Today was quite the day. Woke up at 4:30 a.m., got on the road at 5, and was back home 12 hours later. We came home with lots of medicine for our cattle and 7 new bottle calves. Amiri is going to have 3 of them on her for a week or two, then one will be taken off so she just has her calf and two fosters. She's making too much milk for 3 newborns right now, but they'll be bigger enough to take all of it soon, and the fourth will be bottle raised. The drive home was interesting because we had them in the back of the SUV. We had also taken along my solid red bottle boer doeling, and she rode by my feet on the way home. She had to have a couple of bottles during the journey, which is why she was along. She can't go all day without a bottle. The goat was pretty happy during the journey and is nice and bright and hungry now. The calves all nursed well tonight and everyone looks good. The new boer buck is even getting along well with his new ladies. They act like they've been together for years.

.

After really thinking about the racing bred mare, I decided she isn't what I need right now. What I need is something shorter and more approachable, so we're going to look at a halflinger mare on Sunday. She is 14 hands of fat and spite. She hasn't been ridden in a few years, and she used to bolt and crow hop. She sounds like a hateful sucker, but she's very well made and would be a nice playday horse once I work with her, and I'm excited to try. I just got a new set of split reins, 3 girths, 2 bridles, a rope halter, a few leads, a training fork, and a cattle flag, so I have plenty of new things to make sure my tack fits her and aid in her training. She's about 1100 pounds of spite and anger, but I like how she looks and feel like I could at least give her a chance.

Last night was incredibly long. Leaving home at around 4 pm. Didn't get home until 4 am. Came home with 5 little bottle lambs. 4 rams and a ewe. The oldest is 10 days and the youngest is 3. They're all dorset/Tunis crosses with a touch of finsheep. They're red with blazes and one ram has back white stockings. They're super bright, perky, and hungry. These are going to be the sheep we take to petting zoos this year, and with as cool looking as they are, they're going to be perfect.

.

Right now, we're on our way home with the halflinger mare. This thing is an absolute beast. She's only 14 hands, but she's a good 1200 pounds or more. Long body, stout, and incredibly muscular. She has a butt like a halter quarter horse. Cockle burs in her tail, choppy mane, and feet could use a trim, but she's awesome. She was in a cattle working tub when we got there because she's hard to catch in the pasture. She's high headed and fast. She was spooky when she first saw me, but the second I got a hold of her, she was good. Stood while I switched halters, didn't give me any trouble leading and backing, and lunged great for me. She hasn't been ridden in 2 years, but she used to be fancy broke. She loaded up like did it every day. She's going to be a project, but she's a good one. I want to playday and work cows on her, and she'll be great for that after a tune up. I'll get a picture of her when I get home. For a horse that has just been out with the cows for the last couple years, she's in amazing shape.

Picture isn't from the greatest angle, but here she is. After we took her picture, I got all the cockle burs off her, combed her mane and tail, brushed her, dewormed her, and gave her feet a fresh trim. She was shockingly well behaved for all of it, and I'm very excited to be working with her.

Entei has been a brat this week. He's eating good, feels good, and was good for a grooming a couple days ago, but for the most part, he's been a turd. He's decided that he doesn't want to lead if I get him up from laying down and that he won't walk if he wants to do his business. Even if I only need to lead him ten feet. He's just going through a stubborn streak. He has been awesome to groom though. His show is in about a week, so hopefully, he weighs enough to go. I won't know until we get there, but I think he either weighs the thousand or can be fed extra when we arrive to make it. I know he's over 950. I'm just praying he can put on enough extra weight in this week to make it.

.

The halflinger mare still hasn't been named, but she's been doing well. She throws small fit every time I try to get on, but once I'm on, it's pretty much smooth sailing. She neckreins well, stops good, backs, and can do rollbacks in one direction. She's a little bit stiff on one side, but we're only 4 rides in and she's still nervous. She's starting to calm down and trust me, but it will take time for her to be trustworthy.

.

