Grooming Holly & Jack
Dakota
Cowboy Up! Instructor Norm with Rebel
Dakota moving out
Rebel's turn in the round pen
Some riding
Ground work over obsticles inside the arena...
...and outside the arena.
Jun 3, 2012
May 30th, 2012 VA Visit
We have some new horses that are in the process of settling in, so the first thing we do is to see where the horse is in his mind. First off, working in the round pen will give us a good idea if a horse has any issues that may be related to fear or have any lack of respect. So to the round pen we went, and afterward, we got some of the veterans up and riding while we continued to work with the new horses on the ground by going over obsitcles in and outside the arens - this also gave the veterans time to bond with them.
May 23rd, 2012 VA Visit
Today we did some ground work in the round pen getting the horses to move out and partner up with our veterans.
First I illustrated the how to...
Next Nate got in with Jake and sent him round...
...and round, then changing directions...
...then the ultimate... Join Up!
Then it was Jervis' turn...
... while others looked on.
Stiltz moved out nicely into the direction he was sent, and then...
...a partnership was made...
Hooked on!!!
Well done men!!!
A Wonderful Life - Henry McKinley
May 19th, 2012
Was nice to wake up to see an article in the New Mexican about our Dear Friend and Program Partner Mr. Henry McKinley, so I just had to share it. Currently Mr. McKinley is teaching our most recent Cowboy Up! Graduate the ins and outs of roping - Thanks Henry!!!
A Wonderful Life: This cowboy's the real deal
Ana Pacheco | For The New Mexican Posted: Saturday, May 19, 2012
At age 83, Henry McKinley is a member of a dying breed. "Ranchers can be cowboys, and so can those who participate in rodeos, but to find people who can train and shoe horses, run a ranch and compete in rodeos like me is a rarity these days," he said.
"Today, young people move to the city. They don't want to put in the years of hard work that it takes to run a ranch," McKinley said.
There are many personal and financial reasons that the younger generation no longer cares to spend their days toiling away at ranch work, but for McKinley, who was raised in such a setting, he'd have it no other way. His mother, Margaret Littlefield, was a registered nurse who came to New Mexico in 1928 to work for a wealthy family named Johnson, who were guests at the San Gabriel Ranch in Alcalde, a few miles north of Española. McKinley, who is the oldest of three children, said, "The first time I was on a horse was when I was an infant. My mother held me on a pillow as she rode around the ranch."
Later, McKinley spent his formative years at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiú, where his mother, and father, Jack McKinley, worked for Arthur Pack, whose family owned the sprawling ranch. It was at Ghost Ranch that McKinley found his calling in life as a cowboy -- and the love of his live. "I used to help my parents with their chores around the ranch and that's when I met Peggy Pack. She was 6 at the time and I was 41/2. We played together then and we're still playing together now," he said.
In 1979, after a divorce for McKinley and the death of Peggy Pack's first husband, the couple reunited. The union produced five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Today, the elderly couple manages 30,000-acre Rancho Viejo, south of Santa Fe. Their days, which start at sunrise and end at sunset, are devoted to caring for their longhorn cattle. "Longhorn cattle are survivors of the fittest. More than a hundred years ago, after the Civil War, they were left by the Mexicans to fend for themselves. They're still going strong," McKinley said.
The biggest challenge for the couple these days is continual drought and overgrazing of the land. McKinley explained, "Since the Spaniards settled this part of the county more than three hundred years ago, their livestock had free range of the area, which has resulted in poor grazing conditions. We have to rotate the use of our property, so every three months our herd is moved to a different pasture in order for them to have an ample food supply. We have 10 windmills spread throughout the ranch that provide water, not only for the cattle, but for all of the wildlife in the area. Each day we take a drive to make sure that all of the windmills are working, because if you run out of water you're in trouble."
Henry McKinley was born in Lynn, Mass., in 1929. "My mother didn't trust the doctors out here so she went back home to have me. "We were there for six weeks and I haven't been back since, he said.
McKinley attended Española's McCurdy School and graduated from Roswell's New Mexico Military Institute in 1947. He spent two years in the military during the Korean War before attending college at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He graduated in 1952 with a degree in Range Management from New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, today known as New Mexico State University.
He retired in 1980 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he worked as an agricultural extension agent in range management. Since then he's not only managed his own ranch, but has participated in rodeo competitions throughout the state. For several years he held the New Mexico state title in calf roping. Although he's beginning to slow down a bit, two years ago he competed in a team-roping competition.
In June, McKinley will be busy branding all of his calves with the help of friends and neighbors. He said, "It'll be two long days of hard work, but after we're done I've promised to take everyone out to dinner."
Ana Pacheco's weekly tribute to our community elders appears every Sunday. She can be reached at 474-2800. Her book, J. Paul Taylor: The Man from Mesilla, was recently published by the Museum of New Mexico Press.
Was nice to wake up to see an article in the New Mexican about our Dear Friend and Program Partner Mr. Henry McKinley, so I just had to share it. Currently Mr. McKinley is teaching our most recent Cowboy Up! Graduate the ins and outs of roping - Thanks Henry!!!
A Wonderful Life: This cowboy's the real deal
Ana Pacheco | For The New Mexican Posted: Saturday, May 19, 2012
"Today, young people move to the city. They don't want to put in the years of hard work that it takes to run a ranch," McKinley said.
There are many personal and financial reasons that the younger generation no longer cares to spend their days toiling away at ranch work, but for McKinley, who was raised in such a setting, he'd have it no other way. His mother, Margaret Littlefield, was a registered nurse who came to New Mexico in 1928 to work for a wealthy family named Johnson, who were guests at the San Gabriel Ranch in Alcalde, a few miles north of Española. McKinley, who is the oldest of three children, said, "The first time I was on a horse was when I was an infant. My mother held me on a pillow as she rode around the ranch."
