Raising Cabernet and Merlot in Texas

So, There I was…..* Retired from the Air Force and returned to the State of Texas, making my way as a civilian for the first time in my life.  The wife and my vision for the future was to buy some land and grow grapes as Texas at the time was a nascent wine growing region.  It has since exploded in growth, but that’s another story.  We had been working at the process, taking classes, working with our good friends who are grape growers and wine makers and bought 31 acres of very nice property in the Texas Hill Country.

The Flying Gazebo Ranch (story to follow) Jan 14. Lower right stockpond makes a nice pistol range and not much else. House, Carport, Man Cave and Tractor left lower center. Barn Far Lower Left

I learned a lot in those years.  One, the technical term for growing grapes is farming.  Two, growing grapes does not involve beautiful nubile women in gossamer negligees running through the vineyard fanning the grapes.  Three, God gets a big vote in the success or failure of a farmer.  Finally, four, a fighter pilot imbued with a need to be in control was not suited to be a farmer.  We opted out of the grape growing industry.  Whenever I begin to doubt the wisdom of that, I volunteer at our friend’s vineyard during harvest, which is typically August here in Texas.  That tends to dampen the enthusiasm.

But, we really love our property, it’s quiet and secluded.  It also happens to be very near a military low level route, one that I had flown while at Del Rio.  So, I still get serenaded by the sound of jets on a regular basis. Additionally, the local Airport hosts formation school roughly quarterly.  Formation school is where air show pilots come and comply with FAA requirements for academics and practice in formation flying which allows them to participate in airshows.   Evidently, my fields and those of my neighbors look good enough from the air to act as emergency landing strips.  They probably are, although I have my doubts about a quick fix with the wrench and flying out.

So, we are staying on our property.  What to do with it though?  We've decided to grow hay.  Basically, we fertilize the field, God provides the water (some years more than others).  Then cut and bail the hay when long enough.  Doesn't make us a fortune, but it does qualify us for an Agricultural Exemption on our property taxes. 

We’re having dinner one evening and the wife looks at me, batting her baby blues (they’re actually hazel, but that doesn't work here) and asks “Honey, are we ever going to plant grapes.”  I respond “No, I don’t think so.”  She responds “Well, I want Cabernet and Merlot on this property!” and hands me a brochure.  On the cover are two beautiful Paint Horses in full gallop.  I give her a quizzical look and she says “Read it.”  Well, the brochure is from an animal rescue agency in East Texas and they had rescued these two horses along with ~30 others from a breeding farm that had gone belly up.  The clincher was these two horses were named Cabernet and Merlot.  My fate was sealed.

They have arrived!

My sole experiences with horses being watching TV has led to expectations of them talking to me (in English) when we’re alone, being able to jump on them and yell “Hi, Ho, Silver!” and gallop off into the sunset and finally, whistle and have them come running.  Of the three, the last is the most unrealistic.  Although, I have made inroads on it, by promising them repeatedly that my intention is to NEVER attempt the second.  I notice they look somewhat relieved when I mention that.

They were about 18 months old when we first got them, coming up on 3 years ago.  We put them up at a trainer for the first few months.  One to get them some basic horse training, and two to get us some time to get a barn and corral put up.

One night, while all this is going on, I happen to be reading the want ads in the paper.  I very rarely do this, but an ad happens to catch my eye.  "Free to a good home, Golden Palomino Mare".  Hmmm.  One of the things we've noticed about Cab and Merlot are they don’t seem to have a lot of “Horse Sense”.  Not having much myself, I wonder if having an older, more experienced horse might help the situation.  I talk it over with my horse whisperer, a teacher at the school where I work. She agrees that this could be a good idea.  So we give the folks a call.

Drive over to the stables the next day and are looking forward to meeting Grace.  Grace is a retired 27 year old show horse and looks and acts every bit of it. She has a beautiful long mane and tail and when she looks at you, her eyes look like they're got gold flecks in them. She’s very graceful, moving almost like a stage model, which I guess she was in the Equine world.  I walk up to her holding my hand out and she gives it a few sniffs then puts her head on my shoulder and sighs. I have been deemed "acceptable".

Grace

He owners are a pair of Doctors on a mission trip in Africa, who decided it didn't make much sense to be doing that and scraping by while paying x dollars a month paying room and board for a horse.  Works out for the benefit of both sides.  

Grace has shown the Paints (en masse we refer to them as “the Girls”), that it’s OK to go in the barn during a rain storm and when it’s cold.  She’s also demonstrated that when Juvat whistles, it usually means chow time.  The Paints have shown Grace that it’s OK to run full blast on the property and that Juvat and Mrs Juvat really enjoy watching that.

They've needed quite a bit of work, and quite a bit of hay and feed to overcome the problems caused from their breeding farm days. They have gained their weight back and now are, like most of us, watching their diet. 

"What do I gotta do, bite the lid off a can of dog food?

A Little Grain and no one get's hurt

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for some Grain today

AND...They come when called.

 Mrs Juvat has been up on all three.  She reports that Cab is a bit of a rough ride, but Merlot and Grace are smooth as glass.  I have fulfilled my word in that I haven’t been up on any, also having been advised by my physician that a fall from a horse could exacerbate my neck injury in a “catastrophic” way.  I’m OK with following that advice. The Girls have also taught me that when a 2000 LB animal does not want her hooves cleaned, it’s ok to leave it for another day. I expect the bruises to fade in another week or so.


*What's the difference between a fairy tale and a war story? A fairy tale starts out "Once upon a time" and a war story starts out "So, There I was".