And now, for the most exciting news. Blossom has a new baby! The foal was born on Sunday. Palomino filly with 3 white feet and a blaze. Super tall, good legs, and already getting a halter butt. We haven't named this one either. This filly will have One Two Te, Miss Top Impressive, Hollywood Dunit, and Starbert C Ollie on her papers with Docs Solano, Temon, Case of Freckles, and Top Appeal just just off them. She's going to have an epic pedigree. The hope is to really work with and develop this filly so I can take her to our county show and possibly the fall state fairs for halter. I've petted her every day and she's not too afraid of me. Her mom is the horse that I've won a lot of things on, and she doesn't mind me messing her foal as long as she can see it. I sent them out to cow pasture yesterday so they exercise without being harassed, and Blossom got very worried for the thirty seconds between me guiding the foal out and coming back for her. There was a bit of a front coming in last night, and she was more than happy to come back in. With Blossom being 19, this will probably be her last foal. She might have one more, but she's more than earned her retirement. Since I have 4 horses under 10 years old to work with, there's no reason for me to keep her working. Pictures are from the day the foal was born, so she still looked kind of awkward.

.

Oh my goodness what a cutie!

Adding a couple funny pictures of Entei, a couple of the new baby, and one of a goat I just got. This doe is 5+ years old and weighs 170lbs. She is human size and huge. Thank god she's sweet and docile. We took the truck and no trailer to an auction and bought her, so she sat in my lap on the ride home. She barely moved the whole time and was very nice, but my leg still hurt by the time we got home lol.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

We have a lovely picture of Entei asking for some chocolate milk, which he isn't allowed to have. He got a little alfalfa instead so he wouldn't be upset. As for the chair, my mom brought it home for me and we unloaded it while he was in the chute. He was afraid of the chair. There is clear distrust in his eyes. The last picture is just to show how pretty and fluffy he is when freshly groomed.

Entei was a good boy today. He was a little pissy, but almost every steer was a little on end due to a storm rolling in. It was starting to spit rain while we were walking from the cow barn to the show arena. Entei didn't want to stand still for bath time, but wasn't bad. Because of how much room the people stalled on either side of us were taking up, I mostly blowdried him in the main aisle until someone a row over offered to let me use their grooming chute. Words could not express how thankful I was. As soon as Entei was dry, I took him back to the tie stall to eat his feed and hay. Entei had arrive at the show alone yesterday morning, but in the evening, he got a buddy.

.

There was a futurity steer sale just across the way from the barn we were in, perfectly even with Entei's row. I had gone over there to look at the calves because I just like seeing everyone's calves, and I saw a pair of roan shorthorn boys. I looked at every calf for a minute and chatted with some of the owners. I can't show a steer at that show next year, or most of the shows around me, so there would be no reason for me to buy one of them. However, as I walked by the shorthorn boys, I noticed that it didnt look like they had been steered yet. I asked the owner, and they were still bulls. Were they registered? Yes. What were their birthweights? About 70 pounds each. Perfect. Birthdates? End of September and beginning of October. Great. Long story short, I bought a registered shorthorn heifer safe bull in the futurity steer sale. I paid for him, talked to the guy I bought him from, and led him across the way to go join my steer for the night. After tying up the little guy, I went back over to where the sale was because the former owner offered to give me feed for him for the night since we weren't going home until today. I get almost to the barn and the ag teacher, who is from the school I graduated from, calls me confused, alarmed, and something else. "Did you buy a futurist steer?! Come back to the stall." He wasnt mad, closer to amused. He had driven my steer up there, and he was very confused to find that Entei had a mini me. I get back and he can't keep a straight face. I explained why I bought him. I wanted a registered shorthorn bull, roan or white, birthweight under 75 pounds, and either halter broke or young enough for it to be easy, and he's already mostly halter broke. The ag teacher mostly called me back because the bull and my steer were trying to fight each other, but tying them different fixed that. Overall, everyone from my FFA chapter was very confused as to why I bought a futurity steer when I was the only person in our group that couldn't show him, but really, he was the bull I've been hunting for and I didnt have to drive to get him.

