Nina feeding apples to our four quarter horses.
Digger, Chec, Chip, and Squirrel are our four quarter horses. Most of the day they graze on several acres of pasture. In stormy weather they have a large dry-lot with a 72-foot long lean-to to stay dry and in the winter they can stay overnight in their individual stalls in the heated barn. We ride them as time permits, sometimes daily, either on our own land or in the nicely ventilated/heated indoor arena.
Paul Dietz on Digger
The oldest horse is Digger, a palomino gelding. He was born on April 29, 1999 in Darby, Montana (under the name CCS Broadway Twinkle). Chec is black and is the second oldest of the four horses. He was born March 12, 2007 in Ohio (under the name Hot Buddered Rum). Chip, a bay, was born on April 30, 2007 in Lavina, Montana (under the name Oak N Hickory Chexx). The youngest horse is Squirrel, a chestnut, who was born in 2008. We really don’t have much information about this horse.
We are learning how to train and ride our horses using the traditional California Vaquero Style method which we were exposed to through our frequent visits to California and through clinics and lessons from Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman, Paul Dietz, Kip Fladland, and Vern Smith. In addition to doing groundwork, we ride in the arena and do outside work to expose our horses to distractions and scary situations, an important part of the training process. Whenever we have a chance, we use cattle to work our horses to keep them interested and give them a real job.
The vaqueros have always prided themselves on being able to work their cattle and horses with harmony and feel and we are chasing that elusive feel of togetherness of horse and rider. Of course, we can’t do it alone: regular lessons are the key to success. Paul Dietz, an outstanding horsemen and patient and creative instructor, visits Nektosha regularly to teach us and our horses. If you are interested in seeing him teach and ride, contact us for more information.