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The Natural Horseman – Spring Came Early
By Steve Stevens
Wow, for the most part, the weather has been amazing lately. It was weird having spring-like weather in early March, but we are grateful for it. Other than the five days of straight rain a couple of weeks ago, it has been pretty nice and when you are a horse trainer by trade without an indoor arena, nice weather is always appreciated. We have been trying to get caught up this week.
Amanda has pretty much recovered from her first reconstruction surgery. We were excited about her doing the surgery because it is the final step after beating breast cancer, but the surgery was a little tougher than we thought. She also got a severe blood clot about a week after her surgery, which really set us back. So I was training horses, taking care of the kids and doing my best to take care of my wife.
What we do for a living—working primarily with colts and problem horses can be hard enough when everything is perfect, but when you throw in all of the above it can be quite trying. That is why, when working with the horses when I am tired, stressed, and my mind is on everything else, it is so important for me to focus. I need to make sure I am as connected as I can get with the horses. It is often just that one movement that can be the difference between a broken foot or having a horse jump out from underneath you.
When I am distracted I really try to go back to the basics and work on simpler things. I have been working a really nice Hancock bred red roan colt named Ty. He is really smart, but you have to earn everything with him. He doesn’t give you anything for free and with a horse like this, it is a necessity to really stay ahead of him, meaning seeing things before they happen and helping him through the training process. He has been a great teacher for me going through all this adversity because when I am fully with him mentally we get a lot accomplished and when I am not, he can be a handful.
Steve and Ty. (Photo by Amanda Stevens)
Now that Amanda is feeling better, it will be easier to focus on the task at hand which is teaching and building relationships with the horses.
Steve riding Ty. (Photo by Amanda Stevens)
One of my professors out at Texas Tech University always told us that we aren’t just raising cattle, we’re raising grass, because without grass there is no cattle business. The same applies to most livestock species and crops we seek to raise- without good land management, no good yield can grow.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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