Branded By Faith The life of a Cowgirl

We Love: This Barb Wire Western Shirt!

2011-10-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

This western shirt is made by Wrangler you can find it for sale here, as well as other places! I got mine as a b-day present :)

(Via)

Me and my newest horse Crawford showing off this
awesome Barb wire print shirt!

Me and Crawford again, this shirt goes great with Cowgirl Tuff jeans :)

We Love...These awesome shoes

2011-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

So I found these shoes, and they made me laugh. Not something I would wear normally but if I were a nurse, or worked in a vet office I might get me a pair...this site has lots of different ones...

(Via)

Life on the S17 Ranch: What can I say? Hounds are just goofy!

2011-10-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Belle~pic by me

Jenny and Belle~pic by me

Kamo~pic by me

Jenny and Kamo~pic by me

Kamo~pic by Danita Cahill

Jenny~pic by me

Belle~pic by me

I think this clearly proves my point :) What else is there to say...they do provide entertainment on a daily basis! lol And boy do they cause trouble....

HORSE UPDATE: My horse arrived last night safe and sound from South Dakota! It was getting dark by the time the hauler pulled in, and we left before sun up for work today sooo.... I finally got to see him in the daylight this evening! He is wonderful, I am so pleased with him~ if I get home in time (before dark) I will try to get some pics.... The hauler was great too, if you need a horse hauled call up Jim Mederios!

Campfire Cookin': Healthy Cowgirl Salad...

2011-10-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is a great lunch, especially when I am trying to slim down for competition without cutting out essential vitamins and minerals. This salad will fill you up and keep you on track for a skinnier waste line.

Tear up 3-4 leafs of green leaf lettuce
( I prefer it over iceberg, plus
it is much healthier for you!)

Chop up and add carrots, apples,
almonds and craisins

Dice up some sweet potato and put on a

plate in the microwave for 2-3 mins then place

on a baking sheet and broil until golden brown,

flip pieces and repeat broiling.

or put on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees

for about 5 mins, until they are cooked through,

then broil until browned (on both sides).

Let sweet potatoes cool or eat warm on the salad and

sprinkle on some cubed cheese or add some

cooked chicken breast pieces, or lunch meat for a healthy

lunch full of vitamins, mineral, protein,

and antioxidants!

Add your favorite dressings, I use a small amount of light balsamic or Asian dressing on mine. If you are watching your weight pay attention to the fat content and calories in salad dressings!

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words: Beautiful Pride...

2011-10-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's Good to be a horse :) pic by me.

This was a stud of mine. I sold him to a member of the Posse so that we could by our Dodge Truck.
His name is Navahos Lucky Chief....can't you just hear the distant Native American chants as you look at this photo? The expression on his face has a relaxing appeal to it. I can hear the raspy call of a red tailed hawk, as it circles over head...bringing a good omen to this peaceful summer day. In actuality this photo was taken in the pasture two summers ago...but the vague background, or maybe I should say lack of one helps for the imagination to run wild, like the spirit of this young stallion in the photo.

Life on the S17 Ranch: Big ol' Bulls

2011-10-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Bully, bully....This was the bull we leased from a good friend of ours who is a fellow bucking bull
breeder. His program is much more developed. I would tell you this bulls name, but I was sworn
to secrecy at this time. That's how exclusive the breeding is....TOP SECRET :) He will be the sire to
our 2012 calf crop, we can't wait to see what he produces.

I'll post more later, There is a chance that my gelding will be here tonight!!! Most likely tomorrow sometime :)

Life on the S17 Ranch: An update :)

2011-10-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well to update yesterdays first post....I sold my colt, his new owner is a soon to be three year old cowgirl :) I know he will make her a great friend!

Also, The hauler will be here Tuesday to drop off my new barrel prospect!

Crawford, at his home in South Dakota

He is a three year old, greenbroke gelding. (greenbroke means he has been trained some, but still may lack some basic skills and usually lacks all advanced skills, that are taught with more time and training.)

