Welcome to the Ranch!

Our family of riders

Jake turned eight last Friday.  He had many options for his big day.  His baseball team was being awarded their championship medal at a banquet that evening.  He could have invited some friends to spend the night.  We could have gone camping on the ranch wherever he chose.  He had some great options, but he had to choose one.  Having read his articles on this blog, I am sure that you are not surprised when he decided to host a trail ride on the ranch in honor of his birthday.

We invited our neighbors who are big horsemen.  They ride in trail rides throughout the year, including the big one to Houston for the Livestock Show and Rodeo.  They arrived riding a mule and three other horses.  A friend of their oldest boy, who lives further down the road, showed up as they were heading to our house on horseback.  So he joined us, too.   All in all we had eleven horses and riders participate in the trail ride.

Jake had a blast!  They crossed creeks, rode through brush, went across the dam by the lake, and rode all over the ranch.  They did not miss a single pasture.  About two hours later, everyone dismounted and rested.  We served dinner to everyone.  We grilled hot dogs and homemade sausage.  I made potato salad and heated up some ranch-style beans.  Jake wanted a chocolate chip cookie cake.  We served it with homemade goat ice cream.

They are going to meet up with our guests.

Then Jake opened his gifts.  He got a brand new pair of cowboy boots and some bumper spurs like the ones he saw at the Clinton Anderson workshop.  He also got some jeans and western-style shirts.  Jake received a lasso from a fellow cowboy whom Jake really admires.  Daily, he practices roping anything and everything he can.

Jake is an amazing boy.  He has always wanted to be a cowboy.  He doesn’t just look the part or act the part.  He is a cowboy.  For him or anyone else in my family, there is no better place to live than out here in the country on Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We enjoy so many aspects of life that are lost to children growing up in urban areas.  If we had to live in the city, then I am confident that we would manage.  Jake would probably own a huge dog and try to ride him down the sidewalks.   Until then, we will live each day thankful for being a part of this ranch.

Have you ever heard of diatomaceous earth?  I had not, until Cross Creek Cattle Company began raising grassfed beef.  Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of a hard-shelled algae, also called diatoms.  It has many uses and can be given to many different kinds of mammals and even humans.

One of our happy calves

First, I am going to describe the uses of diatomaceous earth with cattle.  It can be used both internally and externally.  We combine  diatomaceous earth with the cow’s natural mineral supplements of salt and kelp meal.  The diatomaceous earth removes any worms or parasites in the animal.  It is a natural de-wormer with no danger to the animal or consumer; therefore, there is no withdrawal time before consuming the animal.

In addition, there are many external uses of diatomaceous earth.  You can dust the backs of the animals with diatomaceous earth  to get rid of any pest like fleas, ticks, lice, and/or flies.  In order to kill the pests, they must come into contact with the dust.  You can rub it in for the best results.  However, try not to breathe in the dust.  Eventually it will irritate your lungs if you breathe in too much.  You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth in the barn to get rid of insects and to repel them too.

You can purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth from most good feed stores.  Its use is approved by the government for organic companies.  We do not have organic certification.  However, we do use all-natural products on our animals.  Diatomaceous earth is one example.

This fossilized dust can be used with most other animals as well.  For the large animals like cows, goats, and sheep, 2% of their daily ration should be diatomaceous earth.  Since we give no grain to our cows, we mix it with their free-choice minerals.  This is recommended as a daily feeding rate.  Dogs and cats can also benefit from it.  The best site I have found on using diatomaceous earth is Wolf Creek Ranch.  They are a wholistic animal sanctuary and give amounts for most animals.  It is a very informative website on the subject.  You can also use diatomaceous earth on your lawn and in your home.  I highly recommend checking into diatomaceous earth if you are wanting an all-natural pesticide/insecticide.

If you are curious about our grassfed beef, now you know that they are treated naturally with diatomaceous earth.  Additionally we give no growth-hormones or antibiotics to our cattle.  If for any reason a cow falls ill, they are removed from the grassfed program.  We will then give them antibiotics for their own health, but we will not sell them for human consumption.   If you have any questions, please contact us.

Hey, it’s Jake again!  I am finishing the second grade this week.   I am really excited.  Today, I want to tell you how inspired I became after attending one day of a horsemanship clinic.

On April 26th, I went to Conroe, Texas to hear Clinton Anderson from Downunder Horsemanship speak and demonstrate horsemanship skills.  It was called the Walkabout Tour.  Mr. Anderson is originally from Australia.  I think he was born with a true gift, a gift of understanding horses.

I really had a good time.  Mr. Anderson was hilarious.  I laughed out loud on several occasions.  Several people from Cross Creek Cattle Company were there, too.  My PawPaw, Grandma, and Dad took me to this workshop.  We all enjoyed listening to Clinton and we all learned something, too.

