Mischievous Maximus

So Terry went out today to do some work before anyone else woke up and Maximus and Holly were in the back yard roaming around. He put them away and then as he was walking away they got out again. So he came in and asked us to go find out how they are getting out and fix it. Well we put them away and watched and nothing but then we hid behind some panels and we saw him opening the gate. That little crazy boy, what are we going to do with a horse like this?

Princess Cinderella

So Matia found this beautiful goat in Brigham City. I wasn't to sure about driving that far but she just seemed right and Matia couldn't stop thinking about her. So Holly (my friend, not the horse) and I took the day to drive up and meet her. Sure enough she was Matia's goat and we brought her home to surprise Matia after school. She was so excited and just couldn't believe her eyes when she looked out the window. Love you Tia girl!

Sally's adoption Sept 15th

Ever since I saw Sally on KSL in March and my dad bought her. I knew she was going to be mine, it was just going to take some time for me to get more financially stable to buy her. Anyway, our preschool house sold today and I was so excited to have the money to pay my dad for Sally. Because now she would be our horse. I love everything about Sally I love how she continually tests her riders to make sure they are paying attention. I love her energy yet her sweet nature. I love how she is so gentle with the small children. I love her wild nature and ability to protect herself from bullies. Yes, I do love Sally and I think all her riders love her as well! Thank you Sally for being such a great addition to our Ranch!

Daisy turns 3

Today Daisy turns 3 years old. Treg was such a great owner, first him and Tia slept on the floor with both her and Dash to help celebrate. Then Matia made him some doggie bones and Treg went all out with the decorations. We do love our Daisy she is such a sweet loving compassionate dog. Treg has this idea that he wants to breed her to make money to save up for college. So we decided we would give it a try. She is now in heat and we found the perfect stud for her. His name is Gus and he is a miniature standard poodle who is so well behaved. So dogs are pregnant for 63 days we will be counting the days to see if she gives us a litter. Good luck Daisy!

Cocoa Transfer

So I remember growing up on a ranch there were some hard things about ranching. It was hard to do the chores everyday twice a day no matter how sick you were or busy or how cold it was outside. I was hard to see our animals get sick or hurt and I remember always worrying about them. But the hardest thing of ranching was when an animal that we really really loved got sick and we were not able to help them before they passed on. That always broke my heart, and they always have stayed with me. In many ways that is the biggest reason I have not got into ranching before this time in my life.

So on Sept. 7th, I was doing chores and tied up the baby goats to eat down some weeds. But Cocoa has always been my buddy and she was doing chores with me. Well she would run off for a little then come check back with me and continue this process for a few hours while I was working. I wasn't sure where she was going I just assumed she was over with the babies making sure they were ok. When it was time to put them away they had all ate way to much but they always seem to walk it off and their bellies go down by morning. When I went to walk Cocoa into her pen she laid down, I thought she just was having to much fun being out and insisted on her going back to the pen.  Tia went to feed her and milk her that night and came back in to say something was not right with Cocoa she had no milk and wasn't eating. I just thought well that's cuz she ate so much earlier today she will be fine. Well we woke up went to soccer games and came back to tend to Cocoa when I realized I had waited to long to help her and she was not in a good position. I rushed to google Bloating to find out what I could do, called the vet (they were all out), then called mom, dad and Kami to help me. They all came over and we did what we could but nothing worked and we lost our dear Cocoa. Yes, it broke my heart and I cried and cried and cried. When Tia got home she did the same. After a couple of good hours of crying Matia came in to talk to me about it and said "Mom I knew she was going to die this morning so I told her good bye and I know she left us so she could go be with Aunt Tonia." she told me it wasn't my fault and that it was just her time to go live on Tonia's farm.

I was never that grown up as a child in fact I still have so much to learn from my sweet Matia. So today we said goodbye to our sweetest dearest goat friend Cocoa with much sadness in our hearts. But we know our sweet Tonia will take good care of you until we are together again. Lesson learned bloating in goats is VERY serious and needs immediate attention. I didn't know this but goats cant belch to get their gasses out, now I do and I will never lose a goat to bloating again! Cocoa made her last transfer to Tonia's ranch in the Sky.

Kitty adoption from Cousin Cari

Hansel and Poseidon are two very cute brother kittens that my cousin Cari had living at her house. My children spotted them as they took a walk to return a life vest that had been lost on the side of the road. Cari wasn't there but there were some adorable kittens that Treg and Tia couldn't stop thinking about. So as I was watching abunch of the cousins I told them to all go for a walk and see if Cari would let us adopt the kittens. Well we must say we all love these two. Poseidon can not stay clean to save his life he is constantly rolling around in anything to make him messy. But we love them both they were adopted on July 13th.

