Welcome to the Ranch!

Rheaghan riding her horse, Peanut, bareback with my daughter, Kyla, riding Dolly.

This summer Cross Creek Cattle Company is happy to have hired a local cowgirl to train and work with our horses.  Rheaghan Pavlock is the newest member of our ranching operation.  She has been around horses most of her life.  She is a member of the Grimes County Mounted Posse along with my children.  Rheaghan competes in Ranch Hand rodeos and speed events.  She is looking forward to making some money and gaining more experience by working with our nine horses.

We have a variety of horses.  From old faithful horses on which you can do anything to a young broke colt that needs to learn some manners.  This colt needs a lot of attention and work to fine-tune his skills.  We also have one mare that was abused in her past.  She needs to learn to trust people.  She has made progress in leaps and bounds since first coming here years ago, and we hope that this progress will continue.

Rheaghan is doing a great job so far.  Riding, round penning, grooming, washing, feeding, cleaning stalls, cleaning the tack room, etc. are all responsibilities that she oversees.  Her favorite part of the job is riding horses, of course.  We have a variety of places to ride so it is always interesting.  Creek bottoms, hills, wooded pastures, an arena, pens, and open pastures all make for fun rides.  It is good for both horse and rider.

Just last week, Rheaghan was riding with my daughter, Kyla.  They came up out of a creek, which happens to be in our wildlife refuge.  Both the horses started snorting and side-stepping, which caught Rheaghan’s attention.  She looked harder into the brushy overgrowth.  There was a feral sow with ten piglets bedded down.  The horses must have caught their scent.  You never know what to expect around here.

Rheaghan finds Spur, our relatively young colt, the most challenging aspect of her job.  He likes to challenge her authority, and she has to constantly remind him that she is the boss.  Rheaghan hopes that by the summer’s end Spur will be a changed and better horse.  She knows that she has to put a lot of hours under his feet to attain that goal.

A perk that she loves after a hard day’s work is a smoothie.  Made out of homemade goat milk yogurt and frozen fruit, smoothies are a treat that make the heat feel more tolerable.  When she is sweating in the sun, the thought of a smoothie in the afternoon keeps her going.  I am glad that I can reward her hard work with something as simple as a smoothie.  And, Cross Creek Cattle Company is glad that we have Rheaghan for the summer.

Steve and Jake with Ladd on Jake's birthday.

Years ago when we were looking to purchase good, broke horses for my children to ride, we met Steve Prewitt and his family.  We were struck by his honesty and knowledge.  Steve was a working cowboy at the time as well as training to be a preacher.

We ended up purchasing a paint mare that we named Cheyenne from him.  My dad was sold when he saw the picture of Steve standing in the saddle swinging a rope.  The young mare just stood still, completely desensitized.  My husband fell in love with this horse and he rides her every chance he gets.

Steve also helped us find another mare.  We named her Roxie.  It was not even his horse, but he drove us out to the stables where she was kept and let us ride her in the parking lot.  It was getting very dark.  The parking lot light threw shadows all over the ground, which will spook most horses.  With only a halter and a lead rope, our family rode her around.  She did not spook.  She responded to our commands without a bit.

Now my son Clayton rides her.  He loves Roxie and together they work well together.  If it is riding around Cross Creek Cattle Company, down a busy street during a parade, or in the rodeo arena, Roxie and Clayton make a good pair.

My son, Jake, and Steve hit it off immediately.  They both have a passion for horses.  When our ranch first hired Steve to train and work with our horses, he spent hours with Jake training him as well.  For a while there, I thought I would get sick of Steve’s name because he is all Jake talked about.  I appreciated the fact that Steve took the time to be a good role model for Jake.  Not only is he a good man, but Steve made time for Jake.

For one of Jake’s birthdays, we had a family and friend trail ride.  I think he was more excited when Steve Prewitt drove up with his wife, Dee, to present Jake with a brand-new rope.  It meant a lot to Jake; therefore, the act meant a lot to me.

Steve has helped Lane be a better rider.  They worked together to be able to open and close gates on horseback.  Lane has watched and taken mental notes of how Steve does groundwork in the round pen.  Lane, too, has enjoyed Steve working here on the ranch.

Now Steve is moving.  He has found a great job about an hour away.  We are excited for him and his family as they embark on a new journey.  It is a bittersweet moment for us, though.  We are losing a great cowboy, horseman, and role model.

Thank you, Steve, for being a part of Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We appreciate all that you did for us.  And, we wish you the best in your new adventure.  We are going to miss you.