Ranch Life

Adventure, Animals, California, Family, Horses, International Equine Photographer Maria Northcutt, Nature, Photography, Ranch Life, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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A very important part of the equestrian lifestyle is to make sure your equipment is functional for what you want to do. (Sometimes maybe rather what you need to do..) I’ve mentioned our drought here in California, but for a week or so the sky opened up, and now parts are flooded instead. Nature has such a great sense of humor :)

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We all know that this is temporary, and we love the rain. Rain creates life.

When you care for a lot of horses every day, it’s not a choice to stay inside for a little rain storm, or not even a big one. My day with the horses begins at 6am, sun or rain. I have two good pair of boots that I switch between. When one pair dries up in the mudroom, another pair is ready to go. I try to keep them as waterproof as possible.

When it rains for several days in a row, I try to give them a little more TLC than usual.

When I come inside I rinse them off with warm water, and scrub them gently with a sponge. To take all the mud away. I towel dry them. If they are really wet I let them dry a little before impregnating them again. After impregnating a pair of boots I let them sit at least a few hours before using them. Preferably in a warm place.

Why don’t I just use rubber boots all together instead of going through all this? Because it’s SO much more comfortable to work in real boots. I walk a lot; I walk when I’m out at photo sessions, I walk when I feed and train our horses, and I walk the dogs..that’s a lot of miles every day. I have regular hiking boots too, but on wet days I don’t use them.

I ride, work, walk and party in my Ariat’s. Ariat should probably sponsor me!!

Do you have one pair of shoes that you just can’t live without?? Or maybe you need lots of shoes to cover the different areas of your life? Tell me in a comment!

Shoes are interesting! Especially if they look good AND are comfortable, I don’t want to be without one or the other. Even if I’m not a very girly girl..Hahaha

I don’t need tons of shoes, but they have to be awesome. I prefer having only a few of good quality.

What do you need? What kind of weather do you have right now? Snow? Do you still need really warm footwear?

Whether you’re wearing flip flops or snow boots, I hope you’re having an awesome day :)

/Maria

Virginia Range Mustangs

Animals, Discovering Ranch Life Photography, Horsemanship, Horses, International Equine Photographer Maria Northcutt, Nature, Photography, Wild Horses, , , , , , , , ,

Dream Catcher is a very special wild mustang. She was rounded up from the Virginia Range (NV). She and her band were sold at an auction. Today Dream Catcher belongs to one of my friends. My friend is an animal communicator and they have a very special bond. If you like horses, this is an extraordinary story about TWO STRONG LADIES (an alpha mare and my friend Cindy)! I think you would enjoy following their journey:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dream-Catchers-Journey/529343840449391.

I don’t have a recent photo of Dream Catcher, but my friend Cindy uploads picture to her Facebook page almost every day. Right now she’s about to have a foal and it’s very exciting!
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I do have plenty of photos from the Virginia Range, where she lived before she was rounded up. I have several photos of Mustangs at the waterhole on the Virginia Range, turned into canvases. I have these two hanging in my kitchen.
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I have been told that this is the only big water source these horses have. As you can see the houses are very close. The Virginia Range Mustangs, “wild horses”, are kind of trapped in an enclosed area in between neighborhoods. I would love to have wild horses close to where I live BUT it is very sad that we take these horses grazing land away. Obviously it creates conflicts, when they continue being horses but have no where to go. It’s not a new conflict.
I thoroughly support every effort to keep the wild horses free, and protect the range. I also support everyone working hard to find suitable adopters for all the thousand of mustangs that currently resides in different holding facilities. Mustangs are versatile horses, suitable for most equestrian activities. They are strong and healthy, since only the strong ones survive in the wild.
I have a dream that at some point in the future do more for our wild horses. There’s some practical aspects that need to be taken care about first; like proper fencing and training facilities. A mustang is a wild horse. Wild horses roam free and travels many miles every day. If you fence them in, it’s good to have a lot of space with sturdy fencing. During the gentling process, you need climb free enclosed corals, where you can “safely” approach the horse in an enclosed area. It has to be some room, to minimize the stress of the horse feeling trapped. It can’t be too big, you have to be able to touch the horse, and eventually put a halter on him/her.
For now I enjoy every opportunity I get to take photos of them and spread information. Information is power!
Last year I published a book with some of my photos of wild mustangs NEVADA MUSTANGS – LIVING SYMBOLS OF THE WEST. The photos tell a story of proud horses with strong family bonds. 50% of the profits from NEVADA MUSTANGS – LIVING SYMBOLS OF THE WEST goes to non-profits that actively work to improve the situation for the Mustangs.
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The pure energy of these wild horses is a great source of inspiration to me. I love spending time in the wilderness, taking photos of wild horses. I always keep a journal with me when I’m out, and I shared some of my observations in my book.
I hope that there will be wild horses out there for future generations to admire and get inspired by.
With Love,
Maria