I got to take some cool photos of the mares and babies as they came in to the corrals.

Did I mention it was a frosty morning?

One of my favorites:

At some point this week, I’m sure there’ll be a photo or two of a cute, fuzzy baby, but for now, these will have to suffice!

Happy Trails, and Happy Monday!

This one seems to be the fan-favorite:

And this one is my favorite, I think:

Oh it’s so hard to choose! I love this one too:

And this one:

And the light in this one is gorgeous!

I’ll admit it. I love them all.

Happy Thursday and Happy Trails!

Mile View

Scatter Butte, From the South.

Trees in Scatter Butte Creek.

Camera Shy

Scatter Butte From the East

I hope you’re enjoying your winter!

Happy Trails and much love-

TSDC

I’m Natalie. I’m a horse crazy kid. I’m 25. Much to my mother’s chagrin I never outgrew this “phase”; I never went boy crazy; I never liked clothes. While other girls planned their weddings, I planned my state of the art equestrian facility. I dreamed of flawless hunter courses and daring jumper rounds instead of prom. When I thought of Prince Charming I wondered what kind of horse he’d ride and judged him accordingly. I have an expensive college degree and I’m (mostly) unemployed (This economy sucks, Natalie. I know how hard you’re trying! TSDC). Though I hate cats, I seem to be one as I always land on my feet.

This is Gibbs:

He is a 22 year old Holsteiner, I don’t know how he got this way, all I know is that he did. I’ve known Gibbs and his owner for nearly 10 years. They happen to train with *Trina The Trainer just like I do. From what I’ve gathered Gibbs just “fell apart” he wouldn’t eat, he got skinny, started acting weird at shows at the same time Owner started having personal life problems. Frankly, I don’t really care how, why (to delve into the why would pry into too many lives that don’t belong on the Internet), or when, but Gibbs was allowed to get into this condition.

I decided to do something about Gibbs.

That being said: I am poor. I say that in a cheery way. When I say poor I mean I qualify for food stamps, I never have more than $100 in my bank account, and I’ve managed to cut down my life bills so that I pay less than $300 a month to live. This includes my own horse Bubba:

While I’ve gone to college, sold my other horses, sold my truck, sold my car, sold my bicycle, graduated from college with a BS, and 2 years later I’m scrounging up random barn jobs to get by, he’s never wanted nor needed anything. His de-worming schedule might be a few months off, and he gets an annual vet visit instead of a biannual visit (or sometimes we skip a year), he’s never been sick, he’s never colicked, he’s never lost condition (he has had his bout with battle of the bulge once or twice) *lots of knocks on wood.* In my infinite wisdom I decided that this made me the perfect candidate to fix Gibbs. I hadn’t figured out the “how” part, the “why” was pretty obvious.

At this point I could have involved animal control, but since Gibbs is now on Trina’s property that would tarnish her reputation, even though she’s shoving more hay down his throat than he can eat. I also like Owner, she’s not a bad person, but sometimes life happens. Also, if I did report him and he was taken away who knows what would have happened to him. Cue my increasing frustration with the situation.

One day I was completely overwhelmed by his condition, I was angry, I didn’t understand how a horse could be allowed to get into such poor condition. I posted a picture to Twitter and Instagram and an hour later I had a plethora of responses asking how to help. I started the #GibbsTheHorse hashtag on Twitter and have collected over $300 in donations. Which is why Gibbs now looks like this:

-After just a couple of months! I’ve since put forth the idea of adopting him to Owner and she’s agreed. We sign the paperwork soon (as of Sunday night while I got this post ready, Natalie informed me that she was Gibbs’ official owner!)

In the future *Trina The Trainer and I will split his expenses as she’ll use him as a part-time lesson horse. He’ll also be available for half lease once his condition is fully recovered and hopefully, he won’t be too much of a financial burden. However, until then he eats: one bag of All-in-one ($12), One bag of Nutrena Senior Feed ($19), 5 bags of Stable Mix pellets ($60), and one bale of hay ($18) per week. That’s $109 per week and that doesn’t count his SmartPaks (probiotics and weight builder, soon to add flex) which are $25 a month. He’s in dire need of a vet visit for a check up and shots and needs his teeth done to the tune of approx $400.

There are many horses being auctioned off, sold to “killer” buyers, shipped over the borders and slaughtered, there are many horses starving to death because of neglect, many horses being turned loose, and rescues are full. Gibbs is lucky. I decided to save him but I need help to do so.

How you can help:
Donate Donate Donate
We like all kinds of goodies. Money is our favorite with SmartPak gift certificates running a close second, but we also like wither pads, half pads, a gently used bridle, new halter, brushes, etc. If you’ve cleaned out your barn and have some things Gibbs might need give us a shout.

——-

Wonder where the money goes? Never fear. The blotter is here!

Now, Natalie is no stranger to this blog. In fact, she’s actually donated a beaded horseshoe for a previous giveaway, and has an Etsy Shop. But this time she’s donated a hand-knitted scarf. I figure we can give it to the person who donates the most money (or goods) this week to Gibbs the Horse! The Contest will run from Monday, through Midnight PST on Friday Night. Natalie will have to get back to me with the results, but I’ll be sure to announce them as soon as I know!

Taking on a horse is a lot of responsiblity and most people who have trouble making ends meet woudn’t take on the responsibility! So let’s give Natalie some props for being up to the task!

Happy Trails!

I cooked a Home-raised, Sirloin Roast in Red Wine. I should warn you- your house will smell amazing for hours and you will be good and hungry by the time it’s done.