His name is FK Perfect Sunfrost, but they call him Crawford for short.

He was born in Iowa, this is a pic of him at his owners in South Dakota, soon he will be here at our

ranch in Oregon! :) This boy has done some traveling already...We had him vet checked and he is sound

and ready to go. His Coggins (a series of shots, which all horses need in order

to be allowed to travel across state lines) have been administered.

For anyone who knows barrel horses, this boy is out of Flying Hearts Tuffy a stallion by Sun Frost, which also makes Crawford here a Nefew to the famous barrel stallion Frenchmans Guy.

STAY TUNED, I will follow up when he gets here, and how he is doing as his training comes along :)

Campfire Cookin': Cowgirl Style Tortillas!

2011-10-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 2 cups flour, 2tsp baking soda, 2 TBS veggie oil,
2tsp salt, 2 cups milk, and 2 TBS butter...
Mix flour and soda, then mix milk, salt, oil and butter in separate bowl.
Slowly pour milk mixture into flour and mix well!

The dough will be sticky....

On a well floured surface knead dough.....

Keep kneading...using the fold and knead technique. Do this for two minutes
(Note: to prep for all this kneading I lift 50lb. grain sacks and 75lb bales
about 2-3 reps per day... lol :)

Once all that strenuous kneading is over put the dough in a bowl and cover
for 15 mins. It won't rise.

Separate into four equal sized balls.

roll out each ball of dough on a well floured surface, with a floured
rolling pin

You want your dough about 1/4 inch thick. Take a pan (I use a cast iron
skillet) and heat it on Medium heat. once hot, put your rolled dough into
the dry pan (I know...I thought you should use oil too...but really they
don't stick!) after about 30 seconds (once they are browned in spots)
flip and brown on the other side for 30 secs.

Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!! I like lettuce on mine as well...
but we are fresh out! :( darn. They were still delicious!

Picture Worth A Thousand Words: Fall time Beauty

2011-10-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Crazy morning.... Have someone coming to look at a horse, had to make arrangements with the hauler that is bringing my barrel prospect to the ranch (tell you more about it later) now off to finish ALL the chores and get ready for the potential buyers to come. Here is a couple pics of pretty scenery around the area, I will post something later when things around here have settled down :) See ya down the trail! ~BrandedByFaith~

Photo by me

Double rainbow over the fields (I am still in search for those pots of gold! they must be here somewhere :)
Photo by me

Life on the S17 Ranch: Meet Mouse!

2011-10-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm 805 Mouse, but everybody calls me
"Mousey" I am a 4 year old bucking bred cow...and I really love
grain...hint hint!

We Love: Cross Boots!....For Horses!!

2011-10-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Skid, showing off her cross boots, which are
looking a little dirty...
(we use them ALL the time!)

Black Bell Boots

Black Splint boots.
(you can get these in a 4 pack, two for
the front and two for the back!

Red Bell Boots, you can get the splint boots in red too!

The bottom three pictures I took off the TWO PECANS TACK LLC site which is one of the many places you can buy these boots at. I bought mine from the farm and ranch store BIG R.

Besides looking good these boots are very important for horses to wear when they are asked to do strenuous exercises. The bells boots in the front help the horse front "Over reaching" (stepping their hind hoof too far forward, and clipping, or stepping on their front heal) Over reaching can cause serious lameness problems, so boots are a great precaution! Plus they help from injuring the tendons of the lower leg. You can read more about protective boots by clicking here. You can also watch this video of how to correctly put on splint boots by clicking here.

REMEBER! Take account for your horses safety, if you are counting on them to be in top competitive condition, you need to take every precaution to keep them, fit, healthy and sound! Happy Trails!

Campfire Cookin': Cranberry Biscuits and Basil-Rosemary Chicken Chowder

2011-10-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

A good dinner for those cold ranch nights...

