Bright & Sun-shiny Day!

All the horses are enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures today- it's supposed to get into the 60s this afternoon!

Starting 2015 with lots of fun pictures!

I know it's been 6 months since I've posted about life here at the Circle C, but I'm back and ready to share some fun pictures I've taken on the ranch during the past couple of weeks.

The moon setting behind the training barn on January 5, 2015.

Yearlings in the early morning sunlight on January 6, 2015.

The moon over some beautiful clouds and winterized pecan trees and pasture on January 9, 2015.

Yearling silhouettes in the sunrise on January 9, 2015.

One of the old hay barns in front of a flaming sunset on January 10, 2015.

Yearlings following me in the Gator on January 11, 2015.

Rocket, the gelding I typically ride, begging for dinner. 

Two of my more well-behaved recipient mares this year that have become inseparable.

Bored with being locked in a pen all day, this two-year-old put on quite the show on January 12, 2015. 

My dog, Brodie, running as fast as his little legs could carry him trying to catch a goose on January 13, 2015.

Foal watch starts next week, so stay tuned to meet our new arrivals, and for more pictures!

Cutting at the Non Pro

The owner of the Circle C Ranch competed on Mates Hope (Smart Mate x Tornados Rey of Hope) in the 4-year-old Unlimited Amateur and the Select Non-Pro/Amateur classes at the Non Pro Cutting in Oklahoma City this past weekend. Dan and Mates Hope made it to the finals in both classes, tying for 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th in the Select class, and finishing 12th in the Unlimited Amateur class. 

Congratulations to Dan and Mates Hope!!!

Keeping Busy

May was a busy month, with so much going on that I got behind on my blog again! 

We got all the calves branded,

We rope and drag the calves to the fire on the Circle C 

sold a few of the two-year-olds at the Triangle Sale in Shawnee, OK,

Spencer, the assistant trainer, is showing a couple of the mares in the cutting preview.

got our last recipient mare foaled out (and got to see what Raindrop the pony was carrying),

The foal in the top picture is the Halreycious x Garys Stray Cat colt, and here is "Dewy" with Raindrop.

started halter breaking the older weanlings, 

This is the Metallic Cat x Tornados Rey of Hope that was my first 2014 foal- she's progressing well!

and still had a little time left to have some fun and catch some bass in the ponds around the ranch!

Vet Trip

I drove down to Weatherford, Texas, today to bring a few of our horses to Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery.

About an hour south of the ranch are Oklahoma's "Arbuckle Mountains" (which are more like a few small hills). Today the yellow flowers up on top of the Arbuckles were beautiful!

Once there, I got to learn about the many benefits of performing acupuncture on horses. One of our mares, Echos Incredible Cat, pictured below, has had the needles inserted at specific points and hooked up to the wires you can see in the picture to stimulate her nerves. Echos Incredible Cat was receiving acupuncture today to help her with a condition known scientifically as anhidrosis, which means that she does not sweat normally. Anhidrosis is not genetic, and it remains a mystery why this condition affects some horses, while others in identical circumstances are not affected at all. Luckily, Echos Incredible Cat has responded well to this form of acupuncture to treat this condition previously, and will likely continue to do so. 

According to TheHorse.com, "The basic principle for both man and horse is that heat produces sweat, which evaporates from the skin, resulting in a lowering of body temperature. The horse is the only mammal, other than man, to cool itself in this manner." This system of cooling the body works well for a normal horse, but completely fails for an anhidrotic horse. "A typical anhidrotic horse will pant vigorously when hot, and its body temperature will rise to 103 or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and, in some cases, as high as 105 degrees. Despite the rise in temperature, the horse's skin will, generally speaking, remain dry. When body temperature reaches 105 degrees or more, there is danger of heat stroke or other thermal injury." Anhidrosis can affect horses anywhere, but it is most commonly found in the states that border the Gulf Coast. Roughly 20-30% of the horses in hot, humid areas suffer from anhidrosis to some degree. 

Echos Incredible Cat is the first horse I've seen with this condition, and getting to learn about it today was fascinating! 

Too Much Fun

This adorable little filly was born less than a week ago, and is already having way too much fun racing around the pasture and keeping things lively.

                                                

She is by Metallic Cat, and out of Hickorys Badgerina. Hickorys Badgerina is one of our Circle C broodmares, and dam of NCHA earners in excess of $200,000, including Hick Of A Mate, Badgerina In Levis, and Badgerinas CD Lights. 

Pregnant Ladies

I loved this picture of two of the last pregnant ladies on the ranch still carrying 2014 foals having breakfast together. When I first brought this recipient mare down to the barn to start foal watch a couple of weeks ago, the pony was in the neighboring pasture. This mare just about ripped my arm off trying to pull back and get away when she first caught a glimpse of this diminutive pony. It took me forever to coax her through the gate because she had to get closer to the pony in order to get into her pasture. Now they're buddies, of course.

The bay paint is the last recipient mare I have to foal out this year. She is carrying the much-anticipated Garys Stray Cat x Halreycious foal. The pony, Raindrop, belongs to Casey's six-year-old son and is carrying a surprise (we don't know what bred her before she came to live here or when she's due). Raindrop's foal will cause just as much excitement when she has it, though, because we're all looking forward to seeing such a tiny baby! Below is Raindrop's glamour shot.