.

After spending the night together, Entei and the little guy are good friends. The bull calf is already getting much calmer around me and being friendly. Entei showed this afternoon and was 7th in his class, so hey, I got a ribbon the one time I went to this big show. The calves that beat me were impressive. I had a good time. As soon as his class was over, my mom went to get the truck and trailer so we could hurry up and get out of there before the storm hit. By the time my mom got over by the barn with the trailer, I had all our stuff packed up and the calves ready to load. At this show, they have skid steers to clean up the cow beds, so there's no need to clean up bedding. The truck was parked for like 10 minutes and we were gone. Somehow made it home and got everything fed and content for the night. Entei is sharing his stall with the new little guy so he doesn't get soaked and risk getting sick his first night. I'm extremely glad I went to that show, because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten that bull calf, and he's perfect. I have a picture here of Entei lounging in his bed yesterday and a picture of the calf I bought a few minutes after we won the bid on him. This is a steer sale where some went for 6k to 8k, which is a good 10x their market value. These steers are just by the right AI sires and out of cows with good lines, plus started halter training and clipped, blow dried, and developed. My new little dude was one of the lightest muscled, lightest boned calves sold, but I want a more sleek and feminine bull to breed my heifers.

.

.

In recent news, Entei is very happy having Fiasco, the new shorthorn bull calf, as a stall buddy. They share a 10×20 stall at night to eat their grain and alfalfa and are released during the day to eat off the round bale. They're both eating well since they have competition. Fiasco is getting pretty friendly with me. I can catch him easily and pet him in the middle of the yard, so hopefully, he'll be gentle enough for me to show this fall. Entei has been advertised, so sooner or later, he may be going to a new home. When that happens, I'll be getting a new heifer and will show her here.

.

Today, we have a new addition to the mini horse herd. A little palomino paint colt was born this morning. Him and his mom are hanging out under the roof of our pony pen. We noticed years ago that our ponies are way more peaceful than our full sized horses when a new foal is born, and we've never had a problem with our mini mares foaling in the pasture with the others. The other ponies never bother them. This mare is about 36" tall and the stallion was 32". This little guy is going to become a gelding either this fall or next spring and just be a pet here. He has a half brother here by the same stallion and out of a mare who is by the same sire as this little guy's mom. He makes #10 in the mini herd. His older brother is a 2 year old and is only about 26" tall, so this guy might end up super tiny.

.

Later today, I'm taking the halflinger and my 2 year old gelding to a playday. They're both going to run barrels and poles, and the gelding will also run flags. Neither one of them is going to be fast due to the breed and and age of them, but it will be a fun little evening out for them. I don't trust the halfie to lean off her to grab a flag or to jam it downward into a bucket, so she's just doing the timed patterns. My young gelding is incredibly chill and should be okay with it. I can lean off him to pick up my plastic barrels and steer with my seat to take them back where they belong. The wind likes to displace my barrels. He went to a covered arena last weekend, which was his first day out, and he was a total angel. Tonight is going to hopefully be a fun event to just get out and see the sights.

.

I went to an auction that sells all manner of things today, and I came away with some absolute gold. A fly sheet, cooler, hood, neck cover, half decent saddle pad, a nice looking english bridle, a brand new breast collar, and a giant backpack of used splint, skid, and bell boots. They look rough, but a little washing and they'll be nice. There's also a couple of back cinches that are a little dry, but they'll be perfectly fine with a good oiling. I got a headstall that needs a buckle to give to a friend. It's a gorgeous blingy one ear headstall with cross conchoes and matches a breast collar I gave her a while back. I got all of that for less than $150. Then, I got an extremely nice used barrel saddle that I think will fit my halflinger for $200. It's wide and flat with a small skirt and floral tooling. It came fully rigged, but I plan to switch out the off billet just because I prefer a different kind and already have a brand new one just sitting in my dining room. The saddle is super nice and I really can't believe I got it so cheap. It had to have been close to 2k when it was new. The thing has conchoes on the back cinch billets and is ready to put on a horse and use today. The cows also got 5 bales of oat hay for $20 per bale, and they think it's candy.

