Productivity is Key

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This week was a much more spaced out and mellow time on the ranch. We were productive and got some more horses shoed, moved and picked up horses from a few pastures to the upper ranch, and got some mares back from stud. Also, we spent time focusing on smaller, lower priority projects such as breaking down panels and gates and putting them away, cleaning out a shed, and greasing some of our ranch machines. Haying began in two of our smaller fields with the windrower. (A windrower is basically a large farming machine that cuts large portions of grass and lays it in the field so that it can dry and later be baled.) Another excursion that went on was helping one of Jim’s brothers move cattle up to the national forest where they have a grazing permit. All of the occurrences this week helped me to get a more solid understanding in previous experiences and a better foundation overall.

Overall, this week was a very smooth and uninterrupted time of getting things done while also having more time to communicate with Jim and Katrina about how this last month will be spent at the lower ranch. Being able to get one of the farriers who works with the ranch to come back and do a last round of horses was a great comeback from last week’s upset. Also, having the time and number of people to help out with another familial ranch was a great learning opportunity that exposed me to more aspects within farming and ranching. Although one of the concepts that I was confused with was the idea of handling geldings around mares and young colts. This week we had some trouble with one of the geldings who began acting defensive and even dangerous around a set of two mares and their colts. This was something that I was concerned with especially since they were all in close quarters in a fenced corral together. A few questions I had from this were: what is the best way to move forward with this situation and why is there a need for several locations to put horses in case of similar occurrences, and how would this be handled in a different setting where several locations aren’t available.

While this week was a great time to answer a lot of questions, or clarify things I was still a little unsure about, there are still some that I plan to take into next week. One of my biggest questions is still surrounding how to hay in the most efficient manner including and factoring for inclement weather. Once we cut and have to allow hay to dry, is there anything that can be done to better preserve hay if it is rained on? Is there a certain order or priority that the fields are cut in? Is the window for haying always the same or is it adjusted yearly?

With everything that I have learned and grown a more stable understanding in this week, I plan to move forward implementing being understanding and utilizing it with my judgement in my tasks. Being able to physically help and interact with horses we are shoeing is a great skill to have. Having the basic understanding of tractors and how to work and drive them will help massively as we, hopefully, begin to ramp up haying and baling. I also plan to have better judgement when the time comes to begin irrigation again in certain pastures.

Submitted by: Olivia Halter
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team