Cheesy Cranberry Biscuits

And Basil-Rosemary Chicken Chowder

Cranberry Biscuits:

Preheat over to 425 degrees F

2 ½ cups flour

4 TBSP Baking Powder

1 TBSP Sugar

1 tsp Salt

½ cup craisins

Mix together

2 TBSP butter

3 TBSP shortening

2 eggs

½ cup milk

Mix together, add more flour if needed. Knead into a ball and roll out ½-1 inch thick

Sprinkle with grated cheese and Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown

In a large bowl add flour....

Baking Powder....

Sugar, salt and Cranberries! Mix together then add....

butter, eggs, shortening and milk....

mix together....

add more flour as necessary

Wah-lah! biscuit dough. Take this and roll it
out, to about 1 inch thickness, on a well floured surface.

Take a biscuit cutter (I use a wide-mouth mason jar lid)
and cut out your biscuits

put them on a well greased or non-stick pan

You can add cheese, I like to, it gets all toasty
and crispy...yum

Put it in the oven, which should be preheated to
425 degrees F by now

when they are golden brown, take them
out to cool! Now onto the....

Basil-Rosemary Chicken Chowder:

Dice 2 med potatoes, ¼ of a large onion, 2-4 mushrooms, ½ sweet potato and 2 large carrots (or about 8 baby carrots)

Dice chicken and add with about 2TB of oil to the frying pan on MH heat

Season with 2TB salt, 2TB pepper, 2TB basil, 1TB rosemary.

Brown chicken

Add 1 can chicken broth,

2 cans water

And veggies

Cover partially and let simmer on MH for around 30 mins

Turn heat down to ML once veggies are cooked

Add 1TB butter

1 cup milk

Mix well until butter is melted, remove 2 cups of the broth and pour into a separate bowl.

Mix in 2TB corn starch and 2TB flour

Mix well, add broth back to pan and stir consistently until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and serve!

Cut up your veggies (feel free to add what you like,
or take out what you don't!)

Then cut up your chicken into 1 inch cubes

add your oil to the frying pan on MH heat.
Put in your chicken, add about a TB of butter

Season with salt, pepper, basil and rosemary.

When chicken is fully cooked and golden brown add...

1 can of chicken broth and...

all of your diced veggies.

let simmer on medium high heat for about 30 mins.

Once veggies are cooked, lower heat to
medium low and add in your milk and butter

Remove some of your broth....

In a small bowl, pour in your removed
broth and add corn starch to thicken.

Stir well!

pour back into the pan...

and mix until the chowder is desired thickness...add salt
and pepper to taste, remove from
heat, let cool for about 5-10 mins and serve!

There you have it! I always drink decaf coffee in the evening when the weather is chilly.
Serve this meal with a salad if you wish, and enjoy!

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words: Meet Skid!

2011-10-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay today, I was having problems with my internet connection! Guess that's what you get for living out in the boonies :) lol...now on to today's post!

Meet Skid. She is my American Quarter Horse Assoc. (AQHA) registered mare. She has come a long way in the 11 months I have owned her. Skid was my barrel prospect until she went lame....we are still trying to figure out the issue with her. It may be a simple abscess. (an infection in the hoof, kinda like a really, really bad case of athletes foot) But only time, and professionals opinions will tell for sure...

Tales from the Trails: Jenny

2011-10-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

Gotta Love Jenny. She is our goofy walker hound... The only thing she takes seriously is hunting...the rest of the time she is a doof :)

Life on the S17 Ranch: Meet s17 X13 our newest bull calf!

2011-10-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

This little guy is only two days old in these pictures. His dam (mom) is a first time heifer ID #AA 800. All of our cattle have ranch ID numbers and most have American Bucking Bull Inc.(ABBI) registration numbers. That's right, bucking stock cattle are a registered breed!

