Young GoatScapers

The herd took off on a search for fresh green in the hills... The excitement of spring coming..

Then the herd took a steep trail and left three kids and a lamb behind.. The little GoatScapers had been distracted by a green leafy Mointain Mahogany.

Once they realized they were alone the herd as long gone...

All four herding dogs had gone on this walk and all four stayed back with the kids, concerned for their safety.

The babies just wanted to eat, and when they finally began to move had to be turned back away from the disappeared herd back toward home..

Across land they had never traversed before...

The kids and lamb got a lesson in herding pressure without the influence of their parents and older herd mates...

They also had frequent snack breaks, especially when they came across sage..

The land is very rough in this section and the kids enjoyed the hillsides, jumped on rocks and danced along the way...

Bucky and Guppy were very serious about moving the little goaties on along toward home...

It was a little tricky keeping all four dogs in position to herd the young goats and lamb, but the pack is gentle and serious about babies, so they worked it out with some sometimes constant reminders...

While the Aussies worked closely with the little herd, Great Big White Guardian Doggo kept watch over us all...

Zuli kept extra close track of G-Man, the lamb...

Gorgonzola enjoyed hopping on rocks...

Gilroy enjoyed the salad bar..

The dogs enjoyed doing their job...

The going was slow at times and the dogs had to know when to release pressure, waiting for the little ones to be ready to move again...

It was a beautiful walk across some steep terrain...

Badger did little, keeping a general eye on things... But did lead the lamb up the hill a time or two back to the bunch when he got scared by over pressuring Zuli..

Hart II's SunStar Buck really enjoys challenging work...

Zuli loves working young stock...

The kids Love rocks.

The lamb, not so much..

It took awhile, but once back on familiar trails the progress was easier and all babes made it safely home- the lamb wagging his tail behind him..

Changing Seasons

As the grasses begin to turn green and the snowbanks recede across New Mexico, I daydream in the saddle of the coming season...

Much snow has fallen in some places and that ground is happily saturated.

The growing season holds promising starts, in fact starting they are! Along with greening grass the Scorpian weed and multiple versions of the Mustard have already begun to raise their heads. And around the house Horehound also begins to green.

Chimaja still hides below the surface, their carrot-like roots carefully tapping the rising and falling water table. Soon the wild parsley tops will push through the top-crust and invite the esoteric palate..

The sun stays longer in the sky; the daylight beginning earlier and the end time pushing longer. Activity begins to expand beyond the mere necessity to the anticipation of expansion.

Time to plant seeds and prepare beds... Time to plan for a harvest... all the hope and anticipation begins to translate through tangible growth.

The water begins to flow along the dirt: flood irrigation, from the ground, from the ditch, from the sky.

As I sit in the sun imagining the coming season I see in my mind's eye goats, happily munching weeds in the field, in town in a park, around the facilities of farms, homes, communities and public utilities...

The goats arrive on the job at hand and quickly go to work mowing the overgrown, over abundant and over balanced weeds.

Their mouths make quick work of sun-kissed, sugar-filled tips and devour the tougher stalks.
Together, making all the difference.

Their small sharp hooves create divets in the soil where rain water and seeds are caught and sheltered. The topcrust is opened, improving water infiltration. Manure and urine, the building blocks of life, are deposited providing food-energy for symbiotic desert plants. And carbon in the form of old plant material is deposited into the top strata where it is sequestered and helps grow microbial communities.

Each visit from the goats improves the soil, creating balance, establishing communities of symbiotic plants which out-shoulder the opportunistic plants that even without the ties to mycelium networks can take over in degraded/droughty/damaged lands.

Plants and Animals evolved together and without the one the other is lost. As domesticity was thought to civilize the land a new frontier has emerged within the soil.

Chemical warfare became the fashion, (on all fronts) but the war is now exploding, threatening without hope as imbalance and indiscriminate death become the way. Time to step back and re evaluate the equation.

Step back to see that spiral as it currently is, downward. Changing perspectives are needed to see the potential for powerful renewal and rebirth. The spiral that curves upwards and into a fruitful future. The spiral that begins with a choice from each of us to do least harm and supply the most support.

I sit with my horse, with the goats and the dogs as each separate species works closely and carefully together, all aimed at the same purpose: to bring everyone home safe in the end.

Life is more about cooperation than competition. Competition is a force that creates disparity and distrust. It divides more than it ever unites. It is an imposture for the unification that comes from combined forces.

These are some of the thoughts that pass through as I watch the first signs on the land that herald another change in season.