.

Etherion is happy as anything. He's in with 5 cows since the cows could use the extra feed, and he's been loving having girlfriends. Entei is just on the other side of the fence from him with a gang of weanling heifers and a very young mini bull. Entei is the peace keeper of his group and goes in a stall at night with Fiasco to eat his grain. He knows that he gets more grain than the group he's with, so most of the time, I throw grain to his friends and watch him saunter into the barn afterwards. He's super chill 95% of the time. Most of the time, I don't even have to halter him to move him around. On the occasion that Entei is led around, he sets up automatically for a nice side view without a show stick, then steps back for a back view with a tiny bit of pressure. He's an absolute joy to work with and I'm super happy to have gotten him. Etherion is also really good to be around. Some time in the next few months, Etherion, Fiasco, and a little Guernsey bull named Empire are going to go get nose rings put in. Our cattle operation is very hands on, so for them to stay, they have to be nice.

Today was eventful. Blew a front tire on the truck while pulling a load of hay. The spare was flat and in the driveway at home. I walked half a mile uphill along the highway to a rural tire repair shop that was only open today for an auction. They recently bought the place and the old owner was selling everything they didn't want. These guys were incredibly helpful. Gave me a ride back to the truck, checked out the tire, and found one that fits the wheel, but is a little bigger than the rest of the tires. He said it would work to get home, so we said we'd take it. My mom had already jacked up the truck while I was walking, so it took no time at all to take off the wheel. The guy ran it back to the shop, changed the tire, brought it back, and put it on for us. The cost? $20. I think they felt bad for me. I was still shaking from the heart attack off having a tire blow while towing a heavy load and super out of breath from the walk. We made it home fine and we're going to get several new tires put on this week and have this be the spare.

.

My two horses did better than I expected at the playday yesterday. The halflinger was on her best behavior all night. She was a little hard to turn on the second barrel and the last pole, but was otherwise good. Quazar ran barrels and poles to the best of his ability. He spooked on the flag when we ran flags, but was good when we circled back around to get it. He had never done a flag pattern before, so the fact that he did make the pattern and did the rest of it well was great. I was wearing spurs because he uses them to slow lope and the halflinger needs them all the time, but all it took was clicking at him to have him go. Quazar is still developing his brakes, and our arena doesn't open the gate until you've stopped or turned a small circle, so he got to run a circle around the end of the arena each time to slow down. The halflinger is slow as hell, but her trot is almost as fast as her lope. She ran something like a 31 on poles, and she power trotted through the whole thing. She didn't run flags because I didnt trust her not to get upset with me reaching off her. The one thing she's good at is engaging her back end. At the end of her pole run, I asked her to stop, and she practically sat down and was stopped way before the bucking chutes. We had stood in the ally to watch my friend run poles, and when she came out, the halfie backed out faster than they were walking with only verbal cues. They both have almost no arena experience, so they at least didn't have any alley issues. Both were calm and quiet and got along with everyone else's horses. They didn't get along very well though. Quazar wanted to run his face on the halflinger's neck, and she was not having it. I did find out that she knows how to sidepass, so that was nice.

.

Someone came and bought my mini red angus heifer, and Entei was her buddy getting to the trailer. He was really nosy while we looked at the heifer, so he was haltered to keep him off of us. When it came time to lead the heifer to the trailer, he walked ahead of her and stood next to the trailer door to be a good influence. The people that bought the heifer are getting into mini cattle, but they loved Entei's color and personality. He's been getting less grain and more alfalfa, so it's costing less to feed him and he's getting more feed along with having unlimited hay now. He's the happiest camper and does a lot of lounging and watching everything now.