On this gorgeous May Day the whole herd at Farview Ranch would be separated from their winter fleeces. Along with shearing, minor veterinary work will be preformed on teeth and toes. My job for the day was wrangler.

Shearing on alpaca is perfomed in stages. The best part off the fleece called the blanket, is taken off first and carried away in tact. The seconds are then collected.

While the animal is restrained teeth and toenails are trimmed. Our alpaca buddies rise from the mats looking cool, and none the worse for ware! Just a normal day in May: Horse races next week … stay tuned.

The stars of the show were defiantly the hard working mini class. Their motto is “Small but Mighty!” They had three classes to attend, with the total points from all three being tallied after the 2-mile cross-country course. Dressage and a timed obstacle course were held in the morning, with the cross-country course to be run at 2-PM.

These miniature athletes perform just as well as their full sized counterparts. With the weather being so glorious, this event is a must see when in Sonoita in January!

This Kachina I decided to take liberties with, since so many of the original aspects of him were in un-repairable condition. His body is nicely carved and in good shape. It is poly chromed (a thin layer of plaster is applied to the wood before painting) and his fur was acceptable, I figured; why not give him a new life? His bow was missing its string, so I stretched white deer hide to remake it. His quiver needed cleaning and new feathers, and his rattle was chipped, and his leather shell jewelry was torn. Since he looked as though he was riding a horse, I made him one. It is made from leopard wood and has inset turquoise eyes. I reused the broken leather and shells to create the bridle and reins of the horse. I added a small dog as a riding companion.

I like the way he turned out. Although not the original concept, he has been recycled for our future. I signed on the bottom next to Bacatewa, 1970. He is sure to turn heads in any Kachina collection.

Our Local Elgin Club was having a Christmas art fair as well, so the events were combined. Folks came from as far as Phoenix to see our artisans’ unusual products and wares. To give shoppers a warm glow, local wineries were on hand for a sampling of the years harvest.

All told, vendors went home with some Christmas jingle, and shoppers with some rare gifts. 300 people passed through the barn doors that day!

Yes, even in Arizona you get the occasional snow!
Luckily it is usually gone by noon. On this day we let our horses go play in the powder left by the storm. Warm and cozy from our front windows next to the fire, we watched them frolic like 2 year olds!

Speaking from our own personal experience, knowing that your pastures are of more worth to you as hay, than grazing, encourages one to keep and work to improve pastures. Feeding your animals what grows naturally is as green as it gets!

Our pastures are roughly 15 acres.  This year we harvested over five hundred bales of good quality hay.  Our bales are 50 pound two string bales that contain around 10 to 12 flakes each. Our deal is 50/50 with our neighbor who bales for us.

Bermuda hay, which comes in three string bales and weighs 100 pounds costs $18.75 (now $20.per bale) makes feeding livestock a real consideration. Imagine your barn filled with over 2]50 bales of hay or more!

Our back pastures yield another 140 bales.

Since our horses have been on our natural grass hay, their body scores have improved. Our hay is lower in sugar than Bermuda and alfalfa, but has a good mix of nutrients, and since our hay is a mix, instead of being monoculture hay as in alfalfa and Bermuda, horses tend to use this hay more efficiently. A side benefit is that animals re-seed with what they eat, so feeding native hay promotes the re-seeding of natural grass.