He showed us how to load a horse into a trailer and how to get a horse to side pass among many other things.  He demonstrated both what to do and what not to do.  The what not to do demonstration was the funniest.

The most important thing I learned was how to load a horse into a trailer.  Some lady brought her 5 year old black gelding who had barely been halter broke.  Clinton Anderson longed the horse.  The he took the horse to the trailer and showed how most people try to coax their horse into the trailer.  You know, like people trying to reason with a horse saying, “C’mon horsie, we have to get in the trailer.  C’mon sweetie, do it for mommy.”  I was laughing so hard!

You cannot talk a horse into the trailer or bribe them with carrots every time.  He showed us to make the horse uncomfortable outside.  Then he would get it in the trailer and leave it alone.  He would get the horse out again, make it uncomfortable, load it, and leave it alone.  The horse soon understood a trailer was a good place to be.

My favorite part was when Clinton Anderson showed us his horse, Mindy.  She is really pretty.  She can do tricks like the Spanish walk.  If you don’t know what that is, it is a style of marching where the horse kicks its leg out in front of itself before stepping down.  It looked really cool!  Mindy could also do a one-legged bow, a two-legged bow, and a saddle bow.  She could play dead, too.

At the clinic, Clinton Anderson was selling horse equipment and tack.  I was really interested by the spurs he uses.  They do not have rowels.  They are just round balls attached to your boots that get its attention.  He was selling saddles without saddle horns.  He was also selling all his training tools.  You could buy gloves, training sticks, etc.

I feel that I learned a lot and understand horses more than I did before I attended this clinic.  I also learned that Clinton Anderson has a television program called Downunder Horsemanship that shows on RFD.  I highly recommend viewing his show and trying to attend one of his clinics.  You can check out his schedule here.  I am a better rider because of it.

If you haven’t read Cowgirls Don’t Cry, Part One, you might want to begin with it.  Otherwise, I will continue with a story about my nine-year old daughter, Kyla.  I don’t know if living on a ranch her whole life or living in a family with four brothers has had more effect on Kyla’s life.  Regardless which circumstance was more influential on her character development, Kyla is one tough cowgirl.

Kyla with her horse, Dolly.

As a little girl, Kyla was never really interested in playing with baby dolls or house.  I think she was too busy being a big sister to her three younger brothers to want to play with a fake baby.  As soon as my husband and I teach our children how to do something, we allow them to do it with little supervision.  Kyla has been helping me clean our house for years.  She is a wonderful cook and loves to bake.  As young as five, Kyla has been occasionally surprising me with breakfast in bed or starting the pot of coffee for me in the morning if she woke up before me.

Kyla is a gem.  I could not ask for anyone better to be my daughter.  In addition to knowing how to do domestic chores, Kyla helps work cows.  She helps butcher wild hogs.  She goes fishing and never needs anyone to bait her hook or remove hooked fish.  She milks goats and bottle feeds their kids.  Kyla is really going to be some lucky man’s dream come true in many, many years to come, if I have anything to say about it.

Kyla also loves to ride horses.  She has gotten bucked off a horse once.  She slid off its back and landed on her two feet in the middle of the pen while striking a gymnastics pose.  You know what I mean, she threw her hands up in the air when she stuck her landing.  Everyone who witnessed it was quite impressed to say the least, and the people who only heard about it have their doubts that it really happened.  It did.

The other day she was riding her horse, Dolly, while Grandma Cathey was teaching Kyla to post in the saddle while Dolly trotted.  Kyla was really getting the hang of it.  The whole lesson was to teach Kyla to really learn to move with her horse.  Kyla was feeling so comfortable moving wtih Dolly that she let go of the reins.  The saddle horn held the reins for Kyla.  Anyway, she lifted her hands to her sides and lifted her head up to the sky like she was flying.  It was really a beautiful thing to see.  Horse and rider moving as one.  Rider trusting horse and having a splendid time pretending to fly.

Kyla decided to fly faster and clicked up Dolly into a lope.  However, Dolly did not want to lope and began crow hopping.  Well, Kyla’s body was still in a trot and she lost her balance.  Unfortunately for her, she was thrown right into the green metal arena fence.  “Thud!”  She did not bound to her feet this time.  When Cathey and I reached her, Kyla was still laying on the ground almost afraid to move.  She snapped at us, “Don’t touch me!”

She was able to explain that her left thigh and her entire back ached.  When she agreed to let us touch her and help her to her feet, we inspected her back.  Already a long purple bruise was appearing along her back from the small of it to the shoulder blade.  Green paint from the fence stained her brand-new white shirt.  She really hit the fence hard!

Despite her shock and soreness, Kyla wanted back on Dolly.  She rode around just to show Dolly that she was not afraid and that she was the boss.  My heart swelled with pride.  I have raised one tough daughter.  Just like Cathey, Kyla is another cowgirl who doesn’t cry.