First Day of Fall Lessons

So yesterday we had our first day of fall lessons. I hope everyone had a great experience with their new classes and possibly new horses. If you were by chance lucky enough to be riding Maximus please be patient with him we are building his confidence with his new home and routine. This may take a little time. He is very well trained and well behaved we just have to adjust to his level. Yesterday was also tuition day if you forgot your tuition then please get it to me by today or there will be a late fee of $10.00 and you can just bring that next time with your full tuition. Also for next month I will have a big TUITION Envelope on the bulletin board please ask your rider to put it in the envelope. Also if you pay with cash please put that in an envelope with your riders name on it. I should have thought that through better but oh well live and learn right? I also had some students ask me about equestrian helmets. Those are the helmets I prefer for the riders. I don't require them but if you are interested in purchasing one I can purchase them in bulk for $30.00 they are just the simple black or white but good quality. If you are interested let me know by next week and if I have enough orders we will go for it.

So this is Cookie and Gretel-Ginger they are our 2 newest additions to Crazy Creek Ranch. Matia was able to buy Cookie who is a lionhead/lopear bunny from Analise who lives near Greenwood for $20. Matia earned the chance to buy Cookie by taking care of her dad so lovingly while his knee was hurt. Cookie is super sweet and loveable!

Gretel-Ginger was adopted by us from our sweet Hendershot family who found her in a park and nursed her back to health. They quickly discovered 2 of their family members are allergic to her and they were unable to keep her. Gretel-Ginger loves Cookie we often find them snuggled up in a corner. We have them both in a cage still to get Gretel accustomed to her new home without overwhelming her. We think she is about the same age as Hansel and Poseidon and she does like them although she seems very mellow and shy.

Fall Lessons starting this week - Lexi

This week we will be starting Fall lessons. Parents please note cowboy boots, jeans, helmet and water are your responsibilities. I do have a few used pairs of boots at the ranch for sale for $8.00 if you find a pair that fit your child then you are welcome to buy them. I will not be lending out helmets anymore since everyone's head is different and adjusting helmets take away from riding time. So please make sure they have these things before their first day. If they want to leave their helmets here then we do have a place to hang them. Otherwise make sure water, folders, helmets come every time. We are very excited again since I won't be part of the riding lessons please let me know of any concerns you have when they arise. I love parents filling me in on how things are going.  Oh and remember tuition is due the first week of the month or there will be a $10 late fee.

BTW - this is Lexi who is my personal favorite chicken on the ranch. We raised her from a little chickie this spring and wow look how she has grown. Just the other day Terry came out of the mud room and I came out of the garage each on one side of her as she was by the steps. We walked up to her she squatted and laid a brand new light brown egg right there in front of us... I guess we scared the "Egg right out of her".

She is a Sussex Chicken and they have everything: they are great layers of tinted or light brown eggs--and they lay right through the coldest weather about 4 eggs/week. They are dual purpose birds, though: fat-bodied and not prone to flying when mature, so they are easily fenced. In England, they used to be THE standard table bird, before the modern Cornish Crosses came along. They forage well and are economical eaters that are friendly and easily handled. Their curious nature means they will often follow you around the yard if they think they can beg a treat from you. The "speckled" variety has plumage that gives them some camouflage from predators, too. Many tend to get more speckles after each successive molt, so they just get prettier with age. Seriously, what more could you ask for in a chicken?

Maximus

Meet Maximus our newest addition to Crazy Creek. This half Arabian half quarter horse is 23 but don't tell him because he really thinks he is 15. He does it all trail, jump, poles, barrels and he loves it. His best friend on the farm is Miss Holly Kay. He has great ground manners and is just like a extra size Sally personality and all. He will be replacing Kiwi since Kiwi is moving to her families home this month. I hope you all love Maximus (like on Tangled) as much as we do.

 

Quarab are known for their intelligent and spirited disposition. For centuries, Arabian horses lived in the desert in close association with humans. For shelter and protection from theft, prized war mares were sometimes kept in their owner's tent, close to children and everyday family life. Only horses with a naturally good disposition were allowed to reproduce, with the result that Arabians today have a good temperament. On the other hand, the Arabian is also classified as a "hot-blooded" breed, a category that includes other refined, spirited horses bred for speed. Like other hot-bloods, Arabians' sensitivity and intelligence enable quick learning and greater communication with their riders; however, their intelligence also allows them to learn bad habits as quickly as good ones, and they do not tolerate inept or abusive training practices. Most Arabians have a natural tendency to cooperate with humans, when treated badly, like any horse, they can become excessively nervous or anxious, but seldom become vicious unless seriously spoiled or subjected to extreme abuse. There you have it a little about our Quarab (Quarter-Arabian) Maximus!