Winters can be kind of long and cold in WI, but a little sleigh ride down to the creek with your sweetie makes waiting for spring not seem so bad. We enjoyed our Sunday afternoon, I hope you do too.

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Dave: Your photos will not load as they are posted here. Take a look at our instructions and email me () if you still need help. Thanks.

Joe

I'm going to try downloading these pictures again, maybe this time I'll get it to work??? (I told everyone in a previous posting I was "Cyber Disadvantaged," maybe now you'll beleive me?)

Dave

Dave, I am near Viroqua. Where are you in WI?

Nice pictures.

Rod,
I'm just south east of Beaver Dam, about an hour and a half from you.

Very nice pictures Dave. Tell us about the team you're driving.
It's nice to see some open water. You can drive a semi over my creek and still chopping waterholes every day.

Wes,

My horses are Mustangs I adopted through the BLM's adoption program. The mare (black) I got in '92 and the buckskin I got 4 years later. I started the mare out driving because she was too small to ride when I got her, and the buckskin I did the opposite; rode the first summer and taught to drive later.

I've done just about everything I could think of with them (parades, hay rides, herding cattle, roping, raking hay, logging, pack trips, stocking fish for the DOW in CO, jumping, bareback-bridleless riding demonstrations; you name it, they've probably done it).

They're two of my best friends, and have taught me more about life, and myself, than 99% of the people I've met. I've been offered a fair amount of money for them, but you can't place a price on friendship, can you? As it's been said, "till death do us part."

My wish for everyone out there is to be as fortunate as I, and if only once in your life been able to share your time with such wonderful friends.

Dave

Where is the ice? -7 this morning and -15 yesterday. I spent an hour last night thawing water. Not much snow but a winter that is all over the place temperature wise. Looks like a nice team of draft crosses. Good using team no doubt. KM

Wes,

I forgot to mention, the reason the creek is open is because we've had a lapse in our "cold weather" and it's spring fed.

Dave

Pictures came through beautifully. I always look at the ears and these two look relaxed and happy. Lovely picture of the creek.

I would have sworn that the buckskin was a percheron cross with the leg fuzz and the plump rump. Nice well muscled horse. Not like most of the mustangs I have seen in these parts. How big are they? They look bigger than the 14h mustang we typically see. Again very nice horses. KM

KM,

They're between 14.3 and 15h and really out of shape now as I haven't been using them much this winter, but they'll trim down and muscle up nicely once they've been working for a while. I’ve got a couple more tree removal projects for them yet this winter, but they’ll have it fairly easy until I start spreading manure early this spring. Work's always more fun when you get to do it with your buddies.

Dave

Nice team Dave. Sounds like some very nice horses to be around and I love a good all around horse.
Kari, around here (edge of the Red Desert) a lot of ranchers turned out some draft stallions (and some TB studs) to breed the wild horses up a little. You still see some of the horses running out there with some feather and more bone. One of my friends adopted a bred mare 10 years ago or so and the colt is a 14.5hh gray gelding that'll weigh 1200 lb or so. He's got some feather and a definite percheron ass end. A pair of them would make a great ranch team.