Later, McKinley spent his formative years at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiú, where his mother, and father, Jack McKinley, worked for Arthur Pack, whose family owned the sprawling ranch. It was at Ghost Ranch that McKinley found his calling in life as a cowboy -- and the love of his live. "I used to help my parents with their chores around the ranch and that's when I met Peggy Pack. She was 6 at the time and I was 41/2. We played together then and we're still playing together now," he said.
In 1979, after a divorce for McKinley and the death of Peggy Pack's first husband, the couple reunited. The union produced five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
The biggest challenge for the couple these days is continual drought and overgrazing of the land. McKinley explained, "Since the Spaniards settled this part of the county more than three hundred years ago, their livestock had free range of the area, which has resulted in poor grazing conditions. We have to rotate the use of our property, so every three months our herd is moved to a different pasture in order for them to have an ample food supply. We have 10 windmills spread throughout the ranch that provide water, not only for the cattle, but for all of the wildlife in the area. Each day we take a drive to make sure that all of the windmills are working, because if you run out of water you're in trouble."
Henry McKinley was born in Lynn, Mass., in 1929. "My mother didn't trust the doctors out here so she went back home to have me. "We were there for six weeks and I haven't been back since, he said.
McKinley attended Española's McCurdy School and graduated from Roswell's New Mexico Military Institute in 1947. He spent two years in the military during the Korean War before attending college at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He graduated in 1952 with a degree in Range Management from New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, today known as New Mexico State University.
He retired in 1980 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he worked as an agricultural extension agent in range management. Since then he's not only managed his own ranch, but has participated in rodeo competitions throughout the state. For several years he held the New Mexico state title in calf roping. Although he's beginning to slow down a bit, two years ago he competed in a team-roping competition.
In June, McKinley will be busy branding all of his calves with the help of friends and neighbors. He said, "It'll be two long days of hard work, but after we're done I've promised to take everyone out to dinner."
Ana Pacheco's weekly tribute to our community elders appears every Sunday. She can be reached at 474-2800. Her book, J. Paul Taylor: The Man from Mesilla, was recently published by the Museum of New Mexico Press.
May 20, 2012
Laguna Spring Branding
May 19th, 2012
Once again we were invited by our Program Partners, John and Stewart Romero, to their spring branding. We got the team together for an early departure to Laguna Pueblo to gather cattle and then jump into the business of the day! We were welcomed with warm hearts and big smiles - it is always a pleasure to see our friends! Thank you all for having us, and for giving our veterans an opportunity to learn and participate! We all had a blast!
May 15th & 16th Indian Livestock Days
Prior to the branding we participated Indian Livestock Days. It was two days filled with info, old friends and other Native American ranchers from throughout the state. Gary Sides from Pfizer led off the speakers outlining how the beef industry is an integral part of the economy. NMSU Cattle Specialist, Dr. Manny Encinias addressed Supplemental Feeds and also did a very good hands low stress cattle handling class. The always spot on NMSU Extension Veterinarian Dr. John Wenzel covered Reproductive Disease and Trichomonosis and also did an eye opening hands on session on Cow Carcass and Injection site evaluation. Ty Jones from Northern Arizona University did a class on Horse Sense and Dr. Eric Scholijegerdes from the NMSU Research Ranch in Corona, NM spoke on Water for Livestock.
Sedillo Cattle Association's John Romero and Horses For Heroes- New Mexico Director Rick Iannucci updated attendees about our Cowboy Up! program our program partners here at the Laguna Pueblo and the work we have also done with our Native American Navajo veterans in our Seed stock/ Rancher Starter kit program.
After some closing remarks from program organizer Kathy Landers, NMSU Extension Agent from McKinley County, the Colors were retired by the Laguna Veterans Color Guard and we were honored to pose for a closing photo.
Bottom photo from left to right with Color Guard: Cowboy Up! Director Nancy De Santis, John Romero, Kathy Landers, Dr. John Wenzel, Dr. Manny Encinias, Dr. Eric Sholljegeredes.
Prior to the branding we participated Indian Livestock Days. It was two days filled with info, old friends and other Native American ranchers from throughout the state. Gary Sides from Pfizer led off the speakers outlining how the beef industry is an integral part of the economy. NMSU Cattle Specialist, Dr. Manny Encinias addressed Supplemental Feeds and also did a very good hands low stress cattle handling class. The always spot on NMSU Extension Veterinarian Dr. John Wenzel covered Reproductive Disease and Trichomonosis and also did an eye opening hands on session on Cow Carcass and Injection site evaluation. Ty Jones from Northern Arizona University did a class on Horse Sense and Dr. Eric Scholijegerdes from the NMSU Research Ranch in Corona, NM spoke on Water for Livestock.
Sedillo Cattle Association's John Romero and Horses For Heroes- New Mexico Director Rick Iannucci updated attendees about our Cowboy Up! program our program partners here at the Laguna Pueblo and the work we have also done with our Native American Navajo veterans in our Seed stock/ Rancher Starter kit program.
After some closing remarks from program organizer Kathy Landers, NMSU Extension Agent from McKinley County, the Colors were retired by the Laguna Veterans Color Guard and we were honored to pose for a closing photo.
Bottom photo from left to right with Color Guard: Cowboy Up! Director Nancy De Santis, John Romero, Kathy Landers, Dr. John Wenzel, Dr. Manny Encinias, Dr. Eric Sholljegeredes.
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