The signs are not so predictable as they were once, the whole earth is in a time of change. Not one can predict what form that will take, how easily it will transition, or even how soon, or if ever we will see the change even out.

The only constant after all is change

BE the Change you want to See.

NM Guinea Hens at Dawn

Our recent arrivals: African Guinea Hens 

A good bird to have around,

Sharp eyed and Fleet footed

Yard birds extraordinaire 

Grasshopper hunters, aphid pickets

Easy on the garden

Waiting for the sun, 

After a light, early morning snowfall... 

Guinea helmets on their perch

Shy birds, dislike camera attention

Especially Ms White, the Ivory Queen

But they will follow you home when lost..

Desensitizing Guineas to 

Photo Capture...

Playing with Filters...

Guppy and Her Swarm of Puppies

The lovely Guppy is a mother again. A job she takes very seriously...

Guppy disappeared to have her pups... After a long day with the goats in a yard I came home and wondered where she had gone off to. Found her right away in the failed cistern with a freshly dug, nearly ready to go den carved out nearby...

...Inside the house they came...

To the crate in the living room to begin socialization...

The first few days are all about taking in sounds and smells through their slowly forming sensory system... 

After day two or three we start "DT" 

Desensitization Training...

These are short, consistent exercises where the pup is held upright, upside down, on their belly and on their back and touching the toes.. Each for three seconds and then followed by close contact-holding puppy close at the end... Add a little breath exchange and after a few weeks this creates a hardy, trusting individual that loves to be handled by people...

Papa Buck (Hart II's SunStar Buck) and granma Zuli (SunRay's High Desert Lazuli)... Just like their parents and grandparents these puppies will be able to work anything!

Guppy-Pup Testimonials

Here at Horned Locust GoatScaping we are celebrating this holiday season with 6 little Aussie pups underfoot...

A few are still looking for their Forever Homes... Consider bringing home one of these furry companions home for Christmas if you have livestock to herd, are in search of a Service or Support dog or simply want an active companion to fill your life. 

We have sent many Aussie crosses off to homes where their personality, intelligence and easy training ability are very much appreciated..  Here are a few testimonials...

Buddy

Hello Amanita. Here are a few photos of Buddy. He has been such a great dog for all of us. He and little Lorenzo are best buds. Buddy follows him everywhere and protects him. He lets me give him lots of lovings and brush him. One of the photos is of Buddy and big Lorenzo and Buddy is pretty fond of him too.

Busco

Hi Amanita...We have been having a great time! Busco and I are back in San Diego and are having so much fun exploring together. He goes everywhere with me and doesn't leave my side.  I take care of lots of little kids and he has been so great around them! My 4 year old little cousin and him are best friends. She tells everyone that she is helping teach Busco how to be around kids. Busco and I spend a lot of time either hiking or going to the beach. We have learned fetch and also like playing with the other dogs of my various family including standard poodles, great Pyrenees and blue heelers. He loves being with them!  I just wanted to let you know we are doing great and share some photos.... I just want to thank you for my new best friend. He's been so amazing and we are having so much fun together!

Blue Cheese

Blue Cheese is doing well- loves, and I mean loves to play ball- big small. She is wonderful at catching and knows how to sit and stay! We are blessed to have such a wonderful girl! She has many tennis balls and probably fetches more than 500 times a day- also drops on command, catches tennis balls, carries 2 at a time, and herds a big red tennis ball and basketball!

Solstice

We are all in love and doing great... Thanks for raising such a great dog. She is agile, spirited and smart. She had her first shots and the vet thought she was terrific, we do too... and she trained to the invisible fence in 1 day. Smartest of all our dogs and we have had many really smart ones... Thanks for breeding such a wonderful dog.

Happy

Paul was so excited to meet Happy last night. He is a grown man who turned into a little boy when I gave him Happy. Paul’s never had a dog of his own before and always dreamed of having an Australian Shepherd. He couldn’t be happier with his new friend for life. 

Another llama Roundup

Wet weather last week left puddles... Time to head out to find the llamas...

Through and over the tall tumbleweeds...

Across to the flats... 

Where the llamas stood grazing..

Back across the flats towards home...

Across the foothills...

Over the ridges...

A mob of acrobatic Ravens came to check out our procession.. The dogs and llamas and Ravens all got a good look at one another...

Back through the deep tumbleweeds again...

And up the long valley again...

Pausing at a stud pile to add some...

The parade continues...

Back home again..

Chopo greets the fuzzy creatures along the back fence..