As with any roast, low and slow is the way to go! Now, I cooked mine over the stove, but that’s not to say you couldn’t cook it in the slower cooker, or the oven, after, of course, you’ve seared the meat.

Here’s what you’ll need.

3-5 TBS olive oil
1 large yellow onion, quartered (purple would work too, but I think white might get too mushy)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled.
Salt
Pepper
2 cups of beef broth (or 2 beef bullion cubes disolved in 2 cups water)
2 cups of red wine (or more if you feel naughty!)
1/2 cup water
fresh or canned portabella mushrooms
red potatoes, quartered (optional)

Season the roast with salt and pepper or whatever else suits your fancy. Season all sides. (note- fresh rosemary would be lovely in this dish, but my rosemary bush has, sadly bit the dust in this winter weather).

In a large stock pot, skillet, or dutch oven, heat olive oil over med-high heat. When the pan is good and hot, add onions and garlic. Stir for about a minute. Then place the meat, fat side down into the pan. Cover and cook until seared, repeating on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Then add 2 cups of red wine, 2 cups of beef broth, 1/2 cup water, and potatoes if desired. Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes, then turn heat to low, cover, and let cook for 3- 3 1/2 hours (or until roast is tender). You’ll need to turn it a few times to best distribute the flavors. With 30 minutes left, add mushrooms.

And voila- gorgeous, tender and oh so tasty meat!

Now, we’re on a slow carb diet at our house, which is why there are no potatoes in the photograph. But if I were eating potatoes, it would have been even better. It was melt in your mouth tender!

If you wanted to do this in a slow cooker, You could sear the meat in a large pan first, then transfer it, the onions, and garlic to the slow cooker, add the broth, wine and water, place on high for about 1/2 an hour, and then turn it to low and go on about your day.

If you were going to cook it in the oven, I think 300 degrees would get you. It will take about 22-25 minutes per lb. of roast for a medium rare roast. So if you have a roast that’s 4 lbs, about an hour and half will get you. Please keep in mind that a sirloin roast is one of the more tender cuts of roast. If you were using say a boneless-top round roast, it’s about 35-38 minutes per lb to get the desired tenderness/doneness.

No go. Cook. And be merry.

Happy Tails!

Happy Trails!

Now, some of you are thinking, ‘what the heck is a wild rag?’, right? Worry no more; I’m here to tell you.

Essentially, it’s a scarf. But they’re traditionally silk, usually square and frankly, the larger they are, the better.

What function do they serve, you’re now asking? Well, they look cool. But let’s be practical. The cows don’t care how you look. The horses don’t care how you look. But do they care if you’re warm? Probably not; but these scarves do keep your neck warm, and if you can keep your neck warm, you’re going to stay a lot warmer! And what’s better than being able to look stylish, and stay warm at the same time? Nothing if you ask me! It’s a win, all-round! Who cares if ranching is sometimes messy; looking good while you get dirty is even better!

Now, my all time favorite wild rags come from a woman named Sharon, who lives in California and sews them, right here in the good ol’ US of A. Want a one-of-a-kind item? She’s your go-to-girl! Want polyester instead of silk? She’s got that too. Buck Wild, Wild Rags are some of the best priced, best sewn rags, you’ll find anywhere!

Now, I personally prefer silk, for a couple reasons.
(1) It’s a natural fiber and is naturally insulating.
(2) Because it’s natural you don’t sweat when you wear it because while it does keep you warm, it also breathes. And if you’re working on the ranch, and you’re bundled up and get warm, and then sweat, well then if you slow down you just get cold. And believe me, that’s no fun.

Here’s how I wear them:

I love the rag above. The colors really speak to me.

Here’s the 100% silk one I bought last week:

Here’s a vintage, one-of-a-kind scarf that I bought last year:

And here’s some from her Facebook Fan page, that I just adore:

The list of photos could go on all day- I had to draw the line somewhere! There’s countless videos on YouTube as to how to wear them, and there’s even folks that make silver, or rawhide braided scarf slides. The sky is virtually the limit when it comes to these!

I’ve contemplated giving away a rag of your choosing, from her site, if, and only if, we can get her Facebook page to 250 fans by the end of the week. And I’ll give y’all until SATURDAY at Midnight. That’s 102 additional likes; In order to be eligible to win one you’ll have to leave a comment here, telling me you “liked” her page. I would tell you to leave a comment on her page too- and I think that’s a great idea, but I’m going to be too busy this week to check it daily and write down the names. I think commenting here will be easier to keep track of. But if you want to tell her I sent you, I think you should!

So go, hurry, now!

Buck Wild, The Original Wild Rag

I love the little bit of drool on his cheek. He’s sleeping good!

His cheeks and chin are adorable. Someone is not missing any meals!

Happy Tuesday and Happy Trails!

I love long-trotting across the prairie!

Happy Trails!

I don’t keep it a secret that I love jewelry and that there’s a teenie girlie-girl streak in me. I mean I talked about the awesome rings I got in vegas. But what I discovered before I went to Vegas was even more amazing.

I’m talking about rings, made right here in the USA- by hand.

They’re Travis Stringer rings and every cowgirl will want one when she sees them! I know I do!

I just chose some of the ones I love- but really, I love them all! And as you can see from the photos, not only does he make rings, he makes bracelets and crosses! Oh my! Who’s in love besides me? Who thinks they need one besides me? Raise your hand if you want a Stringer ring!

Now, he’s only a one man outfit, so there’s a limited number of rings he can make in a year. Right now he’s limited himself to wedding rings only. Most rings run from $1000-$2000. If you want to contact him, you can reach him via his Facebook Page.

I don’t know about y’all but I could look at these all day!