For those of you who know some bloodlines this cow goes back to Bodacious, Panhandle Slim, Rooster and of course back to the great White Sports Coat.

The little bull calf also goes back to Ace of Hearts on his sires (dads) side.

We have 15 head in all so keep reading to
MEET MORE OF THE HERD! I'll Post a member often so you all can get acquainted with our wild, bucking bunch!

Life on the S17 Ranch: How you know when you desperately need a truck....

2011-10-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Luckily since them we have bought ourselves a Dodge diesel. But hey, this is what memories are made of right?? :)

Hauling water to one of the bucking bulls on the ranch

I really think Neons should come standard with a hay rack on their roof... lol

Holding in the trough....yep I had to hold it all the way down our driveway so it wouldn't fall out. (our driveway to the corral is only 1/4 mile or so :) This was our system for a few months.... Good times!

Life on the S17 Ranch: What would we do without horses.

2011-10-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

In the pictures below is a APHA I named Chief. He was a stud up until a few months before these pics were taken. We desperately needed a truck, so I sold Chief to a member of the Posse for enough to buy our Dodge diesel. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. But Chief did not go without first touching my heart. Read below.

One of the things I love the most is training horses. I love a challenge and the more people talk about how unbreakable a horse is, the more I am desperate to try and gentle them.

I do not take credit for being a "Horse Whisperer" But I do try to work with them and their natural instincts. I like to think of training a horse as if it were building a house. Without a good foundation you are headed for failure down the road. There are no quick fixes that last. You have to dedicate time, meet them half way, have patience and understanding. You need to communicate with one another and understand what each other is asking. Even when you are frustrated, try to be calm, cool and collected. If you get firm, do it without getting mean or mad, and always, ALWAYS end the session on a good note... hmmm... maybe we should put these same principles towards ALL the relationships in our lives...relationships with our family, spouses, children, etc.

Horses have been my best teachers. Although I used to think I was training them, I finally realized that is was them training me. To be a kinder person, to be more patient and understanding, to be clearer with my communication.

I thank the Lord every day that he has given me such great teachers. They have always been there, listened when I needed. They rode me away from troubled times when I needed space. They have took me on many, interesting (lol), and exciting adventures. They have worked so hard to help us with the ranch chores. and given their hearts when we ask them to compete.

Without them, I would not be the Cowgirl I am.

Cowgirl Creations: The Rodeo Lamp!

2011-10-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

I created this lamp from a plain white pottery styled lamp base I bought at goodwill. A little paint and rodeo inspiration and wa-lah! You have the Rodeo Lamp, perfect for your western style home! (for those of you who have one ;) I couldn't make up my mind between a bullrider and bronc rider so I just painted one of each on either side.

You can find other western decor I have created at our website: http://www.s17rodeostock.com/

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words: Barbwire and Cattle

2011-10-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

There is just something so rustic about an old barbwire fence. This frosty morning made for a perfect picture oportunity!
Photo by me.

We Love: Copper Sinks!

2011-10-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

I found these awsome sinks. A little on the spendy side, but would look great in a rustic style kitchen! The one above is my fav, but there are tons of styles, colors and textures to choose from. http://www.coppersinks.com/

Tails from the Trails: Meet Kamo!

2011-10-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Kamo is my crazy Catahoula cattle dog. She is one loyal companion.

Life on the S17 Ranch

2011-10-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

This cowboy may not have swept me off my feet onto a white horse and galloped off into the sunset, but he sure stole my heart. My husband and I met in 2007 at a rodeo and were married in 2010 at the ages of 18 and 19. I couldn't ask for a better friend, and life long partner....A cowgirls just not complete until she meets her soul mate!

Welcome Ya'll!

2011-10-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what everyday life is on a ranch? Well step inside my boots and let me tell you, or better yet let me show you! I hope you enjoy this blog and all it has to offer. Hope to hear from you!

~~Branded By Faith~~ The life of a Cowgirl