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Update on Life
Posted by KM at 2014-07-16 21:18:48
The weather patterns have been a little intersting this year which lead to an earlier than usual first alfalfa cutting for me. The boys and I saw a break in the weather and got it done. Put up 115 acres in 10 days. With small balers and alfalfa we are limited in the amount we can bale at one time. We try and hit it with the perfect moisture. Allowing it to dry then baling with just enough dew to not shatter the leaves but not too much to cause caking and spoilage. Sometimes you get it right. http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad288/lostfarmer2/20140705_114254.jpg This is what grandpa always said would make the bull give milk. Tested at 19% protein. From the moment the first was cut until the last was in the stack was 10 days. Not a drop of rain on any of it. Took this one evening while stacking.



Since we were able to get done in time and Wes was a little early on his grass we went and had a hayday well extended weekend. I took a couple teams to throw in with Wes's. It was fun to mix and match horses to find the best combination. Here is Wes with a pair of 3 year old shire fillies. The one with the blue pad is his and the other mine. Both are well started but not much more. These girls are half sisters out of Hillmore Double Diamond. As nice of team to work as you could ask for. Super work ethic and both calm and alert.





I worked or attempted to work the paint ponies. Jack wanted nothing to do with it and at 20 it wasn't worth the fight. Jack got swapped out for Sara the little red mule. They got a good amount done for little runts. Sara has a big motor and Cricket is flat handy on the inside turn. Together it was like mowing with a sports car.



As you can see Wes has a pretty fair hay crop coming.

In between haying we built a little fence. Being an engineer I had to complicate the post pounding.

http://vid944.photobucket.com/albums/ad288/lostfarmer2/20140628_204318.mp4

Response by Jerry Hicks at 2014-07-17 09:28:23
Looks like some beautiful country, some good teams and some good forage! I'd love to see that country for myself some day! Many thanks for posting.
Response by james at 2014-07-17 17:36:00
With views like those.... you should be paying Mother Nature for the privilege of living there. WOW!
Response by Dris Abraham at 2014-07-17 21:48:35
My goodness that is beautiful. You folks are very lucky to live where you do. Nice stock too!
Response by Wes Lupher at 2014-07-18 00:01:43
We sure had a great time and got some work done.
The Shire fillies made my day. Matched real well and were pretty solid on the mower in about three swaths . Like Kari said they were started right and have no hang ups.
Heat,rain,horse flies. Didn't matter. Great times.
Response by Jim S at 2014-07-18 06:35:53
I liked Sara and Cricket. You have to work what you have. It reminds me of the year that I worked a sorrel mule and a grey blanket appaloosa that we had been using for a buggy horse.
Response by Pace at 2014-07-18 08:14:03
Looks like you guys had a good time. Any plans on keeping those nice Shire fillies together permanently? Maybe a little old fashion horse tradin'?
Response by KM at 2014-07-18 16:49:07
I think my filly will spend most the summer in the hay field at the Lupher ranch. They are young so they are used for short periods but not really worked. I have 4 full siblings 3 mares and a weanling stud colt. I told Wes I would trade the colt but want to keep my baby factories together. The stallion died so no more of these exact horses but I bred the mare back to son of the stallion. Hopefully the cross still works. There is yearling filly that is a full sister to Wes's that I keep trying to encourage him to go get. She is a little fancier and has a pretty good price tag on her.

4 years ago I was breaking the oldest of these fillies. I told my dad that Rose was ruining me and I would never be able to find one that would match or move like she does. No I have have little sister June that out moves her. Not sure what the third one will do as she is just barely 2 and just starting to get her broke.

5 years ago my grandfather passed. My uncles asked me to sell his horses and keep a pair for a memorial hitch. I kept a mare and her filly. Kept breeding the mare and have my small little herd. Here is the sire to the fillies. Hillmore Double Diamond aka Mossy. Yes he showed halter but I would be happy to work everyone of his foals. Sensible and willing along with a little eye appeal. He is an aged stallion in this photo.




I have now started on the next cross out of these mares. I love this kid. He is exactly a year when we took these pictures.



Response by Dris Abraham at 2014-07-18 20:10:45
Hey that mature stallion is a very sharp horse!
Response by M. Burley at 2014-07-18 21:36:12
Thanks for sharing those photos Kari. Good friends, good horses and good times are what life is all about. Looks like you had good weather to top it off.
Response by Don McAvoy at 2014-07-18 22:12:25
Sometimes it's the mare. I have an old PMU mare that I have a foal from that was born in 1999. Bought her when the lines were shut down in 2004?. It took a while but I have a pair of full sisters; that mare will never see a teen on her age anymore. Would have exposed her this year but my stallion got hurt, maybe one early foal next year.
Response by Barb Lee at 2014-07-19 23:21:42
Absolutely fabulous KM!

Barb

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