. There is still plenty to do, even when we’re closed.
As I was running some errands, we stopped by the staff laundry room. Every year staff leave items behind that someone else might be able to use. Western shirts, camping gear, jeans, etc…. and every year although we love the culture of sharing and passing along stuff you won’t use back in your real life to someone coming to the ranch, it becomes a mess. So, my girls and I began an impromptu purge and clean. After going through all the clothes, hanging up the ones that would be useful for ranch staff, and bagging up the other stuff to take to donate, the room was tidy and organized. Somehow we ended up coming home with a sombrero, among other things. Many thanks to that staff member who left that one….it was JUST what we need in our house. Note motherly sarcasm.
With that, we wrapped up our playtime and headed home for chores. This weekend marked the 50 days until opening day mark, so the countdown clock keeps ticking. We hope to see you this summer when the meadows are green, the aspens leaves fluttering in the wind, the horses all shedded out, and the summer staff in place and ready to play with you!