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The Natural Horseman – Christmas 2016
By Steve Stevens
What a wild ride this year has been, like riding Frontier Rodeo Company’s bronc, “Medicine Woman,” with one pedal. We have worked with a lot of different horses and people this year. Amanda has had multiple surgeries reclaiming her body after defeating breast cancer. I became the coach of the Weatherford Youth Wrestling team, learning more from those tough kids than I could ever teach them in a lifetime.
Amanda’s Grandfather passed and she lost a dear friend who inspired her to live every moment.
We have seen the kindness of new and old friends. Watched our children continue to grow into little buckaroos, ride their first roller coaster. My five-year-old son asked me today if we could bring food to the homeless for Christmas this morning,proud father.
We have had elections, Olympics and the Cowboys are a Super Bowl quality team, wow it’s about time.
I think through the year of all of the different horse personalities we have met. Like the paint horse, “Buckshot” that was saved from the killers, how he has touched our hearts. He came as a horse that wanted to buck and not move forward, now he is so fun to ride and shows his unique personality every day.
I think of Amanda’s dear friend Trina, a recent ovarian cancer survivor who lights up the room with her smile.
I know we do a lot of preaching here at Stevens Natural Horsemanship about horses and how they help the human. I know we are not perfect and that doing the right thing every moment of every day is the challenge of all challenges.
But in the state of this beautiful country and world these holidays, I ask all of you to show love and kindness to all.
Try to remember that just like the horses, if we didn’t raise them, we don’t know their lifetime experiences. We are all just trying to get through this life one step at a time and I know in my heart that love and understanding can heal the most damaged of souls.
Make sure to give your horse a hug and kiss. If you haven’t handled them in a while, just find some quiet time to soak in their beauty.
In this new year- keep riding your dream, never give up, let your horse take you on the journey of a lifetime.
God Bless and Merry Christmas!
Love,
The Stevens Family
Steve, Amanda, Ryder and Violet
Amanda and Snowflake.
A crisp day with the horses overlooking a pond.
The Stevens Family, Amanda, Steve, Ryder and Violet. (Photos courtesy of Steve 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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